Thoughts on game used bats with a TON of use

[bagbig]

I am curious to hear what other fellow game used bat collectors felt about bats with TONS of use versus a bat with moderate use. I know certain players, for example George Brett, where the bats with alot ot pine tar are highly desirable. I am not talking about that example. More so, I am inquiring about Louisville Slugger game used bats that have so much use that the player's name is faded and not clearly legible. You know the bat was one of their favorites, since they used it for so long, but their name is not completely clear. Does this increase or decrease the value of the bat?? I know everybody collects different types of bats, but I am curious what the common industry thoughts are in regards to these types of bats. Thanks alot.

[suave1477]

Well in my general opinion I think it is more of the desire of the collectort o have a game used bat the shows a ton of use opposed to one that was used maybe once or twice.

Why would you want a bat thow shows hardly any use?

As far as your george brett comment I would think collectors would want a heavy tarred bat of his due to the tarring incident!!

Me personally I like to have a bat with a lot of use

[skipcareyisfat]

I'm not a bat collector but if I was in the market for a game used bat, I would be more interested in finding one showing proper use rather than tons of use. My guess is that not all players like using bats that are hammered with tar, marks, dings, etc. There have been several conversations on this board relating to Albert Pujols bats, for example. It seems that Pujols not only gives a lot of bats away, he uses bats given to him by other players. Therefore, for the purpose of authenticity, I'd be more interested in finding one that showed proper Pujols use/markings. Granted, most players don't garner the same attention or interest as Pujols, it's still important to know what to look for. After all, you're buying a game used bat on the assumption that you know who used it.

As a helmet collector, I love the ones that are dirty, tarred, scratched and nasty looking - like ManRam's or Biggio's old one. On the other hand, I would by leery if I saw that level of use on a Chipper Jones or Jose Canseco helmet, for instance.
Jason

[Swoboda4]

I want a bat with a lot of use. But a bat used to the point where the name is completely unreadable is something I don't want for two reasons. One is I feel todays players don't get that much Major League use out of a bat to have it look like that-at least from them. Couple that with the habit of shaving down the handle to make it lighter and not boning it and most MLB bats crack early. The other reason is it doesn't look appealing to me. The magic of focusing in on the players name is important for me.

[Calrima]

Its seems that everyone has their OWN tastes when it comes to bats. I like moderate use or better and uncracked.

On the other hand............

I have a Phillies bat of John Russell that is BOMBARDED with use and has a nice crack, with heavy wear on the lettering . Not the nicest looking item, but some collectors would love that much use. Like the player used it till it was cracked.


Enjoy the hobby, and Keep this forum filled with great info.
My best,
Den

[MSpecht]

Hi --

This is one of those questions that really only has one good answer --

Collect What YOU Like !

I have known bat collectors with as varied tastes as you can imagine. The most eccentric was probably a well known and highly respected Illinois collector in the early 1970's who had great access to game used bats, but he didn't like the game use on them -- he wanted them to look perfect, as if they just came off the line. So, he would sand, erase, refinish, whatever he had to do to eliminate pine tar, rack marks, ball marks, and other evidence of game use to get the bat to HIS liking. That was a little extreme for me, but I did purchase and trade a few bats with him .

My personal preference is a bat with a moderate amount of game use (think a "medium-well done steak") that shows game use characteristics that can be matched to a player's known personal characteristics (although it takes some serious research to determine that in most cases).

I want a bat to match known factory records if they are available..... if a bat is 34 inches and the player's personal records do not show any order of any model under 35 inches, with numerous orders of 36 inches, over a 10 or 12 year period, I am not going to spend any significant money (probably no money actually) on the premise that it is a team index bat that he didn't need to order because he had access to the team orders so that's why it doesn't show in his personal factory records....... huh ?????

I prefer a bat where all labeling is legible. Heavy game use that eradicates part of the labeling is less desirable to me. That was a real problem with early foil stamping. Plus, that is a signal (to me, anyway) to look real close for evidence of some... errrr... tampering. We have all seen bats at auction that conveniently have a piece of wood missing just below the player's name where LOUISVILLE SLUGGER should have been , and where COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY used to be... actually, that would be pretty cool on a Gehrig bat.

On vintage side-written bats, I prefer to have well defined, legible writing. That;s probably because if I am displaying the bat or showing it off, I don't want to have to have six angled light sources and a magnifying glass to show someone what it is....I am basically lazy that way, I guess.

I have no problem with autographed bats, in fact I think it enhances them. I agree that the sweet spot is the best place for the signature, as it displays nicely without having to have a mirror behind the bat or some type of George Foreman grill rotisserie set-up that rotates the bat to see the autograph. Again, that's probably my lazy side talking.

Ultimately, the choice is up to the collector. I am not a big fan of going for something you do not like as much as something else just because you think it may have better resale value in the future. If you do that, chances are that you will end up selling it sooner rather than later anyway. Remember, if you like it, it is very likely that someone else will like it too. I actually found myself looking around my office to see where the Ted Williams Sears Croquet Set that I saw a photo of today in a recent post would actuaklly fit !!!

And yes, when I finally decide to pack it all in and give up the ghost, I hope there are still a bunch of Dick Stuart and 1960 Pittsburgh Pirates collectos still around.... the World Champion 1960 Pittsburgh Pirates, that is..........

Enjoy your collection !!!

Mike

[geoff]

Hi i like game used bats that are autographed with good use and pine tar.Of the bats i have i only have 2 that are not autographed.Thanks Geoff

[geoff]

Hi i like game used bats that show use to them.I like pine tar on bats and the players number on the bottom.And an autographed bat is a plus for me too.Thats what kind of game used bats i collect.Thanks Geoff

[bagbig]

Thanks to everyone that replied, this information helps alot and solidified my opinion of what a true game used bat should look like. Thanks again!!!!