Junk Game Used

[skyking26]

HR bats are rare and would be highly sought after as long the provenance matched up and the price is right.

I had an opportunity to buy a Kingman final slam bat this past year. Awesome looking bat, letter from Kingman, signed and denoted on the bat. However, it was a C243 and I had a bat in my posession just like it (virtually identical). While it would have been nice to have for historical purposes, after all the dough I went thru in 08 the significance did not outweigh the pricetag. The bat has sold. I'm glad another owner got a cool piece from a great power hitter.

At the end of the day, we all evaluate and make decisions based on a number of factors...

[frikativ54]

HR bats are rare and would be highly sought after as long the provenance matched up and the price is right.

I had an opportunity to buy a Kingman final slam bat this past year. Awesome looking bat, letter from Kingman, signed and denoted on the bat. However, it was a C243 and I had a bat in my posession just like it (virtually identical). While it would have been nice to have for historical purposes, after all the dough I went thru in 08 the significance did not outweigh the pricetag. The bat has sold. I'm glad another owner got a cool piece from a great power hitter.

At the end of the day, we all evaluate and make decisions based on a number of factors...

That's really cool. But did it say "final slam bat"? It would be one thing if Kingman had a few bats he signed as HR bats; it would be quite another if he were to have used a different bat for every other HR like A-Rod did with ASI. IDK, but there's something about what A-Rod did that cheapens the value of his game-used items. I mean, it seems like every day another A-Rod item is offered on eBay. It is like A-Rod is artificially manufacturing collectibles, and for that reason, I wouldn't want one of those bats in my collection.

[godwulf]

It is like A-Rod is artificially manufacturing collectibles, and for that reason, I wouldn't want one of those bats in my collection.

I'm sure we all know the stories about players who supposedly (and maybe they did, in some cases) went into the locker room and changed jerseys between each inning of an historic game. Talk about "manufactured" collectibles!

As for retiring, inscribing and selling each game-used home run bat, that seems like something that most players I've talked with about their bats would never think of doing...not until the bat was broken, anyway. Most players who hit a HR with a bat seem to want to make sure they take that same bat with them to the plate the next time they're up. Doing anything else just strikes me as being unprofessional.

[skyking26]

Les: the bat was the actual 16th and final slam bat. It was nice. I spent a "ton" on everything else, so you can only do what you can do...

[frikativ54]

Les: the bat was the actual 16th and final slam bat. It was nice. I spent a "ton" on everything else, so you can only do what you can do...

Sweet, you sound like you have a nice collection!

[emann]

schubert1970

Just out of curiousity, how much of a premium did the A-Rod HR bats go for over a "normal" GU bat when originally offered?

[joelsabi]

Looking at Ebay on MVP Marketing offerings:

The HR passing Mickey Mantle goes for 15K or bo
The HR passing Schmidt goes for 12.5 K or bo
2 Non-Milestone HR goes for 8.5 K or bo
GU bat used in final series 6 K or obo
GU bat with “House Ruth Built” inscription 4K obo

These all offered by MVP Marketing, which deals most of ARod’s stuff.

So looks like Milestones bats were priced an additional 4-5K over a regular HR bat.

[schubert1970]

Looking at Ebay on MVP Marketing offerings:

The HR passing Mickey Mantle goes for 15K or bo
The HR passing Schmidt goes for 12.5 K or bo
2 Non-Milestone HR goes for 8.5 K or bo
GU bat used in final series 6 K or obo
GU bat with “House Ruth Built” inscription 4K obo

These all offered by MVP Marketing, which deals most of ARod’s stuff.

So looks like Milestones bats were priced an additional 4-5K over a regular HR bat.

The HR passing Mantle is actually for RBI's, not HR's. That bat AROD wanted 25k or so. No one thought they could sell the bat with any type of mark up, so Arod has kept that one from the last thing I was told.

My own preference was to aquire a bat from a Yankee win @ Yankee Stadium.

I agree that all those inscriptions "House Ruth Built", "Madonna Loves Me" , "Boros Rocks" etc. are a waste.

[frikativ54]

schubert1970

Just out of curiousity, how much of a premium did the A-Rod HR bats go for over a "normal" GU bat when originally offered?

I looked for you as well. Didn't find what I was looking for, but I was struck by how many game-used and "limited edition" autographed items there were from mvpmarketingmanagement and mannyramirezauthentic. I love the ones where it says "Yankee for Life".

I respect A-Rod for his talent (I got to watching him growing up here in Seattle), but the every HR bats seems like it takes the concept of game-used too far. Is there really the demand out there for A-Rod's items that mvpmarketingmanagement needs to have 113 autographed "Yankee for Life" authentic jerseys?

[joelsabi]

I looked for you as well. Didn't find what I was looking for, but I was struck by how many game-used and "limited edition" autographed items there were from mvpmarketingmanagement and mannyramirezauthentic. I love the ones where it says "Yankee for Life".

I respect A-Rod for his talent (I got to watching him growing up here in Seattle), but the every HR bats seems like it takes the concept of game-used too far. Is there really the demand out there for A-Rod's items that mvpmarketingmanagement needs to have 113 autographed "Yankee for Life" authentic jerseys?

I think it is great what mvpmarketingmanagement and mannyramirezauthentic bring to the hobby. It brings opportunity for collectors at different income levels to get a part of history. It offers super high end stuff and offers something nice like these limited edition jerseys. i think there are at least 113 welloff parents out there willing to buys for that limited jersey as a birthday or christmas gift for their son. I have seen a couple of parents buy a game used bat for their sons a game used bat for their upcoming birthday at the Nationals so I know they are out there. There will always be a demand for high end stuff like Milestone HR bats because for such items the market extends past the ordinary demographics of serious hobbiest like people in our forum to