What sparked your game used interest?

[Neal]

I am new to these boards, so this may be a topic that comes up often.

In any event, my brother in law gave me this as a gift a few years ago:



It is a 1966 Matty Alou gamer. This is what started my collection.

He received it from Matty himself (he is a big Pirates fan) and it was the same day he got an auto'd Koufax ball. So with some quick deduction, it had to be from 1966 - Alou was the NL Batting champ that year. I was hooked, although it has only been recently that game used items have surpassed cardboard in terms of personal hobby goals.

OT - The weight of this bat is fairly substantial (36 oz) for a player with Alou's stature.

So what did it for you guys?

Thanks

[TriplexXxSports]

I started collecting 'Game Worn' cards. I was absolutely mesmerized by the multi-colored swatches, and the limited editions. I always shot for jersey cards that were #/25 or less.

Seeing as those cards were rare and what not, I started thinking about how cool would it be to own the whole jersey that these cards are made from. I started moving away from the cards and collecting cleats, and gloves since they were more affordable at the time, but ultimately wanted the sought after jersey.

After I had managed a big enough collection of high dollar jersey/auto cards, I sold most of them off to get my first game worn jersey. Ever since I laid my hands on it I was hooked.

[JasonBanz]

Funny to say it, but GUU is what got my intrest sparked. I found a jersey on ebay and bought it. The seller thought maybe it was used. I wanted to look and see and came across this board. I then bought another jersey, thought it could possibly be game worn and it wasn't. Then I bought my first one from a reputible seller and then I was toast! Done! Officially obsessed! Thanks GUU, I now have a disease!

[TriplexXxSports]

......I now have a disease!

Its like CRACK! I just can't say NO!

[Neal]

Its like CRACK! I just can't say NO!

I can certainly appreciate that!

[gingi79]

I started collecting because women really dig guys with pot bellies who wear dirty shirts..........

Honestly, my wife likes my collection so maybe my above comment isn't as silly as it sounds.

I got into the game because I have always liked the look of jerseys and after one too many chinese knockoffs off of eBay, I figured the only way to get "authentic" was to get the realest version. Tada! Game Worn

[sox83cubs84]

I'd love to answer this, but my memory is a little hazy when it comes to events that happened during the Revolutionary War.

Dave M.
Chicago area

[geoff]

Loving my Team The Baltimore Orioles And wanting to get some of The Players Bats And Etc.Then went to Players I like.

geof631@yahoo.com


Always on The Lookout for Orioles Items.

Thanks
Geoff

[CampWest]

I collected baseball cards for years... I'm pretty much out of that except for the occassional vintage rookie card, current player autographed rookie card, and superstar/HOF auto. I still love collecting sports memorabilia though and game used items are perfect for me.

I am sort of mildly OCD when it comes to certain aspects of my personal life and my un-glorious sports career, somewhat superstitious in following a pattern on game day, and fascinated by the smallest details that go in to making the whole so much greater than its parts (its why we love following the micro-details of individual soldiers in Band of Brothers more than the macro-strategy of an Eisenhower - the fascination is in the details and the personal trials). Game used bats, hats, jerseys,etc are perfect for all of that. All the quirks of the players come out in how much and what type of pine tar/moto stick, grip tape, bat length, weight, wood species, manufacturer, bat color, grain count, knob markings, etc.

I think GU collecting displays much better than cards, I think its a more tangible connection to the game and its history than cards. And I guess to really simplify it, I'd rather spend my money on 34" slabs of wood than 2x3" slabs of cardboard.

[godwulf]

My whole life I'd never really been much of a sports fan, and especially with moving around in the Navy for over twenty years, I never thought in terms of having a "home town team" to be a fan of. Baseball is the only sport that I had ever had the slightest interest in (or understood), but even that interest was intermittent and low-grade.

I retired to Phoenix in '93, and in '95 we got an MLB franchise; the Diamondbacks started playing in '98, and it seemed very natural (and also very exciting) to be getting in on the ground floor of this new team, going to the games, collecting whatever I could get ahold of, and, really for the first time in my life, being a fan. Baseball - I caught it bad.

I discovered eBay at about the same time, and was amazed, one night, to discover an actual game-used bat for sale. I'd never dreamed that you could actually buy something like that. It was a Karim Garcia DBacks bat, and I don't even recall or have a record of what I paid for it - probably in the 40-50 dollar range.

Starting in '99, I began buying gamers from a media guy who knew some of the bat boys - that was before the Team Shop began selling game-used and inflating everyone's prices. I was buying pretty much every bat that he could get his hands on, and continuing to buy on eBay as well.