Hey Tim, thanks so much for the posts, it is great to build the overall knowledge of bat collecting "old school" style, without the photo match or MLB authentication. I have been a team collector for about 25 years (ouch I feel old) and I think it is a very satisfying way to collect game used bats with limited means. In fact, over the years some of my most thrilling finds were the most uncommon of common player bats. Sometimes the stars and HOFers are the easiest to find and collect. The common bats are the ones found at yard sales, flea markets and the occasional storage locker. I still need a few uncommon common bats to complete my collection and they are probably right now propping a door, laying on the floor of a wet basement and the favorite toy of the neighbor's dog.

soxbats at aol dot com