Replace missing bat sticker or not?

[will_john]

Hi,
First time poster (long time viewer) on the forum. Really excited to be join the forum from all the way down in Australia.

I just purchased my first game used baseball bat which is a Blake Swihart rookie Victus bat.

As can be seen in the photo the Victus sticker has fallen off at some stage. I contacted Victus bats to get some details about Blake's bats and they were kind enough to offer to send me a replacement sticker.

If you were in my shoes would you put a new sticker on it? Or being a game used bat would you leave it as is?

Thanks,
Will

[metsbats]

Hi Will

Welcome to the forum!

I just picked up a Jennry Mejia Louisville slugger with a missing sticker which you can view in the March pickups thread. Personally the bat is unique because the sticker is missing and I didn't think of contacting Louisville slugger to ask for a replacement sticker.

My preference is to leave it as is.

David

[Stanley]

Tough call...
But I really LOVE the green carpet.....CLASSIC
I put red SHAG in my movie room....
.
I agree with Mr. Mets...He knocked it off with one swing of the bat...

[will_john]

Thanks for that Metsbats- I just had a look at the bats- some nice pickups there mate. I didn't even think of getting a replacement sticker until Victus offered after they saw a photo of the bat. In some ways I wish they didn't offer as I wouldn't have this dilemma now. hehe.

Cheers Stanley. Thanks for the carpet compliment haha. Sadly it is the carpet of the guy I purchased the bat from though. Due to the long weekend the bat is stuck at the sorting facility so I won't get it until Tuesday

[bat_master]

I'd leave it as is as it doesn't seem very likely that it just fell off. I think it is much more likely that it was peeled.

Some players have, on occasion, peeled the stickers from their bats. I know one player off hand that did this was Joey Votto when he was in the minors.

Perhaps check with the seller to see if there is any additional information as to when the bat was used or when it was acquired.

[MiLe HigH]

I would personally leave the decal off. It's easier to get a Photomatch and it makes the bat a little more unique than the typical gu bat. I was able to match my Todd Helton bat with the missing label. Cheers and welcome

[will_john]

thankyou bat_master. That is a great point you make that it was probably player peeled.

The seller didn't seem to know very much when I asked them. I have however matched the bat to some getty/USA today and mlb.tv images. In those games the sticker was still intact.

At this stage I think I will leave the bat the way it is. Ie. Not mess with history.

[will_john]

thanks mile high. Good to see another unique bat out there without the sticker. It makes me feel alot better that my bad isn't a monster for being stickerless.

[TigersCubs84]

Another reason for a missing label is if a player has a contract with a certain company, they go generic as to not violate their contract if they are using another manufacturers bat.

[Oriolesfan29]

I do know that these Victus decals come off easily. The Orioles were using a lot of them in 2012 and I have a couple from that year. I have to be careful in handling the bats because the decals are on the verge of coming off on both of them.