Griffey Jr. Bat on ebay

[Rboitano]

I would watch out for this bat, the bat was cracked in the label area and just happened to rip off the line under the 125. The labeling is also not from 1989.

http://cgi.ebay.com/1989-Game-Used-K...QQcmdZViewItem

[zfowl]

This is my bat on eBay. It's true that the wood under the 125 is gone. This is how I found it in the rack of bats I got when buying Sports Warehouse. Nothing I can do about that, I'm afraid.

However, I was pretty sure the MastroNet Reference and Price Guide said that the manufacturer added the Registered mark after the Louisville Slugger that appears under the player name in 1986 and let it run through 1989. Then, in 1990 only, there was nothing at all under the player name. Is there something about the main label (other than the missing wood) that I am not seeing?

It would be great if someone can clue me in on the problem with the labeling so I can edit the auction with the proper information.

Thanks,

Zeb

[Rboitano]

Here are two bats, the bottom bat has the 86-89 center logo Louisville Slugger label, it is larger than the Arod bat on top of it which has the more compressed logo. The center logo on your Griffey bat is compressed like the Arod in my pictures.

[Birdbats]

Zeb,

Your Griffey bat clearly has the oval/trademark that H&B started using in 1998. I think Robert is right on the mark -- this was probably a replica bat made in 1998 or later and the line under the 125 was conveniently chipped off at some point. Given the tape and other features, someone surely was trying to pass this off as a gamer long before you inherited it.

If you have trouble telling the difference between the label fonts used before and after 1998, then check out the placement of the registered trademark symbol. Pre-1998, it was located between "Louisville" and "Slugger", roughly under the "le". Starting in 1998, it moved down and right -- it's now positioned to the right of the word "Slugger". Hope that helps.

Jeff
http://www.birdbats.com

[earlywynnfan]

ZFOWL: This is only my 2 cents, but twice I had Robb at Sportswarehouse try to pass off bad Junior bats on me, both with the same type of labeling that your bat shows. I don't want to slam him, although he was quite rude to me and made some unbelievable statements; I know others like him.

Ken

[zfowl]

Thanks to all for the information and help. I guess I should have realized the odds on finding something like a genuine Griffey bat remaining in stock here were slim.

I have pulled the auction, and I'll toss the bat on the firewood pile.

Zeb