BATS book on ebay

[earlywynnfan]

OK, this is a past auction item, but did anyone notice the hammer price on the BATS book by Malta, Specht, etc? Here is the link:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...MEWA%3AIT&rd=1

[cjmedina1]

A few years ago I paid 140.00.But I did not care it was worth every penny for me.

[bat_master]

Hi Ken,
I noticed. I was the high bidder with 15 seconds left. I refreshed until there was 6 seconds left at which time I noticed I was outbid. I hit the "place another bid" button and to my horror ebay had decided I needed to re-login.

Needless to say, I was not a happy camper. I also didn't think that price was all that bad since there is only one other copy on ebay with a BIN of $249.99. To me, $115-$120 would have been a relative bargain.

Tim Byington
www.tjsportsmn.com

[MSpecht]

Hi all--

I sure wish I still had a case or two in my garage... These books are difficult to find -- the last one I got for a friend I found on Amazon from a woman who had gotten it from the San Francisco Public Library Book Sale two or three years ago (they probably had gotten it as a donation from Vince Malta back when it was first published in 1995.) She had paid $3.00 for it and sold it to me for $40.00.

As far as i know there are three remaining MINT copies, my personal copy which has been autographed by Tony Gwynn on the cover, and two copies that I gave to each of my daughters, who will likely put them on Ebay when they head to college. I believe Vince, Bill Riddell, and Ronnie Fox each probably have a personal copy as well.

For those of you unfamiliar with the book, here is a look at the contents (from an old advertisement) should you ever come across a copy and wonder what it's all about:

BATS
HILLERICH & BRADSBY and ADIRONDACK
1950-1994

BATS, the ultimate guide to collecting Game Used Professional Model Baseball Bats. This reference and price guide set the standard for the bat collecting hobby, and is the most highly sought-after book in the hobby today. This 204 - page guide was written by nationally recognized bat authorities VINCE MALTA, BILL RIDDELL, MIKE SPECHT, and RON FOX. Other highly regarded bat collecting experts who contributed to this invaluable reference book include DAVE BUSHING, ZANE BURNS, JOHN TAUBE, STANLEY KESSELMAN, STEVE TERMAN, and MICHAEL MONTBRIAND. This guide was originally published in 1995, and made its debut at the National Sports Collectors' Convention in St. Louis, Missori that summer. This limited edition, written specifically for the bat collecting hobby, has been out-of-print and virtually unobtainable for the past six years.

This reference book is the ultimate guide to collecting Game Used Professional Model Baseball Bats. Easy-to-read charts for 129 individual players, including 51 Hall of Famers, show the model numbers, lengths, and weights used by each player during each of the specific Hillerich & Bradsby and Adirondack labeling periods during the player's career, and includes the scarcity and relative value of each bat.

They are all here, from Aaron to Mantle to Yaz, and Adcock to Hodges to Yost, plus everyone in between !!! Did Pete Rose use a Model S222 during the Bicentennial year of 1976 ? What Model of Louisville Slugger did Mickey Mantle order most frequently during his career ? Did Brooks Robinson really use over 15 different H & B Models during his career ? The answers are all in this guide !!!

BATS also contains over 105 detailed photographs to clearly show the differences between 13 distinct Hillerich & Bradsby, and 10 distinct Adirondack, labeling periods between 1950 and 1994. With this reference guide you will be able to look at a bat (or photo of a bat on Ebay) and immediately tell if it is a Professional Model and in what labeling period it was manufactured.

In addition to the individual players' charts and the precise examination of each H & B and Adirondack labeling period, this book contains information on The Meaning of Game Used; Characteristics of Game Used Bats; How To Acquire Game Used Bats; Identification of All-Star and World Series Bats; and much, much more !!! With this guide you will know more about Game Used Professional Model Baseball Bats than most sellers you will encounter at shows or on auction sites. This guide is equally valuable for the novice collector (What is an Anaconda-Kaye bat?) and the veteran collector alike (What Model Louisville Slugger did Duke Snider use following his trade to the San Francisco Giants in 1964 ?).

Someone had a great line on this forum a year or two ago when people were discussing previous sales of this book on Ebay -- "little did I know that the book I bought back in 1995 for $20.oo would increase in value over the years more than some of my bats!"

Happy Hunting.

Mike

[metsbats]

Mike,

I brought my copy in 1995 from Vince for $25 which included shipping. It's been used so much that the pages are falling off the binder. If Mears graded this book it would be an A10!

When we moved back in 2001 into our house I went ballistic because my wife thought she tossed my BATS book out while cleaning up to pack. I went on ebay to replace it and they were going for $150+ if you can find one. Fortunately for me, the book was just actually packed in a box which we never unpacked after the move

This book has been a invaluable reference guide!

-David

[earlywynnfan]

I got mine for $25 postpaid, too, and I remember thinking "what am I doing?" I paid $25 for a book to help me determine the legitimacy of my bats, and none were worth 100 bucks at the time! Little did I know how much I would use it, and I still use it today.

I was lucky, too. I got one of the very last copies; I remember it took forever to recieve, and when I called to ask why, I was told that they were sold out, but had found a copy buried somewhere and were sending it to me.

Ken

[stkmtimo]

I too have a copy, and while I'm not as big of a bat collector as many as many of you guys are, it is an invaluable reference tool. I got it last year on Amazon.com for around $100 (which seems like a bargain these days!) It's a great reference tool!

Tim

[eGameUsed]

I have 2 extra copies that I will sell for $75 shipped. One per person! I am on a business trip until the weekend but will ship with Paypal.com payment.

Thanks

[DGRROSEN]

Here are 2 other "BATS" books for sale online. I sure am glad I bought my copy when the book was initially realeased.

1. Bats: Professional Hillerich & Bradsby and Adirondack, 1950-1994
Malta, Vince; Ronald Fox, Bill Riddell, and Michael Specht Bookseller: Willis Monie-Books, ABAA
(Cooperstown, NY, U.S.A.)Price: US$ 175.00
[Convert Currency]Shipping within U.S.A.:
US$ 3.25
[Rates & Speeds]Book Description: Off the Fence Publishing, San Francisco, CA, 1995. Binding is paper. Book Condition: Very Good. in No Dust Jacket Binding is paper. Bookseller Inventory # 129310
[Bookseller & Payment Information] [More Books from this Seller] [Ask Bookseller a Question]
2. Bats: Professional Hillerich & Bradsby and Adirondack, 1950-1994
Malta, Vince Bookseller: Black Mountain Books
(Bellingham, WA, U.S.A.)Price: US$ 249.95
[Convert Currency]Shipping within U.S.A.:
US$ 3.00
[Rates & Speeds]Book Description: Off the Fence Pub. Book Condition: Very Good. B0006RM9S8 Very Good; Softcover; 1995, Off the Fence Publishing; Clean covers with just minor edgewear; Pages clean & unmarked; Good binding with straight spine; Dark grey-brown covers with photo of group of bats & title in red lettering; 204 pages; "Bats: Professional Hillerich & Bradsby and Adirondack, 1950-1994," by Vince Malta. Bookseller Inventory # SKU-26002707
[Bookseller & Payment Information] [More Books from this Seller] [Ask Bookseller a Question]
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[BULBUS]

Chris,

I sent you an email. I'll take one of those books if still available.

Thanks,
Chris