Unexpected Game Used Surprises You've Uncovered

[yankees506]

Re: Unexpected Game Used Surprises You've Uncovered

I have three i can think of off the top of my head. My first two favorites both involved Johnny Damon of all people

First was an Eric Hinske model bat that had an 18 on the knob and after a bit of reasearch it was used by Damon to hit hr #20 in 2009. Not a bad bat for $50 from steiner

Next was a 2009 damon bwp bat that had an october production date and was photomatched to an rbi single in game 1 of the ALCS vs the Angels. I attended that game and it was the first and only time ive gotten an item from a game i attended. Also that night was insanely cold!

The other was a Brett Gardner Lvs with a production date of Jan and used on the 4th of JULY for an inside the park homerun. Sometimes production date is not always around when a bat was used.

[jsr418]

Re: Unexpected Game Used Surprises You've Uncovered

I have two that turned out to be pleasant surprises. One was a Mark Teixeira bat that was MLB authenticated as being broken in the 2009 ALDS series against the Twins. It was broken in the at-bat the game after he hit the walk off home run in the bottom of the 11th inning. After quite a bit of photomatching and a ton of help here, it turns out that it is the same bat that he used to hit the homerun. The at bat is replayed on a YES network commercial 20 times a day lol.

The next is an absolutely hammered Jorge Posada uncracked LVS with a ton of use and ridiculous tar from last season. Turns out to be the last bat he EVER used before retiring. Matched to every at bat including the triple he hit against the Tigers in the playoff's, his last regular season RBI, last Homerun, and last hit (he used a different bat for his last regular season at bat). Definitely one of the favorites in my collection.

[coxfan]

Re: Unexpected Game Used Surprises You've Uncovered

These are all great stories. Half the fun of buying a rare piece of history, whether a g-u sports item, or a rare book, is doing research and finding out more about it. Often there's more to the story than the seller even knew.

[ironmanfan]

Re: Unexpected Game Used Surprises You've Uncovered

A few years ago I purchased some Orioles line up cards from a dealer and I later discovered that one was from Cal Ripken Jr.'s 1000th Consecutive Game in 1988 @ Fenway Park (this was actually on display at the Babe Ruth Museum for a few years while they had a Ripken career time line exhibit):

[schubert1970]

Re: Unexpected Game Used Surprises You've Uncovered

http://www.gameuseduniverse.com/vb_forum/showthread.php?t=35687&page=19&highlight=pete+rose+cork

http://deadspin.com/5555714/this-is-pete-roses-corked-bat

To this day I still can't belive it.

[sox83cubs84]

Re: Unexpected Game Used Surprises You've Uncovered

A GU baseball, from a 2010 Braves win, won on eBay a few months ago and MLB Authenticated. A little research confirmed that the ball was used in Craig Kimbrel's 1st MLB save game. Kimbrel, of course, won NL ROY honors in 2011 and notched 46 saves that season.

Dave Miedema

[jake33]

Re: Unexpected Game Used Surprises You've Uncovered

I won last year an MLB auction for a game used base from the "2008 ALCS" - Turns out the game it was used in was the 2nd base that Akinori Iwamura stepped on the get the final out in game to send the Rays to their first ever World Series. It is authenticated to game 7 and authenticated to the 9th inning (amongst other innings). A borderline hall of fame worthy game used item for well under $400

Part of me always wants to sell it for a profit, but it also is once in a lifetime type of purchase. Probably better as a family heirloom.
--

Also, bought a game used Buccaneers helmet of darian barnes #30, got a few photo matches and turns out it was worn in Super Bowl 37.

I overpaid for the helmet originally at $550, but maybe with the added value, it is a $1000 item, considering the very few legit Buccaneers game used helmets that are out there.

[Dewey2007]

Re: Unexpected Game Used Surprises You've Uncovered

Nice find especially for the price! It might be valuable to a Braun collector or if he keeps on winning MVP's and putting up big numbers.

Ryan Brauns 100th home run line up card.
At fan fest a few years ago they had line up cards for $10 each. i bought 2 and after doing some research it was actually the one from his 100th homer. I know it probably isn't that valuable but I found it interesting

[Vincent]

Re: Unexpected Game Used Surprises You've Uncovered

Ryan Brauns 100th home run line up card.
At fan fest a few years ago they had line up cards for $10 each. i bought 2 and after doing some research it was actually the one from his 100th homer. I know it probably isn't that valuable but I found it interesting

[hockeytigers]

Re: Unexpected Game Used Surprises You've Uncovered

You guys got me thinking as I was reading this thread...what might I have in my jersey collection that might be a pleasant surprise....

I figured I would start with the player in my collection that was one of the best...Morten Andersen.

I was pleasantly surprised to find out that I have the jersey that Morten Andersen used when he broke George Blanda's NFL record for games played with 341 against the Chicago Bears on September 26, 2004.

[David]

Re: Unexpected Game Used Surprises You've Uncovered

For financial perspective, a cut Jack Glasscock signature might sell for $1,000.

[David]

Re: Unexpected Game Used Surprises You've Uncovered

I should add I translated the Glasscock letter onto a web page, and historians used the letter as reference for his bio. His dad was a working class boat builder, and when Jack was 15 his dad said he played too much baseball instead of working. His dad said he could either work for him or go away and play baseball, but not both. And Jack chose baseball and left home.

[David]

Re: Unexpected Game Used Surprises You've Uncovered

This isn't game used, but my all time best 'find' was when I bought a small stack of autographed letters from a reputable and well known dealer. It was supposed to include folks like Carl Yastremski, Neil Ball, Ralph Branca-- which it did. However, unmentioned in the auction listing and hidden in the stack was a handwritted 4 page twice signed autobiography by Jack Glasscock(!!!) and a signed typed letter from Tommy Bond (first Triple Crown pitching winner, played in the 1870) describing the uniforms they wore back then.

Glasscock's handwriting was rough and I was trying to figure out that letter, and noticed things like "1878" and "Players League." He said in the letter than he was uneducated, and in the letter he stuff like put periods in the middle of a sentences!

[10thMan]

Re: Unexpected Game Used Surprises You've Uncovered

Bought a Gwynn Sr. Gamer a few Years back, nothing new for me...Recently I looked through my COA Folder to find a Gwynn Family COA Stating it`s a "Post 3000 Hit" Game Used, Signed Mizuno. IMO it`s rare. Outstanding use! I almost sold it for a VERY reasonable Price, without looking at COA, didn`t know I had it! Glad I didn`t sell it. Gwynn returned to work recently, I`m interested in showing it to him & getting more Info! Sean tempbreak@ hotmail dot com

[UGA-1]

Re: Unexpected Game Used Surprises You've Uncovered

A friend alerted me that there was a Herschel Walker jersey in an auction recently. When I saw the jersey my jaw hit the floor! I had always wanted a white Walker jersey, but I knew something was different about this paticular one. Went to my archives and also got opinions from some other awesome Bulldog collectors. The auction listing did mention that this jersey was from the 1980 Tennessee game, but what it did not say is that this was the first jersey HW used as a Georgia Bulldog. It was worn in the first half and removed at halftime because of the damage. HW only wore the white tearaways in that 1st game and his first one had his name on back.