What is the one piece every collector should have??

[chakes89]

Re: What is the one piece every collector should have??

Get that ball into a better case

[jetersbatboy]

Re: What is the one piece every collector should have??

Frik,
Why rain on someones parade? If a ruth ball is not your thing, why be little it?
Who's telling anyone what to collect?

[Rob L]

Re: What is the one piece every collector should have??

Geez, that signature is awesome, definitely needs a better display though. I wish mine was that nice. Mine is a 1934 team signed ball, game used, heavily toned and much lighter signatures (Ruth is about a 4, Gerhig a 2). But I'm still thrilled to have it!

[frikativ54]

Re: What is the one piece every collector should have??

Frik,
Why rain on someones parade? If a ruth ball is not your thing, why be little it?
Who's telling anyone what to collect?

Not raining on someone else's parade. This thread is about the one piece that all collectors should have. I'm saying there's no such item. Not saying that he can't own a Ruth ball, only that it wouldn't make or break my life not to have one.

[chakes89]

Re: What is the one piece every collector should have??

I want 1 Warehouse filled with stuff

There is my one thing

[mariner_gamers]

Re: What is the one piece every collector should have??

I don't know what that shrimp tempura nonsense is, but if you would pass up a legit Ruth signed baseball, you're nuts! Its the holy grail of any autograph collection....of any memoribilia collection....

Laughed out loud, woke the wife, faced the wrath but well worth it!!

Ruth ball is definitely on the top of the list. He signed a bizzillion so even though tens of thousands have disappeared there are still several left and in varying condition. That being said even the worst condition fetch a premium so not everyone can just pick one up. It is almost the perfect baseball collectible! It is not like the Wagner card or Ruth game bat there are enough around to make it feasible for just about anyone to get their hands on one if they work at it. I do not have one but it is something I have considered for years.

[godwulf]

Re: What is the one piece every collector should have??

I have to side with frik on this one. The opinion that there simply may not be "one piece every collector should have" is a perfectly valid one.

Granted, Ruth is a Baseball deity, and I am one of those folks who eats, breathes, dreams and lives Baseball 365 days a year, and an avid collector, but there are any number of other items that I'd mortgage the house to buy before going for a Ruth-signed ball.

If you were given a choice whether to own a ball Ruth signed, or a ball Satchel Paige or Walter Johnson pitched...a ball Ruth signed, or one Mickey hit out of the park...?

[skyking26]

Re: What is the one piece every collector should have??

Just behold the beauty........it's a breathtaking thing in our hobbie to be able to possess the holy grail of our collecting lives.....

Can you give us a shot of the back of the baseball??

[yanks12025]

Re: What is the one piece every collector should have??

Here's a photo of my Ruth ball. 1926 yankee team signed ball(Ruth, Gehrig, Lazzeri and Huggins).

But why i think everyone should have a Ruth ball of some kind is because every baseball knows who Babe Ruth was. He made baseball what it is(not todays baseball).

[mariner_gamers]

Re: What is the one piece every collector should have??

I have to side with frik on this one. The opinion that there simply may not be "one piece every collector should have" is a perfectly valid one.

Granted, Ruth is a Baseball deity, and I am one of those folks who eats, breathes, dreams and lives Baseball 365 days a year, and an avid collector, but there are any number of other items that I'd mortgage the house to buy before going for a Ruth-signed ball.

If you were given a choice whether to own a ball Ruth signed, or a ball Satchel Paige or Walter Johnson pitched...a ball Ruth signed, or one Mickey hit out of the park...?

I read this thread as what does everyone "opinion implied" think the crowning staple item should be not what is your dream item. There simply are not enough Walter Johnson pitched balls for 99.99% of collectors to have a shot at. Ruth balls while highly sought after are also fairly abundant. Anything with a decent amount available to collectors could be included. That being said since the list of possibilities is huge it is clear that after only 3 pages of posts a Ruth signed ball stands out so far.

Just my take.....

[godwulf]

Re: What is the one piece every collector should have??

I read this thread as what does everyone "opinion implied" think the crowning staple item should be not what is your dream item. There simply are not enough Walter Johnson pitched balls for 99.99% of collectors to have a shot at. Ruth balls while highly sought after are also fairly abundant. Anything with a decent amount available to collectors could be included. That being said since the list of possibilities is huge it is clear that after only 3 pages of posts a Ruth signed ball stands out so far.

Just my take.....

Okay, this is almost certainly going to get me in trouble here, but I'll say it, anyway. Not to bad-mouth anyone else's thinking or feelings on the subject, but I honestly tend to believe that, for a lot of people - not everybody, perhaps, but for many - having a Babe Ruth-signed ball is more a matter of prestige than anything else. Please at least consider the possibility before attacking me for having this opinion...and if it doesn't appy to you, you have no cause to be offended by it.

Read through the threads on this board, and about how and why the various members collect who and what they do. At least ninety percent of the time, don't we collect stuff from the players and teams we've taken great joy from watching - whether as kids, or last season? Guys we've met and shaken hands with, maybe guys from our home state or town? As much as I, myself, love reading about the early days and the so-called Golden Age of Baseball, I can honestly say that I've never been "thrilled" by any account of a long-ago game, or any story about a long-deceased player - not like I am routinely from watching my team, and my guys, play.

Don't most of us collect that which reminds us of, and contains in solid form, the fun and excitement of actually watching The Game?

Ruth wrote an important chapter in Baseball history, without question - and he remains the most famous Baseball player in the World...but none of us saw Ruth play, except in brief film clips. Aside from the magic of the name itself, and the fact that virtually everyone you're ever going to meet will know who Babe Ruth is when you show them the ball or tell them you have it, what emotional attachment do any of us really have with the man?

To me, it's exactly like an art collector who feels that he must have a Picasso, or a Rembrandt, or some other extraordinarily famous artist represented in his collection - not necessarily because he really likes or feels a connection with the artist or the work...but mostly because it's a name that everyone knows and connects with painting.

[eisenreich8]

Re: What is the one piece every collector should have??

godwulf,

Excellent post, and I wouldn't change a word.

Part of the point you make resonates with me, as I have had so many thousands of dollars over the years to collect what I personally could relate with, be it my team (Red Sox) or rock bands or what have you. I have at the age of 49 amassed a really nice Jim Eisenreich collection. I saw him play, I like him as a person, and he accomplished what I could not in my time (era). Any of his GU and other items are equal centerpieces of my collection (particularly, though, my original Perez oil painting of him as Pride of the Phillies).

I've had friends who collect everything Three Stooges, 1938 Buicks, Hummel figurines, woodworking tools, etc., and I wouldn't know where they would begin getting their "must have" item in conjunction with their niches.

I do appreciate this thread for what it is. It's a great question posed. I cannot come up with a better response than a Ruth-signed ball. Works for me!

[suicide_squeeze]

Re: What is the one piece every collector should have??

The ball is that ballcube because it's in my safe deposit box. I took it out just to "document" my items, so it's just sitting on top of the black plastic laminate counter in the "safe deposit box room" of my bank. One day, it will be in a beautiful display, but not until I have a wonderful security system with trained Dobermans on the yard...

I will take a picture of the "William Harridge" label and post it tomorrow.

[mariner_gamers]

Re: What is the one piece every collector should have??

Okay, this is almost certainly going to get me in trouble here, but I'll say it, anyway. Not to bad-mouth anyone else's thinking or feelings on the subject, but I honestly tend to believe that, for a lot of people - not everybody, perhaps, but for many - having a Babe Ruth-signed ball is more a matter of prestige than anything else. Please at least consider the possibility before attacking me for having this opinion...and if it doesn't appy to you, you have no cause to be offended by it.

Read through the threads on this board, and about how and why the various members collect who and what they do. At least ninety percent of the time, don't we collect stuff from the players and teams we've taken great joy from watching - whether as kids, or last season? Guys we've met and shaken hands with, maybe guys from our home state or town? As much as I, myself, love reading about the early days and the so-called Golden Age of Baseball, I can honestly say that I've never been "thrilled" by any account of a long-ago game, or any story about a long-deceased player - not like I am routinely from watching my team, and my guys, play.

Don't most of us collect that which reminds us of, and contains in solid form, the fun and excitement of actually watching The Game?

Ruth wrote an important chapter in Baseball history, without question - and he remains the most famous Baseball player in the World...but none of us saw Ruth play, except in brief film clips. Aside from the magic of the name itself, and the fact that virtually everyone you're ever going to meet will know who Babe Ruth is when you show them the ball or tell them you have it, what emotional attachment do any of us really have with the man?

To me, it's exactly like an art collector who feels that he must have a Picasso, or a Rembrandt, or some other extraordinarily famous artist represented in his collection - not necessarily because he really likes or feels a connection with the artist or the work...but mostly because it's a name that everyone knows and connects with painting.

I am the guy above!! I love to collect but the response I get when folks see my collection is just as rewarding. I also have a full arcade and a Boss Mustang I take to car shows. A Ruth ball would definitely have an incredible "Holy Sh!t" value I would love to see on folks faces. Damn it now I am out looking at Ruth signed balls on ebay!!!!

[suicide_squeeze]

Re: What is the one piece every collector should have??

By the way, as I said earlier, there are no "wrong" comments here. To each his own, and whatever "shakes your tree".

I posted the picture of my Ruth ball because it, in my opinion, is absolutely breathtaking and is without question my favorite baseball I own.

Game used stuff is absolutely more "desirable" in my opinion too. But I have several game used home run balls. So after you acquire some items you want, and you are "comfortable" with your collection.......for me, it always seemed to lead me back to finding that one perfect "Ruth" ball.

I was obsessed with it.....always looking at every auction for that one I could feasibly go after. I found THIS one in an auction years ago....and decided I couldn't live without it. It cost me HUGE, and I have to say I have absolutely no regrets because in my mind.....the old guys rule.

One of the reasons I feel that way is because of the current "steroid" debacle going on. It's a shame these players didn't have enough respect for the game, and only chased the dollars and fame. To me, it takes away much of the "collectibility" of their items.

I don't need to have been alive to actually see them play to appreciate their greatness, or to have made a connection. But that said, I understand the sentiments and comments relating to this. I made a connection with Manny Ramirez last season as a Dodger fan. He turned the organization rightside up, stood them back on their feet, brushed the dust off their shoulders and made Dodger Stadium an electrifying place to be again.....it was UNREAL.

Yes, I would be heartbroken if i were to ever find out Manny was one of the steroid users. Just because I'm a Dodger fan, that doens't mean I'm stupid, and would turn my back on my feelings about the cheaters who have ruined the integrity of the game.......AND the record books. If you're a player, and you cheat with performance enhancing drugs, you should know better from this point forward you will go down hard. But we need to test, ebforce heavily with painful punishment.....and move on.

We all have our interests, and let's face it, godwulf had a point: A nice signed Ruth ball is a "prestige" item....no question about it. But to me, yanks12025 ball is breathtaking too. It's how you view things.....being authentic, and knowing that the "Babe" signed it IS about as good as it gets to ME. But I share the feeling that others I like (like Manny) also hold a special place in one's "fanhood". It's a great hobby, no matter what you collect or desire to have.....that's what makes it so much fun for us all.

Last comment, I do think game-used rules. Most of my collection is game used because of that.

But a pristene signed BABE RUTH ball.............you can just start and stop right there and never own another item as long as you live, in my honest opinion.