Birdbats
01-17-2007, 06:03 PM
I just wanted to share a warning with the collecting community regarding David Eckstein "game-used" bats. At the Winter Warmup this past Saturday, I had David sign a bat belonging to one of my friends who couldn't attend. David asked where I got the bat and examined it closely. He didn't say it was bad, but simply said, "This is the fourth bat like this today. I don't give my bats away." He said basically the same thing to another collector friend of mine who was behind me in line.
I had the honor of having the booth next to David's family; they were selling his new book, "Have Heart." The day after my encounter with David, I had a great conversation with his sister, Christine. She said she and David had talked Saturday night about the bats he'd signed. He suggested they not only showed counterfeit use, but also that most (if not all of them) showed the same false characteristics.
The bat I had signed for my friend was purchased on eBay from lumberjackkitz. The bat belonging to the other collector in line after me also was purchased from lumberjackkitz.
This is not the first time I've been made aware of this individual. A while back, a local collector purchased a Jim Edmonds bat from him. It was a legit Edmonds model, but the handle tape was way off (it even spiraled in the wrong direction).
A quick search of this forum led me to a thread about lumberjackkitz.
http://www.gameuseduniverse.com/vb_forum/showthread.php?t=5374&highlight=lumberjackkitz
While many people apparently had positive experiences with him, there was one buyer who had a Jeter that failed PSA/DNA inspection. It was a real bat, but the use was not characteristic of Jeter -- just like Eckstein and Edmonds.
I promised David's sister that I would help spread the word about David's bats. David is a great guy and he really doesn't want his fans getting ripped off by purchasing bats that he never used. So, use caution if you come across an Eckstein Cardinals bat. If it's being offered by a reputable charity or by the Cardinals/MLB, you're probably safe. But, if you don't know the seller, beware of bats with counterfeit use.
I had the honor of having the booth next to David's family; they were selling his new book, "Have Heart." The day after my encounter with David, I had a great conversation with his sister, Christine. She said she and David had talked Saturday night about the bats he'd signed. He suggested they not only showed counterfeit use, but also that most (if not all of them) showed the same false characteristics.
The bat I had signed for my friend was purchased on eBay from lumberjackkitz. The bat belonging to the other collector in line after me also was purchased from lumberjackkitz.
This is not the first time I've been made aware of this individual. A while back, a local collector purchased a Jim Edmonds bat from him. It was a legit Edmonds model, but the handle tape was way off (it even spiraled in the wrong direction).
A quick search of this forum led me to a thread about lumberjackkitz.
http://www.gameuseduniverse.com/vb_forum/showthread.php?t=5374&highlight=lumberjackkitz
While many people apparently had positive experiences with him, there was one buyer who had a Jeter that failed PSA/DNA inspection. It was a real bat, but the use was not characteristic of Jeter -- just like Eckstein and Edmonds.
I promised David's sister that I would help spread the word about David's bats. David is a great guy and he really doesn't want his fans getting ripped off by purchasing bats that he never used. So, use caution if you come across an Eckstein Cardinals bat. If it's being offered by a reputable charity or by the Cardinals/MLB, you're probably safe. But, if you don't know the seller, beware of bats with counterfeit use.