Game Used LOA's/COA's & Their Significants To The Hobby

[halzeus]

Re: Game Used LOA's/COA's & Their Significants To The Hobby

while i agree that an 'educated buyer' wouldn't weigh a 'big name' LOA over any other, would an educated buyer even have a need for an LOA in the first place?

the original question was why don't individual collectors make up their own LOAs. if we're referring to educated buyers here, then i guess i'd change my answer and say that there's no need. if you know what you're looking at, then what value is an LOA going to have?

rudy.

My interest in putting together an LOA is more a question of recording the history of an item. The heirs of my memorabilia may not be as knowledgeable and it would be nice to have something they could rely on for information.

[kingjammy24]

Re: Game Used LOA's/COA's & Their Significants To The Hobby

My interest in putting together an LOA is more a question of recording the history of an item. The heirs of my memorabilia may not be as knowledgeable and it would be nice to have something they could rely on for information.

then we're not talking about LOA/COA/COO/LOOs here. we're talking about provenance. it's not about rendering an opinion regarding authenticity, its about documenting the origins of an item.

rudy.

[xpress34]

Re: Game Used LOA's/COA's & Their Significants To The Hobby

I agree a 100% there have been found from a time to time anomally in the hobby where possibly a retail item may have been used.
My point was mere a hypothitcal example that is it.

Suave -

I got your point, I just wanted to put the info out there because as far as I know, the Rockies have probably been the most abusive team (at least in the early years) of doing those kinds of things.

While were on the subject, I would like to add this info as well based on another thread on GUU (Players using others players bats or other equipment)

http://www.gameuseduniverse.com/vb_forum/showthread.php?t=9589&page=3

In the thread, many GUU posters have pics of players using other players equipment and in one post, someone talks about guys using Diablo brand bats at Spring Training.

As far as players using other player bats and such, unfortunately - especially on bats - most teams don't pay attention to those details and when those bats are broken or discarded, the team will simply collect them and tag them as GU bay the Players whose name is on the barrell.

As far as bringing up Diablo bats, I have to share what I was told by Clint Barmes of the Rockies at High Corbett just a few weeks ago.

Clint knows me bcause I use to work for Rawlings and I made Clint a CUSTOM Maple Bat:







I actually made two and they are #d 1 of 2 and 2 of 2:



Clint chose one and signed the other for me. He has used it in Batting Practice but can't use it in games as I am not 'MLB Certified' (Yet - I am working on that) to make Game Bats for Players. Clint has already offered to write me a 'Testimonial' if I need it to get certified with MLB.

Anyway, the point is Clint uses Diablo Bats for Games and when I saw him, he was using one of Kip Wells LVS that was left behind from last year. I asked why and he said he didn't have any Diablos left over and becuase of the new MLB directive on Maple bats, Diablo is NO LONGER a Certified MLB Bat Maker because they either cannot or will not meet MLBs new standards on grain and such for Maple due to the cost differential.

He is using the Kip Wells and other pitchers bats because Clint likes a 33" bat and as light as possible -which would fit most pitchers bats.

It will be interesting to see if any of those Diablos that other players were using in ST end up on the market as GAMERS for the 2009 Season.

As always, just my .02 - hope it helps out fellow collectors.

- Chris

[xpress34]

Re: Game Used LOA's/COA's & Their Significants To The Hobby

My interest in putting together an LOA is more a question of recording the history of an item. The heirs of my memorabilia may not be as knowledgeable and it would be nice to have something they could rely on for information.

I agree with you on this. My wife is somewhat interested and knows what some items in my collection are and asks about others from time to time, so while I have LOTS of free time right now (I'm home bound from work on Work Comp - Temporary Total Disability) I am documenting my items both to update Insurance Records and so my wife and son know what is there if something happened to me.

I think ALL collectors should 'Catalog' there collections as we are far more knowledgeable now about what items are and the fact they have value then folks from the past with the 'Oral Story' passed down with the item.

Technically, those items could be called 'Pre-Historic' in our hobby - the base difference between Pre-Historic and Historic is the Written Word.

All the best -

Chris

[xpress34]

Re: Game Used LOA's/COA's & Their Significants To The Hobby

while i agree that an 'educated buyer' wouldn't weigh a 'big name' LOA over any other, would an educated buyer even have a need for an LOA in the first place?

the original question was why don't individual collectors make up their own LOAs. if we're referring to educated buyers here, then i guess i'd change my answer and say that there's no need. if you know what you're looking at, then what value is an LOA going to have?

rudy.

Rudy -

I have an AUTO piece (I know this is a GU discussion) I'd like to share to VALIDATE your point about KNOWING what you are looking at.

I recently purchased an AUTO Ball on eBay - not because of the Buyer's description, but because of my own Research and Homework.

The Ball was listed (quite honestly I must add) as a 'Secretarial Signature' of a HOFer because the exemplars that the seller had pics of from PSA/DNA did not match the ball.

The PSA/DNA examples they used were all CUT Autos or Index Cards (which could be Secretary Sigs themselves) all of which could be Through the Mail Autos. Well, I found another PSA/DNA exemplar on-line that I KNOW the HOFer had to be there to sign - one of his Contracts!

Guess what - the Auto on the Contract matches the Ball - NOT the Index Cards and such that PSA/DNA had also certified.

So I bought the ball for $12.99 + #10.00 S/H... Clark Griffith (former Player - then Owner of the Senators) for whom Griffith Stadium was named. BV on a Griffith Single Signed Ball - $3,200.00.

IF I send it to PSA/DNA (I have had terrible experiences with them with pieces I have had signed IN-PERSON), I will be referring to their other Certified Autos in my submission.



Whether GU or AU, these kinds of deals don't come along often, but they are out there if you are willing to do the leg work.

On the GU side, I added a hat to my collection that I also watched on eBay for a couple of months. A Sparky Anderson GU Tigers Hat from 1994 (his LAST SEASON) with the 125th Ann Bronze Pin still on the MLB Logo and AUTOd w/ HOF 2000 Inscription.

It went around and around and the price kept dropping... I think the RED FLAG was the Detroit Tigers INC LOA - NOT Detroit Tigers Baseball Club (like most MLB Teams)... I finally Googled Detroit Tigers Inc. Guess what - it took me right to the Detroit Tigers MLB Page!!! When I checked the name on the LOA, it turned out to be the Director of Public Relations for the Tigers!

I immediately went back and bought the hat on a BIN for $74.99. GU AU HOFer Hat from his last season!!!

I would love to hear opinions from people here, but most collectors I know think Value is probably closer to $500 or so being a GU w/ Tigers LOA and AU from a HOFers Last Season in MLB.

All the best -

Chris