Holding a Piece of History

A few weeks ago we were lucky enough to get in some game-used bats from Cal Ripken Jr.’s personal collection. This was the first time in a long time that Ironclad had gotten the opportunity to offer these bats to our customers. The age of each bat varied as they ranged from Cal’s entire career; from the early 80’s to the early 00’s.

Cal Ripken Jr. Game-Used Bat

One of the most interesting things about these game used bats were the differences with each bat. While each bat had cracks, checking and ball imprints, no two bats were the same. This made each bat making each bat a truly “one of a kind” collectable. For example, with Cal’s batting practice bats, Cal would tape the barrel in order to prevent checking and so that he could get more use out of each bat.  Another bat we received was a bat that Cal had used during the 2000-2001 seasons. The bat had a large crack going all the way through the handle, making it safe to assume Cal was jammed on an inside pitch at some point during these seasons.

It’s the specific use with each bat that makes them so special. After having the opportunity to see bats like these really makes you think about the best part about collecting memorabilia; the opportunity to own a piece of history.

A few Ripken game model bats still remain for purchase. Each bat comes with a COA from Ironclad Authentics that is signed by Cal himself. Check out www.ironcladauthentics.com or click the link below to view the entire collection.

http://www.ironcladauthentics.com/Game-Used-Product-Type-Baseball/b/3613835011

Getting it Signed - Public Signing

After covering private signings last week, I thought that it might be a good idea to go over public signings this week. Public signings are often done at trade shows, memorabilia stores, or conventions. These signings are often very popular because it gives collectors the rare opportunity to get an autograph from their favorite athlete in person. Many times the athlete is willing to take a picture with the collector as well, although this depends on the athlete and promoter.

One drawback to attending a public signing is the long lines you may have to wait in. If you want to get your item authenticated at the show, it often costs an additional fee and requires you to stand in another line. When getting the autograph for someone as a gift, it's often easier (and many times cheaper!) to checkout some authentic pre-signed autographs from a reputable dealer such as www.ironcladauthentics.com.

To find out about public signings happening in the future, a good web site to checkout is www.mab-celebrity.com. If you’re not in the area of any of these signings, mail-order is typically an option for most public signings.

Getting it Signed – Private Signing

One of the most common ways to get an autograph signed by your favorite pro athlete is through a private signing. These signings, often conducted by a memorabilia store or company, give fans the opportunity to mail in their items to be signed. A good place to find out about these signings is to checkout www.signingshotline.com or a website from a reputable memorabilia company, such as www.ironcladauthentics.com . To stay on top of upcoming signings, it’s always a good idea to join the mailing list of your favorite memorabilia dealer.

If you’re thinking about sending in an item, here are a few things to remember:

1. Label your item

Whatever the item, you have to make sure to include some important information on how you would like the item signed. This includes where you would like the item signed, what inscriptions to include (if you paid for them), and what kind of pen to use. What usually works best is to use a post-it note on the item to show where you want the signature.

2. Package you item well for shipping

Nothing stinks more than receiving your item bent or damaged during the shipping process. Make sure that your item is well packaged when sending it in! Shipping insurance is always a good idea also when shipping an expensive item.

3. Include your invoice and information

Just to make sure there is no confusion, always include an invoice and shipping information with your item. Most of the time companies doing the private signing will have hundreds of items sent in. Having your information with your item makes it easier for the person organizing the signing and makes it so that there is less of a chance that your item will be lost.

Buying Sports Memorabilia on Ebay

One of the most popular platforms to buy and sell memorabilia on is Ebay. Although Ebay is a great way to find just about anything, there are a few things you should be aware of before making your bid.

The first thing you need to do before bidding is to do some research on the item you’re looking at. Have an idea of the price range that the item typically goes for and what item/signature is supposed to look like. A simple Google search is an easy way to do this. This will help you avoid phony items and deals that are “too good to be true”.

The next thing you need to check is the description of the item. Make sure that the description of the item matches the picture. If the description doesn’t fit the picture, it’s probably a good idea to message the seller or not bid at all. It is also important to check the sellers return policy in case there is some issue with the item and you need to return it.

Another thing to look at is the type of authentication the item has. As I’ve written before, a COA is only as good as the company it is written by. If the item doesn’t come with a COA, or the COA is from a company you’ve never heard of, there is a good chance that the item isn’t real.

One last thing to check is the seller’s feedback rating. Buying from a respected seller usually leads to better results than buying from someone who has a ton of negative feedback. Please be aware that just because someone’s seller rating is good, it doesn’t mean that there items are real. The COA is always the most important.

3rd party authentication

In an earlier post I talked about the importance of authenticity and that there are only a few companies worth getting a 3^rd party authentication from.  I want to follow that up with a few thoughts about 3^rd party authenticators and what that exactly means because I get asked all the time about them.

First let me define what a 3^rd party authenticator is for those who are already lost.  A 3^rd party authenticator is someone or a company where you send an item that is already signed to have them inspect it and give their opinion as to whether or not your autograph is real. 

A Letter of Authenticity (LOA) or Certificate of Authenticity (COA) states that in the person’s BEST OPINION that item is real.  Let me repeat that and be very clear, it states that in their BEST OPINION.  It is not stating a fact, it is merely stating an opinion based off of their expertise.  

As I said earlier anyone can have a COA or LOA that states that an autograph is real, but if that company’s reputation is a bad one, then most people aren’t going to believe their opinion.  Companies like James Spence and PSA/DNA make their money based off their reputation.  People trust those two companies because of their reputation.  A store like John Doe’s Collectibles in Kalamazoo’s reputation for authenticating is probably not as reliable as that of the big two.  

The same can be said for 1^st party authenticators.  A 1^st party authenticator are companies like Ironclad, Steiner, Mounted, etc that actually go out and do the signing with the player and place their own COA on the item.  You trust that when you order a signed baseball from Ironclad it is 100% real because of Ironclad’s reputation of only selling real signatures.  The same goes for all the other big companies.  

I hate to pick on John Doe’s store again, but if you see a John Doe’s hologram on an item you may think twice because you don’t know the reputation of John Doe’s store.

The Game-Used Memorabilia Craze

Some of the most sought after collectibles in the sports memorabilia industry are items that have been game-used. Although typically very expensive, collectors are often willing to dish out thousands in order take home a memento that has been used in a memorable game or by a favorite player. The reason for this game-used craze? It gives collectors the rare opportunity to own a piece of sports history.

Some of the most popular game-used items tend to be game-used baseballs and baseball bats. Many collectors seek out baseballs and bats from milestone games or from their favorite players, such as the bat used when a particular player reached their 1,000 career hit. Others enjoy collecting the more unusual items, such as infield dirt, seats, etc from their favorite stadium.

Recently, Minnesota fans have been able to take home a rare piece of Twins and Vikings history when a massive snowstorm caused the Metrodome roof to collapse. While some would look at the now defective roof as garbage, many Minnesota sports fans have been gathering swatches of the roof and doing different things with them. Ironclad Authentics recently created an exclusive item by having Cal Ripken Jr. sign a few pieces of the roof to commemorate his 3000^th hit, which he collected at the Metrodome during the 2000 season.

When collecting game-used artifacts the often debated question is “Should I have that piece signed?” Many collectors believe that by having the game-used item signed it makes it more valuable, while others believe that by altering the game-used items it ruins the historical significance of the item. Those who do get the game-used items signed typically will pay extra to add an inscription to go along with the signature. Popular inscriptions to add tend to be ones that include the date of when the item was used or of a milestone that was reached during the particular game.

Interested in finding a piece of game-used memorabilia? The most important thing to remember is making sure that the item is really game-used. Although it may appear simple to find a piece of game-used memorabilia online, it is often difficult to find one that is truly authentic. Just like autographs, many fake game-used items flood the market, making it difficult for consumers to know what they’re truly buying. Major League Baseball has tried to put a stop this by establishing their very own Authentication Program. With this program, each game-used item is witnessed by an MLB representative and is given a sequentially numbered, tamper-proof hologram. For items that are not authenticated by MLB, it is always important to find out where the item came from and to make sure that it comes from a trusted source. A few companies that carry MLB authenticated game-used items are Ironclad Authentics, Steiner, and Mounted Memories.

Incomplete Inscriptions

As I have been reading articles on the internet the past few days I noticed a common theme among baseball columnists.  Records.  Columnists and experts are obsessed with records and love writing about them, whether it is Rivera’s 602 saves or Jeter’s 3000^th hit, recently baseball has been flooded with articles on records and whose record is better or more unbreakable.  Records are a common inscription request amongst all collectors as it adds to the uniqueness of the item.  Over the years we have gotten some crazy inscription requests, but that’s for another time…

Every year we hold a few mail order signings where people can send in items to be signed by some of the athletes we work with, such as Cal Ripken Jr. and Joe Mauer.  Each signing we get several different inscription requests and without fail the same questions get asked.  “Which inscription is better for Cal to sign?  “2,131 consecutive games” or “2,632 consecutive games?”  I always answer it the same way.  What is the final record tally?  Is the record 2,131 consecutive games or is it 2,632 consecutive games?  Obviously the record is 2,632 and even though the record used to be 2,130 it isn’t anymore so we always say go with the full record.  There is one exception however; if you have a photograph or a piece of memorabilia from either of the 2,130 or 2,131 game then we recommend going with the partial record stat.

Think about it for another player.  Would you want a Hank Aaron inscription with 715 Home runs when he ended up with 755?  How about a Greg Maddux inscription with 330 wins when he finished with 355?  We see this with a lot of other companies and collectors where they get an inscription for an incomplete record.

As for players that are still current and playing baseball we NEVER recommend getting an inscription like “3x HR champion” or “only AL catcher to win a batting title” reason for this should seem pretty obvious, the minute that player wins another HR title or another AL catcher wins a batting title that item becomes extinct and the value is greatly diminished.

Moral of the story… put some thought into your inscription.  Is it something that makes sense?  Will it stand the test of time?