Not a lot of bat for $5k
 

A work colleague of mine who has a big heart and wallet but doesn't know memorabilia prices attended a Seattle Seahawks charity event this week and bid on and won a non game used, autographed, Marriucci bat of Nelson Cruz for $5k!

Now, I know that the cash is benefiting the charity which is very good but this fellow believes he has an investment piece, in that Nellie may make the HOF one day. I can show him Cruz bats on EBay and Goldin etc that were game used and sold for $200-$500 but it wouldn't convince him that he massively overpaid.

It got me thinking....what HOF or major star player bats (game used or not) with the player autograph have recently sold for less than $5k? What could this fellow have purchased in theory, for his money? Would love to see some links.

A few months ago a non-autographed Cal Ripken Jr. GU 10 bat went for a little over $5k. Personally, I'd just take the Jeter bat below.

https://goldinauctions.com/LotDetail...entoryid=11649

1975 GU George Brett Batt from Febuary 2017

$4,562
http://sports.mearsonlineauctions.co...ntoryid=108345

http://sports.mearsonlineauctions.co...08345a_lg.jpeg

I have a game-used Cruz HR bat (436' blast from 2015) that is photo-matched, and I have no intention of having him ever sign it. It's probably only worth $600-1000 on ebay, or a little more through an AH.

But your friend did a great thing for charity and he should just think of it that way.

Agreed. It was an amazing gesture of support.

I have an earlyish Bonds LS bat I got for $300. Criss cross tape, great use, number on knob, etc. Bonds later surprised the crap out of me by signing it at a Spring Training game.

He's not in the HOF. YET..........

He could buy a Marriucci Nelson Cruz bat for charity. Your work colleague sounds like a great guy! I'd buy him a beer instead of making him feel foolish.

He has no knowledge of this board or thread and I haven't even mentioned to him that he overpaid or said anything other than "cool bat!" He is telling everyone that he knows that the bat is an investment piece which is deluded.

Some of my investments have been "poor".

Investing is a game of winners and losers.

It's he who has the last laugh that counts.:D

I knew a woman who's mother was 'investing' in jewelry she bought off of QVC. I said that, even if the rings themselves were good investments (I'm new jewelry expert and didn't know), the QVC markup was probably 100% above retail, and that it was worth less than what she paid the second she bought it. The woman said "I know and I was hoping you could convince her of that!"

Also, a sage investor once told me that if you want to invest in precious metals or gems that you don't buy the metals or gems, but you invest in the stocks of companies that deal in them.

He'll figure out its value day on his own, and that's the only way some people will learn.

What's funny about figuring out value, is that every time I venture into a new collecting area, despite doing loads of research and very carefully acquiring, I almost always start off by making mistakes and losing money. Can you imagine what must be happening (insert smiley taking it up rear here) to those who use the 'toss the spaghetti against the wall' approach?

With all the identification intricacies, variation, et al in baseball cards, when I go into a new area I know how little I know.

With someone stock picking for the first time, the worst thing is he makes money on his first pick and the best thing is if he loses money. If he makes money he will be sure he knows everything there is to know, and if he loses money he realizes he doesn't and he has to take care.