Seems like an odd disclaimer. I bet you could submit it to Mears, and there would be no mention of this "smoke damage.
I remember a few years ago that a vey large game-used bat collection was rescued from a house fire. I believe many of the bats were ruined, but that some also survived. Perhaps this is one of those, and PSA knew ahead of time that it was part of that particular collection. I have seen a few of these bats up for auction with far more severe smoke damage than this Mookie Wilson. Some of them were almost completely blackened.
The odd thing about yours, is that it's limited to the handle. How might that happen? It really looks more like a light pine tar application. Again... you may consider re-submitting to PSA or give Mears a try, as this perceived "flaw" seems quite minor and even trivial.
I would assume that since the auction house failed to disclose this smoke damage, you could lobby for a refund/return. Since it's described in the PSA Letter, this is something that should have been mentioned in their description.
Hope this helps...
|