I posted this in the general memorabillia section as well, but thought it was appropriate here too, so sorry for the dual posting.
I am doing some researching as I prepare to expand my collection to begin to include autographed bats. I have read through several articles and blogs in how to determine if a bat is a game model, store model or repro model by studying the markings, company logo and butt markings on the bat. A great article can be found here:
http://reviews.ebay.com/BAT-COLLECTO...00000000937325
So I can tell what bats are repro's but I'm having some difficulty in determining if a bat is a game model or a store model.
Take for example:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/TED-WILLIAMS...item519e3a5ad6
According to the markings it's not a repro, so it's either a store model or a game model. The marking on the handle is W215 which I have found is a model that Williams did use. However I find it very difficult for this to be a game model (game model...not game used, I understand that difference) in the condition it's in, almost brand new. Am I missing something in analysis of this bat? Is this really a store model? The W215 marking does not seem to denote the bat's size as you would expect to find on a store model but.
This Williams is just one example I have found while browsing bats on Ebay, there are many others that seem to fit the game model description but again seem to be in too good of a condition and might be store model bats.
Can anyone help me out here and help me in being able to determine if a bat is a store model or a game model