Mantle Adirondack bats always bring less money than H&B bats. And clearly, having initials carved in the knob casts doubt on who really used this bat. You can say Mantle used it, then gave it to someone who carved their own initials in it, but collectors prefer not having "story" bats.
And the issue of having Mears ownership and grading is also a factor. There was a time when collectors sought out dealers like Dave Bushing for their opinions and willingly bought from them. But times have changed (with good reason), and collectors strongly prefer independent evaluations.
Rick
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