Braves want Heritage to pull Hank Aaron items from auction

[jsfriedm]

General objections to photo-matching aside, would this particular story make anyone here more hesitant about trusting Heritage specifically when it comes to something like bidding on the 1932 Ruth jersey?

[Fuddjcal]

Originally Posted by jsfriedm

General objections to photo-matching aside, would this particular story make anyone here more hesitant about trusting Heritage specifically when it comes to something like bidding on the 1932 Ruth jersey?

Precisely my point. Zero chance it's legit, IMHO. The actual "Called shot" has been discussed and disputed for years and now this. It's just another comedic Scam in a hobby swimming in them.

[packs]

The biggest question I have about the called shot jersey is how it came to be associated with the called shot. I think it far easier to find things you want to see than it is for clues to make themselves evident. What I mean is, did the original owner of the jersey who reportedly received it from Ruth as a retirement gift ever mention the called shot game? Or did a later owner wonder aloud whether this could be his called shot jersey and that's where the story started?

It certainly seems like the kind of story that would follow an item like this from inception. We see it with items that are bogus all the time. There is some family lore where so and so was with Ruth at this place in this year but the signature is clearly not Ruth's and the story cannot be true either. I would think a true story would be just as ubiquitous for an item with this kind of history.

[Yoda]

This hobby has gotten far too complicated for an old geezer like me. To me, the hobby will always be trading those new beautiful '52 Topps cards with my pals under a spreading Oak tree. The time I spent as a retail dealer some 25 years ago seems light years away compared to the present scene. Only the cards have remained the same. Money has corrupted the hobby.

[SyrNy1960]

Originally Posted by yoda

this hobby has gotten far too complicated for an old geezer like me. To me, the hobby will always be trading those new beautiful '52 topps cards with my pals under a spreading oak tree. The time i spent as a retail dealer some 25 years ago seems light years away compared to the present scene. Only the cards have remained the same. Money has corrupted the hobby.

+1 💯

[Snapolit1]

Originally Posted by SyrNy1960

+1 💯

Some guy was writing the same thing 50 years ago.

[SyrNy1960]

Originally Posted by snapolit1

some guy was writing the same thing 50 years ago.

+1 💯

[icollectDCsports]

Collecting game used and game worn items is a unique and, I think, wonderful niche of the overall hobby. Based on the info presented in the article, I don’t have an opinion on the accuracy of the auction description and attribution, but I would say that there is a wide range of certainty with respect to the authenticity and attribution of such items. It’s up to the prospective buyers as to whether the information presented, together with any info (such as photos) they can independently find, gives them the degree of certainty they need to spend what it will take to acquire particular items. The concerns involved are obviously similar to those in the hobby’s other niches, card trimming and alterations, autograph forgeries, etc. In other words, you need some experience in a niche in order to set that comfort level scale for yourself in the first place. In the game used niche, some items are more difficult to authenticate than others, and nailing down specific date of use adds another layer of difficulty. The more generic the item, such as older bases, provenance and chain of custody evidence are critical. Here, there are competing claims of provenance. As someone else noted, even players don’t always know the details of what they have in their possession. Interestingly, some players have denied the authenticity of uniform their items being sold by others likely because they resent the big bucks that others are making from their old jerseys and such. As for photo matching, collectors need to visually examine the claims for themselves. Some claimed photo matches are clearer than others, and some items lend themselves to matching better than others. Seeing a bat conclusively photomatched due to wood grain patterns, for example, is very cool. Overall, while absolute certainty in game used collecting is rare, it’s a rewarding part of the hobby for those willing to put in the time to learn. And the point is that the process of learning is fun.

[perezfan]

Originally Posted by icollectDCsports

Collecting game used and game worn items is a unique and, I think, wonderful niche of the overall hobby. Based on the info presented in the article, I don’t have an opinion on the accuracy of the auction description and attribution, but I would say that there is a wide range of certainty with respect to the authenticity and attribution of such items. It’s up to the prospective buyers as to whether the information presented, together with any info (such as photos) they can independently find, gives them the degree of certainty they need to spend what it will take to acquire particular items. The concerns involved are obviously similar to those in the hobby’s other niches, card trimming and alterations, autograph forgeries, etc. In other words, you need some experience in a niche in order to set that comfort level scale for yourself in the first place. In the game used niche, some items are more difficult to authenticate than others, and nailing down specific date of use adds another layer of difficulty. The more generic the item, such as older bases, provenance and chain of custody evidence are critical. Here, there are competing claims of provenance. As someone else noted, even players don’t always know the details of what they have in their possession. Interestingly, some players have denied the authenticity of uniform their items being sold by others likely because they resent the big bucks that others are making from their old jerseys and such. As for photo matching, collectors need to visually examine the claims for themselves. Some claimed photo matches are clearer than others, and some items lend themselves to matching better than others. Seeing a bat conclusively photomatched due to wood grain patterns, for example, is very cool. Overall, while absolute certainty in game used collecting is rare, it’s a rewarding part of the hobby for those willing to put in the time to learn. And the point is that the process of learning is fun.

Well stated!