Topps To Destroy One of Two Known Josh Gibson Bats for Cards
MooseDog
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MooseDog
Posts: 1,946 ✭✭✭
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Rich
<< <i>This is just plain wrong...
Josh Gibson Bat >>
Rich
$250.00 per pack
tell me you're joking.........
I guess it's no different than playing blackjack at the casino for a night, right?
<< <i>I don't see anything wrong with it. Topps is the owner of the bat and can do whatever they wish with it. If you or anyone doesn't like it, simply attempt to buy the bat from them ....if you can find enough dough that is
Rich >>
I will never have enough dough, and the bat will likely be in a collection that I can see, so to me it doesn't really matter. I understand from a historical preservation standpoint it stinks. Why doesn't Topps just have one redemption card and give the whole bat away to the person that finds the card. Probably be better PR than cutting it up. You can still stuff the high end product with other relic cards or cut signatures but also have a huge promotional blitz when the bat is awarded. Tie it into a presentation at the World Series or All Star game or opening day of the bat winner's favorite team.
But, I thought that GU cards have reached their point of diminished returns and this is just a waste of a piece of baseball history.
Maybe they should revisit the idea of putting diamonds inside a card. Or how about of piece of dried pustulent skin from Mickey Mantle's slide into third that had an unhappy outcome?
50 yrs from now, hobbyists may be talking about how idiots chopped up pieces of history to put on cards?
Who knows?
mike
Nice usage stone
Also, it sounds like this Gibson bat is a game MODEL bat, as opposed to a game used bat. Very different animal, no?
Ironically, 3 pack cases that started at about $1300....now bring around $2k. As a matter of fact, there's even a frenzy arising right now in anticipation of this years football version (which UD still denies it's producing)
Needless to say, this genre of issue isn't one that's going away anytime soon....even though I can remember when the concept was announced, nobody thought the first offering would sell, let alone create an ardent following for future versions.
lsuconnman@yahoo.com
such a sacred pieces of memorabilia, i'm not sure we as collectors should even be allowed in the same room as Babe Ruth or Josh Gibson game used jock strap, not to mention one of only two game model Gibson bats!
i dont understand how the Gibson family could even SELL such a piece of memorabilia?.. they should have donated it to the Hall Of Fame or some museum.. im sure they dont need the money..
(ok re-reading the article, im not sure topps bought the bat from the family).. --
but we pissants for sure should never be allowed to lay eyes on such pieces of history..
<< <i>ajw....the UD exquisite cards are easily the hottest cards on the market right now, and it's not uncommon to see some of them selling for 5 figure prices.
Ironically, 3 pack cases that started at about $1300....now bring around $2k. As a matter of fact, there's even a frenzy arising right now in anticipation of this years football version (which UD still denies it's producing)
Needless to say, this genre of issue isn't one that's going away anytime soon....even though I can remember when the concept was announced, nobody thought the first offering would sell, let alone create an ardent following for future versions. >>
That's very interesting, especially considering the biggest pulls have already been found, right? I seem to remember an NBA patch/auto card of LeBron and Michael (and maybe Wade) being the big hits. Personally, I find the Gibson card to be much more interesting, as there can be an unlimited number (or nearly so) of LeBron/Michael patch/auto cards, but the Gibson card is a one of (or two of, at most) a kind card.
Forget blocking him; find out where he lives and go punch him in the nuts. --WalterSobchak 9/12/12
Looking for Al Hrabosky and any OPC Dave Campbells (the ESPN guy)
<< <i>i think the bat should be stored away behind lock & key and owned by MLB or possibly even the federal government, and fans should be charged $49.00 admission for the for the priviledge of seeing it once or twice in their lifetime..
such a sacred pieces of memorabilia, i'm not sure we as collectors should even be allowed in the same room as Babe Ruth or Josh Gibson game used jock strap, not to mention one of only two game model Gibson bats!
i dont understand how the Gibson family could even SELL such a piece of memorabilia?.. they should have donated it to the Hall Of Fame or some museum.. im sure they dont need the money..
(ok re-reading the article, im not sure topps bought the bat from the family).. --
but we pissants for sure should never be allowed to lay eyes on such pieces of history.. >>
Amen Brotha Pandrews!
topps #1 incentive is sales & profit, they (sp.) could care less about historical value..
mofo's
Julen
RIP GURU
I know there's a bunch of you lawyers around on these boards. Somebody please put a injunction to stop this from happening. That bat is an endangered "tree".
doing this thing for quite sometime.
I agree with the above statment, topps care squat about history of this bat. The little tiny pieces that they get from it will make
them hundreds of thousands of dollars. You can slap a picture of this card on every wax box and instantly sell everything.
Don't you all understand its only about the money now...not fun, not style, not the kids, not whats best for baseball, but money.
Stand in line, wallets open and feed the beast!
JS
(wallet out of order)
Sure, Topps owns the bat and can do what they want, blah, blah, blah. Does that make it right ? Does it really ease anyones mind knowing Topps has free reign to chop it up ?
If there is one thing about this hobby that sickens me it is the destruction of important pieces of sports history that are being destroyed so some fool can have a 3/4 inch by 3/4 inch piece of bat or jersey. Anyone who spends a dime on that stuff should be blackballed from the hobby.
-- Yogi Berra
<< <i>There should be a law against doing stupid things like this. So much for preserving the past. >>
How long before Topps cuts up a Van Gogh
<< <i>
<< <i>There should be a law against doing stupid things like this. So much for preserving the past. >>
How long before Topps cuts up a Van Gogh >>
They bought his ear last year.
As for the Gibson bat, if it truly is one of only two found so far then Topps is not respecting the history of the game in cutting it up. Let it be and find another piece.
The Gibson story is just as important as Jackie Robinson in my book and he should have been the first black man in MLB but team and league politics got in the way.
-- Yogi Berra
<< <i>First off the FF bat doesn't exist, it was just a fleer joke, that sold them plenty of product back in 89. Companies have been
doing this thing for quite sometime. >>
Any proof of this? I have heard MANY stories, including this one. Dick G. thought the ink on the bat knob didnt look right. There is alot of suspicious activity from that product ie. product was leaked early in 89 and a overkill of FF versions but just curious why do you think this? Based on the trend of errors at the time and slow market or ?
Donovan
If Topps changed their mind and decided not to cut the bat up, they would also get plenty of letters from people protesting that decision. Heck, I would probably be one of the protesters. Since I can't afford to buy the whole bat, I would love a chance to own a slice of it.
Rich
1977 Topps Star Wars - "Space Swashbucklers"
<< <i>I am glad they don't do that to Vincent Van Gogh paintings. >>
Just a matter of time?
mike
Looking for Jonny Gomes cards, especially Triple Threads and printing plates. Will consider all cards, though. Got something? Contact me at c_u_l_1@yahoo.com
I think "player-touched" is stretching the GU card craze a bit. Does that mean that the sharpie that Adam Vinatieri used to sign my jersey is now a collectors item? Maybe I can get Knuckles to make me up some Adam cards and I will cut up my sharpie and glue it to the cards! Hey, I"ll be rich! No, this is MY idea, so back off!
Just think of the future, "player-touched" seats, sharpies, and why not, even toilet paper! It's all collectible now according to Topps.
newly born Upper Deck. Its obvious from all the variations that fleer was only interested in selling cards. Why not just cut that card
from production? That wasn't hard to do back then, but more variations means more money....heck topps picked up on that in
2006.....17 years later!!!
Kevin
<< <i>bri:
If Topps changed their mind and decided not to cut the bat up, they would also get plenty of letters from people protesting that decision. Heck, I would probably be one of the protesters. Since I can't afford to buy the whole bat, I would love a chance to own a slice of it.
Rich >>
Ya know what, I cant afford a bat like that either, but so what ? What does a slice of it prove ? Does it make you feel like you actually have something of intrinsic value ? Why not live with the fact you cant afford the WHOLE bat and instead visit a museum where you can still actually look at it, not just your little 3/4 inch shard of what was once a beautiful piece of baseball history.
-- Yogi Berra
<< <i>
<< <i>bri:
If Topps changed their mind and decided not to cut the bat up, they would also get plenty of letters from people protesting that decision. Heck, I would probably be one of the protesters. Since I can't afford to buy the whole bat, I would love a chance to own a slice of it.
Rich >>
Ya know what, I cant afford a bat like that either, but so what ? What does a slice of it prove ? Does it make you feel like you actually have something of intrinsic value ? Why not live with the fact you cant afford the WHOLE bat and instead visit a museum where you can still actually look at it, not just your little 3/4 inch shard of what was once a beautiful piece of baseball history. >>
I am too lazy to look up intristic and apparently the FF bat I want does not exist but..say it did and they cut it up I would enjoy that.
Future value? Not important,I enjoy it and important ( to me) part of a large collection.
Visit it in a museum-say they put it in New York-I'll never get there.
So I would be happy with a chunk of it.
I understand on some items being wrong to destroy but if it was a bat I am interested in (ie. FF) then slice away. "I'll take a F showing Alex".
Donovan
<< <i>There should be a law against doing stupid things like this. So much for preserving the past. >>
Well, if Topps paid for it, then they should be able to do whatever with it. It shouldn't have been up for sale in the first place.
Pimp On...
There are people out there that collect game used bat and jersey cards. They're not lesser collectors because of it. They're just different collectors. I read the Beckett boards pretty frequently, and I think you'd be surprised by the collectors there. Sure, they like their gold chrome refractors, but the game used cards have really given these younger collectors a reason to learn about and collect players that died decades before they were born. It's not at all uncommon for a Beckett signature line to say something like this: "Huge collector of Jason Giambi, Carl Yazstremski and Stan Musial. Autos and GU wanted!" How many of us collected cards of long-retired players when we were 15 years old?
Some of us may disagree with the decision to chop up the Gibson bat, and I guess I'm mostly agnostic. I do think that the Gibson bat is in a different category. Different even than a Ruth or Cobb bat. However, don't underestimate the impact of including HoF players in modern sets. The modern hobby may be shrinking, but I believe that hardcore modern collectors have at least as great appreciation of baseball history as did collectors 20 and 30 years ago. Yeah, I knew he Willie Mays was, but I didn't have any of his cards, probably because I never pulled one from a pack. If I had, maybe I would have been interested enough to buy more. Also remember that these collectors are the same people that will be buying *your* collection in 20 years, after they've transitioned from modern game used cards to high-grade pre-war sets and singles.
I've got a bunch of Will Clark game used cards. I hope to get a whole bunch more. I'd rather find a rare 1988 card that I've never seen, but I'm a collector, and I want one of everything. Does that make me evil?
AJW.
I much rather have a slice of the bat instead of having to use time and money to visit some museum in order to see the whole bat. Since Topps owns the bat they can obviously do what they want with it. Lets say that Topps decided not to cut the bat up but instead to give the whole bat away as a promotional sweepstakes......What would you do if you pulled that redemption card for this bat? Would you sell it to the highest bidder even if the highest bidder was another baseball card company planning to chop it up? Plus, If you would decide to keep it in your collection, the only person to benefit that move would be you. With this said, I'll be happy to take a slice.
Rich
It'd be the centerpiece of my collection.
Mark Mulder rookies
Chipper Jones rookies
Orlando Cabrera rookies
Lawrence Taylor
Sam Huff
Lavar Arrington
NY Giants
NY Yankees
NJ Nets
NJ Devils
1950s-1960s Topps NY Giants Team cards
Looking for Topps rookies as well.
References:
GregM13
VintageJeff
The regular insert could have 1/100th of a Wagner card, cut down to a tiny square, and embedded into the card. (1 of 100)
The bronze foil insert could have 1/75th of the Wagner card, cut down to tiny squares... (1 of 75)
The Silver foil insert could have 1/50th
The Gold foil insert could have 1/25th
The Platinum foil insert could have 1/10th
And the red chrome platinum edition could have 1/5th of a Wagner.
And if you're really lucky, you could get the special elite black diamond x-fractor chrome platinum atomic nuclear plutonium-glow monolith edition with 1/2 of a Wagner, that stays permanently illuminated for at least 500 years.
And one special fan actually gets a 1/1 full Wagner, but the Wagner will live in the Topps Vault, visible only via webcam 3 hours a day.
Better yet, mulch a hand full of Wagners, mix it with the regular pulp they use to create the cardboard, and produce a special "Wagner's Choice" set, $2500 for a pack of 2, 2 packs per box, 4 boxes per case. Limited to 5000 cases.
WTB: 2001 Leaf Rookies & Stars Longevity: Ryan Jensen #/25
"Look mom, I got the new GOLD edition Barry Bonds!"
WTB: 2001 Leaf Rookies & Stars Longevity: Ryan Jensen #/25
- Joe
<< <i>The next thing you know people will be plundering ancient ruins from far off places and bringing them back to America to put in museums.
The next thing you know they'll be putting pieces of the Berlin wall in a card.
Or a piece of Marilyn Monroes dress....................Oh,......they did do that.
MY GOLD TYPE SET https://pcgs.com/setregistry/type-sets/complete-type-sets/gold-type-set-12-piece-circulation-strikes-1839-1933/publishedset/321940
Everyone getting this worked up over a bat, a bat which none of us, until now, even knew existed?
Seems like a lot of wasted energy.
This cutting up of memorabilia is not only wrong if the memorabilia is real, but is a pathetic scam anyway since there is no real way to prove anything. Frankly, if it REALLY could be proved, they probably wouldn't have incentive to cut it up because it would probably be worth more money whole to a rich collector.
Even if Josh Gibson stated that he used the bat, how the heck does he really know? It's not like sports stars are pillars of truth. Many sports stars are prone to exaggeration and if they happen to need some money, an easy way to do so would be to produce a "game used" bat and sign it. Vintage memorabilia for the most part is a scam and a pathetic joke, with cutting the stuff up in my opinion even a bigger scam still.
I think autograph cards are really cool. But cut autograph cards have been known to be suspicious but PSA slabbed ones are reliable. And nothing is destroyed with an autograph card - I encourage collecting these and totally discourage collecting cut up memorabilia cards for the reasons outlined, especially because of the scam angle.
Steve
I for one hope that day never comes, but with the mentality of greed and "HAVING " to own a piece of something running around, that day will eventually come.
-- Yogi Berra
<< <i>So what, really?
Everyone getting this worked up over a bat, a bat which none of us, until now, even knew existed?
Seems like a lot of wasted energy. >>
holy crap i almost agree with axtell..
<< <i>
holy crap i almost agree with axtell.. >>
Sign of the Apocalypse?
In all seriousness: it's a bat, that was used to play a game...not like this the bill of rights getting cut up, its one of untold number of bats...and who's to say there aren't more josh gibson bats out there anyways. And if there truly were such demand for this bat, why didn't a private collector out there buy it?
Lee
Edit to say: I apologize if this is in bad taste. I really don't know where the line is anymore.
Groucho Marx