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1930's Lou Gehrig Signed Bat....
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Description
The rarest Gehrig format of them all
1930's Lou Gehrig Signed Bat. It's a well-established truth in the sports collectibles marketplace that the population of single signed baseballs from Babe Ruth exceeds that of his trusted sidekick by a factor of approximately one hundred. Even this figure may be understating the rarity of Gehrig singles, one of the hobby's more exasperating complications. But what do we find when we transition from horsehide to Louisville lumber?Answer: a very similar ratio.
Certainly baseball bats autographed by Babe Ruth are quite rare, a small fraction of the population of signed baseballs, but they do surface with some limited degree of regularity. Those bats bearing the signature of the Yankees' most dependable employee, however, might appear on the hobby's auction block once a leap year. One suspects that the full surviving population could be counted on one's fingers with digits to spare.
And so the difficulty in acquiring a Gehrig signed bat gradually compounds upon itself, with available models disappearing into private collections for perpetuity, their owners well aware that a second chance at ownership might never arise. Discounting a souvenir mini bat presented in May 2014, this offering represents the sole signed bat from Gehrig that Heritage has ever had the privilege to represent, and one which we concede may be the last as well.
Gehrig's black fountain pen ink appears just below the center trademark of the signature model Hillerich & Bradsby 40 L.G. retail bat, presenting at a strength of approximately 6/10. Though most collectors are well aware of the difficulty in signing bats prior to the advent of the sharpie marker, it bears mentioning that this 6/10 rating likely places the offered model in the top quarter of surviving examples. We do admit that the intense rarity makes any definitive statement impossible.
The bat measures thirty-five inches in length, as confirmed by stamping on the knob reporting this dimension, and exhibits moderate but relatively unobtrusive handling wear. It should go without saying that any quibbles regarding condition should be muffled under the weight of this relic's terrific rarity and importance. Full LOA from PSA/DNA. Full LOA from James Spence Authentication.
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