The One That Got Away

Have you ever had your eyes on a prize---an antique or collectible you really wanted---and then let it get away? Of course you have. You're only human (right?). The disappointment you felt is part of every collector's learning experience, whether you buy five-figure paintings or $5 postcards.

Years ago, I let something get away that I still regret. It was shortly after I first registered at eBay, back when I didn't yet know the site's ins and outs. I was searching for game-used baseball bats---not so much for a big-money rarity used by Mickey Mantle or Willie Mays, which can sell for thousands. No, I was looking for game-used bats from "common" (read: inexpensive) players---ones I watched as a kid, or ones who I admired.

My search brought me to a game bat used by George Canale. Who's George Canale? Even the most rabid baseball fans probably don't know, so I'll tell you: He was a lefty-hitting first baseman who excelled in the Milwaukee Brewers' minor league system. He hit 23 homers for El Paso (Double-A) in 1988 and 18 for Denver (Triple-A) in 1989, and earned the proverbial cup of coffee in the majors. Canale got his first promotion to the big leagues late in the 1989 season. He was back in Triple-A ball for most of the 1990 and 1991 seasons but enjoyed short call-ups to the majors both seasons.

Canale's 1991 stint with the Brewers would be his last shot at the majors. He was traded to the Indians' organization in 1992, and between 1993 and 1998, he spent time in the minor league systems of the Rockies, Royals, and Pirates. He finished his minor-league career with 155 homers, 1,107 hits, and a .263 batting average. In his three major league stints, he had 12 hits (including four home runs) in 73 at-bats. He also found himself on several baseball cards; if that's not a thrill, I don't know what is.

To answer an obvious question: No, George Canale is not a relative of mine (at least I don't think so). But because we share the same last name, I thought it sure would be nice to own that bat I spotted on eBay.

It wouldn't be an expensive piece, I knew; it opened at only $9.99, and surely no one else out there would be searching for a George Canale game-used bat. I dropped in that amount for a bid, because I didn't expect any competition.

I was wrong. Somebody sneaked in at the last second and won the auction for 50 cents more than my bid. It was my first experience with a sniper.

I know, I know.... It's just a $10 piece of lumber---not a Frank Lloyd Wright spindle-backed chair or a rare piece of Rookwood pottery. Even so, losing that $10 bat at auction was painful. How painful? Well, I'm writing about it some 10 years later! And I'm still kicking myself for two reasons:

1) I should have logged in to monitor the end of the auction.

2) Failing #1, I should have at least punched in a pre-emptive bid---a high sum that would have discouraged the sniper. I looked at the winner's completed auctions and noticed he had won several other bats used by "common" players. I speculated that he didn't care who used the bats he bought, as long as it was a major leaguer. If I had bid a crazy-high figure like $50 or $100, the sniper likely would have backed off at maybe $20 (judging by his other buys).

Therein lies the moral of this story: If you see an item you want, ask yourself:
• How badly do I want it?
• How much am I willing to pay for it?
• Is it something that, if I get outbid, I can pick up later---or will I likely never see another?

Had I asked myself those questions, I would have answered them like this:
• Badly. Very badly.
• Up to $100 or so---way more than the bat's market value, but so what? (See first answer.)
• Probably not. I haven't seen a George Canale bat come up since that time.


So now, all I have left is a memory of my first sniping experience, a photograph of the bat (and not a very clean photo, as you can see), and the advice I'm passing along: If you see something you want, go for it. Set a "ceiling" price for yourself---even if it's more than the item's actual value. (How badly do you want it?) If someone outbids you, oh well---they wanted it more. But at least give yourself a fighting chance.

PS: If you have a "One That Got Away" story that still eats at you, drop me a note at ARI-Editor@comcast.net. I'd love to share it with the readers of Antiques Roadshow Insider.