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Today we have a deep dive into the 1933 Joe DiMaggio Game Used Bat that will IPO at Collectable on April 20th, 2021 at 8 PM EST.
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Table of Contents
What is the 1933 Joe DiMaggio Game Used Bat?
This is a bat that is believed to be used between the 1933-34 seasons when Joe DiMaggio was a member of the minor league San Francisco Seals. It has been authenticated by PSA/DNA and has a grade of GU 8. It is the earliest DiMaggio bat to appear in PSA’s database, and the date of production is believed to be August 5th, 1933.
It IPOs on Collectable at 8 PM EST (note the time!) on April 20th for $95,000. The consignor is holding $42,500 in retained equity, leaving $52,500 in shares.
Add IPO to calendar
Cultural Relevance
Joe DiMaggio was a Hall of Fame center fielder who played his entire career with the New York Yankees from 1936-1951, winning an incredible 9 World Series titles in just 13 full seasons (he missed 3 seasons due to military service in WWII). He was a 3-time MVP, an All-Star in every season and is best known for his record-breaking 56-game hitting streak, a record that no one has approached since he set it in 1941. Remarkably, he had nearly as many home runs (361) as strikeouts (369) in his career.
Less well-known is that prior to his time with the Yankees, he played for the Pacific Coast League’s San Francisco Seals, in a time when the PCL was referred to as the “Third Major League” as no major league teams were yet on the West Coast. Debuting in 1932 as a 17 year old, DiMaggio led the Seals to a title in 1935 and foreshadowed his future Major League success with a 61-game hitting streak in 1933. This bat is from his time playing for the Seals.
Nicknamed both the “Yankee Clipper” and “Joltin’ Joe”, he was by far the most popular athlete of his time and only saw his fame increase after his playing days due to a short-lived marriage to Marilyn Monroe. He was also famously referenced in a line in Simon and Garfunkel’s Mrs. Robinson, but it’s this song that’s been playing in my head as I’ve been writing this:
DiMaggio’s continued relevance is on par with his great rival Ted Williams and Willie Mays, lagging a bit behind his successor, Mickey Mantle.
Inferred Value – $30K+
[Detailed Valuation available to Insiders Only]
Category Strength
The sports memorabilia category had a -8% ROI in Q1 2021.
Subcategory Strength
Risk Profile
Asset Growth TTM
Growth Outlook and Future Catalysts
There’s not a lot that would separate the value of this from any other game-used bat from a similar player in stature, or from the baseball memorabilia market in general. On the very tiny chance a current player gets a long hitting streak going, DiMaggio will get more exposure, but that’s about all I can think of.
Asset Liquidity
This will have a roughly 90 day lockup period then will trade daily.
Platform Risk
Intangibles
I wrote this bit last time with the Michael Jordan bat and it works here, too – “While the retained equity level is under 50%, it’s still pretty substantial (and a great deal for the consignor, who recoups more than their initial investment and keeps a controlling share)”. What’s a great deal for the consignor is not for the shareholders.
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