Doing your due diligence is the name of the game when dealing with memorabilia. Impulsive purchases, particularly from vendors they have no experience with, have left many a collector with items that, at best, were not 100% as described, and at worst complete misrepresentations worth less than pennies on the dollar. Sometimes merely a few minutes of research and questions could have saved the person a lot of cash and grief, while in some cases, particularly on more high end purchases, putting in some more legwork, bringing other knowledgeable individuals into the mix, and quelling the need for instant gratification would be essential to preventing the situation.
All this being said, even individuals and/or organizations with typically adequate vetting and oversight into their acquisitions can sometimes find themselves in a position of not being able to verify the authenticity of one of their items. Such was the case this week when the Hockey Hall of Fame was forced to open an investigation into whether a stick they have displayed as being used by Darryl Sittler during his 1976 10-point game is in fact the real deal. According to Kevin McGran of the Toronto Star, when Sittler was informed of the inclusion of the particular stick in a recent display dedicated to the centennial season of the Toronto Maple Leafs, his reaction was one of hope. Hope, because, as Sittler proceeded to inform McGran:
“All I know is it was lost in a fire.”
What proceeded was a story of uncertainty around whether a singe or multiple sticks were used in the game, was the stick present in a subsequent home fire, and how did the stick in question end up at the Hall of Fame labelled as “the 10-point game” stick but without any documentation as to how the stick came too be in their possession. While the story, which can be found
here, offers no firm answers for these questions, there promises to be more information coming down the pipes as the folks at the Hall look into the matter in further detail. In the meantime, let this be a reminder to us all about how things in the memorabilia world may not always be as they seem! This is not to suggest that there is always ill intent involved in these matters, as the case of Sittler’s stick likely illustrates, but that, again, knowledge is power when informing our purchases, whether it is something as detailed as determining the authenticity of our purchases or as basic as knowing exactly what we are agreeing to buy.
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Do you have a piece of treasured memorabilia that has a great story behind it? Let me know and you can be featured in an article. Doesn't matter how big or small the piece is, how valuable it may be, or whether it's a common item or more oddball. If you think it has a story, contact me via the information below and we'll chat. In the meantime, check out some previous "Display Case" articles via the links below to see what others have submitted in the past...
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Shawn Gates
[email protected]
Facebook: Shawn Gates
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Previous “Display Case” Articles
#1: The “Frankenstick!”
#2: Your desk has the right to remain collectable!
#3: Have Pads, Will Travel
#4: Pick a Pekka (Rinne) Autographed Mask
#5: Ted Lindsay Gets Kronwalled?
#6: The Only Thing We Have To Fehr Is Fehr Himself
#7: “Hungary” For Team Canada Swag
#8: The Soldiers Kid and “The Kid”
#9: Fan Appreciation & Player Humility Via The '72 Series
#10: Bobby Orr and....Birth Control?!?!?!
#11: Johnny Bower The “Portrait” Of Health At 88!!!
#12: Scotty Bowman – Stick Detective!!!
#13: Touch 'Em All Joe!!!
#14: Joey and Sergei's European (Lockout) Adventure!!!
#15: I’d Give The Jersey Off My Back For You…
#16: The Case Of The 1940’s Era Leafs
#17: Scrapping The History Of The Isles...
#18: Gretzky “Re-Signs” in Edmonton
#19: Gilmour Is Such A Caricature!!!
#20: Toys In The Attic
#21: The Right King Place At The Right King Time
#22: Momma Bear Takes On A “Killer”!!!
Previous “According to Twitter” Articles
Randy Carlyle Firing
NHL – NHLPA “Negotiations”
Olympic Gold Medal Game
Olympic Hockey
Kovalchuk Trade
Previous “Who Am I?” Articles
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Previous “Hockey Videos”
2012: Week 1
2012: Week 2
2012: Week 3
2012: Week 4
2012: Week 5
2012: Week 6
2012: Week 7
Pain for Pleasure
National Anthems
Dion Phaneuf
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Hockey Christmas
Nature Versus Sports
Goalie Fights!
Nature Versus Sports: Winter Classic 2014 Edition
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Gretzky’s 1000th Goal Stick
Andrew Shaw’s Cup Final Stitches
Previous “WHAT IF…?” Articles
#1 What If The NHL Contracted To 24 Teams?
#2 What If Quebec Traded Lindros To The Rangers Instead Of The Flyers?
#3 What If Calgary Drafted Martin Brodeur Instead Of Trevor Kidd?
#3a What If Calgary Drafted Martin Brodeur Instead Of Trevor Kidd?: A RESPONSE
#4 What If The WHA Never Existed?
#5 What If The Position Of Rover Had Not Been Eliminated?
#6 What If Pittsburgh Had Not Been Awarded A Team In 1967?
#7 What If Steve Smith Had Not Scored In His Own Net In Game 7?
#8 What If The NHL Had a Cross-Conference Playoff Structure?
#9 What If The NHL Asked For Fan Ideas For Improving The Game??
#10 What If Henderson Had Missed The Net In Game 8?
#11 What If You Could Sneak Into A Stanley Cup Celebration?
#12 What If The NHL Returned To Quebec City?
#13 What if Toronto and Edmonton Had Traded Teams in 1981?
#14 What if You Could Create Your Own Hockey Dream Team?
#15 What if An Active Player in the NHL “Came Out” as Gay?
#16 You Could Assemble Your Own Fantasy Pick-up Hockey Team?
#17 Hockey Had A Champions League Tournament?
#18 Team "X" Did NOT Make Trade "Y" At The Deadline?
#19 Gretzky Had Been Called For he High Stick?
#20 Star Players Hadn't Had Their Careers Cut Short?
#21 Mark Cuban Owned An NHL Team?
#22 Should Divisional Play Be Overhauled?
#23 You Won The Lottery Using Jersey Numbers?
#24 You Could Change Any Teams Name?
#25 You Could Own Any Odd Piece Of Hockey Memorabilia?
#26 You Could Pick One Silver Lining From The Lockout?
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NHLs Latest Concession Does Not Pass The Stink Test
Cancelled Winter Classic Is About NHL Spite, Not Pragmatism
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#1: Gordie Howe
#2: The Zamboni
#3: Maurice “The Rocket” Richard
#4: Ron Hextall
#5: Stanley Cup Abuse, Neglect and Versatility
#6: The Puck
#7: Don Cherry
#8: Cam Neely
#9: The Early Years of Les Canadiens
#10: Hockey Superstitions!
#11: Olympic Hockey Pt1
#12: Jarome Iginla
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Previous Product Previews & Reviews
2010-11 Donruss Hockey
2010-11 Panini Score Hockey
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2010-11 ITG Ultimate Memorabilia, 10th Edition
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Previous "Devil's In The Details" Articles
#1: Beware the "Factory Sealed Box"!
#2: The Price Guide"
#3: What IS A Rookie Card?
#4: Beware the Money Order!
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State Dependent Learning
Arousal and Performance
Depression
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