Thread: Have people lost their minds?

My kid had an Easton Stealth SCN4B (grey with gold handle) that she loved, but like most, it cracked and was replaced. The replacement was the white stealth, a good bat, which she out grew. We HAPPILY sold it to a team mate for nearly nothing - why - cause she was a team mate, and more importantly, she wanted it and it made her feel good - which benefitted the team as well.

My kid has had several different bats since including RT (good bat, too heavy), Techzilla (Junk IMO)(both used), and Combat Virus (2). She really likes the Virus and we will get her another (growing like a weed - and we can still get blue one for $160 new). She seems to do well with Virus - but -

However, she really, really wants another Stealth - preferrably an SCN4B (grey), but a white will do. I was on ebay and people want nearly $400 for those bats. They are good, but not that good. I don't see any more bombs from them then any other bat - so why the extortion? People have lost their minds if they are paying $400 for a piece of carbon fiber -or whatever they are made of.

Why? My only regret is not buying a truckload of them when the new model came out.

I was talking with a woman the other day who couldn't figure out why people on ebay would pay the same price for her used bat as they would to buy a new bat (same model).

Some people know this and exploit it.

We've gotten some really good bats for my dd from Ebay, but haven't paid the mucho buckos for them. I've learned that patience is a virtue when dealing with Ebay...just watch and wait and don't bid until you absolutely have to do so - middle of the night endings are the best! My husband was perusing around on there looking for another bat for dd - like you. He was infuriated at the cost of them! My dad offered to buy dd a brand new bat. He freaked out when he saw the cost of a high end bat at a sporting goods store. Sometimes you get ripped in every direction. Try, also, googling "sales on Stealth bats". You might be surprised at what quiries come out of that.

Be careful on Ebay. There are painted bats showing up on there, that aren't what they are advertised to be.

I am in slowpitch and I have found that adults collect bats. That is one reason that you see such high prices, right now. But, you may be talking about the 32 inch models. Some of the SP people buy those for their DDs and some are buying them to shave and resell.

I don't buy the high end bats on Ebay, but I do buy $30 stuff for my hitting students.

As far as the cost in the stores, I see my neighbors dropping thousands of $$$ on golf clubs, which makes no sense to me.

Composite bats made before last year's model are going for more because ASA bat standards have changed. Bats sold this year are sold with testing being done that ensures when the ball leaves the bat it doesn't exit at more than 98mph. Older composites didn't have that restriction. Couple that with the fact that older composite bats get hotter and hotter with each hit as the fibers expand and thus the ball leaves the bat faster. There are many older bats out there that are 100mph bats (like the SCX24B) and, as I say, get hotter and hotter with more hits. The better broken in the bat is - the farther the ball flies.

Many will argue it's the indian and not the arrow but sometimes an extra 20 feet makes a different in a homerun and some of these older bats in the hands of someone with a mechanically sound swing will give you that 20 feet. If it didn't make a difference, we'd all be walking around with $40 Walmart specials - but it does.

(All of my DDs bats are from ebay and the late night ending auctions are best for snagging deals - she has 2004 RT, 2005 RT and Phenix).