Offered is a 1909 Ty Cobb “Official Ball Bat” Store Model Bat. The 30-inch long store model bat is from the now much misunderstood find some 30+ years ago. In early 1991, a salvage company in Frankfort, Indiana acquired the rights to clean out an old school building in Kentucky in a little town near Little South Fork River, not far from Bowling Green. In the basement of the building was found a large hoard (possibly more than 100?) of these bats manufactured by Ames Hanes. Bats found on the bottom of the pile had suffered much deterioration while those bats at the top were in the best condition. The Ames Hanes Manufacturing CO. went out of business in the 1920's. The story was mixed up over time claiming that Cobb had donated the bats to the school, but it is more likley the school had ordered the bats and they were left in the basement and forgotten about. Excellent condition.