Some sports companies would rather not deal with collectors, but Louisville Slugger finds two-way communication is better.

There is never really an ‘off-season’ at Louisville Slugger. Now that the World Series is over, things do get a little quieter though.

Next month, the company’s museum will host the annual sports memorabilia auction. Game-used bats are always a part of the sale, but most now come from places other than the factory’s warehouse.

In tracing the history of the company, collectors have uncovered plenty of information about which player ordered which bat at what time. Factory records have even been the subject of a book that has helped bat collectors authenticate items.

A willingness to answer questions from the baseball memorabilia hobby has also helped the company, which often relies on the collecting community to help its own purposes.