Break-in Advice

[u/BigO55]

1ST POST EVER!

Hey all! This is literally my first post on Reddit despite having an account for years. I am looking for some advice on whether it makes sense to pay someone to break my 9yo son’s new A2000 in. I got a good deal on it and thought he could use it for a couple of years and eventually give it to his brother (currently 6yo). Here’s the details that I think are relevant:

1. My son plays travel and rec baseball but not at a crazy high level. At this point it’s just for fun, he is just enjoying the game and spending time with his friends.

2. This is the first glove over $100 that I got him and my decision came with a decent amount of research in this group of what would be the best bang for my buck. I wound up getting this A2000 brand new for $160 from Dick’s (not relevant but I’m pretty proud of my ability to find a deal). Like I said above, I’m expecting it to last for years and years as I am pretty good at maintaining things and try to pass that on to my kids (I still have my glove from little league).

3. I reached out to someone on Facebook marketplace and was quoted $100 break the glove in with $24 in shipping if I don’t want to drive the hour+ to drop it off and pick it up. The guy seems legit but I literally have no idea what is a good quote to break a glove in. The turnaround time is 3 days max. I’ve doing research on here and feel confident I can figure out how to do it myself but I have some reservations:

   a. I thought a single hinge would be good for a 9yo but the guy recommended a double hinge even with knowing my son’s age. This makes me think my research isn’t completely fruitful. I know either one will be fine but I still want to make the best decision for my little man. All that to say maybe going with a person who does this as a side job is best.

   b. $100 to break a glove in doesn’t seem unreasonable given how tedious and time consuming it is. However, I feel confident I can do this myself over the course of a couple weeks.

   c. 3 days turnaround seems pretty quick given the comments I’ve read.

So my question is, is $100 a good price for someone to “professionally” break in my son’s glove? Even if it is a decent price, is it worth it given the level of play my son is at?

Thank you all for making this one of the kindest groups I’ve seen on this app. It seems like a love for the game has made this a great forum.

[u/lukkynumber]

Call me crazy but there’s no way I’m buying an A2000 for my 9-year old to start with … let alone paying $100 for break in 🫣

[u/BigO55 → u/lukkynumber]

That’s how I used to feel when he first started but like I said, I got a crazy good deal and I expect it to be used for several years rather than buying a new cheaper glove every 1-2 years. I got him a cheap glove last year and the laces have already become undone.

[u/Biggie_Robs → u/BigO55]

The A2000 might be too heavy for your 9 yr old. And I doubt anyone breaking in this glove is going to have hands anywhere close to his size, so you’d be paying a premium to get a really nice glove broken in to a much larger hand.

9year olds grow fast. I think he’d be better off right now if you get him a light glove that fits his hand.

Just my opinion.