It seems like the perils associated with collecting newer MLB game used items -- especially jerseys -- are becoming riskier than trading pork bellies. Here's what I consider the "triple-whammy":
1. The high prices -- Ironclad provenance deserves an appropriate price tag. But the politics associated with your newer investments are trickier than ever. Gone are the days where the media makes Mickey Mantle and Babe Ruth look like milk drinking, hospital visiting saints. Off-field antics can significantly affect the values of your items, especially when you paid top-dollar for them. This is in addition to whether a player will have a productive career! (Mark Prior and several other pitchers come to mind) We no longer participate in an underground hobby, and higher prices seem to reflect that.
2. The amount of product -- How many 1968 Yanks jerseys have survived? How many 1974 Chargers jerseys are floating around? When they do appear, a little knowledge goes a long way as to determining their authenticity. Pre-1985(ish) jerseys seem to be the good old days, as far as the amount of product out there, as well as being able to reasonably determine their authenticity. But holy cow... How many A's jerseys did Rickey Henderson supposedly wear in 1991?
3. The lack of provenance -- Thank god for photo matches. But what about the endless amount of jerseys that were supposedly worn just a game or two and show little or no game use? What about game-issue jerseys that somehow do show game use? How can you know for sure that the 1995 Joe Carter Blue Jays jersey on eBay was game used, even though the tags seem to look ok? Provenance is of the utmost importance with newer jerseys because there are so many "game issued" and "pro cut" examples in existence. It has taken a while for the teams themselves to understand and catch up with the growth of our hobby, so the recent era of releasing game used jerseys without letters (or having them taken from locker rooms) means lots of "A5" jerseys from this era will be available for years to come.
I know I'm preaching to the choir here, and I know that pro teams and specific players began stressing provenance these past few years. With that being said, there appears to be a huge risk buying game used superstar and star jerseys during the twenty year period between the mid-80s and mid 00s. The scandals facing MLB today and junk items diluting the market are just bonuses when it comes to the devaluation of your item.
1. The high prices -- Ironclad provenance deserves an appropriate price tag. But the politics associated with your newer investments are trickier than ever. Gone are the days where the media makes Mickey Mantle and Babe Ruth look like milk drinking, hospital visiting saints. Off-field antics can significantly affect the values of your items, especially when you paid top-dollar for them. This is in addition to whether a player will have a productive career! (Mark Prior and several other pitchers come to mind) We no longer participate in an underground hobby, and higher prices seem to reflect that.
2. The amount of product -- How many 1968 Yanks jerseys have survived? How many 1974 Chargers jerseys are floating around? When they do appear, a little knowledge goes a long way as to determining their authenticity. Pre-1985(ish) jerseys seem to be the good old days, as far as the amount of product out there, as well as being able to reasonably determine their authenticity. But holy cow... How many A's jerseys did Rickey Henderson supposedly wear in 1991?
3. The lack of provenance -- Thank god for photo matches. But what about the endless amount of jerseys that were supposedly worn just a game or two and show little or no game use? What about game-issue jerseys that somehow do show game use? How can you know for sure that the 1995 Joe Carter Blue Jays jersey on eBay was game used, even though the tags seem to look ok? Provenance is of the utmost importance with newer jerseys because there are so many "game issued" and "pro cut" examples in existence. It has taken a while for the teams themselves to understand and catch up with the growth of our hobby, so the recent era of releasing game used jerseys without letters (or having them taken from locker rooms) means lots of "A5" jerseys from this era will be available for years to come.
I know I'm preaching to the choir here, and I know that pro teams and specific players began stressing provenance these past few years. With that being said, there appears to be a huge risk buying game used superstar and star jerseys during the twenty year period between the mid-80s and mid 00s. The scandals facing MLB today and junk items diluting the market are just bonuses when it comes to the devaluation of your item.
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