Here is an interesting tidbit from Darren Rovell's always insightful blog about sports business and collectibles which can be found here
The worth of No. 714 and 715
posted: Tuesday, May 9, 2006 | Feedback
I've been getting a lot of e-mails about this, so I went to Michael Barnes, who has become the broker of almost all the noteworthy home run balls. Barnes brokered deals for Bonds' No. 73, McGwire's No. 70 and Sammy Sosa's No. 66, among others. Barnes advises that anyone who catches these hold on to them because the value probably won't go down over time (unless MLB decides to add an asterisk at some point). Barnes believes the value of the ball will be determined by the number of home runs Bonds ultimately ends his career with. If Bonds doesn't beat Aaron, Barnes reasons that No. 714 and No. 715 will be valued in the $25,000 to $50,000 range. If Bonds does surpass Aaron, home run balls number 755 and 756 are likely to be in the six-figure range, with the latter -- the new record -- possibly being worth more than $1 million. These are all guesses because the balls likely will be auctioned off, which means all it takes is a bidding war for the price to go up.
Recent HR ball prices
Player HR No. Amount
Mark McGwire 70 $3 million
Hank Aaron 755 $600,000 to $700,000*
Barry Bonds 73 $517,500
Sammy Sosa 66 $175,000
Barry Bonds 70 $60,375
Mark McGwire 63, 64, 67, 68 $57,500 each
Barry Bonds 600 $46,304
Sammy Sosa 500 $37,000
Mark McGwire Final HR (583) $25,000
*Private sale, estimated.
The worth of No. 714 and 715
posted: Tuesday, May 9, 2006 | Feedback
I've been getting a lot of e-mails about this, so I went to Michael Barnes, who has become the broker of almost all the noteworthy home run balls. Barnes brokered deals for Bonds' No. 73, McGwire's No. 70 and Sammy Sosa's No. 66, among others. Barnes advises that anyone who catches these hold on to them because the value probably won't go down over time (unless MLB decides to add an asterisk at some point). Barnes believes the value of the ball will be determined by the number of home runs Bonds ultimately ends his career with. If Bonds doesn't beat Aaron, Barnes reasons that No. 714 and No. 715 will be valued in the $25,000 to $50,000 range. If Bonds does surpass Aaron, home run balls number 755 and 756 are likely to be in the six-figure range, with the latter -- the new record -- possibly being worth more than $1 million. These are all guesses because the balls likely will be auctioned off, which means all it takes is a bidding war for the price to go up.
Recent HR ball prices
Player HR No. Amount
Mark McGwire 70 $3 million
Hank Aaron 755 $600,000 to $700,000*
Barry Bonds 73 $517,500
Sammy Sosa 66 $175,000
Barry Bonds 70 $60,375
Mark McGwire 63, 64, 67, 68 $57,500 each
Barry Bonds 600 $46,304
Sammy Sosa 500 $37,000
Mark McGwire Final HR (583) $25,000
*Private sale, estimated.
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