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Just an observation. It seems to me that the high point-of-sale prices paid to teams and their resellers for game-used items cannot be recouped on the secondary market. To make matters worse, many teams now think their GU merchandise is much more valuable than it really is, which makes it more difficult for resellers to do bulk buys at a reasonable price.
There are several reasons for this. One is market saturation. The Mets, Cowboys, Royals, Vikings and even the Yankees have made available literally tons of GU items over the past few years, meaning if the item is not from a star player, it's virtually a guarantee that the early buyer is paying too much. Unpurchased equipment continues to have lower and lower asking prices on Ebay, and can be solid acquisitions for those who are patient enough to wait (and are not afraid of losing the item).
I think speculation also plays a huge role. Similar to the card market, where you paid $5 for a rookie card a couple of years ago and it now books for $1.50. More often than not, players either fade from the spotlight or perhaps become a solid player at best. The Colin Kaepernick stories are rare. I think we all understand this, but it is nonetheless a huge reason why buying a newer jersey carries extra risk. I have seen a couple of beautiful Bernard Berrian Vikings jerseys sell on Ebay in the $150 range, complete with the Anniversary patch and J.O. paperwork. A couple of years ago, someone paid upwards of $600 or more for these same jerseys.
The slow economy has impacted all areas of collectables, including game used. A collector might impulse-buy a bat for $20, but probably not a jersey for $250 (unless it is a steal). An argument can be made that there are more sellers than buyers at the moment -- and we know how that impacts the whole supply versus demand thing. The people with money can pick and choose the items they want, while paying much less than they would have a few years ago when more buyers were on the scene.
Nothing too earth-shattering here, but just an obvious, general observation. Any comments?
There are several reasons for this. One is market saturation. The Mets, Cowboys, Royals, Vikings and even the Yankees have made available literally tons of GU items over the past few years, meaning if the item is not from a star player, it's virtually a guarantee that the early buyer is paying too much. Unpurchased equipment continues to have lower and lower asking prices on Ebay, and can be solid acquisitions for those who are patient enough to wait (and are not afraid of losing the item).
I think speculation also plays a huge role. Similar to the card market, where you paid $5 for a rookie card a couple of years ago and it now books for $1.50. More often than not, players either fade from the spotlight or perhaps become a solid player at best. The Colin Kaepernick stories are rare. I think we all understand this, but it is nonetheless a huge reason why buying a newer jersey carries extra risk. I have seen a couple of beautiful Bernard Berrian Vikings jerseys sell on Ebay in the $150 range, complete with the Anniversary patch and J.O. paperwork. A couple of years ago, someone paid upwards of $600 or more for these same jerseys.
The slow economy has impacted all areas of collectables, including game used. A collector might impulse-buy a bat for $20, but probably not a jersey for $250 (unless it is a steal). An argument can be made that there are more sellers than buyers at the moment -- and we know how that impacts the whole supply versus demand thing. The people with money can pick and choose the items they want, while paying much less than they would have a few years ago when more buyers were on the scene.
Nothing too earth-shattering here, but just an obvious, general observation. Any comments?
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