Why teams marketing their jerseys only hurts their fans.

[sox83cubs84]

One team that perplexed me was the Midwest League Kane County Cougars when they first were formed in the early 1990s. I and several other fans and collectors would check their gift shop periodically for game-used, and, except for a few occasional cracked bats, found nothing. Jerseys were a no-show. Then, after their third season or thereabouts, the team, despite all the fans who had inquired at the gift shop over that time span about buying game-used jerseys, decides instead to package them up and sell them to a West Coast dealer in bulk. I could never figure out...you've got a venue and a staff that can sell them individually, you get a couple dozen or more fans and collectors who want to buy the jerseys, so why deprive your supporters by shipping them to Oregon instead of keeping them in the gift shop where the team's real fans can enjoy them? After that, my desire to support the Cougars waned significantly.

Dave Miedema

Dave Miedema

[commando]

As much as I hate to admit it, some teams have more important things to worry about than what to do with their old GU equipment. As we all have learned, any business is only as good as their employees. It usually boils down to how fan-friendly the guy in charge is. If he or she isn't organized and wants to take the easy way out, then they'll just sell in bulk to one buyer to make their own life easier, or maybe just throw prices on items and put them in the gift shop (ironically, this lack of research on the team's part is often how you get the best deals on stuff).

To put things in perspective, a team may have a million or more fans. Out of those fans, how many collect game used items? And if you look at the budget of a major league team, and the millions of dollars that come and go, how much time and effort should the team spend on documenting and retailing their GU equipment? (being the money involved is just a drop in the overall bucket)

I am a game-used collector. I'm just trying to understand things from a team's perspective and why they may or may not seem concerned with their old equipment.

[legaleagle92481]

Guys FYI the teams could careless about us. When they see us they see walking hundred dollar bills. I live in NY. Here the Knicks just raised ticket prices 49% yes 49% and the Rangers raised them over 30%. These two teams combined for one playoff win. The last time the Knicks had made the playoffs before this year was 2003! I believe only the twolves had a longer playoff drought. The Jets and Giants abandoned people who had season tickets for decades by charging insane psls, pushing the average fan into the upper deck or out of the stadium in favor of the Goldman Sachs type fan who wouldn't know Mark Sanchez from Mark Wahlberg.The GU craze is just another way for teams to stick it to the fans. You want our jerseys pay our price or take a hike is the attitude. If they get stuck with alot because its insanely priced so what they had to buy them anyway for the players to wear.

[godwulf]

To put things in perspective, a team may have a million or more fans. Out of those fans, how many collect game used items? And if you look at the budget of a major league team, and the millions of dollars that come and go, how much time and effort should the team spend on documenting and retailing their GU equipment?

A very good point. For me, collecting game-used, especially bats, is an integral part of my personal "fan experience", as they say - but I know that I'm a tiny minority. I have heard ardent, long-time fans express surprise when they find out that "people actually collect that stuff", or ask questions like, "What are you going to do with a cracked bat?"

The story that sox83 told about the Cougars management, and selling their jerseys in bulk to a dealer (gee, Oregon...wonder who that could have been), is doubtless pretty typical. I'm sure they do it for quick cash and they think they're making a smart business decision, but they don't seem to realize that by selling the stuff in their Team Shops, at reasonable prices, they'd be creating collectors, and in the long run they'd make more money.

The Diamondbacks sell their game-used in the Team Shop for charity, which is fine, but they aren't really all that smart about it. Instead of selling a regular-season jersey at a reasonable price, they put out the Jackie Robinson and "Los DBacks" jerseys at MLB Auctions-type prices, and they sell all their bats - even some bench player who was with the team briefly in '05 - for a minimum of $125. I guess they figure, since it's for charity, why make a big effort?

[frikativ54]

The GU craze is just another way for teams to stick it to the fans. You want our jerseys pay our price or take a hike is the attitude. If they get stuck with alot because its insanely priced so what they had to buy them anyway for the players to wear.

You think all teams are like that? I've found that it varies depending upon which entity does the selling. The Mariners, for instance, can have crazy prices. I usually only buy game used from the M's Team Store if it is on sale.

However, I have gotten some decent deals on items from other ballclubs. For instance, I've never found the Astros to ridiculously price their stuff. The same is the case with some of the stuff I've bought from teams off of MLB.com Auctions.

Are there any particular teams that you feel cheat out their fans with game used?

[frikativ54]

The Diamondbacks sell their game-used in the Team Shop for charity, which is fine, but they aren't really all that smart about it. Instead of selling a regular-season jersey at a reasonable price, they put out the Jackie Robinson and "Los DBacks" jerseys at MLB Auctions-type prices, and they sell all their bats - even some bench player who was with the team briefly in '05 - for a minimum of $125. I guess they figure, since it's for charity, why make a big effort?

Have you had problems with MLB.com Auctions' prices? I've not had a hard time with their prices, but that's probably only because I'm really selective about what I buy on there.

[legaleagle92481]

You think all teams are like that? I've found that it varies depending upon which entity does the selling. The Mariners, for instance, can have crazy prices. I usually only buy game used from the M's Team Store if it is on sale.

However, I have gotten some decent deals on items from other ballclubs. For instance, I've never found the Astros to ridiculously price their stuff. The same is the case with some of the stuff I've bought from teams off of MLB.com Auctions.

Are there any particular teams that you feel cheat out their fans with game used?

Here are a few off the top of my head:


Atlanta Braves (The lady who handles it is very nice but the prices are crazy)
New York Mets
New York Yankees (Yes, they go through Steiner but still check out those prices a common player goes for aout a grand on a jersey. they charge between four and ten grand for stars)
Detriot Tigers
Toronto Blue Jays

[solarlottry]

From 1992-1995 the 49ers sold their game used jerseys thru MOS and for the most part everything was reasonably priced with the superstars (Rice, Young and Deion) being the most expensive. Even Steve Young's shirt from the 1994 SB season was only 1250$ at the time and Deion was 950$ so still fairly reasonable at that time. i was able to buy 2 Steve Young, a Rice and 2 Deion shirts back then and still have them all except one of the Deion Sanders shirts. The shirts came with a COA that the team put some pride into so whoever was in charge of these sales did care about the product.

Prior to 1992 shirts were sold by Bronco and he truly cared about the "fan" and the quality of the items sold. Checks were always made out to the 49ers so the money went right back into the team.

After 1995 things changed and eventually Wayne Otto bought what he could haul from 49er HQ.He left behind box upon box of unknown uniforms etc as his truck was full as he had hit up the Golden State Warriors first-a true tactical error. He keeps telling me he is going back for the remaining stuff but has not.

At least the 49ers have made the effort to make available basically jerseys from the late 70s-2006. They also regularly list many shirts on NFL Auctions and some end up quite reasonable in price. I picked up an Ahmed Brooks gamer from the International Series for 300$ and Andy Lee's shirt sold for only 220$ (best punter in NFL)!

Always buying 49ers gamers and ANY 1994 SHIRT REGARDLESS OF PLAYER and PAYING UP TO A 500$ FINDERS FEE for the right shirt.

Paul
garciajones@yahoo.com

[Shipp_96]

You think all teams are like that? I've found that it varies depending upon which entity does the selling. The Mariners, for instance, can have crazy prices. I usually only buy game used from the M's Team Store if it is on sale.

However, I have gotten some decent deals on items from other ballclubs. For instance, I've never found the Astros to ridiculously price their stuff. The same is the case with some of the stuff I've bought from teams off of MLB.com Auctions.

Are there any particular teams that you feel cheat out their fans with game used?

I agree with your assessment of the M's 1000%. Matt Tuiasosopo and Chone Figgins game worn jerseys for $500, that show little to no use?

Anything Ichiro (like a ball that is game used) is a minimum of $200-300...anything signed, regardless of not even being game used...$550 or above from him.

The Griffy Jr. items (which I would love to have) even just signed are premium priced.

When I do get deals, as you stated, they are either on sale, or the downstairs shop has something the primary upstairs shop are unaware of (like game worn helmets for $80, which are a decent price).

For my money, when I lived down in the Bay Area, both the A's and Giants had nice game used items for affordable prices from every day players.

Now premium players (back then Chavez, Hudson, Tejada, Bonds, Kent) would always go for big $$$ still. But at least you could add a Ray Durham, Mark Ellis or Terrance Long for a decent price to your collection.

The Orioles have a team owned store on the border of PA/MD that sells nice game used items for a decent price also. Sadly, recently they have started to raise their prices as well.

[MarinersFan34]

Yea, with the M's it's very unfortunate. I slammed my head into the wall for years trying to get them to change their practices when I worked there. All I ever got back every time was, the person in charge is doing the job just fine we see no need to change it now yes, even with 80% of the inventory staying unsold in the shop all year.

Yet it seems after each season most of the shirts sit and sit then get wholesaled to Kruk. You know if you offered those same prices or even something more reasonable than the current opnes to your local fans I bet they'd buy more. Whats worse is that ALL game used stuff is 100% profit for the team store, every single gu item they get is purchased under the Operations budget and then given to the store once they're done with it. The money doesn't go back to Operations it goes right into the retail bottom line.

One time I was even told it was against MLB policy to run an email sales list such as the ones that the Tigers, Braves, Giants, etc. send out to promote sales. Hmm, if that's the case wonder why MLB hasn't stopped them

The best prices are during special sales or the M's care auction and/or garage sale. Even the M's care "Buy it Now" auction prices beat the Mariners team store prices most of the time.

In the end I don't think it's a bad thing for teams to brings their gu sales in house as long as it's done by someone who knows and follows the hobby and prices things to sell. Doesn't sounds like any team does that very well yet.