Polanco has just destroyed Singleton and Springers prices combined.

[ChrisCavalier]

$16,600 for his Debut Jersey from last night with only 4 hours remaining.[/URL]

I know the Pirates are very high on this prospect (and that he plays right field like Clemente did) but that price for someone who has played only one game is pretty astounding. Btw, I do also understand that some (all?) of proceeds go to the Pittsburgh Pirates charities and maybe that is assisting the price.

-Chris

[helf35]

I also think having the military appreciation jersey on his debut night is also adding to the value and eye appeal.

[Melissa1334]

a jersey used in one game. i still rather have a regular one used for a lot of games over commemorative one game ones. even if he pans out, that jersey will never be worth that obviously lol but as mentioned, money goes to charity

[BamaHater]

$26,100 was the winning bid
That is crazy

[ChrisCavalier]

$26,100 was the winning bid
That is crazy

That is crazy. I would not have paid a penny over $25,000.

[genius]

sell your stuff now, because g/u is in a

[gorilla777]

Maybe a bubble for widely available modern era items, but not for quality vintage.

[danesei@yahoo.com]

sell your stuff now, because g/u is in a bubble

I don't think it's accurate to gauge this as a bubble, since the insane prices seem to only occur on MLB controlled auctions. I don't really see insane prices coming for common items outside that site. Even Goldin items, which tend to be overpriced due to the marketing they do, don't come close to the ridiculous prices MLB/MiLB auctions generate.

The hobby *might* be in a bubble, but attribution of isolated sales as a basis for this conclusion is faulty. The insane prices being attained at auction would be more indicative of the broader economy entering into a bubble (similar to Singapore seeing $100,000 tabs and $1-2mm weeks for bottle service in VIP clubs) than a specific segment/hobby.

Another thing to consider is provenance. With MLB/MiLB auction items, where the date is stated, the provenance is first person and verifiable. This beats photo-matching, personal traits or anything else that might go into valuing an item. If an item requires extensive knowledge of a player's traits, or possibly esoteric understanding of design, the potential marketability will be limited to those who understand what they're buying. Couple this with the market being a closed system, and you'll see suppressed pricing. Improving the access of knowledge and creating a system where provenance can be verified 50+ years from now (assuming MLB is still active) will indubitably increase marketability and, in turn, prices.

Given the circumstances behind the item, one never knows why the price was so high (maybe Polanco, himself, had been bidding on the item), and it probably won't have any real impact on the future values of items sold of a similar nature. It's a specific market, with unmatched provenance. MLB authentication, on items tagged witnessed or game used and dated, would be the closest non-government document item that could be considered provenance of itself.

Chain of custody, marketability, and unmatched provenance drive MLB/MiLB auction prices to levels unmatched anywhere else. In fact, if the Polanco item were consigned to Goldin, it might not even get $5000, even with Goldin's marketing machine. On eBay, it might not even get $1500.

[Lunytune2]

I heard the Pirates AAA afiliate the Indianapolis Indians bought it .

[5toolplayer]

Too Funny. I remember when Alvarez was the next big thing in Pittsburgh ....