Not dead, just retiring...
I just want to remind everyone that Derek Jeter is "not dead" just retiring. He will be autographing everything for probably 50 years to come. I repeat he is not dead...he is not dead...just retiring. The countdown to his last at bat seems more like a wake/funeral than a celebration.
I do agree however that his retirement is probably not comparable to anyone in the last 20+ years. I am a lifelong Yankees fan, and collect only Yankees, mostly 1960's and back. I also like nice clean white single signed Yankees balls, but plan to wait for my Jeter ball when I can get one in person for a mere $100 signing fee somewhere in the 2020's.
Right now it seems that his autograph on anything is $600 and up. Equivalent to a Mantle signed ball. I don't even like the look of his signature. Without identification one could not even tell who signed it. It is not readable and is not even close to being aesthetically pleasing.
Maybe we are all trying to catch magic in a bottle and experience something close to the magic of long ago. But, as mentioned, although we haven't seen a comparable retirement in many years, Jeter memorabilia is not a good investment right now and will not hold value.
I know some will say that it is a hobby for them and they are not investing, but I don't understand why collectors can't have both in mind. I love the memorabilia for the aesthetic value, and for the memories of the players involved, but it escapes me why anyone would knowingly and significantly over pay for something "just because".
All common sense supports the monetary value of Jeter stuff dropping off. It is a fact that he will be signing many things to come. There also will be more than enough game used bats to go around. I don't for a minute think that hoarding his used bats has been only a recent activity. I am pretty sure the Yankees organization, equipment managers, and players alike have been stashing away bats at an alarming clip for years.
There is a chance that Jeter stuff retains value for years to come, perhaps because of his clean record and clean play. This is a rare commodity. Far too many players with HOF careers have been tainted with scandal. If Jeter stuff maintains value for this reason I can support that wholeheartedly. But perhaps the same personal values that have made Jeter the player and man he has been will also result in many friendly opportunities in the future for many more autographs to be had.
Just my opinion, not necessarily yours.
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