The New York Times puts their two cents into the Jeter memorabilia story

[RichardSimon]

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/16/yo...1&ref=business

A shameless plug for my quote in the article ,,, though obviously the reporter got it wrong by calling me a card dealer. I have no idea how he came up with that one. I guess a reporter's notes are not always kept accurately. Who would have thought that was possible? .

[T206Collector]

That's a great article. I identify with the writer. All of my DJ3K stuff is a reminder of my being able to hoist my 6-year old up into the air to watch Jeter's ball disappear over the left field wall. Right before he hit it, he hit a foul ball, which prompted my son to say, "C'mon Derek, what's the problem? You can do it!"

I dont collect these as investments. If anything, my interest is more aligned with the pure collector going after Ruth's autograph in the 1930s, when resale wasnt in mind. A lot of modern collectors feel that way. Sure, the keepsakes cost money today, sometimes, but theyre still valid reminders of the moment something in the sports world made us feel connected.

The writers last paragraph expresses exactly how I feel about the modern items you have such public disdain for. Now, to see about sending my ticket stubs to Steiner for Jeter to sign......

[GrayGhost]

The old stuff is king. Its that simple.

[Scott Garner]

Originally Posted by GrayGhost

The old stuff is king. Its that simple.

FWIW, I agree with Scott. Like all collectibles, scarcity dictates value and desirabilty. What's interesting about a collectible that's manufactured and in huge supply (hundreds to thousands)??

I would personally rather chase items that are a challenge to find, not just a challenge to afford....

[T206Collector]

Originally Posted by Scott Garner

scarcity dictates value and desirabilty.

Scarcity = supply
Desirability = demand

While supply can impact demand, value is dictated by where the two intersect. As has been pointed out, the T206 Wagner is not the scarcest baseball card.

The reason Steiner can sell a minty fresh autographed ball of Derek Jeter for hundreds of dollars, even though there are literally tens of thousands of them, is because they are desirable to tens of thousands of people. Demand will surely only go down from this time forward, but it is certainly there right now.

Collect what you love.

[GrayGhost]

I think the problem I have is the lack of any connection w Jeter and the like . The Man sits in a room, prob w a nice adult beverage, scribbles his name, collects a fat check and is gone. Fan sends in 600.00 or w/e and gets a nice signed ball, but thts it. Jeter is just like an imaginary figure. I know this angle is a bit off the main issue maybe, but its my problem with it.

I can remember meeting Brooks Robinson at a card show and him chatting for a minute or two to express h is interest. And, when I was just 8, going to Fenway for autograph time before a Red Sox game. Two guys were signing, Ken Tatum and Bob Montgomery. Were they stars? No. But, fans loved them, and enjoyed meeting them.

This isn't a shot at Jeter or Steiner or anyone else . Its just that is like a "huge machine" as the sport is too most times. If people want a "sanitized" autograph like this tho, its their choice, just not for me.

In the end, this is the GREATEST Hobby in the world, and we should enjoy it however we can within our means, if that means owning ten cards. a case of 91 upper deck baseball, or a 33 goudey set in the top three PSA Registry. Just my rant, have a good day all.

[Scott Garner]

"Collect what you love"

That's absolutely what I've been doing for over 39 years.

BTW, with regards to sports collectibles, I've never been driven by what other people collect, only what I liked. Take baseball ticket collecting as an excellent example. When I began collecting tickets in 1972, very few people collected regular game day tickets. I always believed that the date on every ticket had a direct link to history tied to a specific game in baseball history, which I thought was cool. I basically began collecting what other people viewed as garbage- used ticket stubs had no value. Although ticket collecting is still much more fringe, than say collecting baseball cards, today many people collect tickets to memorable sporting events, milestones, etc.

How much something was worth was never part of the thought process, but admittedly I do think it's wise to think in terms of an exit plan as a collector. Most likely we won't be taking things to the grave with us. I know I won't. When I look at rare/scarce collectibles in my personal collection, I believe that as collectors we never truly "own" an item for eternity. We're merely caretakers of historical treasures that will eventually be passed on to the next caregiver.

Like almost all collectibles, sports memoribilia is an intrinsic hobby. At the end of the day an item's true value is only what another collector is willing to pay...

Good collecting!
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