Willie’s passing

[Snapolit1]

Has anyone seen a bump or drop in his collectibles, or is it too soon to assess? He was the one player I always assumed collectors were expecting a huge bump on the publicity associated with his passing. Of course we’ve all seen exactly the opposite happen as well.

[Johnny630]

Short term I expect and uptick....like it happened when Hank Aaron Passed. Unfortunately most of Hank Aarons stuff has come down a lot since then. I expect Long term for Willie Mays cards little to no affect on price.

It's sad that some will use his passing as a reason to jump their asking price.

[z28jd]

Originally Posted by Johnny630

It's sad that some will use his passing as a reason to jump their asking price.

That jumps happens with everybody, and it's always a short-term spike. You don't even have to be a great player. Mike Brumley had 26 Ebay sales over the last three months before he passed away a week ago. He's had over 100 sales in a week, including signed balls for $45-$50.

I never understood the rush to get something of a player on the day that they die. If 99% of people waited, the prices wouldn't jump for any amount of time.

[Bpm0014]

I was trying to assess the same thing. I have a 1960s Mays game used bat that I will be listing soon that I'm trying to time just right. I'm a pre war collector so I have no real ties to it...

[parkplace33]

Little to no change in my opinion. The player speaks for himself.

[Republicaninmass]

I feel many people.bought looking to sell when he passed. I just don't get that sentiment..

[Jewish-collector]

As the sportscaster, Phil Wood would always say when a player passes away, "He doesn't sign autographs anymore"

[Kutcher55]

I have seen little if any bump. I think it was priced into his cards already -- at least that was the consensus I saw this weekend at the Northeast Card Expo in Marlboro, MA.

Bill Walton's recent passing was considerably different. His cards went up quite a bit. But I always felt his RC was undervalued so maybe that plays into it.

[Beercan collector]

What I thought would happen totally did not happen .
I thought accolades would still be pouring in , there would be talk about a movie,
Casual collectors and non-collectors start looking into his cards and
“ er .. why is Mantle worth 10 times Mays ? “
And his cards would spike

[Lorewalker]

Originally Posted by Republicaninmass

I feel many people.bought looking to sell when he passed. I just don't get that sentiment..

I would second that. I do not buy into cards for the sole purpose of their going up but a players' death should have no impact on the value of their cards so this is just one more man made "flaw" in collecting, imo. There are a finite amount of their cards and a death or anticipated death should not elevate the value.

If anything, the value of their autograph could spike since they can no longer sign.

[JollyElm]

422. Mourning Track Power
Buying up cards of a very old former player for the sole purpose of selling them at exorbitant prices on the gigantic bubble that will surely come after he passes away.

[vintagerookies51]

I believe there have been "studies" that typically show a slight-moderate increase for a few weeks or months after a player's death, then drop back down to what they originally were. Long-term I think Mays will go up, but not because of his death