Is Derek Jeter's autograph worth $1,000?

[Lordstan]

Originally Posted by markf31

I agree to a point and maybe I should append my initial thought a little. The player does influence the market value of his signature, the value is not equivalent to the price they charge, but it is impacted by it.

Just a small example would be that Jeter charges north of $400 for a ball at a signing (or has in the past, I don't know what his current rate is for live signings). Whereas Frank Thomas charges around $100 for a ball at a signing. A Jeter ball can not be had on Ebay for less than $200 typically, where as a Thomas signed ball can be found for between $50-$60 pretty frequently.

There is definitely an effect on the value of an autographed, based on what a player charges for it.

I understand what you're saying, but if people on ebay stopped paying $200 for Jeter signed balls, the price would come down regardless of how much he charges. Conversely, if sellers knew that people would pay $200 for a Frank Thomas ball, that's what they would sell it for. It does effect it a little as people may be more willing to spend $200 on a Jeter, knowing it'll cost them $400 at a signing, but I think it's more a function of supply and demand. Total auto amounts controlled by Steiner make for a more limited supply and being a very popular player on a very popular team makes for high demand.