Game-Used Jersey Analysis
Sport Memorabilia is a large business today. There are lots and lots of collectors who make their money on these items. Collecting cards, game-used jerseys, helmets, uniforms, autographed baseballs…you name it.
The industry has become very diverse. Some manufacturers mass produce merchandise for sale and are able to pass them off as sport memorabilia even though they are not authentic. Then there is the game-used memorabilia channel where auction houses collect items that were actually a part of major sporting events and then auction them off on their websites or at live events. The rule of thumb is this: if a sports record is broken or a big game was played then all of the equipment and uniforms associated with that event are a market in of themselves. That means that there are people selling these items as well as a good amount of people willing to buy these items.
In terms of the people collecting these valuable items, some have no biases and are prone to collect items from any and all sports while some only focus on one or two sports. Another option is to concentrate on a particular team or player and only collect game-used memorabilia from that particular niche. Whichever route the collector takes, there is usually one of two motives in place. Either the collector has a sentimental attachment to the player or team, or they are trying to time the market, buy low and make a profit in the future.
The sport memorabilia industry as a whole is a debated one. It has lead to many hateful and corrupted collectors who have lost the spirit of sportsmanship and what collecting is really about. Many professional collectors will use children at games to try and sucker the players into signing as many bats or balls as possible, the old sympathy card method. It is pathetic, but a player now knows if a 45 year old man wants three bats and two balls signed, he is probably trying to make money and that is not what it is all about. People will wait as long as hours after games to get a glance at a player and maybe an autograph just to turn around the next day and flip it on the open market to make a quick buck.
Major League Baseball is trying to authenticate memorabilia like a game-used jersey and other items as to stop the counterfeiting that is plaguing the industry. Now that it has become business instead of a hobby, it seems that anything goes with all of the money involved. MLB and other professional leagues should be applauded for stepping in and trying to insure that all items are authentic. Ideally this will keep everything on the level, but more likely than not the game of cat and mouse will continue.