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"What's it Worth?"
What determines the price of a piece of memorabilia? Supply, and
demand, what's hot what's not. Be the first one on your block to have
one, and you will probably over pay for it.
The prices on this site are based on actual sales on Ebay. If you
see an item with a price range of $50. to $150. You may say wow that
is a big difference. Is the Item worth $150. or Just $50? Did I over Pay
at $150. or did I get a great buy at $50? But you have seen this Item
sell for $25.! It books for $75. It can get confusing.
Lets start with "Book value." What is "Book
value"? Most Published Price Guides, use what items are selling for
at various dealers across the country as a yard stick, and average it
out. But if it is a yearly Publication the price could be out dated in a
month if an Item gets Hot. Also an item could go for a Higher
price, based on location of the sale. Example: a Don Mattingly Item will
sell for more money In New York, than it would in Florida, and it would
sell for more in Florida, than it would in Seattle. Why? The obvious,
Don Mattingly, a New York favorite, will sell Higher in New York, than it
would in Florida, and in Florida it would sell higher than in Seattle,
because there are more ex New Yorkers living in Florida than in Seattle.
See I told you it could get confusing.
So "what's it worth". The $50. it sold for in New York? The $40. it sold for in Florida? Or The $30. it
sold for in Seattle? It would have a "Book Value" of
$40. But
the Supply and demand takes over in New York, and sells for $50. You want
to pay less for the Item Move to Seattle.
On this website, when you see a price of $50. - $150. It is the
Average Low price paid for the Item, and the average high price paid for
the Item. Disregarding the insane occasional High over price, and rare
"what a bargain" under payment for the Item. Remember what
ever price guide you use its still only a GUIDE. The actual price of
what the Item is worth, is what people are actually paying for it. So a
seller could tell you until he's blue in the face that "it
Books" for $100., but if Buyers are constantly, and currently paying
$50. for it. What's it Really worth? The Price people are paying for it.
Bottom line.
Be careful of New HOT Items. This is where most people throw there money
away, getting caught up in the rush to have it first, or worried they
wont be able to ever get one. I'm going to give you two examples.
The Famous Billy Ripken 1989 Fleer Baseball Card #616. If your not
familiar with this error card. it has the words (4 letter Foul word
) "F_ _ _ Face" printed on the Knob of the bat. I had a
Baseball Card store at the time, and let me tell you people lost their
minds to get one of these cards. The day people found out about it I
sold out of Fleer wax packs in 10 minutes. There was a local Baseball
Card show that was selling the cards for $100. at the beginning of the
day, and by the time the show finished, the cards were selling for $400.!
Within a couple of years you could buy the same card for $30 - $50, and
Now you could pick up the Card for $5. - $15. nothing more than a
novelty. Use your Head when you buy.
Recently (2004) The New York Yankees had a series of "Stadium give away's"
called the Monument park Collection. Very nice collectible, and with
only 14,000 given away I would say Rare. But only if there are more than 14,000
people looking to collect them. The one I want to talk about is the Babe
Ruth Bronze Statue. At First they were selling for $50. on Ebay. By the end of
the Year panic set in to collectors who wanted one. and the price for
one shot up to $250. - $300. I'd say the average price was about $230. A
few months later you could Buy them for $50. to $75. again. When
the Yankees Issued the first 2005 Monument Park Statue (Yogi Berra),
it brought back interest in the Babe Ruth Statue, for people who didn't
get one the year before, and the Price is now about $80. to $125. So if the
People who paid $250. a year ago waited they would have saved at least
$100. But I don't think they Threw there money away. Its a nice
collectible, with a limited amount made, and should get back over the
$200. rage in the years to come. Especially If the Yankees continue to
issue this neat collectible.
"What's it Worth?"
I Bid $207. for an EMPTY cardboard Box! I lost the Auction to
three other people, the High bid being $412.00. It was an empty box
from a 1950s Mickey Mantle Rawlings Glove. If you tell the average
person they will tell you "your nuts!" $400 for an empty box! I
wouldn't give you $10 for it!
OK so "What's it Worth?"
Its worth
what ever you are willing to pay for it, if it Makes you Happy.
What's
it Worth? If You "Gotta Have it" Its worth what you pay for
it. But use your head. Don't throw your money away. Research an Item's availability, shop around for prices, see what they are selling for. Will
it hold it's value in time? maybe you can wait for the price to come down.
I've paid $100. for an Item that I can't get $10. for now, and I've paid $3.
for an Item That I sold for $100. You win some, you lose some. But if Your
happy That's all that matters.
Send Feedback to: Steven @KeyManCollectibles.com
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