People like to collect things that remind them of favorite sporting and entertainment events. Have you ever wondered if your collection is valuable? We talk about sports and entertainment memorabilia and other collectables with our certified appraisers and take listener questions.
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How Much Is That Signed Baseball Worth? It Depends
How much is that mint condition, signed baseball passed on to you from your grandfather worth? Well, it depends, says an “Antiques Roadshow” appraiser.
For example, when it comes to a popular sports memorabilia item, like signed baseballs, it depends on whether the ball includes anything other than a signature. “Stat balls,” which include information on a player’s awards or other information about a player — such as “Triple Crown” or “Three-time MVP” — are worth more.
Balls with messages written on them are worth even more, said Leila Dunbar, one of the country’s leading appraisers in sports, entertainment and pop culture memorabilia, and an appraiser on “Antiques Roadshow.”
“If they write ‘Happy Birthday’ on it, it could double or triple; or ‘Happy Hannukah,’ it could be five or 10 times the amount,” Dunbar said. “It’s a crazy business,” she laughed.
If the memorabilia was used in a game, the price will also jump.
“The intrinsic value of all these items is really $2.98. The real value at the end of the day is based on the historical importance of the athlete or event, so that’s why game-used items bring so much money … It’s also the emotional connection,” Dunbar said.
What if a celebrity dies, does that memorabilia increase in value? That also depends.
Certain things are worth more than others. Autographs, for example, increase in value since they are considered infinite when an individual is alive. Those autographs then become a “finite” commodity when an individual dies, and subsequently increase in value, Dunbar said.
“I’ve seen it, for instance with Joe DiMaggio, Ted Williams and Mickey Mantel, who all passed away in the late 90s, early 2000s, and overnight, their signatures went from, say $100-$150 on a signed baseball to $300-$500,” she said.
“Antiques Roadshow” is on tour this summer and will be in Green Bay on Saturday, June 17. There, Dunbar is expecting to encounter a lot of Green Bay Packers items, and maybe other sports memorabilia from the 1957 World Series between the Milwaukee Braves and New York Yankees, or items tied to Major League Baseball legend Hank Aaron.
“Coming to town in Green Bay, we assume we’re gonna get a lot of Packers memorabilia, but we have no idea what other great pieces may come in,” Dunbar said. “… It’s always exciting, you just never know. You just never know who you’re gonna meet or what you’re gonna look at. No matter how long you’ve been doing this, you never get jaded.”
Episode Credits
- Larry Meiller Host
- Jill Nadeau Producer
- Shirley Baumann Guest
- Leila Dunbar Guest
- Larry Meiller Interviewer
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