(NEXSTAR) – A certain home run ball with otherwise little significance quickly became the center of a viral moment in September, prompting some to question whether it was worth the fuss. Other home run balls of arguably more MLB importance have been just as contentious, sometimes even prompting lawsuits.
Among collectors, sports items have long been sought-after. From cards to autographs to memorabilia, there’s no shortage of goods branded with your favorite team or athlete that you can purchase.
It’s game-used and game-worn equipment in particular that “appears to have a bright future,” Joe Orlando, the executive vice president of sports at Heritage Auctions, told Nexstar earlier this year.
“The appeal is clear. These are the tools of the trade that were used or worn to make history on the field,” Orlando explained. “They are not manufactured collectibles in the same way a trading card is. As buyer confidence grows, so does the category.”
In addition to home run balls, collectible equipment may include jerseys, bats, gloves, and helmets. If a player wore it and it was used in-game, the item gains “an almost magical quality,” Orlando recently explained to Nexstar.
“Whether we are talking about Babe Ruth, Michael Jordan, or Tom Brady, the fact that the legend used these relics while they made history and wrote their story is what distinguishes them from every other type of collectible,” he added.
Several such pieces have commanded large price tags as of late. A New York Yankees jersey worn and signed by Mickey Mantle in 1960 recently sold for more than $5.2 million at Heritage Auctions. A baseball signed by “Shoeless” Joe Jackson and members of the 1914 Cleveland Naps team sold for more than $53,000 in August.
Even more recent equipment can be immensely valuable. Heritage Auctions recently sold the bat Alex Rodriguez used to hit his 500th home run in 2007 for $97,600. Collectors aren’t limited to baseball, either. A Chicago Bulls uniform worn by Jordan during the 1992-93 season sold for $2.6 million in May. Last summer, the pants Brady wore during his final NFL game raked in nearly $90,000 at auction.
Items from more recent games aren’t always viewed as less valuable. The most obvious example could be the ball Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani blasted into the stands (oddly enough, in the same ballpark as the aforementioned controversy ball) to become the first player to record 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in the same season. It sold for nearly $4.4 million last October, making it the most expensive sports ball ever sold at auction.
While not entirely game-used, the one-of-one Paul Skenes baseball card that included the MLB debut patch worn by the Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher went for $1.11 million during a two-week auction earlier this year.
According to Orlando, it is the “game-used and game-worn items that are connected to special milestones, games, seasons, or era” that are garnering price premiums. That doesn’t necessarily mean that the 281st home run ball hit by Ohtani will be any less meaningful to collectors than the 282nd (both of which may have already occurred by the time you’re reading this).
“Still, the most significant moments and performances generate the biggest prices because many collectors prefer a piece of history when the athlete was at their best,” Orlando said, noting that, in the case of A-Rod’s bat, for example, “a non-milestone home run bat … would command a fraction” of the recent auction price.
A signed bat Rodriguez used for batting practice in 2003 sold for $492 in 2023, while another unsigned bat he used for practice in 2004 went for $169, Heritage Auctions records show. Similar bats are attracting similar prices on eBay as of late September.
Sometimes, the value of the game-used item you’ve gotten your hands on can’t be described with zeros on a check. It may be more about the joy the item brings you (a crucial factor in collecting, according to experts) or what you can exchange it for. Just ask the fan who got to play catch with Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout after catching the three-time MVP’s 400th career home run ball. The fan walked away with three autographed bats and two autographed balls, as well.
Like many collectible items, the value of the object you caught, found, or acquired from an athlete may only be worth what someone is willing to pay for it. Regardless of how you come into a piece of game-used or game-worn equipment, Orlando recommends speaking with a reputable auction house if you’re looking to sell it.
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