This can be a difficult time of year for everyone at work or in school. It’s because, the magic of Christmas is behind us; Valentine’s Day is in the rearview mirror and the excitement of football season has ended. Worse, while summer may be on the horizon, we’ve still yet to enjoy the warmth of spring. It puts everything into a bit of a limbo for the few next months.
Collectors are lucky in that they have multiple reminders and activities to enjoy whilst leading up to warmer days....
Hottest right now on the collectible docket harkens back to one of the most famous Super Bowl TV commercials. It featured a limping Pittsburgh Steelers defensive back, “Mean Joe” Greene leaving a game. As Greene hobbled down the locker room tunnel, a young boy tells the giant he thinks he’s the best player ever and offers Joe a Coke. Greene refuses. Then, he reluctantly accepts and drinks it. The dejected boy walks away. Mean Joe calls out to the boy, “Hey kid, catch,” and tosses the boy his game-played jersey. It still ranks as one of the most memorable Super Bowl ads of all time. (For the record, Greene had to break his training regimen by drinking 18 full cokes during the commercial shoot. He also received more mail for that ad than anything else he did during his career.)
The “uninitiated” might think such a gesture by a player is merely cute. Far from it. Today, such a jersey might pay for a car, college, a house, or all three. Game-played jerseys have become some of the hottest sports collectibles.
That was underscored last year when a jersey worn by eternal football player Tom Brady sold at auction for an eye-popping $480,000. Most thought that record would stand for a long time. Nope.
Another jersey by another Joe, this time worn in two Super Bowls by famed San Francisco 49ers quarterback Joe Montana, recently went on the block. Montana had worn it in 1985 when the 49ers won Super Bowl XIX. Four years later, in 1989, the 49ers again were going to the big game.
Montana’s wife pulled his game-winning jersey out of storage and secretly packed it in Joe’s bag. She suggested he might want to wear it again for luck. It worked. While again wearing that jersey, Joe and the 49ers won once more with an exciting and historic end-of-game drive.
Last month, Montana’s two-time winning, second-hand, sweaty and dirty Super Bowl jersey sold at Goldin’s auction for a mind-blowing $1.2 million. Now…just where do we think the new owner might hang his new prize? I have no clue. However, it surely shows sports fans will dig deep and pay most anything for genuine player memorabilia. It also suggests it doesn’t hurt if your name is Joe.
By the way, “genuine” is the operative word here. It’s essential to remember that, reportedly, over 90 percent of all sports autographs sold via the Internet are forgeries.
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During the chilly winter months, armchair collectors lounging by the fire might be tempted by colorful and alluring ads in print or on TV. One current TV commercial promotes the chance for viewers to buy a full pound of vintage US “Morgan” silver dollars. The ad reminds those watching that those classic coins were minted between 1878 and 1921 – during the “Old West” and the “Gilded Age.” That’s true. Those storied coins are iconoclastic of the US from more than a century ago.
The commercial is compelling so I phoned for more information. The offer includes 17 of the silver coins along with several old pennies and a silver certificate paper dollar included. It also has a reproduction of the Declaration of Independence.
I was told the coins are in a condition where everything on them is readable. Okay. That’s not saying much. The cost for the 17 coins was just under $1,000 – roughly $58 per coin. For reference, I contacted several national dealers including Jay Woodside of Scotsman Coins. Jay agreed such coins are fun and collectible. He also indicated he and other dealers regularly sell such coins in similar or better condition for between $26 and $28 each. In much better and more collectible condition they might cost upwards of $35 or $40.
So, it may come down to a matter of convenience. It is easy to pick up the phone and order. However, a better deal could await by visiting a good and reputable local dealer.
For more collecting information and advice, log on to: http://prexford.com/.