The Sports Memorabilia Phenomenon Plays On

A toothy kid stares in awe as hockey legend Wayne Gretzky autographs a hockey puck for him. Swell guy this Gretzky must be, huh?

Wait a second. This is an advertisement. And the small print under this ad in the latest sports memorabilia catalogue from Upper Deck Authenticated explains that it’ll cost you $299 for Gretzky to personalize that puck for your kid’s birthday. And football great Joe Montana will scratch a personal Father’s Day message across a football to anyone willing to kick in $379.

These “personalized” autographs--shipped within 48 hours of order, no less--are the latest twist to the multimillion-dollar sports memorabilia market.

Who’s buying this stuff? Not seasoned collectors, but the starry-eyed and often well-to-do who are willing to spend as much for a basketball autographed by Michael Jordan as for a washer and dryer. Unlike the washer and dryer, however, the $699 basketball is likely to find a spot on the mantel.

“Autographs are basically proof that you somehow interacted with a famous athlete,” said Bob Lemke, publisher of Sports Collectors Digest. “But I wonder how many people are inclined to embellish the story about how they actually got their hands on these items.”

Despite the recent growth of the sports memorabilia market, few people recognize the easy availability of these products--albeit at steep prices.

A baseball--yes, a baseball--autographed by Jordan began retailing this month for $299. That’s more than twice the price of a limited-edition baseball autographed by Mickey Mantle, which sells for $139. In about six months, you’ll also be able to purchase everything from baseball caps to baseball bats etched with Jordan’s signature.

For $1,399, you can act like Los Angeles Laker legend Earvin (Magic) Johnson is your long-lost pal. That’ll buy you a signed Laker jersey, a personalized letter and even a chunk of the Forum floor--all framed, of course.

For $1,400 you can also get your hands on a Louisville Slugger bat personally signed by former baseball great Ted Williams.

Not to forget the upcoming World Cup soccer games. A soccer ball autographed by every member of the 1994 U.S. World Cup soccer team hit the market this month for $249.

“How do you set a value on those things?” asked Bob Carr, publisher of Inside Sporting Goods magazine. “I’m not convinced that anyone’s autograph is worth that much.”

A far cry all this is from leaning over the right-field fence, shouting until you’re hoarse, hoping that any ballplayer will trot over and sign your score card.

Unlike such ballpark scenes, Upper Deck several times a year ships a truckload of basketballs or photographs to wherever Michael Jordan is staying. Consumer fear of forgery is so great that the firm pays employees to simply observe Jordan signing the items, then sign affidavits to that effect. The firm notarizes the authenticity of the items with tamper-proof holograms.

“This phenomenon is growing because sports are now blanketing television,” said Paul Goldin, president and chief executive of Score Board Inc., the Cherry Hill, N.J.-based firm that is the biggest in the business.

“Everybody from Rapid City to New York City knows who these stars are,” he said.

Owning an autographed item “is a badge of honor,” added Stuart Ellis, president of Carlsbad-based Upper Deck Authenticated, established 18 months ago as a joint venture between the baseball card maker Upper Deck Inc. and Los Angeles Kings owner Bruce McNall. “It gives someone a chance to boast, ‘I have a piece of Larry Bird in my home,’ ” Ellis said.

Upper Deck Authenticated and Score Board go to great lengths to persuade consumers to buy sports memorabilia. Both advertise on home shopping television shows. Both display memorabilia in men’s departments at stores ranging from Bloomingdale’s to J.C. Penney. Upper Deck sends catalogues by the millions to sports magazine subscribers. And, with one retail store open at Citywalk in Universal City, Upper Deck is hoping to expand its shops nationally by 1995.

“It’s a way for consumers to buy glamour,” said Jerald Jellison, professor of psychology at USC. “You hope to be somehow elevated in the eyes of the person who sees these things.”

The sky-high prices can make these items a tough sell. Upper Deck Authenticated lost money in its first year, Ellis conceded. But the prices are not likely to come down much because of the huge fees these firms must pay big-name athletes.

Upper Deck recently paid Michael Jordan more than $5 million for exclusive rights to market his sports memorabilia for 10 years.

But rival Score Board countered by inking a deal with superstar center Shaquille O’Neal. O’Neal’s autographed basketballs sell for about $199. That’s about $500 less than Upper Deck is asking for a basketball signed by Jordan. Of course, O’Neal is no Jordan. And it’s still too early to tell if O’Neal will be a memorabilia hit or miss.

All it takes is a few bad decisions and memorabilia companies can get stuck with piles of unsold items.

For example, Upper Deck recently tried to sell items autographed by famous football players from the 1950s.

“They did well for about a week, then dropped off completely,” Ellis said.

And Score Board has been hard-pressed to sell much merchandise signed by Darryl Strawberry, the troubled Los Angeles Dodger slugger now undergoing treatment for substance abuse. “We have a few thousand items of his that we can’t sell,” Goldin said.

The Price of Fame

It’s a far cry from nickel baseball cards. Fans today are paying big money for sports memorabilia, from baseballs autographed by Michael Jordan to football jerseys signed by Joe Montana. Here are some of the more unusual items offered for sale by Upper Deck Authenticated.

Item: Cost

Baseball signed by Michael Jordan: $299 Basketball signed by Michael Jordan: 699 Yankee baseball cap signed by Mickey Mantle: 399 Soccer ball signed by U.S. World Cup team: 249 Kings jersey signed by Wayne Gretzky: 599 Hockey puck set signed by Wayne Gretzky and Gordie Howe: 199 ‘Dream Team’ photo signed by Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird: 1,199 Baseball bat signed by Reggie Jackson: 399 Baseball bat signed by Ted Williams: 1,400 Football signed by Joe Montana: 249

Briefly . . .

The Santa Monica agency Rubin Postaer & Associates has picked up the $15-million ad account for a new, interactive compact disc system from Los Angeles-based Philips Interactive Media. . . . Los Angeles agency Italia/Gal has picked up the estimated $4-million account for the Smart & Final warehouse grocery chain. . . . Pacific Bell is contacting agencies about its $30-million ad account, reports Adweek magazine.