Is Derek Jeter's autograph worth $1,000?

[mschwade]

One of my favorite modern pieces in my collection is this vintage Derek Jeter index card signed during 1993 Spring Training.

[clutch]

Now you can literally buy the ground he walks on thanks to Steiner.


http://ftw.usatoday.com/2014/07/dere...s-infield-dirt

[autograf]

Got Jeter here in Louisville when he came here with Tino Martinez who was the brother-in-law of Louisville's BB Coach, Lelo Prado. Got a ball and a mini helmet and he was very accommodating outside a bar where there were a number of people getting sigs. The $300 is just Steiner pushing the envelope and building the market higher and higher. Jeter probably charges a pretty fixed amount to sign for X amount of time. These new guys view autograph signing I think as a nuisance (at least many of them). If you'd made $200M or more during your career, you'd probably think you didn't need to sign your name, so only do it when someone's willing to pay your $30,000 for 3 hours. Anyway, he was great to us here and wish him the best of luck in retirement. I would never pay $300 for anyone's auto anymore.............

[shelly]

Ernie Banks SS 2 time Mvp On last place club lifetime BA same hr250 more.Mr Cub "Lets play two" That is a legend. $100 for an autograph.

[HOFAUTOS]

Not a Yankees fan, but I've always been a fan of Jeter. I remember when I was a teenager he would always sign autographs for us at Tropicana Field and at Legends Field. There was this girl who had to have been his biggest fan. He gave her around 5 bats in about a month span during ST.

[gregr2]

Originally Posted by HOFAUTOS

Not a Yankees fan, but I've always been a fan of Jeter. I remember when I was a teenager he would always sign autographs for us at Tropicana Field and at Legends Field. There was this girl who had to have been his biggest fan. He gave her around 5 bats in about a month span during ST.

I wonder if she still has them....

[David Atkatz]

Originally Posted by autograf

If you'd made $200M or more during your career, you'd probably think you didn't need to sign your name...

No. If I made $200M+ during my career, paid entirely by fans, I'd feel I owed them a little something, and would sign for free.

[steve B]

Nomars better! *

Steve B
*Ok, the pre broken wrist, pre peds to keep his career going another year or two Nomar was better.

[T206Collector]

If you really want a Jeter signature, buy one a couple of years after his Hall of Fame induction. They will be a bit more normal by then.

You don't buy Jeter anything this year -- it's all hype.

Also, understand that Jeter prices already reflect that he's a first-ballot Hall of Famer. He is unlikely to get any additional bump - at least with respect to this year's prices - in five years from now.

Best move I ever made with my collection was to sell all of my McGwire material on the day after he broke Maris' record in 1998.

If you want to sell Jeter, now's the time to do it. Maybe end of September.

[dgo71]

The pricing on Jeter isn't reflective of how good a player he is, and certainly not a means of comparison of Jeter to other star players. It's a reflection of the millions upon millions he has already made during his career, and the fee he charges to make it "worth his time" to sign at all. The $3000 show promoters used to pay someone like Enos Slaughter (just for example) is pocket change to a guy like Jeter. The price extended to the public is high so Steiner can recoup their expenses and still turn a profit. It's simply a matter of the players of today not needing the additional income from signing sessions the way guys from the 50s, 60s and 70s did.

EDIT: To answer the original question, his signature is evidently "worth it" because people are willing to pay it. It's not worth it to me personally as I wouldn't pay even a third of that for a current guy, but as long as they are selling tickets, the autograph is worth what the market will bear.

[Lordstan]

Originally Posted by dgo71

EDIT: To answer the original question, his signature is evidently "worth it" because people are willing to pay it. It's not worth it to me personally as I wouldn't pay even a third of that for a current guy, but as long as they are selling tickets, the autograph is worth what the market will bear.

Normally, I would wholeheartedly agree with this logic. In this case, and for other Steiner exclusives, Steiner is the exception to the rule as they are the only one who can get people to pay this price. Anyone who buys a Steiner Jeter auto for $1K will be only able to recoup a fraction of it if/when they try to resell it. Perhaps this year, with all the hype going on, they might get close to breaking even, but not so next year. I think most Steiner items, not just Jeter, follow along the same lines.

[Fuddjcal]

Originally Posted by David Atkatz

No. If I made $200M+ during my career, paid entirely by fans, I'd feel I owed them a little something, and would sign for free.

bing bing bing... we have a winner!

100.00 for this jerk off is too much! $1,000.00 is the new hundred, however.

[Exhibitman]

No way, not even if he gets hit by a bus tomorrow. Now is the worst time to buy a Jeter signed item--the hype will never be bigger.

I got my signed item out of a pack of cards; best pack bust I ever had:

[sago]

Just like Mantle, Jeter is not even the best player on his own team. I would much rather have had Mariano Rivera than Jeter, and Yogi or Ford over Mantle. The mystique that surrounds players, especially when we see them play when we are young, tends to help overshadow their results.

[thetruthisoutthere]

If you're patient, and if you know Jeter's autograph, there are some great deals out there.

I own eight Jeter rookie (1996) autographed baseballs and the highest price I paid was $179.99.

I've paid $99.00 and less for early Jeter autographed cards.

$1,000.00? No way!!!!