Love em or hate him, some lucky fan could end up a millionaire.
Speculation is building on what Bonds' record breaking and final career home-run balls could fetch on the open market. The figure is estimated between $400,000 to $1 million. According to collectibles expert David Kohler, president of SCP
Auctions, which handled the February sale of a Honus Wagner baseball
card for $2.35 million, the Bonds home run ball # 756 could bring in between $400,000 to $500,000 at auction.
That estimate seems to be a bit low considering the ball Mark McGwire hit to break Roger Maris' single-season home run record sold for $3 million. However that was a different time in Baseball and collectibles. That was the summer of the great home run race between McGwire and Sammy Sosa. Unlike that home run record chase, this record breaking summer has not had the same buzz or feel. Throughout his career Barry has not been loved by a lot of baseball fans and sports writers due to his antics on and off the field and due to allegations of steroids. An example of how this hurts the value of the ball is that when Bonds later shattered Mark McGwire's single season home run record by hitting 73 in 2001, that ball was auctioned and only fetched $450,000 compared to the $3 million of Marks ball.
There's also the fact that No. 756 probably won't remain the record ball. The 43-year-old Bonds will hit more thus #756 will be a big collectible but won't be the final one. Each subsequent record breaking ball should command around $100,000 at auction.
For those of you with San Fransisco Giants tickets had better play close attention during games. Remember sometimes luck strikes like when Andrew Morbitzer was standing in the beer line when Bonds hit No. 715 to pass Babe Ruth for second all-time. The ball landed on a elevated platform, it rolled off the roof and into Morbitzer's hand. That's called having a good day.
Major League Baseball (MLB) is doing its part to preserve the collectible by swapping balls for each Bonds at-bat. The balls are identified by a numbering system, and each one has a special hologram.
Check out my blog on who has the best chance of getting the ball if it lands in McCovey Cove Kayak King.
For all you collectible junkies check out my blog where I discuss Arod's rookie card vs Barry's, Arod to Save Baseball and Collectibles. I also have a bunch on Barry Bonds Rookie Cards and whether its worth buying, do a quick search on Tag Barry Bonds to find them.
Matt
Searching eBay made easier! getitnext.com
Comments