In a striking display of the increasing allure of sports memorabilia, two high-profile sales in recent months have captured the attention of collectors and corporate entities alike. The first, Shohei Ohtani’s 50th home run ball, was auctioned for a staggering $4.392 million last fall. The ball, which solidified Ohtani’s unique achievement as the first player to smash 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in a single season, has taken its place in public view at Taipei 101, Taiwan’s tallest building, thanks to its buyer, UC Capital.
Last week, another notable sale occurred when the Paul Skenes Topps MLB Debut Patch card was acquired for $1.11 million by Dick’s Sporting Goods. The national retailer has announced plans to display the prized card in a store located near its western Pennsylvania headquarters. These transactions are part of a broader trend illustrating a growing corporate interest in sports collectibles, leveraging their significance for marketing and fan engagement.
This modern fervor for memorabilia isn't entirely novel; it echoes events from decades past when the value of such items first began to escalate. A pivotal moment occurred on September 30, 1927, when baseball legend Babe Ruth entered a game against the Washington Senators with 59 home runs under his belt, chasing the elusive 60th. Sensing an opportunity, Albert "Truly" Warner, a businessman who owned a chain of stores nicknamed the "Headquarters for Hats," devised a plan to commodify the historic moment.
Before the game, Warner paid hot dog and peanut vendors at Yankee Stadium to inform fans that he would pay $100 (approximately $1,800 today) for the ball that would be hit for Ruth’s 60th home run. As it happened, in the bottom of the eighth inning, Ruth launched the fateful home run off Senators pitcher Tom Zachary, sending the ball soaring into the right field bleachers where it landed in the hands of a lucky fan named Joe Forner.
Forner, a truck driver, sought authentication for his remarkable find by bringing the ball to the Yankees' locker room, where he had Ruth sign it alongside the date and his remarkable achievement. In exchange for the ball, Warner fulfilled his promise, handing Forner the cash reward. Warner, savvy in his marketing efforts, took the ball and maximized its visibility through advertisements in various newspapers across major cities like Boston, Pittsburgh, and New York.
Jane Leavy, a sportswriter, chronicled Warner’s efforts, noting that “Truly had photo enlargements made for display in each of his showroom windows,” a strategy that significantly contributed to his sales during the World Series. Warner had even paired Ruth’s 60th home run ball with another ball he owned, one autographed not just by Ruth, but also by former presidents Warren G. Harding and Calvin Coolidge, further elevating its desirability.
Years later, after Warner’s passing, his family donated the influential ball to the National Baseball Hall of Fame, where it now resides as a testament to the burgeoning culture of sports memorabilia. But even though Warner paid a modest sum for the ball in the 1920s, the family business had leveraged its historical significance to their advantage.
However, as the market heats up with extraordinary purchases like the Skenes card, questions arise regarding the long-term value of such investments. Top memorabilia, particularly associated with rising stars, often causes debates among collectors. With Skenes having only a single season of play to his name, there's an inherent risk associated with the collective hype surrounding his value. Some experts caution that pitchers do not typically appreciate in value as significantly as hitters.
Similar torrents of apprehension echoed in 1999 when comic book mogul Todd McFarlane made headlines by purchasing Mark McGwire’s 70th home run ball for a then-record $3 million. Critics at the time questioned whether the inflated price could ever translate into a return on investment. Yet, in a 2020 interview with TMZ, McFarlane reflected on that purchase, asserting that he had gained more than just monetary value from the purchase, stating, "Even if I get $0 for it, I’ve made that money back five to 10 times over in the last 15 years."
This latest wave of corporate interest in memorabilia illustrates how the world of sports collectible items has come full circle—from Babe Ruth to Shohei Ohtani, the allure of ownership extends beyond sentimentality; it’s become a calculated investment with companies eager to engage with fans and attract attention through historical pieces of sports history.
