ShareThisDear Babe: I have a kid's baseball glove signed by former Boston Red Sox player Jim Rice. The glove was signed in 1978 when I was 11 years old, and I have a picture to prove it. Now that Rice has been inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame how much has the glove increased in value? -- April Peavey, Hollis, N.H.
"Well, to me, he is a borderline Hall of Famer but he did make it and that is what counts,'' said Mike Heffner, president of www.lelands.com auction house in South Dennis, Mass.
For starters, you have to expect to see a spike across the board for everything Rice for a few months. It will probably peak around induction time this summer.
"He falls in the category of living through an era where he could take full advantage of the conventions, shows and private signings,'' said Mike Gutierrez, consignment director for Heritage Auctions (www.ha.com) in Dallas. "Thus his autograph will, at best, stagnate, which, in this economy, might be good. He has always been readily available to collectors and through the mail."
"The value of the Rice autographs on the market won't change much, but they may bump slightly,'' said Mike Breeden, an autograph expert and editor of Tuff Stuff's autograph guide. "There are plenty, and his election this year was almost expected. If you have something you need to get Rice's signature on, or if you want something that has the HOF 09 inscription, you will pay more for those. As you'd expect, he has upped his fee now that he is a HOFer."
Heffner and Gutierrez agree that the real jump will be seen in Rice's game-used material, because, while he lived through the boom, he played before folks became fanatic about game-used items.
"I would guess that there will be a bigger jump in the prices of his game-worn stuff. There is far less of that material out there. A game-used jersey that used to sell for $1,000 may now sell for $2,000 to $2,500. A bat that sold for $300 may now bring $500 to $700. Game-used collectors, who focus on Hall of Famers, may want to fill in the gap and demand may outweigh supply,'' Heffner said.
"As is always the case when a player gets elected to the Hall, there will be some short-term increases in Rice's card values,'' said Joe Clemens, baseball pricing analyst for Tuff Stuff Sports Collectors Monthly. "But long-term, we don't see his cards carrying significant premium values. He wasn't a member of the 500 Home Run Club, didn't collect 3,000 hits and only won one MVP award. So while he was a great player, he won't be remembered as a legendary player."
Brian Fleischer, a senior market analyst or Becket had this to say: "Interest has definitely picked up in Rice's cards since his election to the Hall of Fame, particularly in his 1975 Topps Rookie Card. In fact, it jumped two levels in the Price Guide from $15 to $25. His first certified autograph, 2000 Greats of the Game Autographs ($40) has been a collector favorite, as has his recently released 2008 Ultimate Collection Home Jersey Autographs (numbered to 50, currently unpriced) card. With his induction his '75 Topps RC should hold its value around $20-$25. His certified autographs and memorabilia cards should be in greater demand, but I doubt that they will receive much of a price increase."
So, after all that, we come to your glove that probably was a cherished prize for an 11-year-old. The glove might be worth $100-$150 because it's a vintage signature, Gutierrez said. That probably takes into account the bump for Rice's election. That value might drop some after the bloom is off the rose of his election and induction in July.
(Send card questions to Babe Waxpak, PO Box 492397, Redding, CA 96049-2397 or e-mail babewaxpak(at)charter.net. If possible, include card number, year and brand or a photocopy. Please do not send cards. For Babe Waxpak's blog, see www.scrippsnews.com/waxpak. Babe Waxpak is a feature of The Record Searchlight in Redding, Calif.)
(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, http://www.scrippsnews.com)
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