Collectibles Market Not Buzzing About Bonds’ Record HR Ball

Collectors Finding Depressed Market For Bonds Memorabilia

The “public’s ambivalence” towards Giants LF Barry Bonds’ chase of Hank Aaron’s career home run record is “cooling the collectibles hobby’s natural draw to memorabilia attached to his history-making home run,” according to Mike Dodd of USA TODAY. Mastro Auctions President & COO Doug Allen said, “We saw a deterioration of the pricing on stuff from Barry Bonds. I think it’s actually gaining a little bit of momentum now, but not to the level it was [when he set the single-season record in ’01].” Dodd notes Heritage Auction Galleries earlier this month announced it will offer $1M for the record-setting 756th home run ball. The ball is estimated to “command about half that in the collectibles market,” and experts predict the ball would sell for $300,000-500,000 in a public auction. St. Louis-based Barnes Sports Group’s Michael Barnes said, “If you look at the last couple of big baseballs and who bought them and why, it was publicity driven. If somebody does pay more than a half million or three-quarters of a million, it’s not going to be a die-hard collector. There aren’t Barry Bonds collectors out there at this level.” “Spawn” creator Todd McFarlane paid $3.05M for Mark McGwire’s 70th home run ball in ’98, which is the only ball to sell for $1M or more (USA TODAY, 5/23).