The effects of nostalgia can be a dangerous thing when it's combined with auction style bidding. There really is no exact science to determining the value of a piece of sports memorabilia, especially when it comes to assigning a dollar amount to items that aren't really in high demand.
Ask any economist about the values assigned to sports memorabilia and they're likely to give you the line: "something is only worth what someone is willing to pay for it." The tough part is actually figuring out what that seemingly arbitrary amount actually is. Just because something is rare or retro (or both) doesn't mean you can just go ahead and triple the item's original value. With that in mind, we took a look on eBay and found six hockey sweaters for sale listed at $600 or more for reasons that we're not quite sure are justifiable.
Again, we know an item is only worth what someone is willing to pay for it -- but we're not quite sure anyone could justify purchasing these jerseys at these prices. This is just like our opinion, man...okay? But we do think these prices seem pretty steep, all things considered. We're putting our Rick Harrison hats on for this one, because you never know what sweaters will come in through your browser window.
(All prices are in Canadian dollars/all images via eBay)
Alexander Ovechkin - Washington Capitals (Rookie/Non-game worn) - $937
Alexander Ovechkin will go down as one of the best goal scorers to ever play the game of hockey. That much can be argued. But what you can also argue is that the jerseys the Washington Capitals wore during Ovi's spectacular rookie campaign weren't half as impressive as the Russian goalscorer. That's likely why they changed them. The home jerseys with the giant soaring eagle of justice on the front is often spoken about fondly, but how many people wax poetic about the away jerseys from that era? Nearly triple the price of an authentic? No thanks, bland is bland, even if it's retro.
Wendel Clark - New York Islanders (Non-game-worn) - $1338
Anyone who has ever searched for vintage jerseys on eBay has surely come across this retro Wendel Clark jersey listed for above $1000. You could argue that literally almost all of the perceived value of this jersey comes from it being an authentic jersey from the Isles days rocking the fisherman logo. Or maybe this jersey is worth the price of a used '97 Toyota Corolla because Islanders fans really had a thrill watching Clark play on Long Island for one whole season.
Alexander Selivanov - Tampa Bay Lightning (Game-worn) - $1664
Back in the 90's the Tampa Bay Lightning sported these mural like sweaters, and they've pretty much been widely considered one of the ugliest uniforms to hit the ice ever since. Although, we don't really mind the design, as they're kinda neat, and there are certainly jersey collectors out there who feel the same. However, we think you would be hard pressed to find someone willing to fork over nearly $2000 for a kinda neat piece of history, even if it's game worn.
Jonathan Quick - UMass (Maybe game-worn?) - $2009
The value of this particular sweater all hinges on whether or not it's game worn. Jonathan Quick is a Stanley Cup winning, elite level NHL goalie who had a successful career at the University of Massachusetts, even helping them reach their first ever NCAA Championship appearance in hockey. The jersey itself is pretty sharp, too. Here comes the huge BUT, though. It's listed as "game used?" It's not verified as a game used jersey, but rather, because it has "minor wear." Seems like a pretty huge maybe, especially if you're dishing out two thousand bucks for it.
Ryne Sandberg - Chicago Cubs (Definitely not game-worn) - $669
Before we even list any of the details that go along with this item, we should mention we have a bias here...we don't really get the whole 'hybrid baseball hockey sweater' thing. Why not just get a baseball jersey if you're a fan of a baseball team? But we digress. According to the listing, this Cubs hockey jersey with Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg's name on it is a hard find. Alright, we can accept that. Here comes the problem, though. Judging by the images, it's quite used. Who knows, though, with the current state of Cubs fever due to the World Series, this one may find a buyer (at a far lower price).
Andrei Mezin - Belarus Olympic Hockey Team 2010 (Game-worn) - $885
How much is a game worn jersey really worth? It's a tough question. Not so tough when you're dealing with someone like Sidney Crosby or Patrick Kane. But incredibly tough when you've got the Olympic jersey of someone who never played in the NHL and was the 1A goalie on a team that came in 9th in a 12 team tournament. Even if you're from Belarus, is this game-worn jersey really a must have? If not, that $885 is a reeeeeal hard sell.
