Daryle Lambert has advice to collectors who say anything Tiger Woods is now radioactive.
You're wrong.
"Tiger's stuff is only going to increase in value," said Lambert, author of "31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques and Collectibles.""You're going to look at his stuff today and say to yourself, 'What was I waiting for?'"
Some of Lambert's thinking comes down to the amount of collectible pieces that Woods has signed, a number that likely won't increase given recent events. Woods still has a deal with Upper Deck, which has released all of the golfer's pieces, though the company hasn't commented on its future plans with Woods since the accident occured on Nov. 27.
You could see how someone might not want to spend much money on a Tiger Woods collectible these days. But the best evidence shows that the value of Woods’ highest-priced collectibles aren’t dropping to bargain basement prices and people are still buying.
Last Thursday, a collector bought a signed Tiger Woods Upper Deck photo entitled “Driven” for $710 on eBay. A collector bought the same autographed photo, limited by Upper Deck to 25, for $614 on Oct. 11.
Worth noting is the fact that most of the bidding for the most recent sale happened in the final 24 hours, after new details emerged in the Woods case and after the world’s No. 1 golfer issued his apology statement. In the final day, there were 14 bids on the item made by eight different bidders that drove the price up from $279.99 to $710.
“We haven’t seen the high end stuff move much,” said Tracy Hackler, the publisher for Beckett Media, a sports collectibles publishing company. “It might not move. What collectors are concerned about is what he does on the course.”
Some items have gone for less –- like a limited edition art canvas that sold this week for $1,104.99, much lower than the $1,725 it commanded on Oct. 21. Anyone who monitors eBay regularly, however, knows that there could be a 10 to 30 percent swing in similar items, depending on who decides to enter the bidding war or if it’s connected to a result in a sporting event.
But the fact that there are items that are selling for more, or at least equivalent to past prices, means that it’s not time to say things are on the decline.
Last Tuesday, a collector bought a Tiger Woods autographed US Open photo for $810 on eBay. A collector bought the same autographed photo, limited by Upper Deck to 50, for $815 on Nov. 26, the day before Woods’ accident.
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