Florida Marlins Equipment Sale

[rmackman 142]

I got this note on Facebook:

Fans make sure to get your tickets for September 21st, and join in on the fun at the “Blowout Sale” in Section 149. Jerseys, hats, balls, bats, helmets, plus much more must go!

So, I guess if you live in the area, they're getting rid of everything from the past few seasons prior to their changing over to the Miami Marlins.

[meetthemets 18]

Gotta pay for that new stadium somehow.

[GriffinM6 1,387]

I hope this goes up on their website.

[the admiral 28,772]

I wanna buy the barrel they bent the city of Miami over.

[tommytimp 62]

And I wanna buy a picture of 15,000 empty teal and orange seats and call it "Every season from 2013 on."

[dahatman 1]

I got this note on Facebook:

Fans make sure to get your tickets for September 21st, and join in on the fun at the ?Blowout Sale? in Section 149. Jerseys, hats, balls, bats, helmets, plus much more must go!

So, I guess if you live in the area, they're getting rid of everything from the past few seasons prior to their changing over to the Miami Marlins.

Typical of the Marlins of having a blowout sale on a Wednesday. If they have it on a weekend, they are slightly better chance of getting more than 15,000 people there.

[rmackman 142]

I got this note on Facebook:

Fans make sure to get your tickets for September 21st, and join in on the fun at the ?Blowout Sale? in Section 149. Jerseys, hats, balls, bats, helmets, plus much more must go!

So, I guess if you live in the area, they're getting rid of everything from the past few seasons prior to their changing over to the Miami Marlins.

Typical of the Marlins of having a blowout sale on a Wednesday. If they have it on a weekend, they are slightly better chance of getting more than 15,000 people there.

At least they're selling off the equipment instead of the players this time, right?

[Shumway 2,311]

I kinda wish I lived in Miami. I'm not a Marlins' fan, but I think it'd be cool to have an authentic MLB helmet.

[pcgd 272]

Keep your eyes on team shops. I bought a cardinals game used (spring training) helmet for $55 at their team store in the stadium. They retail For that or more brand new without team logos.

[Mac the Knife 1,247]

And the value of all that Florida Marlins stuff I bought at their inaugural game in 1993 just... went up a little more.

For those who haven't heard the story: I drove from my (then) home in western Pennsylvania to Miami to go to their first game, part of a two-week vacation with the girlfriend (now wife) in Lakeland. I rented a U-Haul, which I backed as close to a gate as security would let me, walked in with our tickets, and immediately went up to the first souvenir kiosk, which oddly enough wasn't all that busy.

"How much?" I asked the girl behind the makeshift counter. "For what, hon?" she retorted. "All of it."

I wound up spending about $7,000, cramming this U-Haul with every single thing they had. They wrapped up loading the stuff (which they were kind enough to do at my request) about 5 minutes before the ceremonial first pitch by Joe DiMaggio.

The girlfriend/wife thought I was nuts. Not a sports junkie and certainly not a memorabilia collector, she said, "WTF are you going to do with all this stuff?" "Stick it in a warehouse, then forget it exists until I'm ready to retire," I replied.

Flash forward to 1999. The wife and I are in a bookstore, where I pick up a memorabilia guide - something I rarely if ever do. Flipped through to their section on the Florida Marlins, and pointed out to the wife that Item A, which I'd paid $5 a piece for then, was now worth $300. "How many of them do you have?" she inquired. "I think around 500," I smiled.

She's never questioned me on a business or investment decision, or on a sports memorabilia purchase, since.

[cubbies06 4]

I kinda wish I lived in Miami. I'm not a Marlins' fan, but I think it'd be cool to have an authentic MLB helmet.

This.

[FGWB 60]

We sell equipment and player used items in the Sabres Store all the time here.

I like the idea, but especially for hockey stuff, there's just some smells you can't get rid of.

[BeaverSports 6]

Flash forward to 1999. The wife and I are in a bookstore, where I pick up a memorabilia guide - something I rarely if ever do. Flipped through to their section on the Florida Marlins, and pointed out to the wife that Item A, which I'd paid $5 a piece for then, was now worth $300. "How many of them do you have?" she inquired. "I think around 500," I smiled.

She's never questioned me on a business or investment decision, or on a sports memorabilia purchase, since.

It's nice for that to be the book price, but can you actually sell the stuff for that value? Maybe the price is such because it's rare, but if suddenly 500 whatevers pop up in the market, are you then selling for pennies on the dollar anyway?

[Gothamite 24,112]

That's the danger.

And memorabilia guides don't actually have much impact on the amount of money you can get for a collectible item on the open market. If anything, that's what stores are likely to charge, which means they're buying for 50% guide value, if that.

[Survival79 2,117]

Flipped through to their section on the Florida Marlins, and pointed out to the wife that Item A, which I'd paid $5 a piece for then, was now worth $300. "How many of them do you have?" she inquired. "I think around 500," I smiled.

What exactly is Item A?

[Mac the Knife 1,247]

Flash forward to 1999. The wife and I are in a bookstore, where I pick up a memorabilia guide - something I rarely if ever do. Flipped through to their section on the Florida Marlins, and pointed out to the wife that Item A, which I'd paid $5 a piece for then, was now worth $300. "How many of them do you have?" she inquired. "I think around 500," I smiled.

She's never questioned me on a business or investment decision, or on a sports memorabilia purchase, since.

It's nice for that to be the book price, but can you actually sell the stuff for that value? Maybe the price is such because it's rare, but if suddenly 500 whatevers pop up in the market, are you then selling for pennies on the dollar anyway?

No, but even if you can get one third that much, you're still doing pretty well. And I'd never be foolish enough to put out a boatload of anything out at once - to do it would obviously diminish the perception of rarity.

And as for what "Item A" was? It was a commemorative bat, if I recall, that had the logo together with information on the inaugural game.

[OnWis97 4,591]

The Twins held a big sale for their move from the Dome to Target Field (and maybe for their wordmark change). I had to leave town and I was disappointed about that. But from what I hear, they let some big shot cut in front of the line (that some had been in for some time) and get his pick of what he wanted first and he did, to the point that it really impacted the sale.

[cmm 386]

The Mets have a small game-used equipment stand at Citi Field. They have helmets there; if memory serves, they were $50-$100, depending on the player.

[rmackman 142]

Did anyone from the boards go? Was there anything worthwhile available?

[marlinfan 125]

I'm going today, maybe they will have what's left at the team store.