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View Full Version : 80's Baseball Knits - Future Value Question



misteremu
09-13-2011, 07:51 PM
It seems to me that 80's knits for sale are drying up...I was wondering what the forum members thought of their future value as a whole...from someone who grew up in the 80's, it does not seem that long ago, but we are talking about jerseys that can now be 30 years old.

To me they seem like a good investment if you can find them at a reasonable price.

commando
09-13-2011, 09:23 PM
I love the 1980s knits and agree that they have mostly dried up over the years. I remember the days when dealers would advertise huge team buys and have dozens available at reasonable prices. I still see a steady but small stream of "common" players from various teams show up on eBay, and usually sell for $100 to $300 each depending on what it is.

The 80s will probably be considered the last decade before overproduction, and while I don't know how much they will increase in value, I can say that they probably won't lose value.

gingi79
09-13-2011, 09:48 PM
If you look at nearly any teams jerseys during an game in the 80's you didn't need a logo or team name on the front to know exactly who was playing.

I think the Padres should bring back the McDonalds color scheme. Ditto rainbow Astros, the Mariners, the Blue Jays, Phillies and the EXPOS.

I think the knits will retain a certain value and the truly unique team jerseys (like the Friars) will always have a niche market and collectability. But what do I know? :D

MikeSharon
09-13-2011, 11:24 PM
in my opinion i think the all original knits from the late 70's through the 80's will see big increases due the fact that most of the clubs sent them to the minors stripped them down and reused them for years. Im an Astro collector and i can tell you some of the toughest shirts to find are all original knits from the 80's espically the full body rainbows they just are not out there. Once the collecting community realizes there is a greater value in one of 6(3 home 3 road) jerseys Brett, Yount, Ryan, Schmidt or really any common player wore in a year than one of 3 dozen jerseys worn by a player in todays market we will see a big increase.

vballGuy
09-14-2011, 10:07 AM
in my opinion i think the all original knits from the late 70's through the 80's will see big increases due the fact that most of the clubs sent them to the minors stripped them down and reused them for years. Im an Astro collector and i can tell you some of the toughest shirts to find are all original knits from the 80's espically the full body rainbows they just are not out there. Once the collecting community realizes there is a greater value in one of 6(3 home 3 road) jerseys Brett, Yount, Ryan, Schmidt or really any common player wore in a year than one of 3 dozen jerseys worn by a player in todays market we will see a big increase.

Completely agree with this! I am a huge Blue Jays collector -- and the toughest jerseys to find are the ones from the early to mid 80s. With that said, I have one from 79, one from 85 and one from 86, and they are by far my favourite pieces (I also paid the most for them). The use on them is incredible!

I simply refuse to collect modern day Blue Jays stuff because they are incredibly expensive, and not worn nearly as much as those from the 70s and 80s.

gingi79
09-14-2011, 04:25 PM
I simply refuse to collect modern day Blue Jays stuff because they are incredibly expensive, and not worn nearly as much as those from the 70s and 80s.


How true is that? I have contacted them about jerseys and explained their priceline is overly skewed from market demands. Bautista would be a prime example (ahem $6k? Sorry, he's amazing and all but no)

Their response was to tell me old style and commons have been in their store for $100 for a few years (which I can vouch for as i have picked up jerseys on 3 separate occasions) and the reason they don't have superstars and regular day players at lower prices was the fact they are selling at the current rates.

As far as use goes, I think some of our newer members need a little history lesson.

I think we can all agree this hobby is becoming a much more mainstream thing than it ever was in the 70's and 80's (and even most of the 90's) Teams are making money on jerseys now. Once upon a time, torn, used and beat up jerseys were seen as just an expense and something they would lose money on as they now needed to replace it. Therefore, teams would sew up holes, and use them for as long as they could to cut down on costs. Now that there is a hobby that wants to pay for them, teams want players wearing as many jerseys as they can for profit. Auctions for one game wonders are through the roof. The days of teams wearing jerseys until the moths had eaten them have gone the way of the dodo.

(And yes, other factors affect those price. eBay has become a cesspool of fakes, dealers being exposed on Dateline for forgeries, the arrest at the National, the money goes to charity, the authenticy associated with it being a league run website and the fact there is still a large fanbase not aware of other outlets for game used material all play a part. However, teams no longer see jerseys as a cost they need to lower by re-using them, they see them as a profit making tool.)

commando
09-14-2011, 05:07 PM
The colors teams used back then were incredible. Here's a pic of Steve Buechelle's first Rangers jersey, tagged 1984 (notice the high uniform number). I love it.

ksfarmboy
09-14-2011, 06:17 PM
I love the jerseys from the 70's-80's. It seems the uglier they are the more I like them. I think all of these jerseys will at least retain and probably go up in price in the future. Here are some from my collection.

http://s194.photobucket.com/albums/z186/ksfarmboy/Jerseys%20From%20Childhood/#!cpZZ1QQtppZZ16 (http://s194.photobucket.com/albums/z186/ksfarmboy/Jerseys%20From%20Childhood/#%21cpZZ1QQtppZZ16)

athletics61
09-15-2011, 06:39 PM
I agree with all of you regarding the drying up of 1980s MLB game worn jerseys. Finding one year styles such as 1981 gold road A's jerseys or 1982 home A's jerseys are rather tough. Any jersey with a commemorative or memorial patch or even a deathband unrestored is tough find. Not impossible, but rather tough.

Don

pags13
09-16-2011, 06:01 AM
here is one of my favorites that I own, A Milwaukee Brewers road Robidoux #13 1988 set 1 gamer, a pullover made by Rawlings, includes the original patch for former manager Harvey Kuenn. Comes with a letter from the Brewers team clubhouse shop.

RJB44
09-17-2011, 11:16 AM
Several years ago I embarked on a project to collect a single home and road jersey from each of the MLB teams of the 1980s. My goal is to have a comprehensive collection that presents a historical representation of game jerseys from that era. My focus is not on any a particular player, but more on the team and the jerseys they wore. I have close to 40 jerseys in my collection to date and am working toward my halfway point. Based on the scope, focus, and cost implications, my collection centers mostly on common player jerseys. As we all know, some jerseys are harder to come by than others. I have had the opportunity to meet a number of collectors, both on this site and through the hobby. Many of these folks have been very helpful in providing me knowledge, history and even opportunities to purchase and trade jerseys.

I believe collecting these jerseys is a great investment. I choose the 80s era for several reasons, including availability and cost. These jerseys are still readily available in the market and can still be found for less than $100. Again, this all depends on player, team, year and condition. Since I seek common players, my area of availability is greater, my risk is lower, and my cost is cheaper. Jerseys from the 60s era are harder to find, but even an all original common player will command at least $300+. Jersey of 70s era are out there, but they are fading quickly. This was a period when teams started to recycle heavily and these typically come to market in lesser quality condition. Over the last few years, with the exception of a few periods, I have seen the availability of 70s (commons) jersey diminish, while the cost for those available go up.

My feeling is that the value of 80s jersey will only grow with time. As we move into another decade, the availability will lessen and costs will continue to rise. A sad and unfortunate element of this period is the emergence of “fake” jerseys, especially with high profile players. Collecting the common players minimizes that risk. It is amazing how lopsided the values are of a particular team jersey, when you have two different players. Consider a 1987 Phillies road Tom Newell vs. a 1987 Phillies road Von Hays, both are team issued and game worn jersey made by the same manufacture and to basically the same specifications, but the Newell may cost about $100 and the Von Hays about $500. This is obviously true and to a greater extent for jerseys of a much higher profile player (same jersey). As the hobby dictates, you pay for popularity of the player.

I agree with other posters regarding game used jersey of the last decade and towards the end of the 90s. Teams now see game used jersey as a money maker. Players are issues multiple jersey, some for single game use for charity events and other occasions. Players also buy their own custom jersey in bulk for purposes of special events and as gifts. Today, you do not know what jersey you are getting. The 80’s era did not have nearly as many risks as seen in today’s market. My opinion is that 80s jersey were much more genuine and even recycled jerseys made for an interesting element. These are just my thoughts…..RJB