Steiner Can't Pump It Out Quick Enough.....

[hblakewolf]

It seems like only a few years ago when Yankees game worn jerseys were always at the top of any collectors wish list (next to Blue Jays, too!) based on availability, or lack of. I simply can't believe how the saturation by Steiner has taken its toll on the retail prices. Not only has Steiner flooded the market, but it's hard to believe that this current seasons 2007 Yankees jerseys are already being sold through them:

http://cgi.ebay.com/2007-Ron-Guidry-Game-Issued-Yankees-Road-Jersey-STEINER_W0QQitemZ270140589391QQihZ017QQcategoryZ60 597QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

So much for the thrill of the chase....

Howard Wolf
hblakewolf@patmedia.net

ALWAYS SEEKING PHILLIES, PORTLAND BEAVERS AND PORTLAND MAVERICKS JERSEYS

[TFig27]

this is just game issued

[shafrancollectibles.com]

I have a nice game used 2007 Yankees Doug Mientkiewicz pinstripe jersey from Steiner already - nothing wrong with them selling a set at this point of the season. Meigray does the same with hockey jerseys as they divide the season into 3 sets. This year's Yanks jerseys also have an MLB hologram.

[reed1216]

Just my two cents on this topic...
I am thrilled that Steiner has made collecting jerseys and other Yankee items a realistic possibility for those of us in the middle class. Some of the prices are high, but at least they are obtainable. The most prized possession in my collection is a 2003 Clemens road jersey, which I purchased in one of Steiner's auctions. I never would have been able to buy of piece of such quality with the peace of mind I enjoy, if not for Steiner.

I am all for supply and demand and am fully aware that Yankee jerseys with unquestionable provenence, worn prior to the 1990s carry a significant premium over later ones. But it's nice to know that we "common people" have access to unquestionable items from the team we love. Add to that the list of great players like Clemens, Randy Johnson, Gary Sheffield, Jeter, Posada, Williams, Pettitte, ARod, Mussina, Rivera, Cano, O'Neill, etc, etc., that have played for the Bombers since Steiner became involved and it's a collector's dream!

Leland's recently offered a 1978 Graig Nettles game worn jersey that I salivated over. It wasn't a Steiner jersey, but looked to be 100% legit in every respect. I wanted that one so bad, but it just got too expensive for me. Whoever won it got a great piece- priceless to a guy like me, who was 8 years old when he put on a defensive showcase in the World Series. Nettles is an all time Yankee great and it would have to be a premier shirt in any collection. With that said, it wasn't a jersey that was affordable to everyone and it certainly wasn't one I could have afforded. I wish a company like Steiner would have been involved with distributing jerseys from that era so I'd have a chance to one day pony up for one. At least I can appreciate the more recent Yankee jerseys that I own. It compensates for my not having been able to get that awesome Nettles jersey.

In the end, we all determine the value of the items that are exchanged on the open market. For my tastes, getting rock-solid authenticity is the most important component when I shop for new items. Steiner provides that (for the most part). And for that, I am thankful, regardless of "saturation."

[Vintagedeputy]

I can say for a fact that some Yankees jerseys were "available" in the market in the mid to late 80's if you knew where to look. I know because I have one.

[reed1216]

Vintagedeputy: I also have a mid-80s Yankee jersey, with Steiner paperwork in my collection. It's a 1986 road Righetti, which is a prized keepsake that I was lucky to have been able to add to my collection, by way of Jim Caravello.

If I'm not mistaken, Yankee jerseys from that period are far more difficult to locate than more recent ones. Prices reflect their scarcity, as they should. I guess the point I was attempting to make in my previous post is my feeling that companies like Steiner, as well as MeiGray, Game Exclusives, etc., only serve to add to the choices we collectors have when selecting what to purchase. These companies, as well as a few others, offer very strong provenence that adds to the peace of mind we enjoy when building our collections. I would rather choose to buy items that may or may not have saturated the marketplace, provided that they are unquestionable with respect to their authenticity and origin.