Even McGwire can't slow memorabilia madness

Less than a week after Mark McGwire declared he "wouldn't pay a dime" for the ball if he ever breaks Roger Maris' home run record, the 19th National Sports Collectors Convention came to Chicago.

It

McGwire might trade a bat for his 62nd home run ball, but don't expect him to part with any cash. (AP)

was a colossal gathering of 850 dealers whose business McGwire has shunned, even at a time when he's baseball's hottest commodity.

"I don't think any memorabilia is worth anything," McGwire said when the subject came up at County Stadium in Milwaukee.

One of the dealers at the convention actually had the name "Heroes For Sale." McGwire isn't for sale. Not for these people, at least. He will sign autographs at games, but McGwire backs up his mouth by not cashing in on the autograph circuit, where Nolan Ryan made more than $100 per signature at the convention. Other signers included Bob Feller, a noted war horse at card shows.

McGWIRE'S STANCE IS A VEXING ISSUE for the industry, one that earned a cover story in the magazine Tuff Stuff, which bills itself as "The #1 Guide to Sports Cards & Collectibles."

What planet did this guy come from?

But far from condemning McGwire, memorabilia dealers have to love him.

"The thing about McGwire is there's a huge 'halo effect' for all of baseball," said Frank Finn, president of Tuff Stuff. "He's essentially a purist. He's having a tremendously positive effect on the game. That helps everyone here. That lifts everyone."

Richard McWilliam, CEO of Upper Deck, a leading memorabilia company, said that during the baseball strike of 1994, his business suffered by 50 percent. It still hasn't recovered.

In anticipation of a lockout that might postpone the NBA season, McWilliam proudly showed off his latest acquisition: a Michael Jordan jersey that his company purchased at an auction during the convention for $26,400. It was described as a game-worn road jersey from the 1992-93 season.

JUST LIKE THE BULLS DO -- or did -- card dealers turn to Jordan in times of need. The company plans to cut up the jersey into 138 pieces and imbed them into cards that will be distributed randomly in packs. Jordan jerseys do not come easily.

"Michael keeps all his jerseys," McWilliam said. "The last time we wanted to do this, we asked him if we could buy a jersey, and he said, 'No, I'm going to give them to my children.' "

Previously, the company bought a Jordan all-star game jersey at a charity auction and cut it up to produce special cards. The cards are now selling for $1,000-$2,500 each, according to an Upper Deck publicist.

The latest Jordan jersey started as a gift to a security guard and made its way to a man in Hawaii. The company says there's "an extensive paper trail" to prove it's authentic. A cottage industry has even grown to combat the fraud rampant in sports memorabilia.

Mike Jaspersen of Beckett Auction Services, which handled the sale of Jordan's jersey, noted one of the criteria used to assess the jersey's authenticity.

"Stitching's the main thing," Jaspersen said.

JUST TO MAKE SURE, Upper Deck plans to ask Jordan, who's on the company payroll as an endorser, to sign off on the authenticity.

In this environment of unfettered capitalism, McGwire is sitting on the sidelines.

"Mark McGwire has an opinion that's different than most athletes in that he doesn't believes there's a lot of value in it," McWilliam said. "He doesn't sign. He's more focused on pure sport. He just doesn't think it's an important part of his career. But obviously it's a part of mainstream America.

"The real reason Michael signs for us is so anyone who purchases a collectible knows it's authentic. Michael doesn't need to sign for us. He doesn't like to sign for us."

If McGwire ever does hit his 62nd home run, breaking baseball's hallowed single-season record, some have estimated the bounty on the baseball could be $1 million. At this, McGwire cringed.

"OH, I WOULDN'T PAY a dime for it," he said.

McGwire added, "If you get to meet the person, sit down with them, exchange a jersey, bat, ball, shoes, whatever -- that's worth more than 'X' amount of dollars."

It's a different era. Cubs coach Billy Williams, whose last season was 1976, said he has his 400th home run ball at home. He's not sure how he got it.

"Somebody from the bullpen must have gotten it for me," Williams said.

But he does know one thing for sure.

He didn't pay a dime for it.

Mark Alesia is a columnist for the Arlington Heights (Ill.) Daily Herald.

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