Hobby Stars Bonds, Clemens Headline Mitchell Report

Dec 13 2007 4:13PM

Lack of Additional Superstars Should Have Minimal Effect on Trading Cards

The revelations from the just-released Mitchell Report that 77 former and current Major League Baseball players used or purchased performance enhancing drugs will most likely not affect the trading card industry as dramatically as anticipated earlier today. Beckett Baseball, the No. 1 authority on sports collectibles, predicts the top tier players included in the list – namely Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens – will see a significant drop in interest on the secondary market and lesser stars such as Andy Pettitte and Miguel Tejada also will see some level of immediate depreciation.

"Interest in Bonds collectibles heated up during his chase for No. 756, but almost immediately cooled after he finally reached the milestone," says Beckett Baseball Price Guide Editor, Brian Fleischer. "His recent indictment has led to a further decline in his popularity among collectors. I suspect that Roger Clemens collectibles will take a hit on the secondary market. What Clemens has going for him is that he spent a lot of his career with the two most highly collectible teams, the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees. I think his collectibles are going to suffer – at least in the short term. Clemens' material may drop a level or two in the price guide before leveling off."

The fact that many of "The Mitchell Report players" were common players on the active secondary market let thousands of collectors breathe a sigh of relief. Today's announcement does not cast further doubt about the long-term value of many of the hottest stars. Some mid–level stars will not escape scrutiny, however.

"Although he's an All-Star who hits a lot of home runs and has won an MVP award, Miguel Tejada is considered a ‘common' in the hobby," Fleischer notes. "Tejada has become ‘lost' in the hobby, playing for less popular teams like the A's and the Orioles. His name appearing in the Mitchell Report certainly won't help his popularity. Pettitte is considered a ‘semi-star' in the hobby which is one level above a common. He's not a big enough hobby name to take a significant hit on the secondary market, but I suspect his cards will soften a bit."

Yesterday, Beckett Media posted a blog asking if collectors thought inclusion in the Mitchell Report would affect the hobby. The response was almost unanimous that, depending on the player (many of whom were not named today), it absolutely would affect how they collected in the future.