Who Is Making Money Off Aaron Judge’s Home Run Chase?

“Take my money, put seven figures in your bank account and in the off-season meet Judge. Get an autograph, or photograph, spend an evening with him. Don’t be foolish. The Yankees are not a nonprofit organization. They are not a charity. I’m trying to give people an alternative opportunity. Some of these kids are in college and — guess what — five or 10 years from now when they’re married with kids, they’re going to wish they had money in their bank account.

“Now, if you’re a hedge fund manager and want to be magnanimous, so be it. But for most people, this is a life-changing moment.”

In a twist, should one of Judge’s historic baseballs go to auction through Goldin’s company, the owner of the Mets stands to benefit: Steven A. Cohen is the firm’s second-largest shareholder.

Sports memorabilia as a business, Kohler said, “is on fire.” He added: “The industry has grown and grown over the years. The internet, obviously, has helped with people being able to see what is out there, where to buy things and what’s available.”

Authentication methods have helped fuel it. So, too, did the pandemic, Kohler said, because many sports fans who were isolating at home unearthed their old collections. For some, sorting through their cards and autographs became akin to comfort food during a difficult time. For others, it either rekindled a long-lost love or sparked a desire to sell and find an additional source of income.

Goldin, the subject of a planned Netflix series centered on the sports memorabilia boom with Peyton Manning as one of its producers, in 2021 auctioned an autographed, game-worn, rookie-year Kobe Bryant jersey for $3.69 million.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/28/sports/baseball/aaron-judge-home-run-chase.html