Miguel Cabrera autograph in demand
After securing the Triple Crown on the final game of the season, Detroit Tigers third baseman Miguel Cabrera has been cashing in.
He gets a piece of the pie from commemorative Triple Crown shirts, coins and photos and, on Friday night, he'll put his signature on baseballs and inscribe them with the words "Triple Crown 2012."
Cabrera has signed a deal with Detroit City Sports, an autograph memorabilia firm that worked with Cabrera in the past.
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It is not known how much Cabrera will make per signature, but the cost for fans won't be cheap.
Detroit City Sports priced a Cabrera signed ball with a Triple Crown inscription at an introductory price of $275. But owner Steve Graus says the ball will cost in the range of $350 to $400 by Monday.
"We think it's a reasonable price based on the caliber of player that he is," Graus said. "I mean, this is the Triple Crown."
Graus said he sold a regular Cabrera signed baseball for $150 in the middle of the season. That price climbed to $200 near season's end.
Based on the price at which he's getting the Cabrera ball, Missouri-based autograph seller Matt Powers is selling the signed Triple Crown ball for $399.
"The price to me is high," said Powers, whose company is called Powers Collectibles. Powers said he can't make his usual margin because "people won't buy this above $400."
Powers said he was selling some balls Monday, but attributed that to good timing.
"At this price, it's mostly for the Detroit fan and the really hard-core collector," Powers said.
"I think there's definitely going to be some sticker shock," said Chris Amoroso, vice president of Steiner Sports Memorabilia, which also will sell the inscribed ball in the $400 range. "If we could charge a more reasonable price, we could sell more."
But Graus knows the local market and he believes the hundreds of items Cabrera will sign Friday night will be accounted for. If others don't want to take the risk, Graus says he is confident he can sell them.
Aside from the ball, Cabrera will sign 8-by-10 inch and 16-by-20 photos of him tipping his cap after pulling off the achievement Wednesday night.
- ESPN.com's sports business reporter since 2012; previously at ESPN from 2000-06
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