If you are a Broncos fan, or an avid reader of ESPN.com, you are likely aware that CB Darrent Williams died in a drive-by shooting on New Year's Eve, hours after losing to the 49ers in overtime and missing the playoffs.
Before his passing, a search of Darrent Williams on Ebay yielded maybe five entries, all jersey cards for very little money. Afterwards? Six pages of memorabilia.
There are (at least) three reasons why this is bothersome:
1. Darrent Williams only means something to Broncos fans. He doesn't have the universal appeal of a Reggie White, where non-Eagles/Packers/Panthers fans also love the player. The Ebayers are not providing a service--making jerseys available to those outside of Denver--they are simply making a buck. I understand both sets of Ebayers are interested in the money and NOT in providing a service, but our attitude about it is different (see below).
2. The violent nature of Darrent Williams's death makes the Ebayers more like vultures than when an athlete dies of natural causes. When Reggie White died, Ebay was flooded with his memorabilia as well. But Reggie was out of football four years, and health-related deaths are easier to understand (though potentially just as surprising and tragic). Our attitude is different. With Reggie, it was a feeling of loss and sympathy, but with Darrent we have those plus anger and frustration, maybe insecurity. Then we see someone hawking his stuff, and it's not the same. It's opportunistic and disgusting, especially because...
3. Darrent Williams's memorabilia is not going to be worth anything ten years from now, while Reggie White's definitely will be. So sellers are targetting emotional buyers right now and selling them a product that will only go down in value. Of course, plenty of sellers do this all the time, but in those instances, the reason for the increased demand in the product is not caused by a homicide.
The selling is OK, it's the gouging that is atrocious. Of course, if the price is too high, no one will buy. Is this a sick of example of "the market working itself out?" Maybe.
Before his passing, a search of Darrent Williams on Ebay yielded maybe five entries, all jersey cards for very little money. Afterwards? Six pages of memorabilia.
There are (at least) three reasons why this is bothersome:
1. Darrent Williams only means something to Broncos fans. He doesn't have the universal appeal of a Reggie White, where non-Eagles/Packers/Panthers fans also love the player. The Ebayers are not providing a service--making jerseys available to those outside of Denver--they are simply making a buck. I understand both sets of Ebayers are interested in the money and NOT in providing a service, but our attitude about it is different (see below).
2. The violent nature of Darrent Williams's death makes the Ebayers more like vultures than when an athlete dies of natural causes. When Reggie White died, Ebay was flooded with his memorabilia as well. But Reggie was out of football four years, and health-related deaths are easier to understand (though potentially just as surprising and tragic). Our attitude is different. With Reggie, it was a feeling of loss and sympathy, but with Darrent we have those plus anger and frustration, maybe insecurity. Then we see someone hawking his stuff, and it's not the same. It's opportunistic and disgusting, especially because...
3. Darrent Williams's memorabilia is not going to be worth anything ten years from now, while Reggie White's definitely will be. So sellers are targetting emotional buyers right now and selling them a product that will only go down in value. Of course, plenty of sellers do this all the time, but in those instances, the reason for the increased demand in the product is not caused by a homicide.
The selling is OK, it's the gouging that is atrocious. Of course, if the price is too high, no one will buy. Is this a sick of example of "the market working itself out?" Maybe.
1 comment:
Never thought about it like... But really true... good story.
ev
Post a Comment