Mbappé, Wembanyama… Star jerseys, a growing market? – L’Express

Would the organization of the Olympic Games in Paris influence collectors? A study published at the end of May by the site Interencheres.com seems to attest to this. It states that “11.3 million French people have acquired or plan to buy memorabilia”, these clothes or objects that belonged to famous personalities.

This memorial cult is not new, but until now it was limited to great historical figures, such as Marie-Antoinette or Napoleon, and to movie or music stars. Thus, the white dress worn by Marilyn Monroe at President Kennedy’s birthday sold for $4.8 million, Kurt Cobain’s guitar for $10 million, a bicorne of Napoleon for nearly €2 million and, more modestly, a leather jacket of Johnny Hallyday for €7,000. What is new is that this fetishistic fascination now affects athletes and, almost exclusively, footballers and basketball players, with sometimes astronomical prices. Thus, a Michael Jordan jersey sold for no less than $10 million!

Wembanyama, the rising star

In reality, the average budget devoted to these memorabilia is much more modest. The majority of enthusiasts spend less than 500 euros and only 21% spend more than 1,000 euros. In addition to the pleasure of living with a piece of fabric worn by their idol, many also dream of a nice capital gain when reselling it. An individual who owned a jersey of French basketball player Victor Wembanyama from the San Antonio Spurs, worn during the 2023 season, raked in the tidy sum of $120,000 in early June, when it was estimated at $30,000. And yet, this is just a rising star.

These somersaults are the stuff of dreams for collectors, which explains why prices continue to rise. However, they do not guarantee huge profits. In the short term, if the athlete has a good season, the resale of a T-shirt will be easy and certainly with a comfortable added value. But in the medium or long term, nothing is less certain. Unlike historical figures and big names in show business and cinema, athletes are quickly forgotten outside a small circle of aficionados. Only a few rare stars, whose jerseys are already very expensive, will remain in the annals. By betting on the right horse at the right time, a quick return on investment is therefore assured. But over time, the risk of disappointment increases!