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Alpha Stage
Economics of Autographs
March 29, 2007







The Detroit Free Press is running an article entitled, (Detroit baseball)
"Tiger Autographs Get Big Bucks."

Referring to the $25 for a player's autograph, the article quotes the
owner of a sports memorabilia store as saying, ""You want to keep it
affordable, but they are at the very top edge..(The price) can't go up
any higher. The market won't support it. The World Series prices
topped off. I'm hoping it drops back a little."

Recall that the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Detroit Tigers in the 2006
World Series.

Discussion-Starters for Younger Children

  • If your students could meet any one famous person, who
    would they want to meet? Why?
  • Ask your students to write two questions that they
    would ask this person if they could ask him/her anything.

  • If your students could get the autograph of a famous person as
    long as they traded something for it, what would they trade?
    Assuming that the thing they would trade is not their most
    precious item, why wouldn't they trade something they like
    more for it? What if your students met somebody famous, but
    not as important to them. Would they still want his/her
    autograph? What would they trade for it? If they would trade
    differently, why would they do so?
  • If possible, select somebody whom most of the students
    in your class admire. Go around the room and ask
    students what they would give for an autograph from
    this person. Help students recognize that different
    students are willing to give up different kinds of things.
    Why is this the case?

  • Do your students think that they are important? Is their
    signature special? Help your child(ren) understand that every
    individual is important and special. Ask your students what they
    would put on the back of their card if they had a baseball card
    or something similar. What are the most important details of
    their lives?
  • Invite your students to design the back of their own
    baseball card. It might include: their name; favorite
    hobby; year of birth; and, favorite subject in school.

  • If your students could collect anything in the world, what
    would they like to collect? Why? If they don't want to collect
    something, what hobby/hobbies would they like to do or do
    they do?
  • This type of a question could prompt the formation of
    new friendships as students learn more about one
    another. Perhaps a popular student in the class has
    something in common with a student who is struggling
    to make friends.


Discussion-Starters for Older Students

  • Vocabulary terms to discuss: Memorabilia; Economics;
    "Exclusive Agreement"; and, "Financial Investment".

  • Ask your students why they think that people are willing to pay
    money for famous people's autographs. What is it about
    autographs that make them desirable?
  • Consider asking students to respond to the following
    question in an essay format: "Should people pay
    professional athletes money for autographs when they
    could donate the money to help provide food for the
    poor?" Why/why not? Prompt students to consider
    whether or not paying for autographs in any way helps
    the poor.

  • Ask your students what variables they think would determine
    how much a store would charge for an autographed baseball?
    What variables would determine how much an individual would
    be willing to pay for an autographed baseball?
  • Consider asking students to respond to these questions
    using a T-Chart in groups of two or three.

  • If your students could have the autograph of any one person
    who lived at least 100 years ago,who's would they select?
    Why? If your students could speak to this person for five
    minutes, what would they discuss?
  • Students could develop imaginary conversations.

  • Do your students think that this topic is appropriate for a
    current event newsletter? Why/why not? Is this topic
    important? Why/why not?
  • These questions could prompt an interesting class
    discussion.
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