The “Death-Effect” on Collectible Prices

Abstract

It has been widely observed that the price of celebrity memorabilia rises around the time of that person’s death. Previous authors attribute this “death-effect” primarily to expectations on the part of collectors concerning the future supply of collectibles about the public figure as in the case of a durable goods monopolist. Our observations of the sports memorabilia market suggest that the increase in prices is instead due to a “nostalgia effect” as a result of the media attention that surrounds the death of a prominent public figure.