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When Mitch Marner departed Toronto, he also left thousands of fans in the GTA wondering what to do with all those No. 16 sweaters in their closets, along with pictures, knick-knacks or anything with his autograph on it.
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Hang on to them, advise the experts.
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“The Toronto market is always big and Mitch has done well here,” said Brian Ehrenworth, president of Frameworth Sports, a guest on a recent episode of the Squid and The Ultimate Leafs Fan podcast with collector/appraiser Mike Wilson. “He still does well because anyone in a Toronto or Montreal sweater has a head start.”
Ehrenworth, who has an ongoing business agreement with Marner, admits he has been a tougher sell now three time zones away in Las Vegas.
“Mitch is doing very well in Vegas, but the problem with players on the West Coast, as good as they are — with exceptions such as (San Jose’s) Macklin Celebrini — is they aren’t on the TV highlight reel until the next morning.”
Ehrenworth thinks souvenir hunters should keep one golden rule in mind: “Buy something because you really like it and if it goes up in value — fine.
“We were at the forefront of the man-cave business. Where you used to keep an autograph in a binder, people framed them and put them on the wall of their home and office. You’re a sports fan and want to see it in front of you.”
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Sportsnet anchor Ken Reid, whose sidegig as an author includes books on hockey cards, was a guest on the same podcast and predicted anything Marner is still a reliable long-term investment.
“I was just at the Toronto Sports Card Expo and didn’t see anyone hunting for Marner, but he had eight, nine good years here and Leafs cards and memorabilia are like bank stock. Eventually, they’re always going to rise or at least be consistent.”
Old players come back in demand
Reid pointed to renewed interest in Wilson’s podcast partner, former Leafs captain Rick Vaive, whose signature came back in demand when Auston Matthews broke his club single-season goal record a few years ago.
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“With Leafs fans, it’s like getting tickets to their games, people are always going to buy. They’re an eternal franchise. One day, you’ll be able to sell your Marner cards again. Look at Doug Gilmour and Wendel Clark, their stuff is always moving.
“You’ll see Marner, Matthews, William Nylander, stuff that’s sold the last 10 years, will sell again. Because in 10 to 15 years, little 10-to-12-year-olds today will look back (fondly) on those Game 7 (losses) and consider them a run.”
A good comparison would be the 1993 VHS The Passion Returns about the Leafs’ three-round playoff spring. It sold quadruple what the team expected at the time.
“That was just the conference final,” Reid reminded. “The bar’s not very high.”
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