After the relative interest in my Pete Rose chewing gum post (a few sites linked to it, including this San Antonio columnist), I've decided to periodically post items that catch my eye from the internet's junkyard- eBay.
Today, we feature item #110147312799 - a Hideki Irabu Starting Lineup figurine. Beautiful. The seller sure is on the money with his pitch:
"UP FOR AUCTION IS THE 1998 YANKEES HIDEKI IRABO ROOKIE STARTING LINEUP OF THIS GREAT SUPER STAR"
Right now, the bidding seems to have stalled at $0.99. Lets see if we can push it over the $1 mark! What happened to these things? In my adolescent head (twenty years ago), I envisioned myself eventually parting with the plastic figurines in exchange for a briefcase of large, unmarked bills.
A quick glance at eBay reveals that my collection- still sealed in their Kenner time capsule packaging- is worth less than I originally bought them for. When you consider that the $7 I forked over at the time was usually 100% of my weekly income, the investment seems even more Worldcom-esque. Sure I can understand how my "Bip" Roberts isn't valuable enough to exchange for a new car, but by now, I figured my John Olerud rookie would at least be able to help me make a down payment on a mansion or a helicopter.
I suppose the only way to help these four-inch icons bounce back as financial commodities is to show the world that there is still a great interest in them. C'mon- lets see who can get this Irabu rookie back up into the $5 where he belongs! No? Okay, then at least leave me a comment telling me about your favorite starting lineups.
I'll start- I melted Al Toon in the microwave.
