Hobby Musings: Astros’ World Series Run Boosting Memorabilia Popularity – A good postseason run often boosts the hobby standings of a team and its players. This year’s Houston Astros team has been no different. With a number of exciting stars like Carlos Correa and Jose Altuve, the Astros have enjoyed a fairly notable hobby presence for the better part of this season. A long postseason run into the World Series, which will culminate in a Game 7 showdown with the Dodgers, has only helped to fuel Houston’s hobby demand.
Someone who can attest to the current popularity of the Astros is Tristar founder Jeff Rosenberg. Based in Houston, Rosenberg has had a backyard look to the team’s sensational run. Asked about the memorabilia reception he’s seen for the team, he responded, “The demand has been very strong and solid during the regular season, but as we’ve gone longer into the postseason, it just keeps getting bigger. It’s been great for our business, and we’re certainly thrilled for that.”
Though the Astros have a number of stars, Rosenberg said Jose Altuve is the most popular Astros player he’s seen with on the memorabilia side. When asked why, he explained how Altuve checks off a lot of fan and collector boxes. On the national stage, Altuve has already rattled off an impressive career with three batting titles, and a potential MVP award in a few weeks should only help to raise his profile with fans and collectors alike.
Right behind Altuve in popularity are Dallas Keuchel, Carlos Correa, and George Springer. Another player who Rosenberg singled out was Alex Bregman. While not initially as popular on the memorabilia side as some of his more established teammates, Bregman has been able to change that with a strong postseason., including a walk-off hit in Game 5 of the World Series. Another player Rosenberg is keeping his eye on is pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. With the start in Game 7 and a chance to get the win for the Astros in what would be their first World Series title, McCullers could be due for a hobby raise himself.
It’s not only the current Astros who have seen a boost in memorabilia popularity. Houston has boasted a lot of notable players during its history, including a number of recent stars and Hall of Famers. Asked more about it, Rosenberg responded, “Once your team is doing well, they gravitate not only towards the current players, but also the past stars. We’ve been selling a lot of Craig Biggio, Jeff Bagwell and Nolan Ryan memorabilia.”
Unlike the Dodgers, the Astros made a relatively recent trip to the World Series when they faced the White Sox in 2005. Unlike this year’s squad, that team was more pitching-heavy and had a brief Fall Classic trip as they were swept by Chicago.
Asked about the demand comparisons he’s seen for both Houston World Series teams, Rosenberg said they’ve been fairly similar and close so far, but the 2005 team did have slightly more demand. This was due in large part to that team’s star power in Roger Clemens, Andy Pettitte, Jeff Bagwell and Craig Biggio. He did add that if the 2017 team can bring home the title, it will blow away the demand for the 2005 team.
Even though there is still one game to go, Rosenberg revealed he’s already had a big demand for 2017 World Series baseball signed by the Astros. While Rosenberg said the team’s memorabilia popularity will be much higher if the team comes home with a World Series title, he still expects there to be some carryover momentum if they lose. When asked why, he noted the timing of the year heading into the holiday season as people look for Astros memorabilia to give as gifts.
Win or lose, Tristar will be doing signings with many of the players, including company exclusive Keuchel, once the Fall Classic concludes. The company is also expecting to host many of the players for autograph signings and photographs at their February show in Houston.
Hobby Musings: Astros’ World Series Run Boosting Memorabilia Popularity
- Hobby Musings: London Card Show Continues Growth - April 23, 2024
- Hobby Musings: Signatures For Soldiers in Middle of Busy 2024 - April 11, 2024
- Hobby Musings: Busy and Exciting 2024 for Leaf - April 3, 2024