The New York Yankees haven't won a World Series ring in 14 seasons, but they are making a new one for a fan.
As part of their big auction to benefit the team foundation last week, the Yankees auctioned off a 14k gold 2009 player's-type ring with the promise of making one with the winner's name on it.
It went for a whopping $103,000.
To put that in perspective, Lou Gehrig's actual 1927 World Series ring sold for $96,000 at Sotheby's — although that was 25 years ago.
It's no surprise that 1927, featuring Murderer's Row, is the most popular year for Yankees' rings. Babe Ruth's 1927 ring sold for $2.1 million at Leland's in 2017. Herb Pennock's and Earle Combs' rings sold for $203,150 and $155,350 at Heritage, and Ben Paschal's sold at SCP for $151,652.
When teams win the World Series, teams often reserve perpetual rights to make ones with the ring's producer, but it's unheard of for a team to allow for a fan ring so many years after winning the title.
Ring collecting has been around for a long time, but teams have made it harder. In 2016, the Chicago Cubs made players who got a ring sign a waiver saying the team would get first dibs before it could go on the open market. The Houston Astros did the same in 2020.
Current salaries also make it even harder to imagine players selling their rings.
The Yankees had two types of rings in 2009. The top-quality player ring, which features 14k gold and 119 diamonds, and a lesser staff ring.
At least seven player rings are known to have sold, including a duplicate of A.J. Burnett's ring and a ring from Josh Towers, who got a ring after pitching in just two games for the Yankees that year. In May, a Yankees scout's ring sold for $48,000 at Heritage.
The Yankees, winners of a record 27 titles, won four of five World Series from 1996 to 2000 and in 2009, but have gone 14 years without one, which ties them for their record drought since winning their first in 1923 (1963-1976).
Darren Rovell is the founder of cllct.com and one of the country's leading reporters on the collectible market. He previously worked for ESPN, CNBC and The Action Network.