Nearly six months after signing Shohei Ohtani to an autograph and memorabilia deal for Topps cards, Fanatics will offer signed items from the Los Angeles Dodgers superstar on its website.
One thing collectors will notice immediately is the autographed memorabilia will be more more limited-edition than any other active player’s signed offerings.
Fanatics posted on its website Monday the first installment of the Ohtani Signature Collection, a monthly group of items being offered on the 17th of each month, a nod to his jersey number.
Items will be offered on a first-come, first-serve basis, but the price of the items will eliminate casual buyers.
Most items range from $20,000 to $40,000 each — from the promise of only five World Series signed baseballs (not game-used) to five autographed baseballs used in his 50-50 game in September.
The inaugural week's offering also features a bat signed by Ohtani with the inscription “WS Debut" for $39,999. The bat is not the bat he used in his World Series debut, but the picture in the shadow box corresponds to that game. Fanatics guaranteed this inscription will only be signed on a bat once.
There's also a ball that is inscribed "First LAD HR," with a picture of his first home run in Dodger blue. Promising that as the only inscription of that kind Ohtani will make, the price is $34,999.99.
The prices are beyond what any single athlete commands. Upper Deck charges $24,999.99 for almost all its Michael Jordan signed shoes. One pair, a limited edition of 23 Air Jordan 1 "Off Whites," retails for $39,999.99.
It will be interesting to watch how quickly the items sell.
The game-used items obviously have a greater chance at being better investments, as Fanatics has the ability to change small elements to create more limited-edition signed items.
But if there's a time to strike it's now, as Ohtani is pretty much the hottest athlete on the planet, given his three MVP awards, his World Series title and his international marketplace.
Ohtani signatures and game-used pieces will be included throughout the Topps product, so those who don’t want to spend up front can still win the lottery with limited-edition Ohtani cards inserted in packs.
Darren Rovell is the founder of cllct.com and one of the country's leading reporters on the collectibles market. He previously worked for ESPN, CNBC and The Action Network.