What'll We Tell the Kids About … Capitalism??

Displaying an exquisite ignorance of the cut-throat market in children's collectibiles, Rhode Island State Sen. Roger Badeau has introduced a bill forbidding professional athletes from charging money for autographs to kids under 16.

"I used to be a kid, I'd go to the Boston Red Sox, I never paid for a thing in my life," he told The Times. "All of a sudden, these guys here come to the (Convention) Center, (and it's) $125 for a bat -- get lost. It doesn't make sense." […]

"It's outrageous, sickening and disgusting, on so many levels," Badeau said in a press release. "Kids look up to these sports stars. Idolizing them and revering them should not come with that kind of price tag. If an adult wants to spend that kind of money, so be it. But no child should be charged that kind of money for a keepsake signature of any athlete, World Champion or otherwise."

Pawtucket Sen. John F. McBurney, a co-sponsor of the bill, agreed.

"I don't think Manny Ramirez' signature on anything is worth $175," McBurney said. "It's price-gouging. They are taking advantage of people who can't afford it."

Seems to me anyone who can afford a $175 Manny Ramirez autograph can, well, afford it; especially when they flip the merchandise for $350 a couple years down the road.

Comments

[Ken Shultz]

I'm doubling the price I charge for my autograph.

...That's right, residents of the great City of Rhode Island will now have to fork over twenty bucks.

[Twba]

The poor people of RI will have to drive for minutes to get to a state where they can purchase autographed memorabilia.

[mojoe]

Ken,
Despite it's comical size, Rhode Island is a state, not a city.

[David]

I've never understood the autograph seekers anyway. It's a fake market like cards, comics and other collectibles.

And as far as players telling us where to go, that's their right as free people.

[Jim Walsh]

When Roger Maris hit #61, the kid who caught the ball offered it back to him. Maris told him to hang on to in, that it may be worth something to him someday. Capitalist that I am, I still hold a warm spot in my ticker for the days of mensches like Roger...

[Chris Howell]

What they're saying with this proposed legislation is:

All you adults who want to make a profit on autographed sports items, use your children (or neighbor's kids) to get that item.

That's just what we need. More childern being used to satify some greedy adult's need.

[David B]

So then these poor black people can "afford" $200 sneakers just because they have $201 dollars in their pocket?

Hey, I don't know that the government should be intervening here, but I'll be damned before I say that just because somebody spends money on it, they can "afford" it. Come to Detroit and look at all these poor folks spending their every last penny at the casinos.

Oh, they CAN afford it! I see.

[Russ D]

That's the point, twba. RI will probably see a drop in the number of memorabilia shows since it would be so much more profitable to skip RI completely and set up in a Holiday Inn in CT or MA.

My legislation is less about the money and more about the message that I?m trying to send...

...which is all about the money.

[Ken Shultz]

"Despite it's comical size, Rhode Island is a state, not a city."

That's what makes calling it a city funny.

[Luca Brasi]

>>>Aren?t the senators afraid that, if the law passes, kids under 16 will be banned from the shows and not be able to obtain a coveted autograph from his or her favorite athlete? No.
"If you eliminate the kids under 17, the parents won?t go," McBurney said. "I don?t think you?d have anybody in there."

[Kurt]

The last few lines are incredibly funny, on many levels:

How about the kid who, by virtue of the new law, gets a free Manny Ramirez autograph, runs home and puts it on eBay for the highest bidder?

McBurney doesn?t think it would happen, not often anyway.

"Not my children, that?s for sure," he said. "Maybe I?m behind the times, but I don?t see that as a big problem."

I don't know what's better - the idea that the result of the law will be Ramirez giving out loads of free autographs, or the idea that maybe - *maybe* McBurney may be just a wee bit behind the times.

[Poustman]

This article suggests a question: should laws be used to 'send messages'?

Not sure of the answser, but I suspect this question would bear on quite a few larger issues than sports memorabilia.

Anyone?

[Ironchef]

They're going to check IDs at the door now?

[dead_elvis]

Since they are all playing ball in tax payer funded stadiums, everyone should be entitled to a number of autographs in proportion to how much tax one pays. Bring your receipts and 1040s to the game!

[smacky]

This article suggests a question: should laws be used to 'send messages'?

Poustman,

No. This kind of crap legislation is a result of the Federal government employees' decline in literacy and general critical thinking skills. When you justify criminalizing something with an overused cliche, that's just pathetic and reprehensible, yet all too common nowadays.

[Dynamist]

Tangential Nitpicking-- Doubling one's money a few years down the road is not a "flip". It is a good return, but not a stupendous one. Let the little sports fans experience first-hand the economics of collectibles.

[KidCarnivore]

While this is a bit ridiculous, it brings up the fact that the players are housed in facilities funded by the taxpayers.

[R C Dean]

The only rational economic response to this legislation is to either avoid RI altogether, or ban kids from getting their stuff signed.

When the effects of legislation are so blindingly obvious and predictable, calling them "unintended consequences" seems to let the idiots supporting the law off the hook awfully easily, doesn't it?

[Kurt]

While this is a bit ridiculous, it brings up the fact that the players are housed in facilities funded by the taxpayers.

Not in Rhode Island, they're not.

[aaron]

This kind of crap legislation is a result of the Federal government employees' decline in literacy and general critical thinking skills.

Well, not in this case. Still stupid though. But come on, if you were paid millions of dollars to play baseball, could you really charge some adoring kid for your signature? What kind of jerk does that?

[Douglas Fletcher]

This is an outrage! There ought to be a law!

[Ball of Confusion]

Obviously the only way to make this really work would be to add some additional legislation. You need to regulate the number of free signatures which will be compulsory to give out. You neeed to carefully regulate any transfer of signatures between youth and adults. Come to think of it, some sort of board or agency will probably be required to keep the system running smoothly.

[native NYer]

Seriously, do kids really give a crap about baseball anymore? I have a 7, 5, and 3 year old, and in the 7 years old's class only one boy really talks about baseball and the other 15 boys talk about Yu-Gi-Oh or some other card game.

Maybe it's different in a big city instead of the suburbs/country?

Maybe these greedy players are killing the golden goose by being more remote from the average kid's life?

[Mr. Nice Guy]

"All you adults who want to make a profit on autographed sports items, use your children (or neighbor's kids) to get that item."

Fuck'n A. It wouldn't be too difficult to round up a bunch of kids for a free baseball game and snacks, provided that they stand in line. These fucking politicians are retards.

[Mr. Nice Guy]

A lot's been said already about this guy, but Cal Ripken will sign free autographs for hours until his hand falls off. A total class act, no question.

[smacky]

Well, not in this case. Still stupid though. But come on, if you were paid millions of dollars to play baseball, could you really charge some adoring kid for your signature? What kind of jerk does that?

The question I pose to you is: What kind of jerk would make legislation against greedy behavior? Who f'n cares?!? Maybe I would charge kids for an autograph. So what? Selling my signature to children is my own business.

{begin sarcasm}
If they're going to make legislation about "selfishness", then they oughta pass a law against "rudeness" that legalizes abruptly snatching the memorabilia back from bratty children who don't say "thank you". Or "please".
And they should fine children who own too many toys and memorabilia, too, because they're greedy.

Better yet, fine the stupid parents who teach their children that crying for Mommy Government is the solution when everything doesn't go your way. {/end sarcasm}

[Brett]

I'm with smacky. Just typing that sentence made me laugh. But I digress...it's an idiotic law, even if charging a kid $100 for an autograph is lame.

Somebody already mentioned Ripken. Somebody else (Frank Thomas?) used to charge everybody, including kids, $1 for an autograph. Every dollar went towards some charity, something related to an affliction his wife had. I certainly had no problems with that, either.

[Rhywun]

I agree -- stupid law. Yet if I were a parent I would absolutely refuse to pay for *autographs* signed in front of my face at a convention. Tacky! But hopefully I would have already raised my kids with the correct disdain for sports "idols" and the issue would never arise 🙂

[B.P.]

Since it seems legislative deliberation in RI is being reduced to a comedy skit anyway, I'd offer an amendment forcing the kids to return the free memorabilia once they turn 18, or pay the ball player market value. The added bonus would be that ball players who pissed all of their money away on expensive champagne would be getting checks years down the road.

[kevrob]

One of the reasons many players won't sign except at shows is because collectors used kids as mules to bring them signed cards, etc.

Kevin

[aaron]

The question I pose to you is: What kind of jerk would make legislation against greedy behavior?

If you read what you cut and pasted, I clearly called it "stupid."

Who f'n cares?!?

The little kid who idolizes you?

[smacky]

aaron,

I have to agree with Rhywun. I would never raise my kids to "idolize" someone else. Anyone who idolizes a sports star is in for far more disappointment than they could ever imagine, expensive autographs aside.

[aaron]

I wouldn't raise my kid to idolize anyone either, but it does happen. I just think it's lame for athletes who make several million dollars per year to charge kids for 100 bucks for an autograph. That's all. I don't think it should be illegal, but I also agree with Rhywun. It's tacky.

[smacky]

aaron,

I agree with you on the tackiness factor. Still another reason to find someone better to look up to.

[Gary Gunnels]

I don't which is worse: this proposed legislation out of Rhode Island or Virginia's recent sartorial hysterics.

[Isaac Bartram]

Despite it's comical size, Rhode Island is a state, not a city.

And how do they cram so much sleaze and corruption into such a small state? 🙂