Weird LeBron James Memorabilia: The Good, the Bad, the Outrageously Overpriced

By Chris Sweeney Thu., Jun. 14 2012 at 5:00 AM

Right now, someone is trying to sell an autographed LeBron James jersey on Ebay for $14,999, or roughly a down payment on a condo. It's a white Cleveland jersey from James' rookie year, and he apparently wore it during a game.

Given that I have as much financial savvy as a badger on meth, I started wondering if it's possible to invest in some King James kitsch and cash in on it should he finally bring a title to the Sunshine State.

Here, a look at some of the more memorable memorabilia floating around on the internet.

Halloween Mask: First off, is this racist? If so, does that mean it will be worth more money? The mustache missing over the middle lip is gross, but the lumpy beard is a nice touch. I wonder if LeBron would autograph this.

Insulting T-Shirt: There's an entire cottage industry of people making T-shirts that express a certain level of disdain for the Chosen One. Among the slogans scrawled across these shirts are "LeBron Went South But His Mom Rides West," "Even LeBron Hates Ohio," and "LBJ SOB." The above T-shirt, however, displays a level of creativity and flair that is priceless, at least until Disney decides to sue the poor guy who made it for some bogus reason. For those wondering, the quote is something LeBron said about how he won't give up until he brings a championship to Cleveland.

Toilet Paper: Funny and useful! Although there's not an updated version with a Heat jersey, that could very well change if number 23 fails to take care of business in OKC. Stock up on the original version while you can.

Gold Medallion: Who actually buys shit like this? I'll tell you who: out-of-touch grandmothers and divorced fathers who aren't sure if their sons like basketball or football or sports but it's three days until Christmas and they need something under the tree. The only way you'll make a dime on this thing is by melting it down, huffing the fumes, and going on a massive robbing spree.

Autographed Tegata: Don't worry, we didn't know what a tegata was either when we first stumbled upon this eyesore. According to the Japan Times' head sumo wrestling writer, a tegata is how well-established sumo wrestlers do autographs. "Only those ranked at Juryo and above are permitted to make tegata," he explains. I don't think LeBron is at the Juryo level, yet. Way to appropriate a long-standing cultural tradition to create a fancy-looking piece of crap, UpperDeck.

Autographed Jersey: This is what $15,000 buys you on Ebay. Let that soak in.

Tags:

David Stearn, Lebron James, Miami Heat, NBA, Oklahoma City Thunder, Upper Deck

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deroche_g

Oh, one more thing, Tricia? I agree with you. If I had a jersey that I thought was worth $15k it would be in a $250 custom case. This jersey has been on a hanger so long that if it was real and you wanted to put it into a case it would look terrible because it is all stretched down from being on a hanger. Who does this? Really?

deroche_g

Based on what I am looking at, this does not look like an authentic Lebron James autograph. Unless it comes with a UDA COA I would not give it a second look. Even if it has a UDA COA it is not worth $15K. Collectors buy with emphasis on "the autograph" and this one is the worst I have ever seen. I own several LeBron RC Jerseys and basketballs and cards and I could not find a one, if I wanted to, that had an autograph anywhere close to what is on this jersey. This jersey: Lebron does not write the "Y" in that fashion and as I stated, the autograph is way "off". If its not UDA authenticated its not worth investing in. Many come with other COA's but long-term your best bet is sticking with one that is certified by Upper Deck........period.