How much would you be willing to pay for signed memorabilia by Pitt's starting quarterback?
What ever your price cap is, or what ever figure popped into your head, the price is officially right.
Just in time for the holiday season, sports memorabilia dealer Upper Deck announced on Tuesday that it has signed Panthers quarterback Kedon Slovis to a multi-year name, image, and likeness rights deal to hold exclusive rights to selling and marketing Slovis trading cards and autographed memorabilia.
"It is an honor to join the roster of amazing athletes currently with Upper Deck,” Slovis said in a news release. “I am excited to build a long-lasting relationship with Upper Deck and bring one-of-a-kind memorabilia and collectibles to Pitt fans.”
So, how much are you, the Panther fan and Asylum loyalist, truly willing to pay for autographed Slovis merchandise?
According to the Upper Deck Store website, the price is set at least a couple hundred bucks.
The website currently lists an autographed collector's Nike football with the Pitt logo on it for $199.99 -- assuming more because of shipping, tax, and extra fees -- as one of the two cheapest options to purchase Slovis' signature.
Also available for $199.99 are autographed print-outs entitled "Backyard Brawl," which are available with or without inscription. The image is a panoramic view of Acrisure Stadium from the Panthers' 38-31 win over the Mountaineers on Sept. 1. Below the photo -- within the inscribed option -- is Slovis' autograph, the final score ("38-31 W") in his handwriting, and his stat line of "308 yds, 1 TD" in his handwriting. Without the inscription, the photo just contains Slovis' autograph below.
“We are always looking to add every sports’ brightest rising stars to Upper Deck’s roster, and signing Kedon as an exclusive for our UDA collection allows us to offer his growing fan base new and authentic memorabilia,” said Gabriel Garcia, the director of Upper Deck Authenticated, in a release. “He continues to be a standout in college football, and we look forward to seeing his career continue to grow for years to come.”
From there, the prices steeply increase on the Slovis merch.
The website lists an autographed replica Slovis helmet, in the official Pitt gold with the royal script "Pitt" logo, for $299.99. An authentic NFL Wilson-branded football (odd that it's not an authentic, collegiate Nike ball) signed by Slovis is on the market for $324.99. If you want an "authentic" Pitt helmet autographed by Slovis, it will cost you $449.99 -- the priciest Slovis item listed on the Upper Deck site.
