Should dealers refrain from raising prices on cards of recently deceased athletes?

Everyone eventually passes away, including our favorite athletes. Generally it's not a pleasant thought, but it’s part of life.

We love to debate the greatest living players in each sport, and the debate rages again when an anointed athlete unfortunately passes on.

When a sports star or well-known athlete dies, appropriate tributes flood sports events, news reports, social media, etc. Significant stats are discussed and fans share their own personal tributes if they have a special memory or strong affection for the athlete. 

But how should we react as collectors, dealers and as a hobby? What is proper, and what is not?

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What is the proper etiquette when an athlete passes away suddenly during their active career, as was the case with the recent death of NASCAR champion Kyle Busch?

Some hobbyists say there's an “unwritten rule” that when an athlete passes away, there should be a two-week moratorium on selling that player's cards and memorabilia.

But is that just for online sales? As a dealer at shows, I'll continue to put the athlete’s cards out in the same fashion as before, at the same prices.

In other cases, especially after the passing of a sports legend or Hall of Famer, some dealers may raise prices to match demand. Personally, I'm not a fan of that. I'd rather pull cards than raise prices, but I understand that with the increased attention, prices are generally affected.

I'm going to be honest in saying that such price increases bother me a little.

Let's discuss another recent passing when Willie Mays, arguably the greatest living baseball player at the time, passed away in June 2024.

His card value obviously jumped initially. However, his stats and legacy were already well established, as was his status as an all-time great and Hall of Famer. I understand the increased demand, but I'm not comfortable raising prices and feeling like I'm taking financial advantage of someone's death. I'd rather pull them out of inventory for a couple weeks, and then put them back when the “death increase” settles back down.

As a dealer, I'm more likely to sell the cards, but I'll keep them in my showcases at the prices I marked them prior to their passing. If you insist that autographed items should increase, for obvious reasons, I won't debate that. It makes sense.

When you really break it down, it's up to each individual dealer to decide how they want to handle the transaction of cards and memorabilia of a recently deceased athlete. I try to be as respectful as I can and try not to put dollar signs on someone's death.