$45K golden high-tops: Donald Trump merch is a hit with collectors
If the presidential election was determined by the value of the candidates’ memorabilia, Donald Trump would win in a cakewalk, experts say.
The master marketer is a polarizing figure, and catnip to collectors.
“Donald Trump is far more collectible than Joe Biden, as he’s not just a political figure but a pop culture figure,” says Darren Julien of Beverly Hills-based Julien’s Auctions.
Roman Sharf, the founder and CEO of luxe watch dealer Luxury Bazaar, ponied up $9,000 in February for an autographed pair of Trump’s golden “Never Surrender” high-top sneakers.
He’s been offered $45,000 for them since.
“The cool factor is always going to be with Trump. He’s not a politician. Biden’s not a badass,” the Southampton, Pa.-based Sharf said.
On eBay, someone is currently hawking an autographed Donald Trump mugshot for $100,000. “An incredible piece of American history.
Ultra rare piece that you may never see again,” touts the seller, tysonscornercards-ig.
Another online entrepreneur is dangling the same historic mugshot — signed by Biden — for $3,500.
The Trump campaign boasted it raised more than $7 million after he was booked at the Fulton County Jail in Atlanta in August on charges he schemed to overturn the 2020 election results in the state.
The products included T-shirts and long-sleeve shirts for $34, a $25 coffee mug, and $15 beer Koozies.
Some of The Donald’s greatest hits:
- *A 1988 letter Trump sent to Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev inviting him to visit Trump Tower sold at auction in 2016 for $20,000.
- *A year later, a military-style jacket worn by Trump during his days at the New York Military Academy sold for $17,000.
“The crazier Donald Trump becomes somehow his collectible value has increased,” said Julien. “Collectability is not an exact science but the more rabid the fans the more they are willing to pay for something.”
