Shoot, I was just going to make an offer on this stump.

Family Sees Image Of Michael Jackson In Tree Stump

Just do whatever the rich people are doing, and that is assuredly NOT buying Michael Jackson memorabilia. There was an MJ branded thumb-drive for sale at Fry's this weekend *eyeroll*

I hate this phenomenon of things shooting up in value when someone dies. I only found out in a video retrospective that they had Billy Mays bobble-head dolls, and now, of course, they are VERY expensive.

Wow used CDs are selling for $9+ and the "special" or "rare" versions even more. I think I even saw a japanese/chinese bootleg version selling as a "collectors edition" on ebay.

@Radi0logy: To be fair, I saw that drive for sale at Fry's about three weeks ago.

Video only reports suck. Websites really need to include a transcript.

@Ichiro51: Did you? I figured it was a rush-job memorial type thing

Michael Jackson memorabilia was a fantastic investment on June 24th.

It became a horrible investment on June 25th.

That's how these things work.

@clickertrainer: Do it! Then stick it on Ebay and watch the suckers ROLL in!

Other than maybe one of the upcoming concert tickets, I doubt any of it will ever be worth anything.

@CameraShoe_GitEmSteveDave: Dang, I would have bought a Billy Mays bobble-head if I knew they existed. Would have looked good next to Dwight Schrute.

I scored a nearly-mint vinyl copy of Thriller at a Salvation Army thrift store.

@ncpeters: According to his son, they might be making them for the non-profit he is starting.

@HurtsSoGood:

Woo! Only ~110 million more to go and you can be teh winrar!

How much can I get for my Staples Center rejection email?

Image link:
[i40.tinypic.com]

@Radi0logy: It's hard to do a rush on "legit" memorial stuff unless you already have an agreement with MJ. Negotiating with dead guys is really difficult (and awkward).

@CameraShoe_GitEmSteveDave: Just think how expensive OxiClean is gonna get!

@theblackdog:

Agreed.

@ChuckECheese: Yeah, they will only double our order for 19.99 now, instead of tripling it.

Hey! Celebrity bubbles are the next big thing! This MJ stuff could appreciate 20%/yr, at least for the next month.

@clickertrainer: What part of MJ is that supposed to be?

@Radi0logy: Yeah, my friend and I talked about it briefly just because we thought it was sort of a neat idea to put an album and some bonus material (I think it might have been some/all of the videos from the "Thriller" album) on there.

@redskull: With over a million of them existing, I doubt those are a good investment either.

@Tzepish: Unknown. But I bet he's bummed to end up in a stump in Stockton.

@redskull: Maybe a ticket stub to his last performance might be worth something, but a ticket to a series of shows he didn't even perform, I don't get the appeal.

Obvious investing advisor is obvious.

The market for 90% of this stuff will never be better than it is right now, when people are going crazy over it. Otherwise... unless you get your hands on The White Glove or something, there's no point.

There are plenty of die-hard MJ fans, but they won't be around forever, so even that market has a time limit.

I have the memory of watching some of his non stop tribute coverage. Who can I pay to get rid of those?

Damn you, Chuck, now I want cheetos in the worst way.

While the market may be 'high' for MJ items right now.

The people who pay largish sums better be sure they are getting something of real value. At the very least something with a certified or verifiable autograph on it.

Most stuff being sold is pretty much junk or is so hyped up in value but not substance. Your MJ+ET Vinyl picture disc from '83 might be worth a little more but not a lot.

Don't be stupid-- buy what you want, but make sure you are either buying something:

1) Objectively/independently viewed and determined to go up in value.
2) Something that would be a lot to you for sentimental value.

If you have the scratch, #1 and #2 need not be mutually exclusive.

@Tzepish: Usually I am imaginative enough to see these things, but this I don't get at all.

@theblackdog: Although, I'm sure if a transcript was available, Chris would have cited it.

@Smashville: My understanding is that none were mailed out and only those paying face value will receive one. So they might turn out to be scarce, indeed. NOT that I'd buy one, but just pointing out that there aren't anywhere close to a million of them floating about.

@GMFish: the bottom line is anythings worth money if you can find a sucker to buy it. that's where ebay has made this so much easier

@radiochief: Thanks, an excellent paraphrasing of the article.

@Trai_Dep: I'm sure he would, unfortunately WSJ and most other media outlets don't include them, so it's not Chris's fault.

@PSUSkier: All this advice only applies, of course, if you consider the purchase to be an investment.

If you are buying something because you genuinely want it and will keep it near and dear to yourself, then pay what it's worth to you. If you think you're gonna make a buck off it, you're an idiot.

@WiglyWorm: It's like we've seen this somewhere before.

@ThinkerTDM: Give Dr. Howard Mierzwaik a call. I hear he can help.

[www.imdb.com]

Woah.. this guy said something like "Yow Yankovich" instead of "Weird Al" Yankovic..

That's kinda a big leap there. I think this guy was nervous when he was filming this.. or maybe he rehearsed so many times that he freaked out when he made a mistake.

'Eat It' indeed..

I think there are going to be a lot of people (the ones that wouldn't come to The Consumerist, of course.) that will think MJ stuff IS a good investment, even when it isn't.

@Trai_Dep: They had already sold out 50 shows in a 30,000 seat arena...so from my understanding, there would be 1.5 million commemorative tickets...unless I'm missing something. In England, you'd have a harder time finding Off the Wall.

@theblackdog: Yup.

@Smashville: They have sold out, but I think they haven't sent tix yet. And the o2 arena is offering to refund the charges, unless ppl want the tix mailed to them.
This from memory, so I could be off, but that's my recollection.

@Trai_Dep: I'm thinking on the nature of people...I guarantee far more people will take them up on the offer than would be logical because they'll view them as collectible...I expect at least multi-100,000s of people to get the ticket.

The only way to buy memorabilia is before the celebrity dies. The market peaks immediately after death.

Right now would be smarter to buy Madonna, Bruce Springsteen or Mick Jagger rather than MJ.

@Smashville: You're probably right, and I'm thoroughly depressed at that realization.
I could see if they offered a partial rebate for paper tix, but face value?
Uber-Fans are a strange breed.

@CameraShoe_GitEmSteveDave: I'm only buying one if I can get it for 29.95, and it comes with a travel bobble head doll as well, and a state of Kansas Jell-o mold.

I paid $78 for a Jackson 5 8-track cassette three years ago. I'm going to turn it for a tidy profit.

@calquist: you see how it's black on the inside, and white on the outside?
*gets booed off stage*