Derek Jeter, '53 (Topps Style)

Derek Jeter is a model athlete, team player and human being.  Rolls up his sleeves and does his job. He is our personal MVP for the Yankees over the past 15 years.  What a cool, calm, powerful and steadying influence during the 2009 World Series. While not the MLB  World Series MVP, the Captain was a large part of the reason that the Yankees are World Champions again. Jeter batted .344 over the 15 games the Yankees played in the postseason, had 5 doubles and 3 home runs while walking 11 times and played exquisite defense as evidenced by yet another Jeter highlight film play, catching Bobby Abreu as he took too big of a turn around 2nd base in the ALCS. His calm leadership, coupled with his outstanding ability have made him baseball royalty without creating the “spoiled athlete” personna that many of the elite players carry.

Another reason that Derek is our MVP is the way he handles his success. Jeter

Jeter Reaching Greatness (ltd ed litho)

established his Turn 2 Foundation in 1996, and since then it has awarded more than $10 million in grants for programs that motivate kids to turn away from drugs and alcohol.  Turn 2 is managed on a day-to-day basis by the Jeter family with Derek in a hands-on role as Founder. In addition to contributing his own funds, Jeter hosts the annual “Derek Jeter Celebrity Golf Classic” and the “Turn 2 Foundation Dinner” to raise funds needed to successfully continue programs.

Individual awards are many. Jeter began reaching greatness by winning the “Rookie Of The Year” in 1996, garnered both the All Star MVP and World Series MVP in the championship year of 2000, has 3 American League Gold Gloves (2004 – 2006) and 3 Silver Slugger awards (2006-2008) as the best hitting shortstop in the

Yankee Two Treasure (ltd ed litho)

American League. He’s been the A L recipient of the Hank Aaron Award, which recognizes the most outstanding offensive performer in each league, in both 2006 and 2009 and has received the Roberto Clemente Award,which recognizes the player who combines giving back to the community with superlative skill on the field, in 2009. He’s truly been a Yankee to treasure over the years and should be a lock to receive baseball’s ultimate award, Hall of Fame induction, as soon as he’s eligible.

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The Lee brothers, Cliff and Ut of  Phil Lee’s branch of the family help the Phightins to  take games one and 5 of the World Series! But before game 5, a Philadelphia paper erroneously(?) ran an ad congratulating the Phils for back to back World Championships.  I am hoping it was prescient.

As a life long Philadelphia Phillies fan, it couldn’t be more gratifying that the cosmic tumblers might be clicking once again. I don’ think I’ve ever seen better clubhouse chemistry than with the 2009 Phils.

As a four year old, I first became aware of Phillies fever in 1950 when the Whiz Kids won the pennant. Let me jump off for a second here.  The New Phillies could easily be called the Biz Kids as they always seem to take care of business;  or maybe the Fizz Kids because they are popping a lot of champagne; or maybe the Sizz Kids because of the sizzle in their bats and arms.  But enough of that. I have no specific memories of the 1950 season, but I remember vividly how disappointed I was 2 years later when my father came home with 2 tickets for the 1952 All-Star Game at Shibe Park (soon to be renamed Connie Mack Stadium)

and informed me that my mother, not at all a baseball fan, was going with him, not me. To this day I do not understand.

The Yankees swept the Phillies 4-0 in the 1950 World Series and I am hoping for a little payback– after 59 years. But first the Yankees put away the Angels, no easy task.  I am a bit conflicted.  As a marketer of NY Yankees lithographs, I want them to succeed. I certainly hoped they beat the Angels.  When they get to the team of my childhood, loyalty trumps avarice. -Bill Goff

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In June of 2007, my son graduated from Brandeis University with a Masters degree in economics and was immediately offered a job in the investor relations department at eBay.  Upon taking the job he coaxed me to do something I was reluctant to do: offer my prints at auction on eBay.   My concern was that I would spoil my own market by underselling it.  But I also sensed an opportunity.

Here was a chance to create some much important cash flow and develop a mini-marketplace in each different print- without lowering prices.  After all, I could sell prints off-price, one-at-a-time, and still maintain my retail price structure, and cease the practice on a moment’s notice.

I could also open an eBay store which would replicate my own web site and create double the exposure for my products.  This has served us well so far.

When I first started in the art business in New York in 1972 I became a Pop Art print specialist. The marketplace intrigued me. The Leo Castelli Gallery represented the lion’s share of Pop Art artists and published limited edition offset lithographs that were either given away to Gallery openings attendees or sold for a minimal amount of money. A vigorous secondary market in these prints had evolved. Lichtensteins and Warhols that had been near valueless were reselling for hundreds of dollars. This closed, controlled marketplace became the model for my current business, although it took years for me to have the wherewithal to publish editions of prints.

I began publishing limited edition lithographs in the late 70’s under the banner of my 57^th Street Gallery.  When I closed the gallery in1984, I started a new business dedicated to publishing limited edition ballpark prints. The idea was to release them at low prices and as the supplies diminished through sales, raise the prices. Demand was quite high in the beginning due to a strong baseball collectibles market, the uniqueness and newness of my venture and the quality of the artwork.

The baseball strike of 1994 could not have been a worse event for my carefully constructed marketplace. Demand sunk like cement shoes. All of the investor/speculators left the market. It also coincided with that fact that my collectors were becoming saturated and my inventory diluted. That is to say the newness of a Yankee Stadium print was gone on the 12^th edition we published.  Instead of nearly selling out the editions upon release, we were selling 10% or less of the editions. Nevertheless, I struggled desperately to maintain the integrity of my pricing.  My prices were now too high for the newly evolving lower-demand marketplace.  I came up with programs such as great game plan, calendar club and multiple purchase discounting, all designed to allow customers to purchase at discounts without actually lowering prices.

This went on for a number of years. Then came eBay.  Anyone who had ever purchased a print from us who no longer wanted it had an opportunity to unload it on eBay where there were traditionally very few buyers of these prints searching for them on a regular basis.  This drove prices down enormously. At first I tried to support this by re-purchasing. The quantity sold on eBay soon became too overwhelming to keep ahead of it.  There was little demand for our lithos on their site.  With the deterioration of our pricing system, eBay became the enemy.  I was uncomfortable selling any of our own inventory on eBay for fear our customers might feel we were underselling our own marketplace.

In May 2007, my 22 year old son, Ken Goff, graduated from Brandeis University with a Masters Degree in International Economics and Finance.  Two days before his graduation he was offered (and accepted) a position at eBay as a financial analyst in their Investor Relations Department.  Ironically, he was to have worked that summer for my company applying his graduate school knowledge to my business.  Double enemy.  But as he took the job, it piqued my curiosity and interest. And at his urging, I began to study eBay to see if there might be a way to make it work for me.

I read a book on the history of eBay and took some of their on line tutorials.  I realized that I had known very little about eBay and its philosophies and how it really worked.  So I re-opened my eBay store (which I had experimented with earlier and closed) and began stocking the store with inventory and sending items to auction.  New life.

Things began to take off. Not one complaint came from my existing clients, only elation to know they might be able to win items at real value prices.  We put a click-through to eBay on our home page advertising auctions on eBay. We have done a mailing to our entire mailing list in an effort to drive interested customers to my now thriving marketplace on eBay.

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Yankee Stadium Finale

Rebirth in the Bronx

Litho Updates – Sales brisk
Bill Purdom arrived in Bantam the week before Labor Day and spent a few days with us while signing our 2 new lithos, “Yankee Stadium Finale” and “Rebirth In The Bronx”, based on the paintings he’d done. We are offering a special price for all who order both at the same time ($99 each) and they are individually priced at $125 each until 1/1/2010 when they will go to our standard price of $140 each. We are selling the pairs in matching numbers if ordered together.

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I truly believe Bill Goff Inc / goodsportsart.com is the most exciting place on the internet to find good baseball art.  BASEBALL!  ART! HISTORY!  in a nutshell.

From Hilltop Park to Yankee Stadium, from a Brooklyn Dodgers jersey to Derek Jeter’s uniform, from Babe Ruth’s called shot to Henry Aaron’s 715th home run to David Cone’s perfect game, from Ebbets Field to Dodger Stadium, from Shibe Park to Connie Mack Stadium to Veterans Stadium to Citizens Bank Ballpark, we have it all (almost).

Hank Aaron's 715th

Celebrating Cone's Perfection

Ruth's Called Shot

For ballpark art prints, action art prints, great moment art prints, still life art prints and player art prints, we have the most diversified, complete portfolio. I have been in this business since 1977 and I think I have seen it all. I would be interested to receive any feedback on this subject anyone out in cyber-land might care to respond with. – Bill Goff

art, Babe Ruth, ballpark art, ballpark prints, baseball art, Baseball Links, baseball lithographs, baseball lithos, baseball player art, baseball prints, Citizens Bank Ballpark, Connie Mack Stadium, David Cone, Dodger Stadium, Ebbets Field, goodsportsart, Henry Aaron, history, shibe park, sports art, stadium art, Yankee Stadium Hide