For Brandon Steiner, this loss was costly

November 4, 2024 Andy Furman

Brandon Steiner. Photo courtesy of Brandon Steiner

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Brandon Steiner took the Game 5 loss to the Dodgers that clinched the 2024 World Series hard — really hard.

Brandon Steiner is a Yankee fan — a big Yankee fan.

The John Dewey High School grad, class of 1977, has been dubbed “One of the most innovative, influential figures in the history of sports memorabilia.”

In fact, in 2005, Steiner reached an agreement with the New York Yankees to create Yankees-Steiner Collectables. As part of the agreement, Steiner would have license to “market a wide range of products, which will include game-used bases, balls, player jerseys, caps, and lineup cards.”

A jersey worn by New York Yankee ace Gerrit Cole. Photo courtesy of Brandon Steiner

“My business would be 100 times better today if they won,” Steiner told the Brooklyn Eagle. The day after, the Dodgers clinched their eighth World title.

Why?

“Yankee fans are so emotional,” he said after the loss. “That is what sports collecting is all about — emotion. Yankee fans are now in mourning.”

Competing in the World Series makes no difference, he claims. “Losing is losing,” he said. “There’s really no difference in losing in the World Series or not making the playoffs.”

An autographed picture of Shohei Ohtani from his tenure with the Angels before he joined the Dodgers. Photo courtesy of Brandon Steiner

Yes, there certainly are big collectible items from the Fall Classic — Shohei Ohtani, the Japanese star who plays for the Dodgers, and Yankee slugger Aaron Judge — game-winning hits and home runs.

“But Yankee fans want entire team items,” Steiner said. “They want whole-team items with coaches and manager.”

Brandon Steiner knows. Steiner and Steiner Sports are perhaps best known for reaching an agreement with the Yankees in 2009 to seek a wide variety of memorabilia from the Old Yankee Stadium, including seats, signs, lockers, and the Frieze.

He launched The Steiner Agency and CollectibleXchange in late 2019, which allows individuals to buy, sell and appraise like never before.

“We had the potential after this year’s Series to be humongous,” Steiner said. “We had appearances set, and there was a lot of money at stake. What we saw,” he continued, “was people falling off the hill — off the hype hill — and it was painful. It’s just the big-city love for their Yankees.”

In 1987, using his $8,000 savings, Steiner launched Steiner Associates sports marketing company in New Rochelle, New York. It was an effort to pair up athletes with businesses that needed to draw customers.

Today, that company is best known for its memorabilia.

A bat handcrafted for Yankee second baseman Gleyber Torres. Photo courtesy of Brandon Steiner

Now, Steiner, who attended the Martin J. Whitman School of Management at Syracuse University, is planning the future for Baby Boomers. “Seventy percent of wealth is controlled by people 60 years of age and up,” he said. “And more people today are living past the age of 65.”

In fact, he said you could add the number of people aged 65 in the last 100 years — and it doesn’t top today’s count.

“Baby Boomers are looking to downsize today,” he said. “And we’re here to help if they have collectibles.”

An autographed picture of Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton. Photo courtesy of Brandon Steiner

Steiner says his business is at the ready to help evaluate collections as well as organize them.

“We actually build out a store for them,” he said. “Our staff organizes their collections and authenticates them. We build their collections on our site, and we will sell on consignment, with some cash up front and a monthly check.”

Steiner claims he is getting items from 20-30 years ago. “These items are 100 percent more unique, different,” he said. “And I have become an amazing helper for many people. We will go to their home and put together a package in writing.”

A sports marketer, collector, founder and former CEO of Steiner Sports, a speaker and, lest we forget, the inventor of the Everything Bagel in 1973.

“One night I was screwing around with different combinations of toppings — sesame, salt, poppy, onion and garlic,” he writes in a 2016 blog post. “I was making braids, onion flats, and other unorthodox concoctions. Then, after a while, I had the thought to throw all the toppings on a bagel at once. That is how I invented the everything bagel. That was 1973. I was 14.”

Another year the Yankees missed. Oakland’s A’s defeated the Mets that year. Brandon Steiner must have been sick for days.

Andy Furman is a Fox Sports Radio National talk show host. Previously, He was a scholastic sports columnist for the Brooklyn Eagle. He may be reached at: [email protected] Twitter: @AndyFurmanFSR