Taylor Swift's NBA playoff chair sells for $7,000 at auction — why that's cheap for Swiftie memorabilia

Taylor Swift’s folding chair from Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals is being removed from Cleveland’s Rocket Arena and put up for auction. Many Taylor Swift superfans were excited to see her at Game 3 with her fiancé, NFL star Travis Kelce. The game was between the New York Knicks and the Cleveland Cavaliers, and Kelce is both a native Ohioan and a huge Cavs fan.

The opening bid for Swift’s chair on The Realist was $100 and it sold for $7,000.

The chair may be a worthwhile purchase for someone who wants it purely out of their love for the pop icon — but is it a good investment? This item of memorabilia may be missing the “special something” that would help it appreciate over time.

The folklore behind celebrity memorabilia gaining value

There are numerous incidents of celebrity memorabilia selling for more than anyone anticipated because they had gained value over the years. Often, these items accrue value because they are tied to a moment that was significant to the celebrity or sentimental to fans.

The Chicago Bulls jersey Michael Jordan wore in Game 1 of the 1998 NBA Finals sold at auction for $10.1 million in 2022. There were several reasons this jersey was so valuable 24 years later. Many consider Jordan to be the greatest basketball player of all time. The Bulls won the 1998 championship, and the season was a highlight of Jordan’s career.

The ruby slippers worn by Judy Garland in “The Wizard of Oz” sold at auction for $32.5 million in 2024 — 85 years after the film was released. The slippers’ long-standing association with Hollywood was one reason for their impressive selling price.

“There is simply no comparison between Judy Garland’s Ruby Slippers and any other piece of Hollywood memorabilia,” Heritage Auctions executive vice president Joe Maddalena said in a press release. “The breathtaking result reflects just how important movies and movie memorabilia are to our culture and to collectors.”

The slippers’ auction was also timely, as the story of “The Wizard of Oz” had regained prominence with the release of the 2024 movie “Wicked.”

Little sentimentality or significance attached to Taylor Swift’s chair

The Eastern Conference Finals Game 3 Courtside Chair may be significant to fans because Taylor Swift touched it, but for the most part, the emotional value ends there.

The chair is associated with a game Swift attended with Kelce. It’s not tied to her music, which Swifties famously connect with emotionally, or to a concert, where fans unite to see her live.

“The Eras Tour was a sense of nostalgia, magic, new friendships and a feeling of being understood,” Andi Morris, 28, told The Washington Post.

Swifties love following her romantic relationships, including with Kelce. But this was far from their first time at a game together. Their attendance at a Nebraska-Cincinnati college football game at Arrowhead Stadium was likely more significant for fans, since it was the couple’s first public outing after announcing their engagement.

Depending on what happens in the future, it’s possible this chair will become more relevant. But, considering she didn’t even sign it, it ranks low on the emotional engagement scale.

Are collectibles like Swift’s chair smart investments?

Memorabilia is fun to collect if you’re passionate about it. If you love Taylor Swift and basketball, you may want to scoop up the chair and never sell it. But collectors shouldn’t count on getting a huge return on their investment.