Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports/
Dolphins linebacker Kiko Alonso next to Miami helmet
Sports memorabilia auctions are supposed to answer the question of how much somebody is willing to pay for a piece of an athlete’s career. In the case of a signed Kiko Alonso Dolphins mini helmet, the answer was apparently one American dollar.
The autographed helmet closed Wednesday on NFL Auction with exactly one bid for $1, and the auction listing adds one spectacular detail: the winning bidder is also responsible for a flat $10 administrative fee. The fee therefore costs 10 times more than the actual piece of signed NFL memorabilia.
The NFL Made More In Fees Than The Helmet Cost
Technically, the buyer is paying at least $11 before any applicable taxes or shipping enter the equation: one dollar for the Alonso helmet, and ten more for the privilege of buying the Alonso helmet.
That is an incredible checkout screen.
The auction opened Aug. 3 and sat around long enough for one bidder to eventually enter the minimum $1 offer on Sept. 6. Nobody else challenged it before the listing closed Sept. 9, meaning there was no dramatic final-minute bidding war over the former Dolphins linebacker.
The winning bidder got the thing for less than the price of basically anything sold inside an NFL stadium. A bottle of water? More expensive. Parking? Considerably more expensive.
One autographed mini helmet from a guy who started 46 games for Miami? One buck.
At least the cause behind the auction is better than the market valuation. NFL Auction says net proceeds from Dolphins items benefit the Miami Dolphins Foundation, which probably hoped Alonso’s signature might generate slightly more charitable firepower.
Kiko Alonso Was Actually Pretty Good In Miami
The funniest part is that this is not memorabilia from some training-camp linebacker who played six special-teams snaps and disappeared.
Alonso spent three seasons with the Dolphins from 2016 through 2018 and started nearly every game he played. He recorded more than 100 tackles in each of those seasons, including 125 tackles and three interceptions in 2018, before Miami traded him to New Orleans.
His career numbers include 533 total tackles, 10 interceptions, and 86 regular-season games across Buffalo, Philadelphia, Miami, and New Orleans. He also produced one of his most memorable plays in Miami, returning an interception 60 yards for the winning touchdown against the Chargers in 2016.
So there is an actual Dolphins résumé attached to this helmet; apparently not an $11 résumé, but a résumé nontheless.
There is also a strange little market lesson here. Sports memorabilia values can become completely detached from how recognizable or accomplished an athlete actually was. Collectors spend millions chasing one-of-one cards, game-worn jerseys, and historically significant items, while perfectly legitimate signed merchandise from established NFL players can barely
attract a bid.
Someone just bought authenticated-looking Dolphins nostalgia for less than the loose change sitting inside plenty of center consoles.