Is this a good time to buy Michael Jackson collectibles?

An autographed Michael Jackson hat recently featured on eBay

When Michael Jackson died on June 25, fans around the world were shocked and MJ collectibles dealers wondered what to do. After all, Michael was heavily merchandised for much of his life, and fans had always wanted to own a piece of him.

But what will the market bring in the future? Will collectibles stay valuable? Or will they fall after an initial period of buying and selling activity?

We think it's a safe bet that unique MJ items, or rarer pieces -- autographs, unused ticket stubs, limited edition CDs and LPs -- will stay at high prices, and the marketplace favors buyers right now. Smaller mass-produced pieces like gloves and keychains will always be available, and except for special authentic historical collectibles, will not really interest collectors. They will remain the focus of fans.

The day after Jackson's death, CNN ran a story quoting eBay officials that in the preceding 24 hours, the total number of Michael Jackson items for sale had risen to 20,000, an increase from normal of about 275%.

As of the writing of this article (July 10), we are actually listing over 60,000 MJ items for sale (this figure includes international eBay sites), and have noticed that the most popular items seem to be unique pieces -- autographed items, ticket stubs, and vinyl LPs that are no longer in print. Currently available picture discs of the Thriller 25th Anniversary are also popular.

All in all, this is a great time to be buying MJ stuff. Pretty much everything you can imagine is available, and although bidding is fierce, so is the competition between sellers. As always, you can get an advantage by looking through eBay listings on Mega Ministore; we use special software to extract relevant items from various eBay sites and list them in our own unique categories, offering items that others buyers don't see.

You only have to pay what you want, not more. Be vigilant and have fun!

Michael Jackson merchandise for sale

We search the web for vendors who sell Michael Jackson merchandise, select the most relevant ones and sort them into specific categories so you can see a larger selection of offers.

Hover over tab to show items; click tab to see page.

Currently available Michael Jackson merchandise sales from Amazon.com, including third-party sellers. See item page at Amazon for shipping details.