'Death effect' on collectible prices

It has been widely observed that the price of art or celebrity memorabilia rises around the time of the artist or figure's death. Previous authors attribute this ' death effect ' primarily to expectations on the part of collectors concerning the future supply of collectibles relating to the public figure as in the case of a durable goods monopolist. The observations of the sports memorabilia market suggest that the increase in prices is instead due to a ' nostalgia effect ' as a result of the media attention that surrounds the death of a prominent public figure.