Bonds memorabilia not so hot locally

As Barry Bonds inched closer toward Major League Baseball’s most hallowed record, Mike Zaziri, the owner of the Card Zone in Costa Mesa, did his best to prepare.

He gathered all of his Bonds’ rookie cards, the ones of him as a wiry outfielder for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Surely they would sell, Zaziri thought.

He was wrong.

“Nobody asks for anything Barry. Nobody,” Zaziri said of Bonds memorabilia being cold though the Giants’ slugger is two home runs from breaking Hank Aaron’s all-time record of 755. “People don’t believe that he’s really breaking it. It’s not the right thing for him to break it. People don’t like it, that’s for as far as my customers go. He might break the Hank Aaron record, but I don’t think he’s really doing it.”

Zaziri said he was taken aback by the low interest for Bonds items, even though the great home-run hitter has been linked to steroid rumors. He said sales remain low for the controversial star, as he attempts to tie and break the home-run record with the Giants, who play at the Los Angeles Dodgers and then at San Diego over the next six days, starting today.

Zaziri had a reason to be surprised. Usually when athletes are on the cusp of a momentous achievement, the memorabilia for that athlete sells, he said. Just as when Mark McGwire was in the hunt to break the single-season home run record in 1998.

“When someone gets to the point of breaking a record, you will see people come in and buy that rookie card,” Zaziri said. “I haven’t sold rookie cards on Bonds. I haven’t sold anything on Bonds. Nothing.”

A glove signed by Bonds for $600 remains unsold at the Card Zone, Zaziri said, and he would be surprised if anyone bought it.

There’s not much action for Bonds at LCG Signatures in Newport Beach, either.

On the contrary, sales for Aaron items have picked up recently, store owner Randy Pollock said. Vintage telegrams, reporting Aaron breaking Babe Ruth’s record signed by the current home-run record holder, are popular.

But still nothing Barry. Well, not necessarily. Pollock said he did sell one Bonds item.

“Interestingly enough, we had one large framed piece [of Bonds] that we sold to a chain of stores in the Bay Area,” Pollock said. “His stuff is not really being sold. It wouldn’t be if it wasn’t for the stores in the Bay Area. I guess the Bay Area people still love him.”

Pollock doesn’t care for Bonds. He’s never been a fan, even before Bonds stirred the anger of baseball purists. That’s because Bonds made an awful impression while Pollock was at an autograph show in San Jose in 1992, Pollock said.

Bonds was signing memorabilia along with John Elway, who signed everything, Pollock said. Bonds didn’t.

“He said, ‘I don’t sign jerseys,’ ” Pollock said.

But after the event’s promoter reminded him of their agreement, Bonds obliged, but not totally.

“So Bonds signs at the bottom of the jersey on the stitching, as small as he can that you had to squint to see it,” Pollock said. “He’s been worse … He’s been a jerk over the years.”

Aside from Pollock’s perception of Bonds’ personality, Pollock believes that has nothing to do with the disinterest in Bonds memorabilia. It’s because of Bonds’ ongoing battle with steroid rumors.

Bonds’ rookie cards go for $25 (Fleer) and $20 (Topps and Donruss), according to Tuff Stuff Magazine,

“The price has actually gone down over the years,” said Pollock, who has been running his business for the past 15 years. “Before the steroids talk, it was trading for $50 or $70. And, once the conversation started it’s gone down.”

It’s true. The peak of Bonds’ main rookie card, a 1987 Fleer issue, was $60 two years ago, but is now at $25, according to a recent report from USA Today.

But it’s not all bad news for all things Bonds. On Beckett.com, Bonds is the hottest card in July, ahead of Alex Rodriguez, Daisuke Matsuzaka and Derek Jeter.

Still that doesn’t translate to the entirety of Bonds memorabilia, especially the supposed anticipation of home-run ball No. 756. According to the aforementioned USA Today story, the owner of ball 756 would be lucky to get $1 million because memorabilia experts estimate the ball would command about half that. It would slump if Bonds is indicted in the federal steroids probe.

STEVE VIRGEN may be reached at (714) 966-4616 or at steve.virgen@latimes.com.