18-Dec-16 – With the recent Chicago Cubs World Series victory, Chicago-area sports and gift shop’s cash registers are ringing like jingle bells.

There was so much pent-up demand for Cubs gear that sports fans spent about $70 million on World Series gear the first day after the Cubs took the title.

In fact, the Cubs World Series championship merchandise set a high for Major League Baseball’s best hot-market sales ever in a single month, and the record was set in the first 24 hours of the final out. Authentic, MLB-licensed Cubs World Series hats, T-shirts, and fleece hoodies bearing the official championship logo were in great demand, priced at up to $80 at Carson’s. (Right) Chicago Cubs jersey being sold at Carson’s for $135.

Winning the World Series has become a religious experience. Even Chicago Archbishop Blasé Cupich gave Pope Francis a Cubs hat and a baseball signed by the Cubs on his recent visit to the Vatican. This writer witnessed an elderly Jewish gentleman wearing a Cubs yarmulke while shopping at Whole Foods in the Sauganash neighborhood on the Northwest Side.

Women fans also are participating in the fun. Carson’s is offering a Waterford crystal Cubs championship baseball (left) for only $150. For real memorabilia collectors, the value of the World Series last-out ball already has been estimated at $250,000 to $3 million.

With lofty numbers like this being tossed around, it’s no wonder the FBI’s Art Crimes team warned Cubs fans to be on the lookout for counterfeit memorabilia.

Beware of game-used items such as jerseys and autographed baseballs. Even if the signatures have been authenticated, better check qualifications of the authenticator, the FBI advises.

Winning is good for your health and testosterone

Why are Cubs fans still so crazy about this stuff nearly two months after the World Series ended? Winning can be good for your mental and physical health, but apparently the high only lasts a little while.

When a sports team wins, fans with a strong psychological connection to the club also feel success as well. A World Series win for the Cubs – the first since 1908 – can increase a fan’s testosterone level, and doctors say winning could lead to a boost in one’s immune system.

Wearing and displaying sports memorabilia of the winning team is in demand for months, maybe even years after the championship event because the trophies of victory keep that mental and physical high alive, psychologists say.

Now I know why wearing my Vintage Risk and Chicago Sun-Times championship softball jackets always makes my chest stick out instead of my beer belly. And my proudest possessions are those championship clincher softballs (right) signed by my teammates and displayed in my man cave.

Let’s look at some of the licensed Cubs World Series trophies and assorted dust-gathering junk being offered by the Bradford Exchange, a Niles-based company that is cashing in on the sports frenzy… (Left) Commemorative Trophy Ornament. This “heirloom-quality, meticulously sculpted, cast, and hand-painted” 6.5-inch ornament features a replica of the World Series trophy. The home plate design features an actual in-game photo of the victory celebration, sculpted cross bats, and a baseball with the championship year. Price: $39.99.

(Right) Commemorative Sculpture. This collectible is a seven-inch statue of Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo stretching to catch the ball for the final out in the World Series. The sculpture features the iconic Wrigley Field marquee declaring the moment the Cubs became World Series Champions, along with a collection of backdrop action photos. Price: $119.99.

(Left) World Series Champions Stein. Luckily, only 10,800 of these 7.75-inch beer steins will ever be made. Made of “hand-crafted, hard-fired Heirloom Porcelain,” the 30-ounce stein showcases the official champion’s logo and a color image of Cubs players celebrating. It features a baseball bat handle, baseball topper, and a metal alloy lid with a baseball glove thumb rest, so fans can “toast the champs in winning style.” Price: $129.96.

As if these three “iconic” trophies were not enough, the Bradford Exchange also is offering a porcelain plate ($49), a lighted Christmas tree ornament made of hand-blown glass ($39), a charm bracelet ($119), a man’s wrist watch with Cubs logo ($249), and a woman’s fashion watch ($99).

Other retailers also are getting on the Cubs bandwagon. The Mister Shop in North Riverside is offering a “prized possession,” an Italian lambskin Cubs championship jacket with lambskin logos, for only $1,495. For 2-XL through 6-XL expect to pay a higher price.

Amazon is marketing a collector’s edition of the 2016 World Series on Blu-ray and DVD. Binny’s Beverage Depot has introduced the 2016 Cubs World Series Championship Brut, champagne for only $24.99. This one must have been inspired by Cubs manager Joe Maddon, a wine lover.

Better not spend all your Christmas gift money on sports memorabilia. The Cubs announced they are raising ticket prices by an average of 19.5 percent to an average of $58. Season ticket holders will pay up to 31 percent more.