Plaintiff's counsel Peter Gelblum cross-examined memorabilia dealer Bruce Fromong about his business dealings with OJ Simpson's autographs and memorabilia. The examination focused on whether Simpson's infamy actually increases his commercial value — using Mike Tyson and Pete Rose as comparisons — and probed Fromong's claim that Simpson merchandise wasn't selling well, while also eliciting that Fromong had been aware of personal Simpson items (a verdict-day suit and a jet ski) being quietly offered for sale.
# 1 Q: You have a full-time job at Folsom Prison?
# 6 A: Although right at the moment, I take that back, right at the present time I'm only working 20 hours a week.
# 8 A: I have been for six months.
# 10 A: I have been for approximately six months, since August.
# 11 Q: Okay. And how much time were you able to devote to your job with Locker 32?
# 12 A: I get up early in the morning. I make a lot of phone calls to the East Coast. When I'm done in the afternoon, come home, check the answering machine and, you know, if there's calls, I make calls to the, you know, my calls to the West Coast. If there are orders for other memorabilia, because I do deal in a lot of other memorabilia, I've got packaging, shipping, make a trip over to UPS. I may spend anywhere from 10, 15 minutes a day to spending anywhere up to four, five hours a day. It depends on what's going on at the time. When I'm going to a show, I may spend an entire weekend. When I went out to Super Bowl, I took a week off.
# 13 Q: Okay. Do you only deal in sports memorabilia?
# 14 A: When you say sports memorabilia, you're classing that as --
# 15 Q: As opposed to political or other kinds of memorabilia?
# 16 A: I have dealt limited in other memorabilia but sports memorabilia is my largest commodity.
# 17 Q: You're aware, for example, that an autograph of Lee Harvey Oswald sells for twice as much as an autograph of the man he's charged with killing, John Kennedy?
# 18 MR. BAKER: I object, relevance.
# 19 THE COURT: Sustained.
# 20 A: I can't tell you that.
# 21 Q: You're aware that just because somebody is charged with some infamous crime, doesn't reduce their marketing potential, aren't you?
# 22 A: At times it does.
# 23 Q: At times it doesn't, right?
# 25 Q: Well, you know Mike Tyson's, the value of his autograph has gone up since he was charged and convicted of rape?
# 26 MR. LEONARD: Objection, relevance.
# 27 THE COURT: Overruled.
# 28 A: I don't know what the price --
# 29 Q: (BY MR. GELBLUM) You don't know?
# 30 A: No, I'm asking you what -- you say it's gone up.
# 31 Q: You're the one in the business.
# 32 A: No, sir. I have seen Mike Tyson's autograph go down.
# 34 A: I recently purchased a Mike Tyson photograph for $20.
KEY QUOTE # 35 Q: If these guides that you talked about which are the guides that people in the industry use as guides, show the value of Mike Tyson has gone up, they're wrong?
# 36 THE COURT: You going to ask him --
# 38 THE COURT: You going to ask him those questions, I'm going to permit redirect on the portion sustained.
# 39 MR. GELBLUM: I'm asking about Mike Tyson.
# 40 THE COURT: I'm telling you what my ruling is.
# 41 Q: (BY MR. GELBLUM) Have you seen Mike Tyson's, the value printed in the guides has increased?
# 42 A: I haven't watched Mike Tyson's autograph.
# 43 Q: And the value of Pete Rose's autograph since he was incarcerated for tax evasion?
# 44 A: That's fluctuated.
# 45 Q: Did you see in the guides that that increased as well?
# 47 Q: Okay. And you are aware that the guides show Mr. Simpson's autograph as being among the top five of all living athletes, the value of the autograph?
# 48 A: Of all living athletes, I don't believe of all -- in the top five you said?
KEY QUOTE # 52 A: It's possible. I would say within the top ten.
# 53 Q: And would you agree with the statement that --
# 54 A: That's what the guide says.
# 55 Q: -- based on your work with Mr. Simpson -- strike that. You're not saying, are you, that the sales of Mr. Simpson's memorabilia might not pick up sometime in the future when things settle down?
# 56 A: Possibly the next generation.
KEY QUOTE # 57 Q: Okay. years from now?
# 59 Q: You don't think it will pick up before then?
# 60 A: I -- speculation. I know what it's doing now.
# 61 Q: Okay. And you haven't tried to market a book for him, have you?
# 63 Q: Set up any interviews for him?
# 64 A: Interviews? No. Now, are you including appearances at shows?
# 65 Q: No. Interviews. Not autograph signings. We talked about that.
# 67 Q: Interviews, like television interviews?
# 69 Q: Or tried to make any movie deals for him?
# 71 Q: Or tried to sell any of his personal items -- his personal items that he owns, as opposed to memorabilia?
# 72 A: There have been one or two items that I have been told about that might possibly be on the market but I have not actively tried to sell them, no.
# 73 Q: What are those items?
# 74 A: There was a suit that was worn the day of the verdict.
KEY QUOTE # 75 Q: Okay. How much was that being offered for?
# 76 A: There was no price given.
# 77 Q: What else was there?
# 78 A: There was a -- in fact there was a jet ski at one time.
# 79 Q: Do you remember how much that was being offered for?
# 80 A: There was no price mentioned.
# 81 Q: It was being offered as O.J. Simpson's jet ski?
# 82 A: My son was interested in buying it.
# 83 Q: The suit was being offered as the suit he wore -- O.J. Simpson wore on the day of the verdict?
# 85 Q: And you say his products haven't been selling very well in your shop?
# 86 A: No, they have not.
# 87 Q: You still carry them, do you not?
# 89 MR. GELBLUM: Nothing further.
# 90 MR. LEONARD: No questions.
# 91 THE COURT: Step down.