"Because they're printed in large numbers and now saved in large numbers, the value is probably not that great," O'Connell said.
The nature of the sport also restricts what's available for sale. Attention usually remains focused on the horses. "As far as I know, I don't think Big Brown signs any autographs," said Mike Heffner, president of lelands.com, a Massachusetts-based auctioneer.
There's a limited supply of what are considered the most valuable items: race-worn material like jockeys' silks or horseshoes. For example, items connected to Seattle Slew, who won the Triple Crown in 1977, have sold at auction for as much as $80,000, Marren said.
But most racehorse owners don't have much incentive to sell race-worn items.
"A lot of the families that own horses at that level are not facing the temptation or economic pressure to sell artifacts," O'Connell said.
Jensen, who works in financial services, has sold collectibles on eBay for eight years and works with a partner who is a bigger horse-racing fan, he said. They started working together in 2004, when Smarty Jones was a contender. "We didn't do too well with that," he said.
This year they are pitching a package deal: a pair of $2 win tickets - one from Preakness as well as a "pre-paid" ticket from the Belmont Stakes.
"A lot of people that can't go to the races, they enjoy having a piece of memorabilia," Jensen said. "They still have a piece of something that was there the day he won the race."
The two hope to sell their slips for $10 to $20 apiece. Given the odds, they would only make an additional 40 cents if they cashed in the tickets at the track - which is where they will go if Big Brown doesn't win. He packages them in protective sleeves made for sports cards.
Jensen has several auctions poised to start right before and after the race itself. He plans to spend the afternoon monitoring the race on television and his auctions via the Internet.
"If he wins, I want to be right there to capture everyone's excitement - and their money," he said.
liz.kay@baltsun.com
