How To Start A Sports Memorabilia Collection

By Dee Dee Smith

Anyone can become a sports collector. All you need is passion and a love for sports. One can collect as a hobby or as an investor. 

The Basics of Sports Collecting:

Basic Terminology:

Sports Memorabilia - An item that is directly associated with an athlete, team, sporting event or sporting venue.  These might include sportswear worn by the athlete, autographed photos, event programs/tickets, or actual stadium seats. 

Some other examples of popular sports memorabilia include:

·         Football Memorabilia - Signed jerseys, signed helmets/mini-helmets and signed footballs.

·         Hockey Memorabilia - Signed jerseys, autographed pucks and sticks.

·         Baseball Memorabilia - Signed baseballs, cards, bats, gloves, batting helmets, jerseys and photographs.

·         Basketball Memorabilia - Signed jerseys, autographed basketballs and magazine covers.

·         Golf Memorabilia - Autographed golf balls, pin flags and photographs.

·         Soccer Memorabilia - Signed jerseys, soccer balls and autographed photos.

·         Tennis Memorabilia - Autographed photos, tennis balls, tennis shorts and shoes.

·         Boxing Memorabilia - Signed boxing gloves, robes/trunks, promotional posters and autographed photos. 

·         Stadium/Venue Memorabilia - Autographed stadium seats, field dirt, photographs and stadium replicas. 

·         Event Memorabilia - Event covers/programs, tickets, used jerseys/balls and photographs.

Sports Collectible - A very general term; indicative of any sports related item sought after/desired by collectors. 

Sports Auction - A method of buying sports memorabilia/collectibles.  Instead of purchasing via a website, catalog or other traditional method, one bids for items competing against other potential buyers. 

Sports Collection - A group of items put together to build a personal sports collection.  This may be a group of baseball cards, autographs, photographs, sports magazines, etc.

Certificate of Authenticity (COA) - A document that verifies/validates the authenticity/genuineness of the item you are purchasing.

Autograph - Someone’s authentic/true signature.

Lithograph - A special printing process that produces somewhat of a poster like look.

Display Case - Places in which to store and showcase your collectibles.  Display cases keep your memorabilia free from dust and fading, as well as curious little fingers. 

Vintage Memorabilia - Memorabilia/collectibles that are considered to be quite old. 

Photomints - A collection of commemorative items put together with complimentary matting, banners, coins, etc. and framed for hanging.  Photomints are sold as limited editions.

Starting a Collection:

Shopping for your collection - Beginning sports collecting can be very exciting.  Nonetheless, buying out of emotion can run you into lots of trouble.  There are many fakes being sold over the Internet, so you’ll need to take precautions to ensure that you are not scammed.  Use the internet to compare prices.  Although you might find a "good deal,” you should be weary if they price is too low.  If something seems too good to be true, chances are it’s not the real deal.  Here are a few tips:

·      Be sure to purchase your memorabilia from a reputable source like SportsMemorabilia.com. 

·      Look for dealers who provide a Certificate of Authenticity with each purchase, and a money back guarantee.

·      Consider purchasing collectibles licensed by sports leagues/associations such as Major League Baseball (MLB), the National Football League (NFL) or the National Basketball Association (NBA). 

What should I collect?

A sports collection should be reflective of you and your passion for sports.  No one can say - “you should/should not collect this or that”—it’s all a personal choice.   That said, you’ll want to build a collection that you cherish and will enjoy sharing with others.  You’ll want to take these factors into consideration: 

·         Number of items on the market - The more rare the item, the more desired it is by collectors. It’s simple economics.  The fewer the supply, the more valuable it becomes. 

·         Types of item - Common items are typically safer investments.  For example - signed baseballs, boxing gloves, hockey pucks, basketballs, etc. 

·         Value/potential value of the item - The rules of collecting fluctuate often, nonetheless, you can make somewhat safe investments by choosing memorabilia from popular athletes.  Collections associated with athletes such as Michael Jordan, Tom Brady, or Derek Jeter will always hold or increase in value. 

Building a collection:  You can build several types of collections.

·         Team Collection - Build your collection around your favorite team.

·         Player Collection - Build your collection around your favorite player. 

·         Sporting Event Collection - Build your collection around a particular event such as the Super Bowl, Daytona 500 or the Stanley Cup. 

·         Sporting Venue Collection - Build your collection around a sporting arena/place such as Yankee Stadium or the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. 

·         Item Collection - Collect one item such as all baseballs, footballs, mini-helmets, bobble heads, etc.

·         Award Collection - Collection of memorabilia concerning the Baseball, Hockey or Football Hall of Fame.   

Collecting can be lots of fun and very rewarding.  Who knows, it may become a hobby that is shared by both you and your family.