Sports Memorabilia Appraisal - How Much Is my Sports Collection Worth?

Perhaps you’re just starting out as a sports memorabilia collector, or you’ve already amassed a large collection and want to ascertain and preserve its worth. Regardless of your collectibles experience, this guide will help you understand several significant factors that contribute to properly appraising the value of sports collectibles and memorabilia that you already own as well as items you may want to add to your collection. Soon you can be classified as a true sport memorabilia connoisseur.

Before you read about more in-depth aspects of the world of sports collectibles, it may be helpful for you to understand the key words that you’ll see throughout this article. While the terms memorabilia and collectible can be used interchangeably, those categories of sports valuables are technically distinct. The term collectibles refers to photos, cards, jerseys or sports equipment that has no signatures or has unauthenticated signatures; the category includes both replicas and authentic items. By contrast, memorabilia officially refers to sports collectibles that carry signatures certified by reputable distributors.

In order to properly assess the value of sports memorabilia and collectibles, you’ll want to understand the following aspects of this exciting hobby:

1.     When and how collecting started

2.     How to create and maintain your own collection

·       Get to know the market.

·       Learn how to avoid scams.

·       Protect your investment.

You can hardly visit a sport memorabilia store without noticing what seems like an inordinate amount of baseball collectibles. And if any sub-set of sports collectibles deserves its own classification, it’s the baseball card. Well, there are good reasons for both those facts, and they’re rooted in the history of professional sports and related collectibles.

The first collectibles came about through an advertising ploy by a tobacco company. Late nineteenth century mass production gave way to advertising schemes, such as insert cards packaged with various products. When tobacco companies decided to follow this trend, they featured information about baseball players on their cards. While those first “tobacco cards” lacked player pictures and were not yet part of official sets, they were the start of something big.

Building on the original tobacco cards, New York’s Goodwin Company started the first numbered set. The year was 1887, and for 30 years, Goodwin and others printed numbered cards on the backs of cigarette and cigar boxes, making theirs the first truly collectible cards. But they still held no value. During that period, however, a card featuring Honus Wagner began to circulate, only to be pulled due to complaints from the player. Because of the rarity of the Honus Wagner card, it became sought-after, prized, and valuable: the sports collectible sensation had begun.

While early baseball cards are highly prized, many aren’t as valuable as you would think. Because these first cards were originally afterthoughts and secondary to the products sold, off-center and otherwise low-quality printing is quite common. Since print quality is a major factor in a baseball card’s industry grade (such as mint, or nearly mint), these first cards tend to be worth less than you might expect.

Taking their cue from the tobacco cards’ success, bubble gum companies joined in during the 1930s. Kids whose heroes were the baseball stars started collecting and trading the bubble gum cards even more readily than their tobacco-chewing dads. One company, Goudey chewing gum, not only numbered their cards but also started releasing only one set each season. The idea of fans’ collecting entire sets had begun. After a pause during With World War II, the new pastime would enjoy resurgence in the 1950s. During that decade, Topps developed the first collectible cards with player pictures, team logos, and current career stats. Instead of including the cards with bubble gum, though, these cards came with a single piece of stale gum; the gamble was a win, though: people bought the cards.

Also in the 50s, sports equipment became more economical, and fans began to wait at stadium doors for signed gloves, jerseys, or balls. Many of today’s fans look back on those days with longing in their eyes; now, many players charge for autographs, and fraudulent imitations abound.

When the MLB gave way to other professional sports leagues--such as the NFL, NBA, and NHL--trading cards for each of those groups surfaced too. Pro sports memorabilia has certainly expanded since the 1950s; today, in addition to baseball memorabilia, you can find plenty of football memorabilia, basketball memorabilia, and hockey memorabilia.

If you’re just getting started, there are two basic issues to consider before you make your first purchase: your hobby budget and your collection niche. Along with the amount of money you have to devote to your collection, you’ll also want to consider costs related to displaying and maintaining its integrity; then you can set a budget cap for actual memorabilia. Perhaps you’d like to focus on items connected to a particular hockey player or baseballs signed by 1960s sluggers. Once you make sure that your collectible category-of-choice is within your financial means, you’re ready to start looking.

1.  Get to know the market.

For starters, you may want to meet the owners of any sports memorabilia stores in your  area or attend a sports memorabilia auction, so you can start to get to know those in    the industry. These local contacts may prove to be invaluable as you learn about the    market. The Internet can also be a helpful resource, as long as you’re aware of  potential scams. If you do look online, you should consider joining a sports collectibles   message forum where you can meet other collectors.

In addition to those personal connections, getting associated with standard pricing guides--such as the Becketts Price Guide--will help you get to know the market. Even  with price guide, though, autographed memorabilia can sometimes be difficult to price. The career records and current standing of the athlete who signed the item, as well as    the item itself, both contribute to its value.

In addition to an athlete’s popularity, the principle of supply and demand also plays a part in determining a signature’s value. Remember the Honus Wagner baseball cards?    The fact that they were pulled and therefore rare made them more valuable to collectors. That same principle applies to signed memorabilia. Players like Barry Bonds   who tend to be stingy with their signatures, make those rare finds worth more than equally successful players who are more generous with fans.

Items like bats, balls, gloves, and helmets are continually favorites. Official game-used items are also highly prized, but only if they come directly from sports commissions or reliable dealers. For instance, a football used in the Super Bowl has value even without a signature, but if it’s signed by the winning quarterback, the item’s value will increase. (It is important to note, however, that signed memorabilia only holds more value than unsigned items if the signature can be authenticated.) However, some items may be less likely to work well as autographed memorabilia, depending on the sport. A signature on a golf ball, for instance, would be difficult to read, so golf visors are more often signed.

    2. Learn how to avoid scams.

If you’re a novice memorabilia collector, you’re probably a bit wary about buying items that may not be genuine, and for good reason: Memorabilia fraud accounts for $500    million lost each year. It’s estimated that half of signed memorabilia out there is fake.  However, in 2000, the FBI launched Operation Bullpen, resulting in arrests of 20   people and seizure of $10 million in imposter items. As result of the resulting negative   press, a hologram-based authentication came about, as did a standard price scale. So as long as you know what to look for and where to check, you can be assured of the   genuineness of an item before you buy.

Bargain hunters everywhere hate to believe the old adage: If it seems like it’s too good to be true, it probably is. That principle will go a long way in protecting sports  collectors from purchasing frauds. Just like you consulted the Becketts Price Guide in  determining the value of your existing collection, you’ll want to use it to check out the   average price of an item before you purchase it. If you see it listed for half of its estimated value, you should probably steer clear.

If autographed memorabilia interests you, you’ll also want to find out about the signing habits of the athlete whose autograph you’d like to find. Some athletes only sign for one of industry leader, such as Steiner Sports or Schwartz. Many popular icons also  have a standard fee they charge for autographs. So if you know those habits of the one whose signature you seek, you can easily avoid most scams by considering the  price and asking questions of the seller.

Another way to avoid being scammed is to purchase items with an authenticity guarantee. Such certificates are issued by PSA/DNA, Steiner Sports, Upper Deck, and others.

Sportsmemorabilia.com has its own Authenticity Guarantee; with its partner, Steiner Sports, it originated third-party witnesses to signatures, signed inventory lists,    numbered holograms, and database registration that allows collectors to verify a   piece’s authenticity. Now most other major sellers use a similar system, so that’s one more way to help you know if a dealer is legit.

    3. Protect your investment.

While you may consider sports collecting just a hobby, it’s also an investment that you should protect. Protecting your collection should include displaying and preserving each item as well as having your collection catalogued, appraised, and insured. By protecting your investment, you’ll be in good shape to get top dollar when you want or need to sell part of your stash.

Even if you’re starting out small, you should catalogue each piece of your collection  and keep all authenticity certificates on file. You also need to be cautious in protecting  the items that you have. Considerations include environmental factors as well as  display options. For instance, UV rays from sunlight or fluorescent lighting can cause  damage, as can a damp, dark storage area. If you choose to store some items, you’ll  want to use air-tight storage bins. For display, you don’t have to spend a lot of money,    but you will want to spend some.

    When purchasing signed photos, you can often have them framed for an additional $50    or so. As an alternative, you can purchase the item unframed and then find a sports collectibles framer that will be sure to avoid value-diminishing practices, such as using  cheaper paper that contains fade-inducing acid or allowing the collectible to touch the    glass, which can cause smudges or stains. Signed photos or baseball cards can certainly be stored in binders with plastic storage sheets. If you choose that option, look for PVC-free products so the ink won’t rub off.

If you collect items such as jerseys, balls, or helmets, you should consider buying quality cases to display and preserve them. Traditional glass cases are giving way to acrylic, an increasingly popular option due to its unbreakable nature and added protection from UV rays.

Baseball cards and other collectible cards should be both graded and protected. The industry standard grading, consul www.beckett.com. In conjunction with their grading services, they will provide a tamper-proof protective holder that will assure a future buyer of the card’s preserved grade.

In addition to documenting what you have, as your collection grows, you should have it appraised and insured, just in case. When it’s time to flip an item, you’ll be glad if   you’ve consulted more than one sports memorabilia appraisal experts so you know  each item’s true worth.

Now that you know the history behind the sports collectibles phenomenon and understand the basics of starting and preserving your collection, you can buy, collect, and sell your memorabilia with confidence.