The term sports memorabilia generally refers to anything that can be directly related to a sporting event or personality. These items are usually collected by fans of the particular sport, athlete, or team the item represents or by collectors who find value in the time-value rarity of these collectibles. “Sports memorabilia” often also refers to autographed sports memorabilia.
Sports memorabilia may have sentimental or monetary value to the collector. Many items worn by famous sports stars or at a famous event have sold for many dollars at auctions like Sotheby’s and others. The ball that Mark McGwire hit for home run number 62 in 1998, for example, sold for more than $1 million.
You could say that sports memorabilia collecting dates back to the early decades of the 20th century, when many people collected baseballs from baseball games and many asked Babe Ruth for autographs. As the years passed and many other sports stars joined their sports, memorabilia collectors also began to broaden their horizons.
A piece of rugby union memorabilia, an uncirculated coin from the 2003 Rugby World Cup, when the NBA, MLB, NHL and NFL began selling their jerseys in stores during the 1980s, the Used jerseys from the game also became a popular item among collectors of sports memorabilia. Former NBA player Dennis Rodman was famous for taking off his jerseys and throwing them into the stands after his games were over. Michael Jordan is probably the basketball player whose memorabilia is the most sought after by collectors.
The highest price obtained for a used soccer jersey is $224,000. The shirt belonged to the legendary Pelé, who wore it during the 1970 World Cup final in which Brazil won.
Collectors also like to look back in time when they find sports memorabilia. Items like John L. Sullivan and Jack Johnson fight posters have sold long before. There is also a boxing glove signed by Sullivan, Johnson, Ruth and many Hollywood stars and American presidents that has sold for a lot of money before. This glove is now on display at the International Boxing Hall of Fame.
In boxing, one of the most prominent sports memorabilia collectors is Bob Pace, who sells everything from fight posters to autographs. Pace has been in business since 1984.
Another sports star highly sought after by memorabilia collectors is Pete Rose. Many items used by the king of hits have sold for good prices, including one of his convertible cars, which was obtained by a collector who focuses only on Pete Rose memorabilia. An article about this was published in a sports magazine.
Adding an autograph to an item used in a particular game or by a particular star can increase or decrease the value of the item, depending on the situation. If the autograph has been personalized (ie “To Mark”), the autograph devalues the item on the public market. In addition, autographed memorabilia that is sold without a certificate of authenticity is undervalued by collectors. Various companies have developed systems to test the authenticity of autographed or game-used memorabilia, and collectors will generally look for dealers that offer a lifetime money-back guarantee of authenticity.
For collectors who only view their memorabilia as sentimental, they can view it as a childhood keepsake or a life moment shared with their favorite star or team.
Programs of rugby union events and football matches are also very collectible.
eBay is a popular medium for sellers and buyers. However, most items sold on eBay are not from reputable dealers and are often counterfeit, including items sold with Certificates of Authenticity, as these can easily be counterfeited. The only way to ensure that sports memorabilia is authentic is to purchase from a reputable dealer. Industry experts and law enforcement agencies estimate that a large number of items sold in the sports memorabilia industry are counterfeit. To see examples of high-value collectibles, click here. [http://www.squidoo.com/sportsmemorabiliahobby]