Sports - General

The world of sports memorabilia holds much opportunity for investors and hobbyists alike, from awards, programs, and trading cards to apparel, autographs, and equipment. Perhaps the only limiting factor in this pursuit is a piece’s scarcity and price.

The first days of modern sports created a number of opportunities for collecting, although acquiring sports memorabilia from this time period may be outside of many budgets. Some of the earliest known memorabilia items include vintage artwork, event programs, awards, and trading cards dating back as far as the 18th and 19th centuries.

Further into the 20th century, collecting memorabilia became popular, and the post-World War II era brought a major increase in merchandising of collector’s items and sports products. Trading cards, team apparel, and autographs were among some of the fastest growing markets of the time period. Today, the sports memorabilia realm has seen its share of overproduced, even non-authentic items, and deciphering what’s truly valuable has become an occupation for some.

When adding sports memorabilia to a collection, it’s important that one can authenticate the purchase as well as understand the item’s value. Buying Mint or Near-Mint will give a collector the best chance at owning sports memorabilia that appreciates in value.

Quick Facts

• The National Sports Collectors Convention is held each year in a designated U.S. city. The event is an opportunity for memorabilia collectors to buy, sell, or trade items as well as get autographs from some of sports greatest contenders
• Mark McGwire’s 70th home run ball, also called the “Hope Diamond of Baseball,” sold for $3 million on a Guernsey auction in 1999
• Olympic torches are among the highest earning Olympic collectibles on the market. Some have sold for hundreds of thousands each