“When buying autographed sports memorabilia, here are a few things to keep in mind…
You should consider the athlete (or athletes) who have signed it, and exactly what type of item they have signed,” says Jesse Stein, Founder of SportsMemorabilia.com.
A critical guage in estimating the value of your collectible is who signed it. A serious buyer will sniff around the rookie market, looking to find a great bargain. But draft placement—and the accompanying hype—isn’t always a reliable indicator of a future superstar. For instance, how many people would love an autographed jersey from the 2nd overall pick of the 1984 NBA draft, Sam Bowie? Who, you say? Exactly. A more intriguing and valuable NBA collectible might be a signed ball from the 3rd pick of the 1984 draft, …Yes, Michael Jordan. It wasn’t so easily seen at the time, but Jordan had everything: Incredible talent, ambition, charm and great marketing savvy. All of which combined to make him one of the most beloved and respected superstars in the game. The value of authentic Michael Jordan collectibles and memorabilia reflects that. Jordan is an example of how the athlete who signed your collectible is the biggest indicator of how valuable the piece actually is. If the player was successful during his career – and post career (with a hall-of-fame entry) it can only increase the ultimate value of that piece of sports memorabilia.
Another consideration is the quantity of memorabilia a player signs in his/her lifetime.
Take Barry Bonds, for example,…not a fan favorite when it comes to signing autographs. His grumpy refusals to sign in public have become legendary. But to a sports memorabilia collector who recently acquired a golden Barry Bonds autograph, the “stingy” single season home run record holder is doing you a tremendous favor. Just as with any other market, sports memorabilia collecting operates on the principle of supply and demand. A limited supply of a player’s sports merchandise will increase the demand and ultimately the value of your sports collectible. The Internet is a great tool for researching a player’s signing practices and the general market availability of their autographed sports memorabilia. A quick Google search could yield a nice surprise in the valuing of a vintage sports collectible you already own.
A final consideration when it comes to buying current popular athletes memorabilia is exactly what kind of headlines they’re showing up in and how will it ultimately affect their careers. Not just the next season, but for years to come. Remember the 1998 MLB season, when Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa were chasing Roger Maris’ home run record? Everyone was talking about them on a DAILY basis. The public was absolutely enthralled, and all of that interest increased the value of anything they signed, whether it was helmets or caps or bats. If the public shows a lasting interest in a specific player, then the demand for that athlete’s autographed sports memorabilia is far more valuable to you.
Incoming search terms:
- sports memorabilia logo
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- the player was successful