Collecting sports memorabilia

Collecting sports memorabilia

There’s a whole industry built on the sale of merchandise relating to sports; supporting your favourite team or sportsperson doesn’t just mean going to see them play and cheering them on, these days it means wearing the latest shirt, buying the latest products and generally looking like a walking billboard advertising your favourite team or player!

A lot of the merchandise on the market is not designed to last as a life long keep sake, it’s generally just junk that will end up cluttering up your house or loft before being thrown out because it’s outdated and useless.

But there are some dedicated fans out there who manage to avoid all the rubbish and concentrate on finding quality memorabilia that they can keep and enjoy forever.

Collecting memorabilia can be a hobby to some or a business opportunity to others. There is a huge business in tracking down signed items and then selling them on at a profit and people will pay a lot of money for a rare item or something signed by a particularly elusive star.

Collecting as a hobby can be as satisfying as any other pastime. The joy of finding that last piece to complete your collection or finally getting your hands on a coveted item is a great feeling!

There are some things to remember when buying and collecting though. Items are considered memorabilia when they have been verified as authentic by a reputable seller. If they have a signature of the person associated with them or other proof that it has a connection to the person then this adds significant value. Unsigned items or things that haven’t been confirmed as genuine are considered collectibles. There is huge demand for both, but buying genuine memorabilia is perhaps better because of the direct connection to whichever team or star you’re interested in.

You should decide what kind of collector you want to be. When you know what sort of items you want to find you should do some research on the best places to find what you’re looking for.

The internet has helped considerably in tracking down items. You could try e-bay as there are a lot of sellers specializing in this kind of product, but make sure you’re confident of the authenticity when you’re buying online to avoid any disappointment.

You can also use the internet to research specialist retailers who can deliver to you. There are a lot of good stores dedicated to offering the best products.

Local sales and fairs might also be a good place to try. You might have to put in the extra hours to find things and it’s not a useful method if you’re trying to find something specific but for more general searches you can sometimes find little hidden treasures!

Wherever you buy from it’s important to make certain your items are genuine, especially if you plan to sell them on.

It might be worth studying the signatures and autographs of your favourite stars so that you can try yourself to tell the difference between real and fake.

It’s also a good idea to know the market in general. You should know how much something is really worth so you can avoid being ripped off. This also helps you set a budget for yourself; it’s very easy to get carried away, especially if you’ve been looking for a long time!

If you are looking for something for your collection or as a gift, visit <a href=”http://www.genuinememorabilia.co.uk/sporting/cat_18.html”>Genuine Memorabilia</a> who have a huge collection of signed items!