When we talk about sports memorabilia and collectibles, what immediately comes into your mind? Do you visualize the sports cards, or do you think of the varied gear and equipment like signed jerseys, jackets, hats, and posters? Well, there are many ways to show your support by collecting items of your favorite team or player. People collect for other sports as well, such as baseball, NASCAR, basketball, football, golf. Some items that are found to be enjoyable to collect are die cast models, Bobble Heads, Hero Posters, and the newest items are The Fat Heads items. These are life-like, life-sized replicas of sports heroes that can be safely stuck to your wall. With all of the memorabilia that a fan can collect, sometimes it is no wonder that some are confused where to begin or how to start collecting sports memorabilia. Collecting any sports memorabilia or sports collectibles is a very personalized pastime that has value based more on the individuals likes and passions as much as the success of the single player or team.
For those of us who want to buy that special someone a gift that is related to their favorite athlete, team, or sport, what do we look for? If they are into baseball memorabilia, you might want to consider the New York Yankees. This baseball team is one of, if not the most illustrious baseball team in the world, plus their rosters from past to present has been studded with all-time greats. On the other hand, maybe they are into NASCAR. Then you have Tony Stewart, Jimmy Johnson, and lots more. We cannot ignore the unforgettable Dale Earnhardt Sr. whose collectibles have not only doubled but tripled since his death, and seem to be growing in value even more each year. As with many great painters like Picasso, Earnhardt fanatics consistently decline to permit his ambition and legacy to give-up the ghost.
NASCAR collectors do not only have a wide selection of cars to choose from, but Plush Bears designed after the driver, year books and autobiographies, key chains and lighters, plates, and much more. You will even find out that baseball memorabilia and sports collectibles have spread into the Christmas decorations, with entire villages and decorations for the tree to the roof of your sports fan’s home.
However, there are other great sports stars as well, like Ben Roethlisberger, Shaquille O’Neil, and Nomar Garciaparra. Moreover, let us not forget the ever-resounding Michael Jordan. Sports memorabilia collectors may or may not have realized how much throwback jerseys have influenced sports memorabilia, but in 1980, when the NBA, MLB, and NFL started to market both new and used game jerseys, it pushed the collectors to wanting even more.
Die-cast collectibles have also evolved. One of the hottest items at one time was fire trucks, but they have revolved back to the older muscle cars and the newer hotrod collectibles. Of course we always have the sports collectors who grab anything from a picture of Tiger Woods to a vintage Los Angeles Lakers team photograph. Even the seven-time champion of the Tour de France, Lance Armstrong, has a strong following for memorabilia and sports collectibles.
When it comes to the value of the items you collect, remember that the more famous the star, the more costly the sports memorabilia will be. If the item can be verified as authentic in some way, that really adds to the value. Be careful and don’t lose any items related to your sports collectible or sports memorabilia. These would consist of the original box, any messages or signatures, receipts, etc. These will all help to make the item more valuable and collectible.
Zeke Wallace is a researcher and writer for http://www.shop4collectible.com, where you can get all the best sports memorabilia at the best prices. Visit us for all your team apparel catalog.
- Zeke Wallace