Memorabilia

Attaining collectible sports memorabilia is a great investment and a way to show support for your favorite sports team or athlete. Sports collectibles have come a long way since your parents collected football cards. Many items are available for collection, including player cards, items used in a sporting event, commemorative coins and other items, framed artwork and autographs.

Many collectors chose to decorate one room in their house with their collection. This enables them to enjoy every piece of their investment on a daily basis. Sports memorabilia, unlike other investments, allow collectors to live out some of the most memorable moments in sports history. Since items are collectible from all sports, it is not difficult for a collector to find something from his favorite sport or team.

Not all collectible sports memorabilia is from professional sports. Many items are available from amateur sports and Olympic sporting events. The most popular type for collecting remains the pro sports memorabilia. With the constant trading of players, many items become collectible simply because a player has changed teams. Other items gain collectible status due to the event they symbolise such as a World Cup. Other items become popular due to the infamy of its original owner or the athlete that it is related to.

Acquiring collectible sports items is easy and convenient. Many different locations deal in this material, making it highly accessible. Local shops that deal with collectibles have many sports items in their inventory. The internet auction sites have become a popular place to acquire a slice of sporting history. Many times, private individuals that don’t have large collections are able to gain a valuable item at a fair price. Other times, items sell for far beyond their predicted value. The internet is a great place to find sports treasures. Sites that specialise in sport merchandise are abundant. When purchasing a collectible item online, be sure that you are dealing with a reputable dealer. Check if there are any complaints filed with the ACCC before completing the sale. If you find a deal that is too good to be true, remember that it probably is. Although there are many reputable dealers on the internet, there are also many scammers that will sell you junk.

Whether you are interested in collecting as an investment or as a committed fan, sports items represent a valuable asset. Be sure to familiarise yourself with the items you wish to purchase before buying. This will help to ensure that you really are getting what you are paying for. Investing in collectible sports memorabilia is a fun pastime that can also be very rewarding.

An item is officially licensed when the professional athletic association such as the NRL, AFL or ARU grants a company permission to display team names, logos, and trademarks on their products. Officially licensed items usually have a sticker or tag indicating that a particular professional athletic association officially licenses that item.

Owning a limited edition collectible indicates that only a certain number of a particular item was produced or autographed. You will usually see two numbers displayed on a limited edition collectible, a high number and a lower number.

- The only way the number would be the same number is if you received the last one produced out of the total

- A certificate of authenticity is often included even if the item is not autographed.

- A limited edition item is worth more when the total amount created is low because less people will be able to own that collectible.

Investment

It would be fair to say that a percentage of our products, if they are well cared for by the purchaser, will turn out to be very good investments. The key is to always make your purchase based on desire – if you buy because you like the sportsperson concerned, you are making a highly desirable purchase.

In many cases – particularly with goods signed by the older legends – the item is bound to be an appreciating asset. Muhammed Ali, Donald Bradman and Reg Gasnier – they are some of the best there ever have been and as they will not always be available to sign items, their goods are bound to be a fantastic investment! For example, a very rare gown signed by the great Muhammad Ali just has to be an unbelievable investment. A signed glove was worth $600 ten years ago, yet now he can't as easily sign any more goods, is worth $3,000 in retail price and often considerably more at auction! Many other similar examples abound.

Buy because you like your purchase – and look after it. It will most likely double in value over time.