How to Price Autographed Sports Memorabilia

How to Price Autographed Sports Memorabilia

Pricing autographed sports memorabilia is a subjective process. Depending on the item in question and the celebrity/athlete from whom the autograph came, prices can range from pennies to thousands of dollars for a variety of signatures. Websites like Amazon and Craigslist now allow potential sellers to have more say in these pricing issues and open up a whole host of additional avenues to attract potential buyers.

instructions

price-fixing

• Many factors will affect the price of sports memorabilia. These include The popularity and talent of the athlete. It is easy to find the item or its rarity on the open market. The amount of time that has passed since the autograph was secured Use of the thing in an actual game, particularly one of importance (such as the Super Bowl or World Series).

• Consult price guides to get an idea of ​​what your item may be. Some sources might produce a ballpark figure (no pun intended), while others might be listed for their particular product. Price includes Beckett (from beckett.com) and sports.com pick. Also, consult a Manager/Owner of a local card store, as these people often have years of experience and can help with pricing. Getting multiple appraisals will give you more than one Foundation to work with, though it might cost you a bit more.

• Considering the condition of your item will already affect the price. For cards, bent corners or discoloration may lower the cost. Scratches, stains, and other noticeable blemishes can reduce the value for balls and clubs not used in a game.

• Secure an appraisal from a certified, respected recollections expert if you want to be sure that an item has been accurately appraised. Games and Toys from eHow.com also suggest taking rare or potentially expensive items to an auction house to ensure the highest return on investment.

Tips and Warnings

• It’s best to secure reviews from more than one source to better understand ​​what your item is worth.

How does a collector of sports memorabilia get autographs?

Go where the players are

Sports memorabilia collectors know where their favorite players are to get autographs. The most obvious place to find an athlete is the stadium or arena in which they perform. Waiting for players to check out after a game is the easiest way to sign his piece of sports memorabilia, especially if his team just won or had an excellent match. Also, consider traveling to where the athlete’s team is conducting its preseason training. It is generally a more relaxed time with the players, and many are more willing to sign autographs after practice during training camp than during the season.

Attend sports memorabilia shows

Many sports memorabilia shows, generally referred to as “sports card displays,” current feature or former athletes or coaches who will appear and sign memorabilia for a fee. It is an easy way to increase your autograph collection for the Hall of Famers who played before their time or for athletes who live and compete in a different part of the country than they do. Sports Collectors Digest website (see Resources) for a list of sports card shows in your area.

Get autographs through the mail.

Many athletes love to get fan mail. Some even display letters and small pieces of memorabilia, such as 8-by-10 photographs, and will return if you enclose a stamped envelope. You can mail your memories directly to the player’s team or the player if you know their address. Sites like FanMail.biz (see resources) offer a database of lessons so you can directly contact your favorite athlete. Not all athletes will do this, so make sure you send a piece of memorabilia with little value the first time if the player doesn’t take the time to get back to you.

Visit your local hobby store.

Sports trading card manufacturers typically insert autographed cards signed by players or top rookies into random packs of cards each season. Most sports card shop owners will open packs of cards and sell individual autographed cards. It is easy to get autographed sports memorabilia: buy the autographs you want from a dealer. Or consider buying your packs and trading in any autographs you don’t wish to for autographs of the players you want to add to your collection.

How to protect sports memorabilia

As a sports memorabilia collector, you are vested in protecting your collection from damage. There are different ways to store your collection depending on the type of item, and several companies specialize in selling protective sleeves for sports memorabilia. What you decide to protect your collection will depend on your budget and the value of the items. Many natural elements such as light and dust can cause significant damage over time.

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• Buy a particular protective display case. Store small items like baseballs, hockey pucks, and soccer balls in a UV-protective case. These cases are transparent but prevent the sun’s harmful ultraviolet rays from fading colors in the item.

• Store paper items such as trading cards, tickets, magazines, event schedules, and photos in an album or plastic sleeve to protect them from sunlight when out of sight. When choosing an album or sleeve, make sure the plastic is acid-free to prevent gradual damage to the memorabilia.

• Place more oversized items like t-shirts in a unique, flat UV protection case. Professional companies specializing in sports memorabilia cases should safely mount and fit your jersey inside a protective case.

• Make sure your items. If you have an extensive collection, it may be worth having your items appraised to find their value for insurance purposes. Your home insurance can often cover small collections, but you should check with your insurance company to make sure. Insure extensive and valuable collections independently against loss or damage to protect your investment.

How to authenticate sports memorabilia

The value of sports memorabilia changes from year to year, depending on several factors. The only factor that helps cards, t-shirts, and other souvenirs increase value is authentication. It would allow if you authenticated sports memorabilia before investing your hard-earned money in a market with temperamental prices.

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• Use a professional authentication company to ensure that your sports collection is a genuine article. Companies like Professional Sports Authenticator provide card and memorabilia appraisal to confirm your collection has fair value (see resources below).

• Research the subtle differences between near-mint cards and authenticate mint sports memorabilia. A review of baseball card buyer or sports card grades will help you accurately grade your collection for potential buyers (see resources below).

• Place your sports memorabilia in historical context by authenticating items through sports museums and halls of fame. The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum has an active research facility that can be accessed to authentic rare baseball memorabilia (see Resources below).

• Print genuine autograph photos and other memorabilia to authenticate items you wish to purchase. It would help if you searched through the hall of fame publications and official fundraiser websites to find points that you can use in your quest for rare collectibles.

• Bring a folder with sports statistics and biographies to meetings with other collectors. Place sports game programs next to the appropriate column on your binder and cards if you are concerned about counterfeits.

• Research a seller’s reputation to ensure authentic collectibles are listed for sale. Shop owners and collectors who their peers highly regard must be trusted due to the competitive nature of this hobby.

• Request additional photos from an online seller if you are concerned about the authenticity of sports memorabilia. A typical sports memorabilia collecting scam is to pull up pictures from a legitimate auction for use on another website.

Tips and Warnings

• Contact the authentication company for a seller to confirm sports memorabilia registration. The certificate of authenticity (COA) should have contact information and a registration number for severe buyers interested in memorabilia history. You can maintain a general contact list between authentication companies if a vendor is reluctant to provide a COA.

How to Buy and Sell Sports Memorabilia

In the last 25 years, the value of sports memorabilia has only increased. Because of that, this picking category offers some suitable investments. It can also become a costly hobby.

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For buy

• Pick a category to collect: sports cards? What sports? To team? to the player? The options are endless.

• Look in price guides such as Beckett’s, periodicals, and Internet sources to sell items. Expect to pass thousands of baseballs signed by Babe Ruth and bats by Derek Jeter.

• Go to a memorabilia sports show to understand ​​the variety and quality of items for sale.

• Get to know the local baseball card store owners. They will have other memorabilia besides cards, and you will also have contacts from national sources of sports collectibles.

• Take from an auction. Some auction houses specialize in sports memorabilia; order one catalog for the next sale. Submit an offer or hire a proxy if you can’t be there in person. Of course, check out Internet auction sites like eBay.com.

• Ask about the item’s authenticity — proof of its provenance is critical to making a good investment. Buying from a reputable dealer will give you some level of warranty.

• As with every category that collects plenty of counterfeits circulating in the market, including reprinted baseball cards and cardboard advertising display pieces. Some companies specialize in authenticating sports memorabilia. You can get some impromptu, free opinions from top dealers. I don’t want to pay $200 to show an object worth $50.

For Sale

• Find someone qualified to give you an appraisal if you are unsure about the value of what you own. It starts at a local sports card store but doesn’t stop there. You’ll have more than one opinion, and you may have to pay for it. Collectible magazines are full of advertisements for authentication services.

• Sell yourself. If your collection doesn’t contain items from a, you can try selling them one at a time or in small batches on the Internet. A local dealer might be interested in your collection.

• Take very high-quality items from your sports collection to an auction house for the best return on your investment.

• Bring all the documentation to help you get the best price. If you have a Jerry Rice t-shirt, that’s good; If you have a photo of rice giving it to you after a game, that’s even better.

Tips and Warnings

• Prices vary from year to year and month to month on items related to current players. The smart money is on retired players, who don’t have more score depressions or legal issues affecting their status. Hall of Famers is always a good investment.
• “More is better” may not hold in every category you collect, but it’s a good rule of thumb for sports memorabilia. Materials from the 1940s and 1950s are relatively rare and therefore more valuable.
• Baseball dominates the category, but all sports memorabilia is collectible, from tennis to auto racing, boxing to bowling.
• When selling sports memorabilia at a dealership, expect to get around half the wholesale price listed in popular price guides.

HOW YOU CAN EARN BIG MONEY ON SPORTS MEMORABILITY

Adults have discovered trading cards as a lucrative investment field. Prestigious auction houses in New York devote entire sales to vintage baseball cards. Autographs, bats and balls, team apparel, game, and ticket stubs. Sports fans from all over the world buy and sell shows. You can

take advantage of the growing interest in sports collectibles by opening your own sports memorabilia store or mail-order operation. You can choose to open a retail store in your city, or you can decide to operate a mail-order business specializing in sports memories. Both can be set up for a small investment and run for minimal costs. If you choose to open a retail store, you will

It would help if you had an adequate supply of stock to attract customers to your store. If your inventory is slow at first, offer to sell merchandise On consignment. Will display a customer’s item on your show, manage the sale, and pocket a pre-established percentage of the amount. The advantages of a mail-order operation are many. You can start as a commercial club with a monthly or bi-monthly fee newsletter, with items that other members have for sale or Commerce. Once you have personally collected a large number of items to serve as a stock supply for your business, you can branch out and start a retail store.

Setting up a retail store can be relatively simple. Find a Small, inexpensive location in a neighborhood mall. You I don’t need many interior comforts either. several glasses Display cases can serve as a sales counter and display area. Site some shelves on the wall behind your counter for more prominent display articles. 

Pictures or plaques framed with autographed elements that you have for sale can be hung on the walls surrounding the room. Other countertops or table space may feature collection supplies such as folders, card cases, storage boxes, card storage pages, etc.

Sports posters can fill any empty spot on your wall. Contact a local magazine distributor and arrange to have a large Assortment of sports magazines and newspapers for sale in your store. Include magazines with sports news, as well as those

They belong to collect trading cards and memorabilia. The magazine distributor will also put you in touch with price guide publishers for sports memorabilia. Are price books will sell incredibly well because they are updated annually and will create repeat customer purchases. If your city has a minor or major league team, check with the main office about one or more players visiting your store for

special autograph sessions. The fans can come and have the players autograph their cards, programs, etc., or they can buy some of these items to be signed by you at a special discount price. While people are in the store to get their autographs, they will have the opportunity to browse through their stock, make some shop and get to know you better.

While many teams charge for these guest appearances by players, you should be able to recoup your expenses through the aggregate sales that the event will generate. Also, having an opportunity to get acquainted with your customers and their tastes and dislikes will serve you much later.

Getting employees to work in your workshop will not be difficult. Teenagers are crazy about sports collectibles and willing to work for minimum wage. Of course, you’ll want to keep at least one adult on call at all times to handle any issues that arise may arise. This type of work is also a great second job for many Adults. Many collectors would enjoy this type of part-time job.

Simply because it will pay for the time they spend with their hobby. No Worry about getting help. You will be overwhelmed by people applying to work in your store. As mentioned above, you’ll want to serve as a consignment store for people looking to sell valuable items of their collections.

Have a written sales contract that specifies that is carrying the described merchandise on consignment for 60 days, the announcement that the seller will receive X amount for the sale of the Article. You will subtract 25 percent from that sale price for negotiating the deal. If the item does not sell within the allotted time, the seller will have the option to remove it from your store or lower the selling price. You should greatly increase your available offers and make a good profit from consignment sales.

Place an ad in your city newspaper or with local buyers.

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How to Price Autographed Sports Memorabilia