Celebrate the Unusual with Sports Memorabilia

When choosing a gift of sports memorabilia for the sports fan in your life, take a few moments to consider his tastes. Sports memorabilia often celebrates sports heroes, and autographed photos of winners, signed baseball cards and game balls from big games are all popular sports memorabilia gifts. But there’s more to sports than winning, and many sports memorabilia collectors set their sights on items that commemorate a particular type of moment.

The “Wide World of Sports” used to highlight “the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat” in its opening montage each week. Sports buffs often remember iconic moments in sports history with true fervor. Those moments fall into three categories. You’ll have no trouble finding photos that celebrate the moments of victory such as Bobby Orr sailing through the air after scoring the winning goal, or Jackie Robinson sliding into home plate with the ump in the background declaring him safe. Sports buffs who love to celebrate their team’s heroes and winners will proudly hang a signed team photo of their championship team on their brag wall.

You won’t find as many photos and pieces of sports memorabilia that commemorate the losses, but they exist. A Red Sox fan, for example, will never forget Bill Buckner not fielding a grounder in a 1983 World Series game. Autographed photos of Buckner aren’t hard to find, but you may have more trouble finding Buck’s autograph on a photo of him missing that ball. They’re out there, if you know where to look. A golfing fan might love the iconic photo of Arnold Palmer handing off a $50 bill to Jack Nicklaus in payment for losing his bet on their golf match.

The third type of memorabilia celebrates odd and quirky moments in sports—those times and events that often make the morning news and leave sports fans shaking their heads. Team allegiance doesn’t really matter for those who collect this type of memorabilia because it’s the moment that counts. These are games that make the news in every city because they strike a chord for all sports fans or raise questions like the football coach who called a timeout to clear the field of snow, the pro golfer whose drive takes a crazy loop and hits a camera lens—these are the moments that become legends. A guy who loves the quirky, odd moments in sports, on the other hand, may truly appreciate a photo that commemorates the Pine Tar Bat baseball game of 1983, when George Brett’s bat sparked a rules controversy that forced a game replay nearly two months after the original game.

Sports memorabilia makes a great gift for Father’s Day, Christmas or a birthday, but take the time to make it extra special by choosing a memorabilia item that has a special meaning for your sports fan.

Mom Loves Celebrity Memorabilia!

Mothers Day came early this year, and maybe you were caught without a gift. It's not too late to choose a special gift for mom this year, or you can use these ideas for a birthday or just to show how much you care. Consider tickling her fancy with a memorabilia gift that commemorates one or more of her favorite celebrities. Celebrity memorabilia can bring back memories of special times and events in mom’s life, especially if you do a little research to figure out exactly what type of memorabilia would suit your mom best. Here are four different types of celebrity memorabilia gifts and the moms that might appreciate them.

Autographed Photos

If your mom has every Elvis album ever released or would jump at the chance to follow Mick Jagger around the country for a summer, you can totally make her year with an autographed photo of her musical hero. Signed photos are among the easiest types of celebrity memorabilia to find, since autographed publicity photos have long been a mainstay of media marketing.

Celebrity Collages

If celebrity autographs are a great gift, you can quintuple the fun with a framed collage of celebrity photos and other memorabilia connected to the celebrity. Take mom back to her earlier years with a celebrity collage featuring photos, posters and other mementoes of her favorite stars, television shows or movies. Consider, for example, an “I Love Lucy” collage featuring photos of the famed comedienne in her best-known role, including ensemble photos with Fred, Ethel and Ricky, all finished up with the show’s logo and the famous Lucille Ball Arnaz signature on a canceled check.

TV Show Memorabilia

If your mom’s not the type to live in the past, pay a nod to her current favorite shows with a collage or signed poster featuring the cast of her favorite television shows. You’ll find beautifully framed publicity posters from such recent shows as “Bones,” “Boston Legal,” “Lost” and “Desperate Housewives,” all autographed by the cast members of the show. They’re perfect décor for her home theater setup, or can take an honored place in the family room or den.

Engraved Signature Collections

Give mom a celebrity gift destined to become the highlight of her collection. memorabilia complemented by a metal plaque engraved with the celebrity’s autograph. Choose from famous Hollywood celebs such as the Rat Pack, Sinatra and Bruce Lee, or from sports legends, including collections of Celtics greats and home run heroes.

That’s just a small sampling of the many kinds of celebrity memorabiliaavailable online. If your mom’s favorites aren’t among those mentioned, drop by online stores that specialize in celebrity memorabilia and poke around to see what you find that mom will absolutely love.