If you have someone in your life who is a collector of memorabilia, you probably think you have an easy out on gift-giving occasions. Guess again. Someone who loves Elvis may be happy with a reproduction of an autographed photo of the King, but if you’re buying for a true collector of Elvis memorabilia, you’ll have to set the bar considerably higher. These tips can help you select memorabilia gifts that the collectors in your life will appreciate.
Know What Memorabilia He Collects
Oh, you might be thinking, he collects horse racing memorabilia. That’s a pretty wide range of collectibles, encompassing everything from photos of winning horses to tickets from races to newspaper stories about the Triple Crown winners from various years. Before you invest in buying a piece for his racing memorabilia collection, ask him to show you his collection and tell you about it. That will save you from gifting him with a Kentucky Derby photo when he specifically collects Secretariat memorabilia.
The same holds true of those who build collections of any type of memorabilia. Spend some time finding out where the focus of the collection is and you’ll be guaranteed to purchase an item your collector truly loves.
Buy From Reputable Dealers
Unless you’re a collector yourself, you probably aren’t aware of the finer points of evaluating quality and authenticity in memorabilia items. Even collectors may be at a loss when they’re dealing with items outside their specialty. Collectors of music memorabilia aren’t likely to know how to evaluate and choose sport memorabilia, for example. When you buy from a reputable dealer, you can be sure that you’re paying a fair price for an authentic piece of history because that dealer has his reputation on the line.
Talk to Other Collectors in the Same Genre
Other collectors are invaluable sources of information and advice when it comes to choosing a gift for the collector in your life. Find a website devoted to the genre your friend collects and start up a discussion. If you know what items your friend already owns, mention the pieces and ask for advice on buying a gift to help fill out the collection. Chances are good that you’ll get some excellent advice on what to choose.
Of course, if you deal with an enthusiastic, reputable memorabilia dealer, you can get the same advice there. The best dealers would rather sell you the perfect piece than the most expensive piece, and most memorabilia websites have an “ask us” email link so you can drop a note asking for advice. Take advantage of their expertise and you’ll be sure to get a gift that pleases.
No comments:
Post a Comment