Buying Autographed Sports Memorabilia for Collectors

Sports fans are inveterate collectors of sports memorabilia. They hang onto the ticket stubs from the games they attend. They buy team-tagged swag at games and at their favorite stores. They hang team posters on their walls save collectible team photos from their local newspapers. They collect stats and “official” team game jerseys and licensed sports merchandise. Few of them take the next step into serious sports collecting, though – collecting genuine, authenticated autographed sports memorabilia.

Why Collect Genuine Autographed Sports Memorabilia?

While authenticated sports autographs and memorabilia related to the various professional sports can be valuable, money and profit is seldom the reason that the typical sports autograph buff collects autographed sports memorabilia. Celebrity autographs and signed collectible sports memorabilia carry their own cachet that makes them attractive to the collector. It may be hero worship, love of the game, admiration for a particular sports player or a sense of belonging. Whatever the reason they collect, though, sports lovers and those who gather autographed sports collectibles are at a different level than those who lay out $25 to buy the program at the basketball game.

The Value Factor

Value may be in the eye of the beholder, but there’s no doubt that genuine basketball memorabilia is more valuable than the $25 program – unless, of course, you manage to get a few highly-sought-after autographs – and evidence that those sports autographs are genuine.

Authenticity is a major factor in the value of a piece of baseball memorabilia, football memorabilia or basketball memorabilia. Experienced collectors won’t even consider paying for an autographed sports photo, game ball, autographed game jersey or other type of sport memorabilia without some proof that the signature is genuine. Reputable dealers would never dream of selling, for example, a baseball autographed by Cal Ripken without including a certificate of authenticity attesting to it being a genuine signature.

Of course, the mere presence of a certificate of authenticity is no guarantee. It is, after all, even easier to fake a certificate than it is to fake the autograph of a famous gridiron hero or baseball superstar. If you’re thinking of buying an autographed sports photo or game jersey for a sports fan in your life, and you’re not an expert in the field of collecting sports memorabilia, skip that awesome bargain-priced “game-worn” basketball jersey that you found for sale on eBay. Instead, do your research to find a reputable dealer of autographed sports memorabilia and do your shopping safely. You’ll avoid being disappointed and ensure that the sports mementoes you buy are the real thing.