Memorabilia takes many forms,
both vintage
and modern, including:
- Autographed
items: Look for clean
surfaces, clear signatures,
and authentication
certificates. The most
valuable autographed items
were played in actual
games.
- Football
cards: Examine sports
cards for sharp corners, a
smooth surface, and good
centering. Signed cards can
be worth more. The most
valuable cards are Rookie
cards of star athletes.
- Game-used
equipment: Balls,
jerseys, shoes, and other
equipment actually used by
an athlete during a game can
be extremely valuable.
- Team
jerseys and other apparel:
Look for sweat stains,
authentic wear and tear, and
proof of game use on the
apparel.
- Stadium
items: Seats,
turnstiles, plain and neon
signs, benches, and other
stadium items can be rare
and valuable, especially if
vintage or historically
significant.
- Ticket
stubs & programs:
Look for tickets stubs and
programs from important
tournaments, games, and
World Series items.
- Bobbleheads:
Collect bobblehead dolls
with oversized heads on a
spring. Full sets are
valuable. Look for clean
ceramic items in excellent
condition.
Shop sports
collectibles by brand
Also,
consider items from top brand
manufacturers, such as:
- Upper
Deck: Trading cards,
autographed baseball
memorabilia, and unsigned
sports collectibles.
- Topps:
Baseball, football,
basketball, and hockey
cards.
- Steiner:
Autographed memorabilia,
licensed collectibles,
display cases, and sports
photos.
- Mounted
Memories: Display cases,
guaranteed authentic
memorabilia, and autographed
items.
- Mitchell
& Ness: Vintage
sports jerseys, hats, and
other sports clothing and
accessories.
- Beckett:
Sports collectibles,
authentication and grading
services.
- Donruss:
Sports trading cards.
Look for graded
and authenticated sports
collectibles
Look
for authenticator pre-certified
collectibles that have been
examined and declared genuine by
a respected third-party expert.
Recognized sports memorabilia
authenticators include:
- Professional
Sports Authenticator (PSA):
PSA is an independent
organization that evaluates
sports cards for
authenticity and quality
using a 10-point grading
scale, then secures the card
in a tamper-proof holder
along with proof of
certification.
- PSA/DNA
Authentication Services (PSA/DNA):
A spin-off of Professional
Sports Authenticator, PSA/DNA
grades and authenticates
bats, autographed items, and
other sports collectibles.
Compare autographs for sale
with genuine sample
autographs in their database
by subscribing to their
online autograph service.
PSA/DNA also has an online
"QuickOpinion"
program that allows
potential buyers to have
listings evaluated for a
minimal cost. Within 24 to
36 hours PSA/DNA will return
one of three opinions:
"likely genuine,"
"unlikely
genuine," or
"cannot render an
opinion."
- Global
Authentication Inc. (GAI):
Global Authentication grades
trading cards and
authenticates sports
memorabilia, autographs, and
a variety of other
historical documents and
items.
- Beckett
Grading Services (BGS):
BGS is affiliated with
Beckett magazine and also
uses a 10-point scale. What
makes BGS unique is that it
also offers a secondary
rating for, say, corners or
edges. eBay also teamed with
Beckett to develop a
"Value Guide" for
sports cards, available at
Beckett's Web site.
- Sportscard
Guarantee (SGC): The SGC
grading scale starts at 10
(poor) and goes up to 100
(pristine).
Protect
Your Football Collectibles
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The
value of your collection
will depend largely on its
condition. An item’s
worth may increase over
time, so be sure to
protect your collectibles
from the wear and tear
that can reduce their
value.
Supplies to consider
include:
- Acrylic
display cases:
Acrylic display cases
provide excellent
storage for balls,
gloves, caps, jerseys,
and other items.
- Binders
and sleeves:
Binders and sleeves
enable you to both
store and display your
cards.
- Football
Card
holders:
Screw-down or snap
card holders protect
your most valuable
cards.
- Storage
boxes: Plastic or
cardboard boxes
protect and store
large numbers of
cards.
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to find training videos from the experts.
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