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Sports Memorabilia Buying Guide
Sports Memorabilia  has quickly become serious business, with some autographed items fetching thousands of dollars. Autographed and limited edition jerseys, sports cards, bats, balls, hockey sticks, hats and helmets are all available and, with big stars, in high demand. There's still room for the little guy, however, and there's still a huge fun factor in collecting. There are some caveats you need to watch out for to safeguard your purchases and make sure you're getting the real deal.
Educate Yourself
This is the most important step for collectors. Know what you're buying and don't be afraid to ask the dealer questions. A Certificate of Authenticity (COA) is very important, but remember to consider the source -- the COA is only as good as the person it comes from. Thankfully, there are several highly regarded authenticating companies in the industry so be sure to look out for them, but it still isn't an alternative to educating yourself before you make the purchase. - Descriptions: Listings should have good information with the item's condition, attributes and autograph location.
- Watch out for reprints; check the listing for "copy," "reprint" or "print."
- Price: Check up on current market prices in card pricing guides like Beckett's or Sports Market Report magazine.
- Remember, the player's current popularity will influence price.
- Item History: Don't be afraid to ask where the seller got the item. Was it in person? Where and when? Is it a licensed item? Is there a serial number or a tamper-proof hologram with the item?
- Licensing: Learn which companies offer licensed items with an athlete's autograph. There's usually a sticker or tag indicating officially licensed items.
- Most companies will provide a notarized affidavit showing that a representative of the company witnessed the signing.
- Upper Deck uses a Pen-Cam with its autographed items. This electronically captures the autograph as it's signed and then saves it as a computer file. The file ID is the same number that appears on a hologram on the memorabilia item. You can even look up information on the item by typing in the ID number here.
Authentication and Reputation
This is also very important, both before you make your purchase and afterward too. A dealer is likely to grade his memorabilia higher as a seller than as a buyer, so be aware of dealer bias. It might not be malicious or sneaky, but it's very common. - Third Party Authentication: Make sure the dealer is willing to guarantee the item will pass inspection by a reputable third party authenticator. Third party authenticators are independent and have nothing to gain financially from memorabilia sales, so they're an unbiased and very valuable source. Be cautious if a dealer tries to push you to use a particular authenticator. There's several reputable companies to look for:
- Grading: Third party authenticators also grade sports cards, sealing them in special plastic holders and assigning a condition grade and serial number.
- Look for graded cards, especially for Internet sales, since otherwise you can't be sure the card you receive is the same as the one in the picture.
- The plastic holder can't be opened without destroying the packaging.
- Reputation: There's only a few recognized authenticators in the sports memorabilia industry, so make sure your items are inspected by the best. Remember, the certificate of authenticity is only as good as the source.
Popular Memorabilia
Final Thoughts
If the deal sounds too good to be true, it most likely is. Be cautious, don't be afraid to ask tough questions and you'll avoid the disappointment that comes with getting swindled.
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