Olympic Memorabilia | Collectibles & Collectors Items

The modern Olympic Games were revived in1896. Inevitably, such an event leaves behind many souvenirs and collectibles, those which are intentional souvenirs and others which are by-products. Collecting Olympic memorabilia has become a very serious matter. Collectors have contributed to the completion of Olympic history by their discovery of memorabilia from the non-celebrated Games of 1916, 1940 and 1944.

BUYING AND COLLECTING OLYMPIC MEMORABILIA

Lapel Pins
Lapel pins are often a starting point for collectors of Olympic memorabilia. They are cheap, attractive and plentiful, with many available pertaining to various sponsors and venues. They originate from the Athens games of 1896, when officials and athletes were issued with badges for identification and security.

Participation Medals
"Participation Medals" are given to all athletes and generally Olympic officials and IOC members. Prices vary immensely, starting in the region of �70. A bronze participation medal from the last London Olympics in 1948 cost �171. However, a participation medal from the 1904 games in St. Louis was auctioned for $19000 (approx �10000).

Olympic Torches
The serious Olympic collector may wish, depending on budget, to include Olympic torches in their collection. Prices again vary widely, with a Munich torch from 1972 (from a production run of c.7000) costing around �1250.

Posters
Olympic art from the various Games can be spectacular and affordable. "Vintage" posters appeal most to serious collectors and anything from pre-1970 is likely to be expensive. However, more recent posters were made in huge quantities (hundreds of thousands) and are easy to find, costing approx. �10.

Olympic Mascots
Every Olympic Games, both summer and winter, has a "mascot" used in advertising and promotion. Figures of Olympic mascots have become extremely popular with collectors. Generally, the more recent the figure, the cheaper it is. Some examples include:
1980, Moscow, Misha the bear, wearing an Olympic belt, approx. �40
1984, Los Angeles, "Sam the Eagle" 15-inch figure, approx �50
1988, Seoul, Hoduri tiger 12-inch figure, approx. �60.

Other recent mascot figures can be obtained for similar prices, Athena and Phevos, the mascots from Athens, who sing when you press their hands, approx. �50. One notable exception is the set of 4 snow owl mascot figures from the Nagano Winter Olympics of 1998. The quartet of "Snowlets" (named Lekki, Nokki, Sukki and Tsukki) were not particularly popular initially, but are much sought after nowadays. They are one of the most expensive Olympic mascots, with the set costing in the region of �250.

Autographs
With autographs, success and authenticity is the key. If you can obtain a signed piece of equipment, e.g. a signed oar from a gold-winning rower, the value can rocket. The majority of memorabilia seems to originate from the US. Bidding starts at �5.70 for five items including an autographed picture of athlete Carl Lewis at the 1984 Los Angeles games and a limited edition pin from Atlanta 1996.

Tickets, Programmes etc.
Tickets and programmes are often in demand because many of those in attendance will have simply thrown them away.

Coins
Olympic coins were first struck for the Helsinki Games of 1951, allowing numismatists to enter the world of Olympic memorabilia. Olympic coins mark an important event of a city / country and express the nation's pleasure in its art and culture. Collecting Olympic coins can give hours of satisfaction. However, "completing" a collection without spending fortunes is a far from simple task. Fortunately, the Internet has given rise to many coin auctions, allowing collectors to both buy and sell Olympic coins. Given this fillip, the hobby should continue to grow.

Stamps
Olympic stamps have been the passion of several generations of philatelists and have a special place in philatelic research. The story behind every stamp, every cancellation, every Olympic post card or Olympic stationery is part of Olympic history. No other group of Olympic memorabilia tells almost every aspect of Olympic history is it ancient or modern. No book can tell so many historical facts in such a compelling way.

Almost anything Olympic-related can be collectable. A bucket of manure from a gold-winning horse fetched �8000 in an Internet auction. The London Olympics of 2012 may still be four years away, but shrewd collectors may do well to "squirrel" away such items as newspapers chronicling the successful London bid.