Other Sports Memorabilia | Collectibles & Collectors Items

People express their passion for sports in many different ways. Some people spend hours watching sporting events on television. Perhaps the best way for fans to connect with players and memorable moments is collecting sports memorabilia.

BUYING AND COLLECTING SPORTS MEMORABILIA

FOOTBALL MEMORABILIA
As "the beautiful game" steadily becomes more popular worldwide, collectors find that their cherished items of memorabilia also become more valuable. Football memorabilia is one of the current major areas in collecting. Despite the fact that the most desirable football items can attract exorbitant prices, collecting football memorabilia is generally affordable for those with a limited budget. A suitable place to start, especially for the young, is football stickers. These generally come in packs of five or six, featuring the top players and teams. They are available, quite cheaply from most local newsagents, along with albums in which they can be mounted. Stickers are fun to collect, but are unlikely to be worth a great deal in the future. Match programmes are another possible starting point for collecting football memorabilia. Programmes include photos and statistical information, making a good souvenir of a particular match. Some collectors specialise in the programmes of "their" team, while others concentrate on, say, Cup Finals. Avoid writing scores and goalscorers on the programme, as this devalues it considerably. Old programmes can be bought from dealers or via Internet websites. Other areas suitable for novice collectors include:

Autographs
Tickets
Replica Kits
Mugs
Scarves

GOLFING MEMORABILIA
The game of golf is as popular as ever, with a thriving market for memorabilia. Since its inception, the Royal and Ancient game of golf has seen many different shaped clubs and ball designs that are of interest to the collector.

Golf Clubs
Dependent on their make, type, age and scarcity golf clubs can command extremely high prices. In 1998, a single putter from a collection of "Royal Perth" clubs fetched �110,000. The whole collection, from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, sold for a staggering �400,000. However, interesting hickory shafted clubs can be acquired for �30 or so.

Golf Balls
The history of the humble golf ball has seen some unusual developments, as manufacturers have endeavoured to make them travel further. Early balls comprised a leather cover, filled with feathers. A rare example could easily realise �2000.The Dunlop "Warwick" and Dunlop "65" balls are not particularly old but are still collectable. Most golf balls were sold in sets of a dozen, numbered 1 to 12. Uniroyal produced, in the 1980s, a set containing a number 13 ball. Such sets are collectable for their novelty value. As with other collectibles, original boxes enhance the value.

Miscellaneous Golfing Memorabilia
As golf became more popular, potteries such as Royal Doulton produced various items depicting golfing scenes, which are highly collectable. Jugs, vases and tobacco jars are worth between �150 and �300. A Doulton Burslem vase, printed and painted with a panel of a female golfer, in a long skirt and boater, fetched �6,325.

BOXING MEMORABILIA
Boxing is one such sport where plain autographs and autographed photographs are very common. However, boxing is also a sport that can offer some very unique autographed pieces.

Gloves
The better boxing memorabilia dealers and websites offer collectors the chance to own hand signed boxing gloves. A single glove, signed by "Smokin' Joe" Frazier, might realise �300.

Robes/Trunks
Some creative people have managed to acquire signatures on wonderful items such as boxer's trunks, entrance robes and even corner men's jackets.

Worn Items
Whilst signed gloves or trunks form a great addition to a collection, the ultimate collectibles have to be those used by the biggest names in boxing. However, the cost of such items is prohibitive. Any item worn by Muhammad Ali, for example is likely to realise at least �10,000.

CRICKET MEMORABILIA

Cricket Bats
Autographed bats are probably the most popular items with collectors of cricket memorabilia. Preservation of the autograph is naturally of paramount importance, but varnishing over the signatures vastly reduces the value.
Most importantly, autographed bats should be kept away from sunlight. A signed and framed bat, used by Andrew Flintoff in the 2005 Ashes series, is available for �600. A bat autographed by the whole 1993 Australian touring squad was recently sold for �225.

Books
Books, such as old copies of "Wisden", are popular amongst collectors. Some prefer to let the books "breathe" on open shelves, while others keep them behind glass, reducing air flow and dust. A 1913 copy of the Wisden Almanack might realise some �120.

Miscellaneous Cricket Memorabilia
Signed shirts, pictures and various other cricketing items are also popular with collectors. Shirts that have been worn in matches realise the highest prices. For example, a shirt worn by Ian Botham, signed and framed would give no change out of �500.