Sports Memorabilia Stores and Auctions

Sports memorabilia is more than just a hobby for many people, it is a 24/7 obsession. The term sports memorabilia refers to sport cards, sports uniforms, helmets, and other items that are autographed by an athlete and such signature is authenticated by a trustworthy source. Unsigned sports equipment, sports cards, postcards, and others are called sports collectibles. In either case, there are a variety of reasons why people collect sports memorabilia, including showing support for a particular athlete or sport, to indefinitely capture important moments in sports history, to establish a connection with their favorite player and with people with similar interests, to get to know a specific sport better or to make a profit by reselling an item.

Rare Sports Memorabilia

The rarer a collectible is, the more valuable it will be. For example, a cap that was worn during a particular baseball game is a one of a kind sports memorabilia, while a sports card is mass produced. However, a sports card can become very expensive, especially when autographed, like the 2001 Tiger Woods rookie card, which cost $16,000 in 2008 despite not being a vintage sports memorabilia article. The 1933 signed baseball with which Babe Ruth hit the first of many home runs was sold for over $800,000 at a 2006 sports memorabilia auction. The 1920 sale contract the allowed Ruth to join the Yankees and started the curse of the Bambino for the Boston Red Sox was sold for more than $900,000 in 2005. One of the most expensive bats, at a price of $126,000, also belonged to the mythical slugger, who hit his first home run at Yankee Stadium with it. Other baseball items that have reached astronomical prices include Joe DiMaggio’s journal with a starting bid of $1,500,000. However, the most expensive piece of sports memorabilia is also fairly recent, and it is Mark McGwire’s 70th home run baseball. Apparently the fact that he was most likely under the influence of steroids while he achieved that feat did not deter comic book virtuoso Todd McFarlane from paying the hefty sum of $3 million. Perhaps the fact that subsequent record breaker Barry Bonds was also an avid user of banned substances let McFarlane get away with paying a measly $450,000 for his 73rd home run ball.

Vintage Baseball Cards

Sports memorabilia started with what are now vintage baseball sport cards, therefore, they make for some of the most desired and pursued items. One of the most important of them all is the 1954 Bowman #66a Ted Williams. Williams was slated to be the 66th baseball card, but he was under contract with Topps, another sports card manufacturer. Still, a few copies were produced and sold. This sports card is valued at $13,500. Willie Mays was the first player to score 500 homers and 3000 hits, and one of his 1951 Bowman #305 baseball cards was sold for $73,000. Known as the Yellow Ruth, the 1933 Goudey #53 Babe Ruth is one of the rarer and more expensive of sports cards, at a value of $43,000 in 2005. Leroy Paige was one of the oldest rookies in history at 42 years old, and only three baseball cards were produced during his career. One of them, the 1949 Leaf #8 Leroy “Satchel” Paige, is part of a set that is seldom found in good condition. All of this combines to make it one of the most valuable sports cards, which was priced at $82,000 in 2005. Ty Cobb is considered the best player of the 1900′s and is basically the John the Baptist to Babe Ruth’s Messiah. In 2005, his 1914 E-145-1 Cracker Jack #30 Ty Cobb was valued at $60,000. Mickey Mantle was known for his achievements on the field, such as scoring the most World Series home runs and being American League MVP three times. It is no wonder that his 1952 Topps #311 Mickey Mantle baseball card also is an overachiever, reaching $240,000 in a sports memorabilia auction. In spite of their value and demand, all of the aforementioned baseball cards pale in comparison to the 1909 T206 #366 Honus Wagner.

Honus Wagner won eight batting titles, was one of the first five members of the Hall of Fame, is considered the greatest shortstop in history, and even Ty Cobb called him the greatest star to ever grace the diamond. As for the baseball card itself, it is arguably the rarest and most expensive baseball card in the world. It is so very scarce that even one in poor condition was sold for $300,000 in 2005. Legend has it that Wagner himself impeded further production of the baseball card because he cringed at the idea of his underage fans buying tobacco in order to get it. Other less altruistic reason may have been the fact that the tobacco-chewing Wagner felt he was undercompensated by the baseball card’s manufacturers. This vaunted sports memorabilia item went from $50 in 1930 to $25,000 in 1985, $110,000 in 1987, $451,000 in 1991, $500,000 in 1995, $641,000 in 1996, $1,265,000 in 2000 and $2,800,000 in September of 2007.