Sports memorabilia is a booming market that continues to grow. With more and more people getting into collecting sports cards, posters, autographs, and other ephemera, there’s plenty of demand for collectibles. But with so many sellers, there’s also a lot of fake stuff out there. Sports collectors should be wary when purchasing sports memorabilia to avoid falling prey to fakes. If you want to safely invest in sports merchandise but don’t know where to start, this guide will teach you how to identify authentic sports memorabilia from fakes.
Know the Basics of Sports Memorabilia
There are a few key things to know before diving into the sports memorabilia authenticity:
– Sports memorabilia is any item that has been signed or autographed by a sports player.
– This could be anything from a program for a baseball game to the actual jersey the player wore.
– It can also include items like trading cards, autograph balls, or memorabilia from a team’s championship season.
– Sports memorabilia is also commonly referred to as sports collectibles. For more information on the sports memorabilia authenticity, go here.
Know The Signatures You’re Looking For
Most sports memorabilia comes with signatures of some sort. This can include autographs (when the signer has been given the opportunity to sign a piece of memorabilia for the public), or “game-used” memorabilia (when the signer wore a jersey or used a specific piece of equipment during a game). As a collector, you’ll want to look out for certain signatures that are more valuable than others. – Signature cards are common among baseball and football players, but they’re not very common in basketball. – If a collector is looking for signature cards in a particular sport, they’ll know to avoid baseball and basketball. – Autographed game-used jerseys are rarer than autographed cards, and are more valuable than cards signed by players wearing jerseys from the team’s regular season championship.