From signed baseballs to autographed photos or team jerseys, collectible sports items are prized by those who love a sport and treasure their memories of favorite games and players. People who buy memorabilia online generally have one of three purposes: adding to their personal collection, trading or selling to make money, and giving a gift to a sports fan.

Personal Collection

For many people, collecting becomes a lifelong passion, and nothing gives them greater joy than finding long sought-after items. Many fill rooms with their collections, creating a kind of personal museum to the sport they love. Baseball fans tend to collect baseball cards, autographed baseballs and bats, photos, news clippings and magazines reporting on key players and games, and catchers’ mitts. Football fans collect such items as helmets, team jerseys, football cards, and team flags or pennants. Collectors are generally not interested in selling their collections unless they have duplicates of items they don’t need to keep.

Selling

There are also collectors who buy memorabilia with the intent to trade or sell the items, and they do this primarily as a means of generating income. While they collect avidly, they see the collections as investments, and they are aware of the current market value of their items. Instead of collecting memorabilia related to their favorite sport, they consider which items are likely to be in the highest demand or which items there may be little competition for.

Gifts

There is no better gift for a die-hard baseball fan than a memento of his or her favorite player or all-time favorite game. Not only does such a gift bring joy at the moment, but it is very likely to increase in value over the years. Consider the fact that an original Hank Aaron baseball that first sold for less than a dollar would now sell for over $15,000. Some of the best sports-related gifts include photos from a favorite game or even a stadium, especially one that is no longer in use, and any autographed items.

To find authentic autographed Sports Memorabilia, look for a retailer that offers a certification of authenticity. Another way to collect authentic memorabilia is to attend events where an athlete makes a personal appearance.