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Autographed NHL memorabilia can vary from trading cards to pucks to jerseys – almost anything hockey-related that has a surface that can be written on. And it’s always an exciting time to take home signed memorabilia that lets you hold a piece of hockey history in your hands, especially if it’s from a favorite player or an athlete who helped shape the game into what it is now. But with every celebration, there’s always a party pooper – fake memorabilia.
Fake sports and celebrity memorabilia have robbed fans and collectors about $0.5 billion dollars and the bogus industry hasn’t showed signs of stopping. Today, experts estimate that at least 80% of autographed memorabilia are fake, prompting the FBI to create ‘Operation Bullpen’, a task force that investigates fake memorabilia and forgeries.
Authentic vs. fake autographed memorabilia
Fortunately, there are ways to find authentic NHL memorabilia, provided you spend time to do research and become an educated consumer. Fakes can sometimes be as good as the real thing and to an untrained eye, it can be difficult to tell them apart.
To make sure your autographed NHL memorabilia is truly worth your money, purchase your memorabilia from the NHL shop. The website displays different NHL memorabilia signed by the players themselves. Some autographed memorabilia may also come with an authentication from a league representative to certify its authenticity.
Autographed NHL memorabilia can also be purchased from well-established companies that are licensed to sell them. Many NHL athletes have contracts with these companies and sign memorabilia for them exclusively. These companies also have authorized affiliates and dealers who sell authentic memorabilia. Autographed NHL memorabilia can also be found on EBay, team websites and players’ personal websites.
The COA
When buying autographed NHL memorabilia, make sure it comes with a COA or Certificate of Authenticity from a reliable and well-known company involved in authenticating sports memorabilia
. Actual autographed memorabilia should be ‘hand-signed’ items and not just copies or reprints of the athlete’s signature. Look for COAs issued by some of the most trusted companies such as Steiner Sports, Online Authentics and Global Authentication, Inc.
The price you pay
When it comes to sports memorabilia, the older the item is, the pricier it will be. Nostalgia plays a great part in driving interest and prices up for vintage NHL memorabilia. Price for autographed NHL memorabilia will also fluctuate, depending on the number of items available, the popularity of the player and on the condition of the item. The season also contributes to the demand. In spring, just before the play-offs, NHL memorabilia such as cards, pucks, hats and jerseys become more expensive.
Collecting now
If you intend to collect autographed NHL memorabilia, it’s a good idea to start now. Sports memorabilia have a way of increasing in value as time passes. Rookies and current hockey superstars’ signatures are very much sought-after. Autographed memorabilia from players such as Mario Lemieux and Sidney Crosby will be worth a lot 10 to 15 years from now.
Autographed NHL memorabilia of the greatest and most popular players can also hike the price up. A signed Wayne Gretzky Rangers jersey can cost from about $970 while legendary player Gordie Howe’s jersey can cost a little over $1000. Framed signed photos of the two players can fetch upwards from $1300.
You don’t have to buy the most expensive memorabilia for yourself, but if you’re an avid collector, you can look forward to the time when your autographed NHL memorabilia will be worth thousands.
Joseph Baylon
For more information about authentic autographed sports memorabilia and collectibles, visit http://www.sportscollectionz.com . Read articles from contributing writers in our blog site at http://sportscollectionz.wordpress.com
Sports collectibles are goodies that every sports lover will want to get their hands on. There are exclusive sports collectible stores around the world where one can feast their eyes on their team gears, foot wear or other apparels worn by then during the match, and also find autographed balls and bats up for sale. Sometimes these memorabilia might be on sale, and other times they could be bought by bidding on the price and if yours is the highest you might win the product. Whatever be the mode of getting hold of these valuables, sports enthusiasts across the world don’t mind or think twice about shelling out money over these items. For some it is a must have, and for others its something they add to their collection. As long as one knows their limits and is aware of how much time and money they are spending on these, its safe, else it becomes an addiction which is unhealthy. It would eat up their savings and time leaving them with no income or way to take care of their family.
Autographed footballs, helmets, bats and balls, or even photographs by leading players would be worth a lot, and are available only in limited quantities. So, if one has any hope of grabbing one of these treasured memorabilia, they should touch base with one of the websites that will have stocks. Some of the stores and sites have antique products or those of legendary players we ll which are considered part of vintage collection. Greeting cards with a player’s picture on it, or a autographed picture of Tiger woods, or maybe the shoes used by Ronaldo are all things that would sell instantly. All sports collectibles are available for the public to buy and some are more expensive than others because of their history or maybe because they are the last piece left.
Display cases, and plaques of your favorite team would look beautiful when placed along with other pictures and mementos on the mantle and so people flock towards these stores to buy them. Some have this as a hobby while for others its a passionate part time thing. They would be part of a group or forum where all members are into sports and they each have a huge collection of memorabilia. They might all meet up once in a while to discuss the latest game, the players and also share information where a particular memorabilia might be available or seek others’ help while interesting in a piece of jewelery or photo that is available in another town. The sports collectible are a major rage among teenagers, as it forms part of who they are, a reflection of their personalities and they look up to these sports stars and try to impersonate them. For others, these sports collectibles are a way of being in touch with their fondest memories or a match that created a revolution or to look back on a glorious moment involving their favorite teams.
Article written by Robert Riles III,
owner of skyfireproducts.com a sports store for all
sports Fans.
Sports card collecting has been part of our culture sine the 1800’s; boxing cards were popular during these times. In the late 1800’s and early 1900’s baseball emerged as the popular sport cards for collectors. As a boy the thrill of collecting was amazing. Today the thought of owning a Babe Ruth or a Honus Wagner is unbelievable and with so many players the ability to profit from these sports cards online is amazing.
The great part of collecting is that it’s all a click away. The internet has opened the market for trading sports cards and other sports memorabilia. My collection has grown from 1,500 hundred cards, which took me about ten years to collect, to over thirty-thousand cards that I have found online. I now have included a 1909 e93 Honus Wagner and a 1933 Goudey Babe Ruth to my collection and I obtained these within a year’s period. These cards would have been impossible to locate without the right research and the easy use of the internet.
Making a profit in this hobby requires lots of research. You must attend baseball card shows, search thru yard sales, and visit antique shops too.
There are many factors that go into determining the value of a sports card. These factors include: Hall Of Fame Status, player stats, and the rarity of the card. Cards that show markings or damaged corners could determine its condition and rank its value. Sport cards have a ranking of poor, fair, good, excellent, and mint. When reviewing a card determining the condition will in turn determine the value, and later your future profits.
Sports card collecting is a great way to show children the world of investing. Investing in sports cards requires the same theory adults use when creating an investment portfolio. The actual cost to get started in sports card collecting would require a small investment in comparison to the cards future value. It is important to store your cards in protective plastic card holders and in a cool climate room to maintain its condition.
Another great resource online would be http://www.vintagesportscardmemorabilia.com where you can search for all of your favorite players or teams.
About the Author: Eddie Delgado is the owner and writer for VintageSportsCardMemorabilia.com
VintageSportsCardMemorabilia.com is the ultimate NFL football and MLB baseball sports card and memorabilia site for serious collectors.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Eddie_Delgado
In recent years there have been discussions among collectors suggesting that the internet may actually be hurting the sports cards and collectibles hobby. They point to decreased card show attendance and the struggles of brick and mortar stores as evidence of the demise of the hobby. I am here to tell you that they are wrong. Not only was collecting not ruined by the internet, it was saved by it. That’s right, the internet saved sports collectibles. There is more money in the hobby now, consumers have more buying options, and it is easier to start a business than ever before. Those things are good for everyone involved.
The ‘Golden Age’ of Collecting
Within the last 15 years we have seen the sports cards and collectibles market fall from grace only to rise again to it’s current form. Most collectors and business owners over the age of 20 will point to the late 1980’s and early 1990’s as the best time to be a collector and the best time to be a dealer. Up until that point the sports card hobby had grown steadily from the 1970’s, when shops started popping up around the country, in to a $1.4 billion a year national pastime in 1992.
Card shows were packed with dealers selling top notch memorabilia, signature prices were still reasonable, no authentication was necessary because counterfeiting was minimal, and card shops were able to thrive with loyal customers who were begging to spend their excess cash in their stores week after week. And I don’t disagree with any of this – those truly were great times to be a collector. But factors out of collectors and dealers control would cause the ‘golden age’ of collecting to come to an end.
All Good Things Come to an End
As the US entered recession in the early 1990’s the hobby crashed. Couple economical problems with a hobby oversaturated with companies trying to capitalize on collectors by overproducing (and thus devaluing) their product, and we were left with a hobby on life support. Americans gravitated towards spending their money on other things and card sales plummeted to $400 million in 1999. Failure was inevitable and neither the collector nor the business owner could do anything about it.
The Rebirth of Collecting Online
Lucky for collectors, this little thing called the internet had grown from an information exchange for research, education, and government use into an economic juggernaut that pulled the country out of recession and into the age of eCommerce. Largely due to the advent of eBay, the hobby went virtual and hasn’t looked back since. In 2003, eBay alone sold $3 billion in cards – more than twice the sales of the entire industry at the peak of the ‘golden age’. In addition to eBay, other auction sites, trading forums, as well as fixed price web sites have sprouted up all over the internet. The amount of money in the hobby now is far greater than it ever has been.
Collecting is BETTER Because of the Internet
Not only did the internet save a dying hobby, it made it better. Consumers now have more choices. According to Beckett.com, 34% of collectors still buy in shops, 33.1 % from online auctions, 24.5% buy from online fixed price dealers, and the remaining through other methods. You can still go to a card shop or show (although their presence has been reduced), but the internet has enabled consumers to find what they are looking for easier and cheaper. The consumer is now able to become more educated in less time. In minutes they can compare prices from stores all across the world. They can join message board discussions and chat rooms with other collectors to exchange both information and memorabilia. The hobby can now reach everyone, not just those with a card shop or show nearby and some free time on a Saturday.
Counterfeiting a by Product of Success, Not the Internet
One potential downside to internet that a naysayer is quick to point out is the increase in counterfeit memorabilia. It has been estimated by the FBI that over half of all autographed memorabilia is forged. While this is bad for the hobby, it is not solely because of the internet, and it is not a problem faced solely by sports collectibles. Most other industries (music, movies, software, etc) that thrive on the internet are also subjected to counterfeiting. It is the nature of the beast. There will always be people looking to make money by cheating the system. As technology increases, it becomes easier and easier to create counterfeit memorabilia, as well as to counterfeit CD’s, DVD’s, and software. The best thing that we can do is educate our consumers and continue to develop measures against counterfeiting. Unfortunately, counterfeiting is a by product of the success the industry has had on the internet. The hobby was not brought to the internet by counterfeiters looking for an easier way to scam collectors, nor did the internet “cause” counterfeiting.
Where Would We be Without the Internet?
Back to those who would rather the internet never happened: where do you think the hobby would be today without the internet? It is illogical to think that it would have been able to boom without it. It likely would have continued to struggle. Instead it has flourished. To think that less information exchange, higher prices, and more difficulty finding items is good for the hobby is ludicrous. It seems that the only ones who are complaining are those who have failed to embrace the change. Those who have taken advantage of the many resources the web has to offer are certainly not complaining. The reality is that it the hobby is far bigger and better today than it ever was in the past.
Business is Good for Businesses Large and Small
From a business owner’s perspective, the market is better today than ever. There is significantly more money in the hobby today than there was in 1992 and it is much easier to start a business. All you really need to do is start posting auctions on eBay and you can grow from there – no store, no employees, not even a table at a show. Anyone can do it. The catch here is that it is drastically different than it was ten or fifteen years ago. And where there is change, there are always those who resist. Many who invested a great deal of time and money starting brick and mortar businesses during the ‘golden years’ only to see them collapse were not quick to embrace the internet. While I certainly feel bad for those who lost their business, I don’t correlate that to the internet being bad for the hobby. I can also point to all of those (myself included) who wouldn’t have even had a chance at entering the industry fifteen years ago, who now have had the possibility to live their passion because of what the internet has brought to the table.
Embrace the ‘New Golden Age’
Factors outside of our control caused the ‘golden age’ to end, but by adopting technology and using it to grow and expand the hobby we have introduced a new golden age – one that is better for both buyer and seller. Change in everything is inevitable. We should be embracing this new golden age of collecting as opposed to wishing it never happened.
About The Author
Adam McFarland owns SportsLizard.com - an online marketplace for buying and selling sports collectibles http://www.sportslizard.com.
Try our new search feature that enables you to search eBay, Amazon, and SportsLizard.com all at once to make sure that you get the best deal on what you are looking for!
The idea behind Upper Deck card was to create a premium quality sports card, but they also produce figurines of professional sports players. They are a newcomer to the sports card scene, having only been in business since 1988 and made their first introduction into the sports card market with baseball cards in 1989. In fact they received they’re license for Major League Baseball just before Christmas of 1988 and had their first set of baseball cards in stores by February of 1989. In the first year of operations with their first set of baseball cards, business was so good that they ran out of baseball cards that first year and had to start pre-selling for the following year. One of the reasons for such brisk sales growth is that the company randomly included authentic autographed baseball cards in packages. Buyers were eager to get a card with a signature and this caused the type of sales volumes that caused them run out of cards.
After this first successful year, Upper Deck negotiated licenses with the NHL, NFL and NBA to begin production of other types of collectible sports cards. Upper Deck was always on the cutting edge of promotion as they tried new ideas to gain a foothold in the sports card market. One such attempt was when they made what were called “Jersey Cards”. These were unique because they were regular sports cards that had been packaged with small swatches of jersey’s that were worn by the players on the field. These cards were produced for both baseball and basketball.
As success continued into the 1990’s and into the new millennium, Upper Deck had the chance to purchase the assets of one of it’s competitors, Fleer-SkyBox. They also bought the Fleer Collectibles, which was a maker of diecast models and in 2007 Upper Deck failed in their bid for rival, Topps.
Moving away from the popular baseball and hockey cards, Upper Deck created a premiere brand of NBA basketball card called the Exquisite Collection. These premium cards were packaged 5 to a pack and contained a veteran base card, an autographed rookie card with a swatch worn during a game, a jersey card and an autographed patch card. The autographed cards were not of average players, but rather superstars of the basketball scene including: Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and LeBron James, just to name a few. These cards were instantly a hit even though they sold for around $500, which made them the most expensive sports card packs ever made. With the popularity of the Exquisite series, Upper Deck created similar sets for the NFL as well.
Upper Deck has proven to be a contender in the sports card industry and have been innovators ever since their introduction. With the success found in sports cards and collectibles, Upper Deck has now branched out into making trading cards based on TV, Movies and even video games. As they move into new markets, they will always be remembered as a premium sports card maker.
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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Steve_Murray
