Anyone collect sports memorabilia?

[deedubb]

I was in Vegas this past weekend and got to get an autographed baseball, picture and limited production jersey by Pete Rose. Holding the baseball and jersey again reminded me of when i was a kid and i think i'll get into collecting again.

disclaimer (since im sure it will come up): say what you will about Pete Rose's personal decisions, but it was pretty cool meeting him in person.

 

[comquat1]

I got a ball autographed by Mark Mcgwire at Tiger Stadium when I was little.... I wish I would have sold it about 7 years ago!

My prized piece of memorabilia is an autographed ball by Harry Carry that I got when he was walking up to the press box at Wrigley Field. His autograph is pretty cool, he puts "holy cow" under his name.

 

[schuey1010]

I got a ball autographed by Mark Mcgwire at Tiger Stadium when I was little.... I wish I would have sold it about 7 years ago!

I think my McGwire autographed ball would have more value if I taught my nephew how to play catch in the street with it than it would have on EbAy. His rookie cards are probably more valuable as motorcycle sounding spokes than anything else. BOY do I wish I had sold all of them 7 years ago too!

 

[4AU4LIFE]

I got a couple of autographed pics of Michael Jordan.

 

[comquat1]

I got a couple of autographed pics of Michael Jordan.

I've got an old sports illustrated cover that has a Jordan Sig on it, however I have no way of knowing if it's legit as I mailed it to him back in 1988 or something. Is there any place that will authenticate something like that?

 

[THE4TH]

I've got a number of signed items from a range of Boston Celtics players. I've also met a wide variety of them. My family had season tickets and you get invited to all sorts of things. I have one sheet, which is actually a print out of the Celtics Wheaties box, and it is signed by a number of Celtics from the past including Mr. Larry Bird himself, which I personally watched him sign after I met him :giggles like child: And for some odd reason it also has a signature from Cosmas N'Deti, who won the Boston marathon 3 years in a row: 93-95. I'm pretty sure this was in 95 or 96 that I got these so he was big at the time. He happened to be at a game sitting courtside. There was a line of people getting autographs so I blindly followed. :smile:
I think I have some other random Celtics stuff, perhaps some Red Sox stuff as well.

 

[schuey1010]

I've got an old sports illustrated cover that has a Jordan Sig on it, however I have no way of knowing if it's legit as I mailed it to him back in 1988 or something. Is there any place that will authenticate something like that?

Check out this site. They know their stuff. http://www.psadna.com/ball/autogradingstandards.chtml

 

[comquat1]

Check out this site. They know their stuff. http://www.psadna.com/ball/autogradingstandards.chtml

I don't think I'm paying $100 to see if my Jordan is legit.... I'll just live thinking it really is and hand it down the generations as an heirloom. :smile:

 

[4AU4LIFE]

I don't think I'm paying $100 to see if my Jordan is legit.... I'll just live thinking it really is and hand it down the generations as an heirloom. :smile:

for sure

 

[Osiris_x11]

cards only...

I collected NFL & MLB trading cards from early 80's to early 90's... so I have pretty much all the brands/rookie-cards/special-editions/etc' of the big-whigs in the limelight lately:

NFL: Marino, Elway, Montana, B. Sanders, D.Sanders, Rice, Payton, Largent, Dorsett, M. Allen, L.T., Irwin, Dickerson, Faulk, Favre, Aikman, others...

MLB: McGuire, Bonds, Clemens, Canseco, Maddox, Griffey Jr, F. Thomas, Henderson, Boggs, Gwynn, R. Jackson, P. Rose, Schmidt, A-Rod, Jeter, others...

Even though they might be rare/limited, or even rookie cards, they are only worth a few bucks each... unless MINT condition and get this: professionally graded & documented by one of the various services. These ain't diamonds, so fughetboutit...

My most valuable cards as-is:

1984 Topps: Dan Marino rookie
1986 Topps: Jerry Rice rookie

1985 Topps: Mark Mcguire Olympics (unofficially 1st baseball card)
1987 Topps: Mark Mcguire rookie
1986 Topps': Barry Bonds rookie[/]
1989 Upper Deck: Ken Griffey Jr rookie
1990 Upper Deck: Sammy Sosa rookie
1994 Upper Deck: A-Rod rookie

1996-1997 Various: Kobe Bryant rookie

My advice: if it's a seasonal player, and he/she is HAUT/Caliente/En'Fuego/Diesel at the moment... cash-in towards end of that playing season or stretch of career.

Past Ex.'s of sell when hot: Eric Davis (MLB: CIN), Don Mattingly (MLB: NYY), Doc Gooden (MLB: NYM), Jose Canseco (MLB: OAK), Mark McGuire (MLB: STL), Rickey Henderson (MLB: OAK), Cecil Fielder (MLB: DET), Ramon Martinez (MLB: LAD), David Justice (MLB: ATL), Frank Thomas (MLB: CHW), Moises Alou (MLB: MON), Albert Bell (MLB: CLE), Orlando Hernandez (MLB: NYY), Orel Hershiser (MLB: LAD), Hideo Nomo (MLB: LAD), Fernando Valenzuela (MLB: LAD) , Magic Johnson (NBA: LAL), David Robinson (NBA: SAS), Scottie Pippen (NBA: CHI), Gary Peyton (NBA: SEA), Dominique Wilkens (NBA: ATL), Patrick Ewing (NBA: NYK), Grant Hill (NBA: ORL), , Ricky Williams (NFL: MIA), Terrel Owens (NFL: PHI), Jamal Lewis (NFL: BAL), Charles Woodson (NFL: OAK), Eddie George (NFL: TEN), Junior Seau (NFL: MIA), etc'...

They had a stretch during a season or seasons, then faded or became linked to some incident/controversy. At that moment of peak public adulation, the important rookie or particular season's card would sky-rocket in value.

In the long-run, only H.O.F.'ers, those w/ remarkable seasons/records, or memorable incidents will be of value; also cards w/ 'errors' or limited production/notoreity. Memorabilia nowadays is just over-produced, there is saturation of everything. Hence why rare/unique things are of value (ie. think Procar CF NSX parts... :biggrin: )

Worth getting now for the future: Ichiro Suzuki (MLB: SEA), A-Rod (MLB: NYY), Albert Pujols (MLB: STL), Barry Bonds (MLB: SFG), Derek Jeter (MLB: NYY), LeBron James (NBA: CLE), Yao Ming (NBA: HOU), Kobe Bryant (NBA: LAL), Dwayne Wade ( NBA: MIA), Jason Kidd (NBA: NJN), LeDanian Tomlinson (NFL: SDC), Peyton Manning (NFL: IND), Larry Fitzgerald (NFL: ARZ), Ben Roethlisburger (NFL: PIT), Randy Moss (NFL: OAK), Tom Brady (NFL: NEP), and Reggie Bush (NFL: XXX) & Vince Young (NFL: YYY)*

*V.Young as insurance

Which players have notoreity and are in demand... watch MTV cribs, BET, MTV, E!, Entertainment Tonite, who they're dating (famous), and the police blotter... :tongue:

Nota Bena: Kirby Puckett (RIP) cards are peaking now.

 

[schuey1010]

I don't think I'm paying $100 to see if my Jordan is legit.... I'll just live thinking it really is and hand it down the generations as an heirloom. :smile:

Well if you are not looking to sell it, or even care to see if it is real than you are golden. I have any autograph you want for $10 as long as you send a SASE. Did you think you would find someone who could genuinely tell you if it was real for free?