Knowing
Sports Gallery's reputation for quality,
authenticity,
and customer
service, as well as our expertise in the
sports collectibles market, customers, clients and web visitors
frequently approach us with questions about their personal
items. Most are special sports collectibles that they have
collected over the years, often handed down from past generations.
The
Three Most Frequent Questions:
1.
How
much is my signed [fill
in the blank] worth?
2.
Do
you want to buy my signed [fill
in the blank]?
3.
What
was it like to meet Willie Mays at your in-store signing?
Unfortunately,
we cannot purchase collectibles from personal collections.
We would not be able to maintain our authenticity guarantee
if we accepted items from private collections and we simply
will not compromise our commitment
to the authenticity
of our collectibles.
Amazing!
Something none of us at Sports Gallery will ever forget.
Check out our photographs
from our Special
Day with Willie Mays!
Collectibles
Value Variables
Determining
the value of a collectible from a personal collection can be
extremely difficult. Ballpark figures are sometimes possible
but there are so many variables involved that a knowledgeable
and accurate evaluation is nearly impossible. Factors include:
Who
signed it?
Is your collectible signed by a Hall of Famer or a journeyman?
Are autographs by this athlete readily available or hard to
come by? Is the athlete deceased or still alive? Most importantly,
is there a strong public sentiment for this athlete and demand
for his/her signature or are people mostly indifferent to
this star.
Like most markets, the basic economic principle of supply
and demand applies to valuation in the sports collectibles
industry. The greater the supply relative to the demand, the
lower the value and visa versa. That being said, All
Things Being Equal...
the greater the athlete's accomplishments (Hall of Fame,
MVP, Championships, special sports moment, etc..) and
records/milestones (HR record, 300 wins, etc.), the greater
the value of the collectible (greater demand);
a
deceased athlete's collectibles will be greater in value
(finite supply) - the longer the athlete has been deceased
the greater the value.
strong
public interest in the athlete will increase the value
of his/her collectibles (greater demand);
special
inscriptions (i.e., "HOF 78") will increase
the value of the collectible (limited supply): personalized
inscriptions (i.e, "To Mark") will decrease
its value (less demand...unless you're named Mark).
the
fewer signings the athlete does, the greater the value
(limited supply) - to the contrary, the more accessible
the athlete, the less the value (greater supply);
and,
most important, the more an athlete charges for appearance
fees and signatures, the greater the value (i.e., Mark
McGwire's high appearance/signature fee results
in a higher value for his collectibles).
And
of course, the tricky part is All
Things Are Never Equal. All of these factors,
and many more (see below) will be involved. And all are
dynamic and in a state of constant change. Thus even an
accurate valuation at a particular moment in time may become
grossly inaccurate a few years, months, or even weeks later.
Probably
the most important thing to keep in mind in pricing an athlete's
signature is that the one factor that typically Is
Not relevant is your
personal feelings towards, and connections to, the collectible
and/or athlete. These elements determine the collectibles
sentimental value and are often priceless. But they typically
have little or no bearing on the item's worth in the eyes
of the public.
Is
the item signed by more than one person?Often
collectibles are signed by more than one person. People that
are connected by some record/milestone (i.e., a 300
Win Club baseball) or a championship. In general, a significant
milestone or Championship raises the value of the collectible
significantly. Championship team signed collectibles can be
worth thousands. However, if the team or other signatures
hold little significance (i.e., team was not that memorable
or players have no real connection), the presence of multiple
signatures can decrease the value of the collectible, sometimes
significantly. Having a collectible signed by Ted Williams
and "Joe Blow" definitely decreases the value greatly.
What
item is signed?
Typically, the more relevant the item is to the athlete the
more it will be worth. Sports items such as jerseys, helmets,
bats, balls, and photographs are always best. Game used items
are even more valuable. And since authentic sports equipment
can often be expensive by itself (i.e., a football helmet),
the value of the signature will be impacted accordingly.
In general, signatures on items with broad appeal (i.e., photograph,
ball, etc.) are worth more than signatures on specialty items
(visor, magazine cover, etc.). This is just basic supply and
demand economics - more people want a ball than a visor so
the signature is generally worth more.
What
is the condition of the piece?
The better the condition the item is in, the greater the value.
Any damage to the autograph, photograph, or signed item will
lower its value unless the item is game-used. Also, smear,
smudges, stains and fading of the signature will impact the
value.
Has
the autograph been authenticated?
At
Sports Gallery we've implemented the best safeguards in our
industry to ensure the authenticity of our collectibles. Every
item in our collection has been properly authenticated and
comes with a Sports Gallery Certificate
of Authenticity.
Does your collectible have a Certificate of Authenticity?
In order to sell your collectible, you may first need to authenticate
it using an authentication service. But even if you don't
plan to sell it, the lack of proper authentication will definitely
have a negative impact on the value of your collectible.
resources
The
web is full of resources and companies that will authenticate
and value your collectible, typically for a fee. Some of the
better known services include:
Global
Authentication Inc.
Consumer
protection technology and grading/authentication expertise
for sports, historical and Hollywood memorabilia.
Professional
Sports Authenticator
The
worlds largest third-party authentication services specializing
in baseball, hockey, football, and basketball cards.
Services include SMR
Online, a subscription online price guide for sports
memorabilia.
MastroNet,
Inc.
MastroNet
is an online consignment auction house; a channel to sell
collectibles from a private collection.
Sports
Gallery Authenticated
If your item is similar to
those found on this website, we may be able
to give you a ballpark estimate of its value (subject to the
many variables discussed above). Please provide as much information
as possible. We also can give you tips on how best to care
for your cherished collectible including our quality custom
framing and display
casesolutions.
