How To Collect Autographed Sports Memorabilia
Collecting autographed sports memorabilia is an excellent way to enhance your enjoyment of a sport or a particular player’s career. When you start to collect autographs of your favorite players, you will have a much greater interest in their on-the-field success, especially if you are collecting autographs as an investment. The better your favorite players perform in their respective sports, the better the chances become of their autographed merchandise becoming worth more money.
While many people would like to get an autograph of their favorite players, most do not know the best ways to go about securing an autograph. Below are a few tips you can use to help you get the autographs of your favorite sports stars.
Go to a Game or Practice Early
Some players enjoy signing autographs for fans before a game or practice when they have some spare time. Attending a game or practice well before it starts can be a great way to get close enough to your favorite players to have them sign a card or jersey for you. However, when using this tactic to secure an autograph, it is important that you do not come off as a sports memorabilia collector who is just going to sell the autograph for financial gain. Even if this is your end goal, it is best to look like a diehard fan rather than someone who is collecting autographs to sell for profit. Most athletes do not mind signing autographs for true fans but do not like to sign autographs for those who are just looking to sell it for a big profit.
Attend Offseason Team Functions
Many teams in various sports are now holding offseason “fan fests” where they travel around their home state interacting with fans in a fun setting. These events usually have guest speakers, skill games, and a chance to meet current and former players. Also, some “fan fests” will have designated autograph sessions in which you can get whatever item you want signed by your favorite players in attendance.
Teams hold these events to drum up interest for the upcoming season and get fans excited. Since a lot of big name players attend these events, it is a great way to get your hands on some autographed sports memorabilia.
Go to Trade Shows
Another excellent way to get autographed sports memorabilia is to attend sports trade shows. These types of trade shows a great way to get an autograph in person from one of the athletes they get to attend the event or from one of the vendors selling their sports memorabilia at the event. If you do not want to get an autograph from one of the players in attendance, the chances are pretty good that you will be able to find a vendor selling an autographed item of a player that you would like to own. Just make sure to get a certificate of authenticity when buying an autographed item and only purchase one from a reputable vendor to make sure you are in fact buying an authentic autograph.
Collecting sports memorabilia is a fun, exciting hobby that can help increase your enjoyment of a sport. Whether you are collecting the memorabilia for your own personal collection or looking at it as an investment, autographs can make an ordinary piece of memorabilia much more special. Going to a game well before it starts, attending offseason team functions, and frequenting sports trade shows are all great ways to collect autographed sports memorabilia.
