(1)  The first and usually most valuable is something directly linked to a player or sports event. It could be a Test cricket ball or a ball from a grand final.  There’s players’ clothing, like a jersey or a blazer, or a baggy green worn by a Test cricketer.  These personal artifacts are the most realistic examples of sports memorabilia.

(2)  The second is your memento from an event. It could be a ticket or a program from an event or a photo you took. It’s important to you, but mostly it doesn’t have any commercial value. It could be a trophy your father won at golf, a swim cap from a triathlon or a medal from a fun run.

David Poole f Sports Online said people attributed meaning to these pieces.  “It’s a memento of a great experience to them,” he said. “It could be a program from a football game or a ticket to a cricket Test. “They remember that day. It meant a lot to them. So the ticket or program is memorabilia to them, but nobody else.”

(3)  The third is manufactured memorabilia, like framed autographed photos, miniature cricket bats or jerseys. These are the most common form of memorabilia we see today. Many of these are mass produced in large numbers.  Sports Historian Tom Thompson says “The least interesting are large signed editions. However, an edition of 100 or less usually holds its value”.

(Excerpts from Sunshine Coast Daily)

LONDON (Reuters) – Pop memorabilia including Paul McCartney’s scribbled notes for “Hey Jude” and Doris Day’s piano have enjoyed a sharp rise in online interest, possibly because so many people are cooped up at home under coronavirus lockdown, a leading auctioneer said.

Darren Julien, founder of U.S.-based Julien’s Auctions, said activity including bidder registrations, bids and catalogue orders was ten times the normal level ahead of two auctions due to take place in April.

Some of that demand was coming from Italy and Spain, he said.

“When Italy shut down early last week, we’ve noticed a spike of Italians registering to bid and buying catalogues,” Julien told Reuters in London on Monday.

“People are looking for a reason to be happy and excited and get out of the routine of being locked up in their homes.”

Tens of millions of Europeans are in lockdown, as governments try to stop the spread of the coronavirus which has killed more than 6,500 people worldwide.

Julien added that pop memorabilia might be seen by some as an attractive alternative investment while stocks, oil and other markets tumble.

FILE PHOTO: A sheet of paper with partial “Hey Jude” lyrics, written by Paul McCartney for a recording session in 1968, is displayed in a Julien’s Auctions warehouse in Torrence, California, U.S. March 5, 2020. REUTERS/Jane Ross/File Photo

“We noticed when the stock market crashed in 2008, we had a record years in 2008 and 2009, and that was because people with wealth were looking for ways to diversify,” he said.

Among the items for sale next month are McCartney’s notes for a 1968 recording of “Hey Jude”, valued at 180,000 pounds ($220,000), and a baseball signed by all four members of the Beatles.

In a separate sale, bidders can also buy Day’s four Golden Globe awards, her piano and a collection of gowns.

Reporting by Sarah Mills, writing by Sarah Young; Editing by Mike Collett-White

Memorabilia is best described as objects kept or collected because of their association with memorable people or events. These items are generally collected by fans or supporters that find sentimental and/or monetary value in the items.

The items can have a connection with historical events, culture, entertainment, sports, music or movies. Usually they stir a fond recollection, a worthy experience or remembrance and often these items have great value.

So what tops the list in terms of most valuable? Let’s look at some previous sales:

In 2016 the iconic dress Marilyn Monroe wore to sing ‘Happy Birthday’ to President John F. Kennedy sold for a record $4.8 Million.

In 2012 baseball great Babe Ruth’s Yankee jersey sold for more than $4.4 Million at auction.

Here in Australia, Sir Donald Bradman’s baggy green cap from his final tour to England in 1948, sold for $425.000 in 2003.

So this begs the question, what do you have? Let us know! info@amaonline.com.au

Absolutely yes. If you have an item of memorabilia personally signed with the intention of the item having value to anyone other than you, you have to be able to prove that it was signed by the actual person whose name is on the item of memorabilia. In other words, you need to prove it is not a forgery.

An impartial, credible, third-party witness can mean all the difference between an autographed item of memorabilia having value and being worthless.

See authentication for more info.

What is Provenance?

Most people start with the idea that an autograph is authentic and only look further if they are suspicious. This is backwards. You should begin with the premise that an autograph is not authentic and make it prove itself.  In assessing this proof, it’s important to disregard representations of sellers and ignore the sales pitches. Only autographs that can prove themselves outside the seller claims should you be comfortable acquiring.

As for provenance: Look at the first six letters; they spell ‘PROVEN’. Provenance means just that – proving where the autograph came from. In fact, this is very often the most important factor in authenticating an autograph. Knowing that a letter came from a reliable collection or dealer, and that it has an identifiable history, can be crucial to establishing a level of comfort.