Amassing collectible sports memorabilia can be a fun and even profitable pastime or hobby. Naturally, what your collection consists of is a matter of personal taste and preference. Some fans or collectors will decide to collect a wide range of items from many different types or sports, while others may choose to collect signed memorabilia from a particular player or team.
by DanAnderson
People enjoy collectible sports memorabilia for many different reasons; it may be just a hobby or it may be a way to make extra money. The type of items collected varies as well, as some enjoy getting items from a whole team or event and others want to collect autographed collectibles strictly from their favorite player.
The sports memorabilia industry has grown into a multi-billion dollar industry. With this boost in both popularity and profitability, an increasing quantity of forgeries are also being sold. Fake sports cards and autographed photos have without a doubt appeared to flood the market and the trend doesn't show any indications of slowing down. The increase in the quantity of individuals who buy sports memorabilia online has also increased the number of fakes being offered. Anybody has the capability of opening an account on auction websites where they can anonymously advertise to unsuspecting consumers, especially people who collect just as a hobby.
There is no way to know the exact number of forgeries that have been sold, but most experts agree that well over half of the collectible sports memorabilia available on the market are indeed knock-offs. Some believe that up to 90% of the items that are said to be authentic memorabilia are actually forgeries. If you look at it this way, assuming that the market is worth approximately one billion dollars a year, then anywhere from five to nine hundred million of that is monetary gain from fake items.
One thing that can be done to try to reduce the number of fraudulent sales is to increase public knowledge, thus making it tougher for the fraudulent sales to rise. Obviously there are a lot of trustworthy and genuine companies that sell genuine sports memorabilia, however the industry has been flooded with some very top quality forgeries that make it tough for bona fide companies to compete. Therefore this fake activity continues to deceive numerous unsuspecting people every year.
Witnessing the athlete signing his name on a baseball, for example, is the only 100%, without a doubt, absolute way to know that you are getting an authentic piece of collectible sports memorabilia; however, there are some things that you can be aware of that may help you avoid becoming a victim of fraud. Never accept a photocopy of a certificate of authenticity, as they are very easy to alter. When looking at a certificate, make sure that the language appears correct and that the name, phone number and address of the person who authenticated the item is clearly written.
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