Think rare sports memorabilia and you probably think of a vintage game worn jersey from decades gone by or a turn-of-the-century baseball card.
You hear a lot about the high priced items that occasionally appear in the press.
It's not impossible, though to find rare sports collectibles and memorabilia that are very accessible to the general public.
These aren't the type of items to make national news, but building a rare sports memorabilia collection doesn't necessarily mean high-priced items.
You can easily find some very unique pieces of sports memorabilia for less than $20.
They may not become $10,000 pieces overnight, but if your goal is simply to have some conversation pieces you can enjoy or pass along to your kids, it's not difficult.
eBay is a marvelous marketplace where virtually anything is available, usually without much fanfare.
The Vintage Sports Memorabilia section is full of sports collectibles from decades gone by priced far less than your average current wax box.
It just takes a little searching to find these gems.
Try browsing through some of the lower priced items first.
Those with low opening bids often include things like old ticket stubs, team yearbooks from the 1940s, 50s and 60s, even bargain-priced old programs from World Series and All Star games.
Larger sports collectibles shows are another place to shop for cheap sports memorabilia.
Some dealers specialize in paper items, like vintage sports photographs.
If you know your sports history even moderately well, you can often come across some really unique items and have a lot of fun searching through bins and binders.
I've found everything from old letters on team letterhead stationery to original wire photos and tickets to inaugural season games of well-known pro teams.
Another underrated area for a rare sports collection include flea markets and antique malls.
You'll wander through aisles of antiques you have no interest in, hoping for that diamond in the rough, but it sometimes happens.
Sports items are often mixed in with other pieces when an antique or flea market dealer buys an estate and those dealers would rather not bother with eBay.
Store model bats, old sports board games and baseball cards can be found.
A few years ago, I ran across a nice stash of Dixie Lids featuring baseball players.
They weren't dirt cheap, but were cheaper than what I would have found at a show.
Don't be afraid to drive a good distance to check out dealers in another region, mapping your route beforehand to check as many places as possible.
It may be difficult to purchase vintage Babe Ruth baseball cards for low prices these days, but lower grade Ruth cards can be found for less than $1,000.
Think about other vintage baseball cards in mid-to-low grade too.
The older the better, as the pre-World War I-issue baseball card market keeps growing.
The Sports Collectors Store is a good place to find both vintage and modern-era baseball cards and other rare sports collectibles as it brings all of the eBay sports collectibles to once location.
You can take your collection in virtually any direction you like when attempting to build your collection of rare sports collectibles and memorabilia.
Just make sure to be aggressive in your hunt and think of unique niches that will make you happy.
After all, you're the one spending the money.
You hear a lot about the high priced items that occasionally appear in the press.
It's not impossible, though to find rare sports collectibles and memorabilia that are very accessible to the general public.
These aren't the type of items to make national news, but building a rare sports memorabilia collection doesn't necessarily mean high-priced items.
You can easily find some very unique pieces of sports memorabilia for less than $20.
They may not become $10,000 pieces overnight, but if your goal is simply to have some conversation pieces you can enjoy or pass along to your kids, it's not difficult.
eBay is a marvelous marketplace where virtually anything is available, usually without much fanfare.
The Vintage Sports Memorabilia section is full of sports collectibles from decades gone by priced far less than your average current wax box.
It just takes a little searching to find these gems.
Try browsing through some of the lower priced items first.
Those with low opening bids often include things like old ticket stubs, team yearbooks from the 1940s, 50s and 60s, even bargain-priced old programs from World Series and All Star games.
Larger sports collectibles shows are another place to shop for cheap sports memorabilia.
Some dealers specialize in paper items, like vintage sports photographs.
If you know your sports history even moderately well, you can often come across some really unique items and have a lot of fun searching through bins and binders.
I've found everything from old letters on team letterhead stationery to original wire photos and tickets to inaugural season games of well-known pro teams.
Another underrated area for a rare sports collection include flea markets and antique malls.
You'll wander through aisles of antiques you have no interest in, hoping for that diamond in the rough, but it sometimes happens.
Sports items are often mixed in with other pieces when an antique or flea market dealer buys an estate and those dealers would rather not bother with eBay.
Store model bats, old sports board games and baseball cards can be found.
A few years ago, I ran across a nice stash of Dixie Lids featuring baseball players.
They weren't dirt cheap, but were cheaper than what I would have found at a show.
Don't be afraid to drive a good distance to check out dealers in another region, mapping your route beforehand to check as many places as possible.
It may be difficult to purchase vintage Babe Ruth baseball cards for low prices these days, but lower grade Ruth cards can be found for less than $1,000.
Think about other vintage baseball cards in mid-to-low grade too.
The older the better, as the pre-World War I-issue baseball card market keeps growing.
The Sports Collectors Store is a good place to find both vintage and modern-era baseball cards and other rare sports collectibles as it brings all of the eBay sports collectibles to once location.
You can take your collection in virtually any direction you like when attempting to build your collection of rare sports collectibles and memorabilia.
Just make sure to be aggressive in your hunt and think of unique niches that will make you happy.
After all, you're the one spending the money.
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