By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Maradona’s jersey from the 1986 World Cup and Jordan’s Air from the 1998 NBA Finals are probably hard to come by, but the hobby community offers today the opportunity to acquire pretty much any cherished item you might want to have at your home or your office for your personal collection…
We are Trace ‘n Chase, an innovative company that was born four years ago, driven by our passion and desire to give countless sports fans in Greece and Europe the opportunity to discover the “hobby” of collecting with its many variations! To acquire unique collectible items that will decorate their office, home, or company and to talk to their friends about sports cards, all while enjoying their favorite game and having endless conversations, chasing a new card during a midnight live break. And above all, the card must be… graded!
You will often hear people refer to “memorabilia” items that have a unique and priceless place in their collection. And this is true as the value of a memorabilia is strongly linked to the collector’s emotional connection with the person or event that the piece reminds them of.
“Memorabilia” can be anything, from a concert/movie ticket, a bubblehead, a card, a basketball, an American football helmet, a baseball bat and of course, clothing, sports jerseys, warm-up equipment, ribbons, tennis rackets or shoelaces. Anything that can remind you and allow you to connect with your favorite actor, celebrity, athlete or even event falls into this category.
The rise of memorabilia in recent years!
It is no coincidence that in recent years, we have been constantly reading news about memorabilia, jerseys and shoes, of athletes, breaking one record after another. MJ’s legendary NBA Finals shoes, Diego’s jersey from the 1986 World Cup, Magic’s jersey from the Showtime era and of course Karl Malone’s incredible full collection from the Dream Team, are just a few of the items that have been auctioned for several… millions of dollars. And rightly so, as they are priceless relics of global sports culture.
Memorabilia can refer to anything authentic or a replica, of high or low monetary value. Of course, when we talk about items of monetary value, you should expect some kind of direct connection to the actor/celebrity/athlete. Examples include pieces of clothing worn by players that have been placed on trading cards, autographs on the item, jerseys worn in games, actor clothing and equipment worn on set, and just about anything else you can think of. As long as they are certified authentic, of course…
The verification procedure
If you are ready to spend significant amounts of money on memorabilia, it is essential to make sure that these items come with the proper certification. In the trading card and memorabilia industry, there are a few well-known companies to be aware of that will authenticate the connection between athletes and their memorabilia.
Such companies include, among others, Beckett Authentication Services, PSA/DNA Authentication Services, Panini Authentic, Fanatics Authentic, JSA, and others. These companies certify the memorabilia items as to their connection to the athlete on site and offer a certificate of authenticity, along with a corresponding unique ID number for each item they authenticate, as well as a sticker (or hologram) placed on the item that has the same ID number that matches the document. For added security, you can go to the databases on these companies’ websites and check the unique ID number provided by the seller of the item. If you can’t find this unique identifier on the authenticator’s site, you can start to question the authenticity of the certificate…
It is also important to know that certification companies, most of the time, do not verify the identity of the item itself, despite its connection to the athlete (for example, they certify the athlete’s signature on the item). So, for example, if you want to buy a basketball signed by Magic Johnson that comes with a certificate of authenticity, you would first need to check the unique ID number of the certification against the certification company’s database. If they match, then you would need to read the product description to see what type of jersey Magic Johnson signed. In the jersey category, you can find e Pro-Style, Swingman, Association, Game-Worn, etc. jerseys. More specifically, a Pro-Style jersey is a no-name, low-cost jersey that is widely used by companies and athletes during signing sessions. Swingman, Association, Hardwood Classics, or whatever other name the sportswear manufacturers come up with are branded products and official merchandise that you can find at official and licensed stores.
The quality varies between these types of jerseys and this is reflected in the pricing of the memorabilia. If you are looking for a jersey that has been worn in an official game (signed or not), then its authenticity is definitely essential to the item and is most often accompanied by photos/images as evidence.
Items that have been worn or used in games are considered the “Holy Grail” of sports memorabilia and usually have the highest value.
Similar quality classifications are available for football helmets, baseball bats, basketballs/footballs, and all manner of sports memorabilia on the market. The more “official” an item is, the more valuable it is.
It is essential to remember that you should always make sure that the signature on the item is accompanied by the necessary authentication/certification. No one wants to buy an official Wilson NBA basketball that has been used in an official game and is signed by Michael Jordan but the autograph has not been authenticated.
In summary, search for your favorite athlete, find available memorabilia, verify its authenticity where required, and yes, own a piece of history at Trace ‘n Chase!
That’s it for now and don’t forget our special giveaway on IG where one (1) lucky participant will win a Collin Sexton Cleveland Cavaliers Fanatics Authentic Autographed Nike 2021 Black Edition Swingman Jersey!
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