Autographed Willie Mays Memorabilia Becoming More Scarce

Collectors are finding autographed Willie Mays items to be a little harder to find lately, even though the Sey Hey Kid has signed his share over the years and has lived significantly longer than his fellow 1950s baseball icon, Mickey Mantle.

Willie Mays started his career with the New York Giants in 1951, when he won the National League Rookie of Year award. After the 1957 season, he moved with the Giants to San Francisco. He finished his career in New York with the Mets in 1973 and helped the Mets win the National League Championship that year. He was an all-star twenty-four times. Mays was voted into the Hall of Fame in 1979 on the first ballot. His great career has made Willie Mays autographs a popular commodity for nostalgic fans and collectors of baseball greats.

While there are many sports memorabilia conventions across the country every weekend,  Mays’ attendance at baseball card shows has dropped as he becomes elderly. At seventy-eight years old, Mays has cut back on personal appearances and the result is fewer present day autographs on the market. This has left the collector of Willie Mays autographs to seek older items. Many Mays autographs are no longer in circulation because of collector interest,  making his items scarce and expensive.

Mays is often seen on memorabilia and photos that also picture Mickey Mantle and another 1950s New York sensation, Duke Snider.  Who played a better centerfield, while in New York;  Mantle,  Mays or the Duke?  It’s been a popular debate for half a century now.  An autographed lithograph of the three Hall of Fame Centerfielders can run $1500-2000.

Willie Mays made one of the most famous catches in World Series history. An autographed photo of the famous 1954 World Series Polo Grounds catch by Mays can be found for around $200-300. Other signed photos of Mays batting or sliding range from $165 to $280. Signed Mays bats, jerseys or other oversized items will run two and three times that amount.   A Willie Mays autographed Major League baseball would cost from $200 to $300.

It is important to buy from reputable dealers to be sure you are buying authentic Willie Mays autographed memorabilia. Authenticated items from dealers should include a certificate of authenticity from companies like PSA/DNA, James Spence Authentication, Steiner Sports or Upper Deck Authenticated. This would guarantee its value now and in the future.

 

Autographed Helmets Growing in Popularity

Autographed helmets are becoming more popular with collectors, especially those who focus on football memorabilia. Programs and rosters are reminders of a game, but a helmet is a colorful piece of the history of the sport and your favorite star’s place in it.

Athletes who sign football or baseball batting helmets will sign them as clearly as they can, of course, but the signature may have some lines that look different, because of the uneven surface they are writing on. This makes it even more important to have a competent expert’s certificate of authenticity included before you purchase it, to make sure that the autograph is authentic.

If you are a particular fan of one team or one or more players, autographed helmets make a bold statement in your collection. They stand out and are a natural draw to the eyes. Better still, they sit quite naturally by themselves, or in a case.

When you collect items from your favorite team, you’ll always have your eyes open for different or unique pieces of memorabilia, and autographed helmets certainly fit that description. A bold Sharpie signature done in a color that matches the color of the helmet is quite striking. Larger helmets can accommodate multiple signatures while mini helmets are much cheaper, don’t take up as much space and are generally meant for 1-4 signatures.

The originality and style of some throwback helmets, or helmets used in prior seasons, will make them an even more interesting part of your memorabilia collection. For true pro football fans, there are few items considered more cool than helmets of the style worn in the pre-1970s era, especially the old AFL designs.

When you have autographed helmets in your private collection, you’ll enjoy the touch that they add. Regardless of whether your collection is large or small, autographed helmets will definitely stand out among the rest of your memorabilia.

It’s harder to judge the authenticity of autographed helmets, since the surface is so uneven, so be sure to have an experienced dealer authenticate it for you.

A Guide to Framed Baseball Memorabilia

There are many considerations when deciding to collect, or give as a gift, framed baseball memorabilia.  First and foremost, of course, is ensuring that what you are buying carries a real signature if an autographed piece is what you’re after.  If the signature is authentic then there should be a certificate of authenticity issued by a reputable firm such as those featured here at Diamond Autographs.

Before embarking on your search to purchase just the right item, be sure to do your research into values.  Many collectors go straight to eBay without checking on the reputation and service level of the authenticator who has ‘certified’ the piece or rendered an opinion. Remember if the deal sounds too good to be true it probably is. There are many fraudulent dealers who sell ‘as is’,  so be wise to their ways.  Check feedback and see what else they’ve sold.

Educate Yourself

Study card pricing guides like  Sports Card Market Report magazine to understand who may be more popular currently. Current popularity will, of course, influence price.

The number of options you have is wide ranging, but don’t let it scare you.  True baseball fans will appreciate anything signed by a well-known player past or present and the price range is a wide one.  Framed baseball memorabilia featuring lesser stars can be had for less than $50.  A Nolan Ryan autographed baseball contained in a small showcase runs around $100.   Rare pieces from the early 20th century featuring Babe Ruth or Lou Gehrig autographs (or those of other vintage Hall of Famers) can run into the thousands.

Don’t be afraid to ask questions of the seller. Where did they get the item? Was it in person? Where and when? Who authenticated it and does it have a serial number or a tamper proof hologram?

Companies will sometimes provide a notarized affidavit showing a representative of the company witnessed the signing, although that’s typically done only in private signing situations involving well known stars.

Authentically autographed sports memorabilia is always of more value and more coveted by collectors and of course a frame will help protect your investment while making it much more attractive for display.  You might consider buying something unframed and adding your own touch by matting it and framing it yourself.  Local frame shops and craft retailers like Michael’s and Hobby Lobby often run specials on framing.  Make sure you have enough room on your wall to fit the piece, once it’s framed.

There are so many items to choose from, signed bats, jerseys, balls, cards, and photos to name just a very few. Do a bit of a study to decide just what is right for you. Then venture forth with confidence armed with the information you have found allowing you to make your choice in an informed manner.

Why Collect Autographed Sports Items?

Fans have been collecting sports autographs for about the last century, although it didn’t really become widely popular until Babe Ruth autographs became a treasure to most Americans.  Ruth signed thousands of items during and after his legendary baseball career.  People got them because it gave them a special, if only brief, connection to one of their heroes.  It was one thing to say “I met the Babe”.  It was quite another to be able to prove it.

The same holds true today and sports autographs are one of the most popular forms of collecting.  Athletes are center stage 365 days a year.  They’re more visible thanks to TV and the internet.  Collecting signed items is a little tougher than it used to be.  Aware of the value of their signatures, some athletes make themselves harder to find, even in public.  Not all are worth money, but superstars are deluged with requests from fans who want that special piece for their collection but also by part or full-time sports collectible dealers who are obtaining the signatures to re-sell.

Athletes should know, though, that most people who buy or chase after autographs are pure in their intent.  They love to have a tangible connection to their favorite teams, players and to the history of the games themselves by collecting relics both past and present.  It’s a memory preserved for all time and a colorful way to decorate an office, sports room or kids room.  They’re conversation pieces and anyone who is a sports fan appreciates the time and effort it took to track down that special sports autograph.  A baseball sporting the autograph of Babe Ruth is worth thousands of dollars today because there is still a greater demand than the supply that exists in the marketplace.  It’s a terrific connection to the game’s past.

While autographs of Hall of Famers and deceased players might cost quite a lot, the beauty of autograph collecting is that you can start with a small budget and still have a nice collection.  There are plenty of well-known players whose autograph is still very inexpensive on eBay or Amazon.com.  Some retired players sign thousands of items.  As famous as he was, Nolan Ryan autographs are generally less than $75 because the great pitcher has always been so agreeable to sign.  He did so in part to keep the value down so he wouldn’t have to deal with sneaky, overbearing dealers.

Sports autographs provide a way for a collector to turn a run-of-the-mill piece of sports memorabilia such as a card or 8×10 baseball photo into a special piece with increased value.  More than anything though, collectors just like to accumulate items that mean something to them.  It’s fun, it’s relaxing and it’s a challenge.  What more could you ask for from a hobby?

What Makes Sports Autographs Original?

Seeking authentic baseball autographs in this day and age can be difficult for several reasons. The last thing a collector wants to worry about is whether an autograph is legitimate or not. When you are spending your hard-earned disposable income,  you don’t want to imagine that you are being ripped off. But it’s absolutely the first thing any serious baseball autograph collector should think about. In 2006, the HBO show “Real Sports” unveiled some not so complimentary issues about the baseball autograph collecting hobby/industry.

People were getting scammed hard with forged autographs.

In fact, many baseball autographs are still faked these days for monetary gain and it’s made the industry as a whole very nervous and sometimes difficult to enter for a “newbie:. At the same time, it really makes you appreciate those items in circulation that are legitimate. But how do you determine whether or not an autograph is authentic?  It’s not really that hard and these days there are experts in the field to help separate the good from the bad and make your buying experience much more palatable.

Reputable companies who can provide proper authentication are in high demand due to the amount of non-genuine autographs that still exist; companies that can make the grade, if you will. There are many sports memorabilia authenticators on the internet who provide such a service but we’ve narrowed it down to a handful that are generally well respected in the industry. Here are some companies who can provide that exact expertise to help you avoid fakes and establish a serious autograph collection with as close to ironclad authentication as you can get.  Letters of authenticity are really letters of opinion.  But these companies have studied thousands of exemplars, and are familiar with common fakes, keeping mistakes to a minimum.

PSA/DNA- Professional Sports Authenticator is a third party service that grades sports cards and autographs. It has also been called an “Industry Giant” by those in the know. The services they provide could tell you if a card is mint or not mint or whether a card has been trimmed or not. But they also certify autographs. PSA claims it has the hobby’s most experienced grading experts and it still stands as one of the most trusted in the biz. Their strict standards seem to put them over the top in the eyes of many sports collectors. Once a card or autograph has been certified, the item is marked with an invisible DNA laced link. It is naked to the human eye but it is verifiable through an infrared laser. If you are searching for items on EBAY and you see that an item has been certified by PSA/DNA then you can look it up by a specific number. A Certificate or Letter of A uthenticity also is provided by PSA.

James Spence Authentication- James Spence Authentication is another reputable company offering similar autograph authentication services. JSA provides authentication letters, standard certification and even a clause called “And When I Die”. That program is— you guessed it—centered around a collector’s last will and testament and what to do with a valuable collection once they pass away. James Spence Authentication says it will quickly eliminate the vast majority of non-authentic  autographs.

Global Authentication Inc. – A Pre-Certified Authenticator for Ebay, Global Authentication is another player in the Baseball Autograph Industry.  This company was formed by two former PSA employees and is generally a fairly reputable authentication service.

Mounted Memories – Mounted Memories is another reputable company that authenticates autographs. Just like PSA/DNA and James Spence, Mounted Memories is one of the most recognized names in the sports collectibles industry.  The company usually enters into agreements with the athletes for ‘private signings’ where a player signs a certain number of autographs for a free.  The items are then distributed in the marketplace with a COA.

Steiner Sports- Steiner Sports boasts that it’s the top distributor of authentic sports collectibles since 1992. If you plan to buy from the website, each and every hand signed autograph is witnessed by a Steiner Sports representative.  Like Mounted Memories, Steiner has a large client base among pro athletes and is always adding to it.

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