Question concerning sports memorabilia

[DKott21]

I know this is an antique forum but I figured you could lead me in the right direction. I have a basketball signed by the entire 1989 champions, Detroit Pistons. I also have a autographed framed Michael Jordan photo in perfect condition. I know they are real but before I go about authenticating them I want to get them appraised to make sure it's even worth it because I know it can be pricy to get something authenticated. Especially a basketball with 15+ autographs. What type of shop would I go too to get an estimated value of these items? I have numerous antique shops around me but would they be able to appraise sports memorabilia? I just don't know where to take these.

[mart]

Beckett.com for all sports memorabilia !!  They have a really helpful forum there as well !!  They helped me with a signed Mickey Mantle large card !! Can`t remember the actual site name for the forum but Beckett should have it somewhere !!  They are the top graders in the U.S. !!

[DKott21]

Thank you, checking it out now.

[DKott21]

Not getting any bites. May just take them to the thrift store and see what happens.

[rockandrollrods]

Take them to the thrift store?

Sports memorabilia is not going well right now. Earlier today, I had a buyer (and re seller apparently) come by about some hockey cards that I'm selling. There are over 2,200 cards from the 1970s to present day. A lot of commons, yeah, but there are some early Wayne Gretzky's and the like. Refractor cards and plenty of rookies. He offered me $5 for all of them. When I told him that really wasn't going to work he raised his offer to $10 for everything. Needless to say I still have them.

[greenacres]

My son played college hockey and was an avid collector. I have some amazing things and I don't know if I would sell them on ebay right now. I would go to a cards and memoribilia shop first and make sure what you had. I went to Beckkett.com about things that are highly collectible and wouldn't be listed in a book, and that's what they told me to do.

[mart]

I had a tackle box full of baseball cards!! Mostly 70`s and after and were like your cards,, a mixed lot !!  I gave them to a neighbor boy !!

[greenacres]

That's always good too! Maybe he'll become a future collector, lol

[Oceans64]

I had a tackle box full of baseball cards!! Mostly 70`s and after and were like your cards,, a mixed lot !!  I gave them to a neighbor boy !!

Can hear it now...

<ARS 50 years in the future>

ARS Guy: Nice Collection Bill...  Where did you come across these?
Bill: Oh my neighbor gave them to me when I was a little boy!
ARS Guy: WOW!! Nice Neighbor...
Bill: Oh Yes!  She was nice - altho..... once she yelled at me for climbing on her tractor!
ARS Guy and Bill: chuckle, chuckle, chuckle <had to get that in  >
ARS Guy: Well Bill, let me tell you, the market for baseball cards has been coming back lately and you have several rare cards here.  Why are they rare? Mostly because back in the 2010's the market was soft and people just GAVE their cards away!!  Just like your neighbor...
Bill: Oh...  yes...
ARS Guy: Well in today's market, in a well advertised sports memorabilia auction, your cards would bring anywhere from $1-$2,000,000!!!
Bill: REALLY!!!    That's great!!

What we don't see is that Bill goes home, sells his cards at auction for 1.5 Mill. After commissions, City, County, State and Federal Taxes, not to mention the cost of Gas to get him to the auction, he nets exactly $100K... 

Just enough to take his wife out to dinner!