Putting a price on autographed items

What we already know about you is that you like collecting sport related things; not everybody will ask for an autographed item. If you collect as a hobby, you may find difficult to part with some particular memorabilia that may hold emotional meaning to you. Well, maybe you don’t and you’re doing it as a way of getting some money. Either way, pricing that particular item is no easy task. There are a few things to consider and here are some tips or possible steps to take:

Price guidelines

You might think that your item is worth a whole lot and that may not be the case. Maybe is the exact opposite and you don’t really think that somebody will pay X amount of money for it and you run the risk of underpricing it. The best way to start finding out the value is to go to different sources: you can go online to find guidelines that will give you an approximate asking price for a similar item; or you can ask an owner of a sports memorabilia shop, they have plenty of experience and have heard and seen it all! Just remember that the more you research, the fairest number you’ll get.

The best of the best! Or is it?

Take into account that even if you think that your item is awesome and worth a whole lot, its general condition has a lot to say in the pricing. For example, something that was not actually used on a game and for some reason has noticeable stains, scrapes, smudges will have a decreased value.

The actual appraisal

You might now have an idea of what your item is worth, now it’s time to actually confirm it. You can also this in several ways. You can look for a respected and certified memorabilia expert to make sure you have a right evaluation; you can find them online and back them up according to other user’s reviews. If you’re going to be a part of the online community, you have to take a leap of faith and trust the word of other users, that’s what reviews and comments are for! Just make sure to return the favor and add some comments of your own.

Another way of having a “reputable” appraisal is to visit an auction house and get a better idea of the price.

The pricing

You went to all the previous steps, so here’s a sum up as to what is important in the actual pricing, whether you do it yourself or you go to experts:

·         How popular the athlete that autographed your item is. Has he been around long? Is it his last season? Is he still around?

·         Can you find a similar article? Do you have a lot of competition if you were to post it for sale?

·         When was the autograph actually given? Was it for an important date?

·         Is the item from a game? Was it used? If so, how important was the game? (World Series, Opening Game, Closing Game, SuperBowl?) or is it bought memorabilia and then autographed?

Posting it

Now that you know how much your item is worth, you need to post it for sale. Place a classifieds ad and make it the best that you can: good and honest description, good photos and references. Now you’re good to go!