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Build up your baseball card collection, find the perfect gift for the sports fan in your life, or buy licensed sports merchandise featuring your favorite team's logo on eBay.
| Obtain Proof of Authenticity |
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Make sure you buy the real thing. Hundreds of services strive to meet the growing demand for sports memorabilia authentication. Each service typically provides its own unique proof of authenticity in the form of a Certificate of Authentication (COA). Some COAs come from divisions of publicly-traded companies while others come from individual dealers and collectors offering their own personal guarantees. The credibility of a COA depends on the issuing party's track record. Prominent authentication companies include:
Authenticator Pre-Certified vs Autograph-Originals
eBay has two sections where you can find items with COAs: Authenticator Pre-Certified and Autographs-Original. In order to list in the Authenticator Pre-Certified section a seller must:
- Have a seller Feedback score of 25 or higher.
- Offer proof of authentication from one of the authenticators listed above.
- Display clear scans of the item and proof of authentication.
- Include an Authenticator Pre-Certified section in their listing that displays item information required by eBay as well as a copy of the Certificate of Authentication.
Sellers who decides not to obtain a COA (usually for financial reasons) or who do not have a high enough Feedback rating to sell in Authenticator Pre-Certified list their original autographs in Autographs-Original.
| Autograph Shopping Tips |
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Obtain the John Hancock of top MLB, NFL, NBA, NASCAR, NHL, NCAA, soccer, tennis, golf, and WWE athletes. eBay sellers offer a wide selection of authenticator pre-certified autographs, original autographs, and reprints. Make sure you know which type of item a listing describes before you buy. To evaluate an item online:
- Carefully read listing descriptions: Good item listings include a lot of valuable information, including a detailed description of an item's attributes, signature location, and any wear. Listings for reprints should include the word "reprint," "print," or "copy."
- Look at pictures: Sellers should include at least one detailed scan of an item and its Certificate of Authentication. Familiarize yourself with an athlete's autograph and make sure you can clearly see it in a photo to evaluate it for yourself.
- Get an item's history: Find out how a seller came to possess an item. Some obtain athlete autographs in person and others sell licensed autographed items. Research the item's serial number and find out if it has a tamper-proof hologram.
- Learn about licensing: Athletes usually have exclusive deals to sign for a particular company. Know which company offers licensed items with his or her autograph. Many companies will provide a notarized affidavit stating that a representative from the company witnessed the signing. Some even use a PenCam to record the signing and offer the video verification on CD.
- Know how much to pay: Get a sense of the current market value for memorabilia by searching Completed Listings. The results will tell you how much similar items sold for on eBay in the past 14 days.
Always use common sense while you shop and stay away from items that seem too good to be true.
| Popular Types of Sports Memorabilia |
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Some sports memorabilia will fetch a higher price than other items. Expect to pay more for items signed by popular or Hall of Fame athletes, limited editions, items from big-name sporting events such as the World Series, and items in mint condition. Beside autographs, popular items include:
Official Licensed Merchandise
Score a deal on team jerseys, t-shirts, sweatshirts, outerwear, hats, pins, rings, and other official licensed merchandise endorsed by a professional athletic association such as MLB, NFL, NBA, NCAA, NHL, WWE, or NASCAR. A sticker or tag indicates the licensing.
Limited Editions
Manufacturers can choose to produce a limited number of a certain item or allow a certain number of licensed autographed items to enter the marketplace. These limited editions display two sets of numbers. The higher number indicates the total number produced while the lower number indicates which one you (or a seller) have. Limited editions often come with a Certificate of Authentication (COA), even if they do not have an autograph.
Collectibles
Other items, such as game-used items and signed replicas, also qualify as "collectible."
- Cards: Collect cards featuring your favorite MLB, NFL, NBA, NASCAR, NHL, soccer, tennis, golf, and WWE superstars, past and present. You'll even find etopps collector's cards and display cases to properly store them.
- Pieces of sports history: Own a piece of sport's history. eBay has rookie cards, ticket stubs from historic games, baseballs, pennants, photos, plaques, schedules, and more.
- Game-used memorabilia: Get equipment used in official MLB, NFL, NBA, NCAA, NHL, and auto racing events.
- Vintage equipment: Collect old-school baseball gloves, bats, helmets, and jerseys.
- Game souvenirs: Pick up souvenir programs, helmets, hockey pucks, skates, and more.
- Modern collectibles: Decorate your cubicle, den, or office with bobble heads, cups, posters, prints, lithographs, plates, or even cereal boxes.
To determine how much you should expect to pay, search Completed Listings to find out how much similar items sold for on eBay in the past 14 days.
| Find Sports Memorabilia on eBay |
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Now that you know how to buy, narrowing down item listings to the memorabilia you want shouldn't take much time. Go the Sports Mem, Cards & Fan Shop portal and click the link for the category that interests you most. Options include Authenticator Pre-Certified, Autographs - Original, Autographs - Reprints, Cards, Fan Apparel & Souvenirs, Game Used Memorabilia, and more.
- Categories: Links in each Categories list, located on the left side of a page, will help you narrow down item listings to the products you want. For example, if you click Game Used Memorabilia, the Game Used Memorabilia list will appear containing links to Baseball-MLB, Basketball-NBA, College-NCAA, Football-NFL, Hockey-NHL, Racing-Auto, and Other. When you click one of the links, you'll see another Categories list. For example, by clicking Baseball-MLB in the example above, you'll get a Categories list that contains links to Baseballs, Bats, Batting Gloves, Jerseys, and Other. Keep clicking until you run out of options that apply to your search.
- Keywords: Let eBay find items for you by entering keywords into the search box. For example, if you want a Hank Aaron baseball card, type "aaron" (without quotation marks) into the search box. Use the Matching Categories list on the left side of your search results page to narrow your results even further. Visit eBay's Search Tips page for more advice about searching with keywords.
- Let Sellers Help: A good item listing should include a clear item description and should also include a clear picture. If you want to know about information not included in a listing, email the seller your question by clicking "Ask seller a question" under the seller's profile.
If you can't seem to find exactly what you want, try shopping eBay Stores, tell the eBay community what you want by creating a post on Want It Now, or save your search and eBay will email you when a match becomes available.
| Buy With Confidence |
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Know Your Purchase
- Figure delivery costs into your final price. If you spend a lot of money, make sure the seller will insure the item when it ships.
- Does the item you want come with a Certificate of Authenticity? If so, which organization issued it? If you want more authentication information from a seller, ask by clicking the "Ask seller a question" link under a seller's profile.
- Look at who will pay for shipping, how much it costs, the delivery method, and item location. Does the seller offer shipping insurance? If you don't feel comfortable with a seller's terms, don't buy.
- Does a seller accept PayPal? This payment method securely stores your credit card information and allows you to pay for items quickly and easily. Never pay using instant cash transfer services such as Western Union or MoneyGram International.
Know Your Seller
- What is the seller's feedback rating? How many transactions have they completed? What percentage of positive feedback do they have? Look for a positive feedback rating of 96 to 100 percent.
- What do their buyers say in their feedback? Did the seller receive praise? A good seller may not have perfect positive feedback. Reading negative feedback will help you pinpoint any potential issues before buying an item.
- Does the seller have a return policy? Most top eBay sellers operate like retail stores and have return policies. Do they offer a money back guarantee? What are the terms and conditions?
Buyer Protection
- PayPal Buyer Protection: In the unlikely event that something goes wrong, PayPal is there for you. Learn about PayPal Buyer Protection and how your purchases can be covered up to $1,000.
- eBay Security & Resolution Center: If a problem arises in your transaction, eBay can help you solve it quickly and efficiently. Visit the Security & Resolution Center to learn more about eBay’s resolution tools.
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Must use Buy It Now and PayPal.
