A lot of people have an interest in memorabilia, particularly autographed pieces. Some focus on a certain celebrity, others on a certain sport or industry, and so on. If you own any, there may come a point where you want to sell autograph memorabilia, be that to cash in on your investment, because you want to use the money for another piece, or even because you have started a new hobby. Meanwhile, you also need to know how to buy new memorabilia, since you are building a collection. Let’s take a look at both.
How to Sell Autograph Memorabilia
If you want to sell your collection, or part of your collection, there are a number of options available to you. Numerous online auction sites exist, but you can also go to collectors’ fairs, visit experts, speak to friends, use social media, and so on. The goal for you should be to make as much profit as possible on your item, so that means considering a number of key issues, firstly in relation to cost. So:
- Do you have to pay any kind of commission for selling through your chosen channel?
- Can you set a price yourself, or does it have to be auctioned? And, in the latter case, can you make sure you get a minimum price?
The second element is down to understanding how you can make your item more valuable. Essentially, you need to put yourself in the shoes of the buyer and think about what you would want to see if you were looking for a new item.
How to Buy Autograph Memorabilia
A buyer, like a seller, can go to a wealth of different sources in order to find the items they want. Essentially, any location where a seller can be found, buyers can be found as well. But they look for a number of specific things, including:
- Proof that the memorabilia are authentic. As a seller, this may mean having it authenticated, which costs money and will therefore affect your profit.
- An opportunity to see the item before they agree to buy it, or, if they buy online, some sort of return guarantee.
- A multitude of payment methods, ranging from cash payments to PayPal payments.
For buyers and sellers alike, there are pros and cons to both online and offline source for memorabilia. With offline sources, it is easier to ensure that the memorabilia are authentic. It also gives you the opportunity to truly show the item that you want to sell, and for the buyer to see, showing its general condition, all sides, and so on. However, by offering a product offline, or by buying offline only, you significantly limit your geographical reach, which means some fantastic opportunities could be missed.
One thing to remember above all else is that autographed memorabilia are more than just collections, they are investments. If you do decide to sell, make sure you are not selling before the item ends up being worth millions!