Everyone has some hobby, something they enjoy doing in their free time, even though it doesn’t bring them any profits, as the entire point is to ease our minds and have some fun. On the other hand, many things we do in our spare time and as a hobby can be costly, and collecting memorabilia is just one example of that. Now, this is just a reason to educate yourself before buying any memorabilia, as there are way too many scams, and here we will try to help you with this issue.
1. Find a reliable S
In the text below, we will further describe a few tips that one can follow in order to spot fake memorabilia and avoid spending money on it, but the best way to be sure about the items you want to buy is to find a reliable seller. Unfortunately, it is much more difficult than it sounds because since it is possible to find everything online, and anyone can buy or sell something, it is perfect for fraudsters who can create fake websites and sell fake memorabilia. Keep in mind that this can also be extremely profitable in the long run, meaning that the chances are high that there will be someone seeking high profits by selling fake ones.
That is why doing a bit of homework upfront is of vast importance, as it is the only way to that you will get precisely what you are paying for, just to avoid any inconveniences. So, to avoid becoming a victim of fraud, it is necessary to do research and find a reliable seller, which requires a lot of time, but it is the only way to be sure. Luckily, we have a solution for people who do not have enough time to do proper research but want to buy sports memorabilia, as some of the best original ones you can find here.
2. Pay attention to the price
Even though the price of some items shouldn’t affect our decision-making, it’s simply true that we look at more costly items as ones of a much greater value. Now, in reality, this doesn’t need to be true because, once again, there are many scams and fake memorabilia on the market. Each collector would love to get their favorite sports item for the lower amount of money possible, but we are all aware that it is impossible. These items usually have a high price because many people are willing to set aside some money for them, and the higher the demand, the higher the price, so if the offer seems too good to be true – well, it is probably fake. Because of that, it is necessary to check the price of other similar items and compare them, or you can easily end up spending money on fake memorabilia that does not have any value. Another thing to focus on here is the noise over some memorabilia and how high the demand is, as it can get you a pretty good insight into its overall value.
3. Do your homework
We have scratched the surface before, but doing research is a solution to many modern problems. Yes, there are many scams online, but that doesn’t mean that one should be gullible, far from it. Thanks to modern technology, and the internet, we can easily check every piece of information and see any video we want. Of course, some information can be fake, and because of that, it is necessary to be cautious and compare a few different sources before making the final decision on whether something is fake or not. For example, if you want to own an autograph of your favorite celebrity, it is necessary to check every single detail of it before buying something they have signed. Many sellers will try to sell the facsimile autograph, which might seem like the real one, but it is not authentic at all. If you look at the tiny details, it would not be difficult to spot this, as they always look perfect, which none of the real signatures are. The devil is in the details, and you can avoid spending way too much money on something worth a penny or two.
4. Ask for the certificate
Many people do not know that each sports memorabilia needs to be sold with an appropriate certificate of authentication, which serves as proof that you are not buying a fake item. Of course, experienced collectors are well aware of this, as they know that one of the first things to ask is whether the item goes with a certificate or not. On the other hand, owning such a certificate also means that the price of some item, or in this case memorabilia, will get much higher, and if someone is trying to sell something without a certificate and claims it is authentic – in most cases, it is not. Because of that, it is important to ask them to provide a certificate and double-check it, as many fraudsters try to make a copy that only looks like the real one. If it is authentic, it will contain qualifications and the necessary contact information of the person who issues it.
5. Autopens are not your friend
Okay, we understand that signing something over and over again can be just time-consuming and dull at the same time, which is one of the main reasons why many autographs are now automatically signed via autopens. It is a machine that signs the autograph, and even though every signature signed by this machine will be exactly the same, just the fact that no real person has signed it means that the worth of such an item is far lower. Namely, every signature differs, meaning that you can sign your name a million times, and every signature will be a bit different. That adds authenticity and personal touch to the item signed, which increases its value. Another similar thing to keep an eye on is a stamp, as the process is quite similar to one of the autopens.