Sports Memorabilia Gets Raptorized

If you are a reader of the Dino Nation Blog I think it is safe to think that in some form you are a fan of the Toronto Raptors. Well some fans love to collect stuff. I am not a collecter of anything of note. I still have my ticket stub from Lebron James first game in Canada. I also have some nice Raptor photos in plaques that hang on the walls in a room in my home. Vince Carter and Damon Stoudamire rookie cards. But I don’t consider myself a collector. But I would imagine a lot of folks out there are or would like to be. So I was approached awhile back by a reader that works in buying and selling these kind of things. I thought he might make an interseting interview for the blog. I don’t know much about any of this stuff. So I thought maybe some of you were in the same shape as me. Chaid is someone who has turned his hobby into a bit of a side job for him. I am trying to turn this blog into my work so I do understand that aspect. 

Here is something I do know cause I saw it first hand. I mentioned my ticket stub from Lebron James first game in Toronto and that I was there. My seats were right next to wear the players enter and leave the floor at the ACC. When the King left the court, he shot his personalized rubber bands into the crowd. I watched kids scramble to catch these things. Walking back to my car I mentioned to my girlfriend I took to the game, ” I wonder if those things will end up on e-bay tomorrow?” It be nice to think that those kids kept them. It all makes you wonder why people are so interested in having all these things, rookie cards, bobbleheads and autographed stuff. Even those rubber bands seemed to be a hot item. So that was first thing I asked why do people want this stuff?

Chaid-Many reasons. Some do it as some sort of investment. One thing that I came to realize is that basketball cards are almost like the stock market and fantasy leagues. When a young player turns out good, the value goes up. When a player busts, the value goes down. A great example is the situation of Rajon Rondo. His rookie cards originally had some value, but they definitely skyrocketed in price following the Garnett trade to Boston. Same goes for players that end up winning awards such as ROY or MVP.

For others it is simply for the joy of collecting. Many of us collected sport cards as a kid and want to get in touch with that innocence again. I used to be an avid hockey card collector as a kid and I suddenly realized a few years ago that I missed the excitement of opening a pack of cards or knowing that I own a rare rookie item from my favourite player. That and the dream of owning my own business led me to open an online store focused on basketball rookie cards.

Unfortunately the child like innocence can be taken advantage of. The thing that concerns most when they purchase items like this is if they are the Real McCoy. Things like autographs can be fakes. There are some shady people in the business just as in any. So I asked Chaid to give us some advice on how we as a buyer can be sure we are getting the real deal.

Chaid-It’s definitely something that customers, including myself, should keep in mind. It’s important to remember that rare or high value collectibles are the ones most likely to be forged. There is rarely a need to worry about common or low-end items.

The key is to have an open mind and to be willing to do some research if your instinct tells you to. The internet is full of tips and tricks on determining the legitimacy of an item. I did exactly that prior to purchasing a couple of Jordan rookies and I learned very simple tricks that I was able to apply right away.

What about are mini CB4 up there? Do those freebie Bobbleheads have any real value to them? We all know the bobbleheads will say yes. But what about our guest?

Chaid-A collectible has value if and when people are looking for it. For example, a bobble head of Chris Bosh only available via a Raptors game will most likely have more value than a similar item that can be found in any retail store. The very same bobble head can also have more value in Texas (where Bosh is from) then it would in Alberta. The condition of the item, the year, the player’s success and popularity or even rare mistakes on the bobble head itself can also help in raising its value.

I asked Chaid to offer us all some advice as far as things we should do and be aware of should we decide to go shopping for an item:

Chaid-In term of price, Ebay is great for researching the current market of a specific item, including similar ones that have sold weeks prior. It’s also useful to search Ebay for all active auction and store listings to get an idea of the item’s current market value.

I also strongly suggest, in the case of basketball cards, to only invest in autographed items certified by an established company such as Upper Deck or Topps. Another tip is to look for items evaluated by a graded company. The legitimacy of an item will have been assessed, although it’s important to remember that the autograph itself might not.

Finally, make sure to trust the seller. The feedback rating on Ebay for example is a great indicator on the reliability of a potential seller. Some sellers offer a return policy. More importantly, don’t be afraid to ask questions. It is your right as a customer to inquire prior to making a purchase.

Chaid also went on to say that if you are someone that is not an online shopper that you can still use EBay as guide for pricing. He also said that the safest route you can go is to buy goods face to face. But the problem in that is here in Canada it can be hard to find basketball stuff here in Canada because of the high amount of Hockey items.

I mentioned I owned a Vince Carter rookie card. It was a Christmas gift from a longtime ago. This was long before V.C Sucked and all. That got me thinking what kind of things impact on the value of these items. Stats, Fan opinions, Bad Press and Awards won. Those are just a few things I thought may impact value of things. But not knowing much about it I asked Chaid if these thing do impact the value of an item?

Chaid-The popularity of a player with fans and the media is instrumental. Items from Lebron James, Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan are perfect examples. Items that may have an international flavour may also have value, such as an Andrew Bogut rookie card that I actually sold to someone in Australia. Brandon Roy items skyrocketed following his ROY award and items from Hall of Fame inductees are also a hot commodity. There is also a correlation between the position that a player is drafted and the demand on his rookie items. Other things to consider include the individual’s hometown, the rarity of the item, its quality, the particular player’s franchise, All-Star apparitions, game style (Duncan vs. Carter), the company that created the item, etc. In other word, the value of an item will depend on a complex series of factors. The safest bet is to buy an item because you personally like that player.

Part of the whole memorabillia game is kind of like owning a stock. Not sure how much anyone follows economics but the stock market is not exactly going to well lately. But just like in the stock market there are always tips to be found. So for those looking to profit in the future who are some solid investments? I ask Chaid for a list in 3 areas and to provide a top 3 list of who would make a good buy right now if people are looking for item that may increase in value:

Current Raptors:

1. Chris Bosh

2. Andrea Bargnani

3. Jose Calderon

Current NBA Players:

1. Lebron James

2. Chris Paul

3. Kevin Durant

All Time NBA (increase in value from today)

1. Lebron James

2. Michael Jordon

3. Kobe Bryant

So I asked in general, do people buy these type of memorabillia items to make money as an investment or do they do it because they are fans looking for a keep sake for all-time?

Chaid-I can only speak for myself as a basketball fan and collector. I only sell items from my favourite teams and players, so I would hope that someone would buy my collectibles for the love of the player and / or the item. But a good portion of my customer base consists of fellow businesses that are looking to purchase something that could be resold at higher value.

So I hope you found this interesting. I took the approach of trying to help you folks learn more about the memorabillia game in general. However you may own an item and wonder what it might be worth? Maybe you want to seek out an item for your favourite NBA Star? Whatever the case might be I found Chaid to be pretty knowledable about this subject. So if you would like to learn more about this stuff or have a specfic question you can reach Chaid at the following E-Mail address:

ctstore@live.ca

He also runs his own online store on EBay if you are looking to find something to buy for yourself or someone else:

The CT Store @ EBAY

I wanted to say that in any case with Chaid or anyone else make sure you do your homework and ask questions. The last thing anyone wants to do is buy something and get burned. The fact Chaid is aware of the fact and based on what I read from his online clients he seems to being doing a solid job. But regardless always be careful and make sure you are getting what you pay for. Things that are to good to be true often are.

Good Luck to Chaid in what he is doing. I like to do what I can to support readers of the blog if I have a chance and can include it in the blog in some way. I don’t do it unless I think it will be something that I think will be interesting and hopefully this was that. It has really been interesting from a personal stand point to see how many different ways people that love the Raptors express that. I have got to know fans, fellow bloggers and some folks in the main stream media too. We all are part of the larger community that is the Raptor Family. We should always remember that just like people have passion for the schools they attended. Sports fans should have that same kind of love for their fellow fans. I do my best to share that love to all the folks that support me and the thing I am passionate about which you are reading!!!

Tags: Chris Bosh, CT Store, Jamario Moon, Kevin Durant, Kobe Bryant, Lebron James, Michael Jordon, Raptor Memorabillia