Three Reasons Why People Collect Sports Memorabilia

An uncle of mine, seeing him after ten odd years or so, had on the mantel above his fireplace, in a glass case, an autographed baseball of Sandy Koufax; that legendary baseball player of his era. Beside it was a framed certificate of authenticity given by Major League Baseball and Mr. Koufax himself.

He beamed as he proudly showed it to me. He boasted he had paid a handsome amount of money for the artifact. Me, a somewhat cynical non sports buff asked rather politely, why did he ever do that? He could've used the money to fix his crooked teeth or fix his indoor plumbing. Instead he chose to put his money on a piece of ball signed by some individual. And he gave his reasons, which were as follows:

1) Holding a piece of history

He said when he holds the ball in his hand he would be transported to the days where life was simpler. All he needed to do then was to play catch with his buddies and enjoy life. He would reminisce of days gone past and remember the exact play where the ball fell into his hands as the great pitcher threw the ball in his direction when the inning ended. There he was, a snotty little kid holding in his hand a baseball held and thrown by one of the greatest pitchers the sport has ever known. So as he grew older, that feeling always stayed with him and made him feel young and giddy. As the opportunity came up where he was able to purchase a piece of that past, captured under that glass case with his beloved pitcher's signature, he jumped on it and never let go. This is one reason why he bought the ball.

2) Invest in a valuable commodity

But he can't always be the little boy. He lives in the real world where real money counts. So in this world of dollars and cents, sentiments do not rule purchases as valuable as these. So the value of these items is always escalating. So not only does one hold history, but one also is able to do business with it. By actively selling and buying these items, one can earn a profit and still enjoy the history of the game. This was one of the reasons why my uncle sought to engage in the sports memorabilia business. But he has stopped then since he caught his major prize.

3) It is the ultimate big boy toy

Admittedly or not, since we were kids, the one with the most expensive and newest toy would be the most popular kid in the sandlot. So here we are, my uncle bragged, thirty years later, still wanting to be the center of attention with his prized toy. How else can one be the most popular kid if one does not splurge to buy the most expensive toy?

So my uncle, to my non sportsman eyes, seemed out of touch cradling the Carlton Fisk ball in his lap. But after his long winded explanation, he seemed to be the most reasonable relative after all.