At Catawiki we regularly see boxing memorabilia pass through our auctions signed by the likes of Muhammad Ali, Mike Tyson, Sugar Ray Leonard and other greats. As a sports photographer, our in-house sports expert Marc Jans has built up his own impressive collection of signed memorabilia. Thanks to his own collecting habits, Marc Jans knows the sports memorabilia market very well. With the upcoming UFC 220 event, you can expect boxing memorabilia to increase in value. Marc explains just how events like UFC 220 affect the value of sports memorabilia.
Fans
First and foremost, it’s the fans who drive the sports memorabilia market. The more fans a sport has, the more likely that memorabilia from that sport will be in demand and valuable. For example, golf was not a terribly popular sport at one time, however Tiger Woods brought in a larger fan base and as a result, golf memorabilia has increased in demand and value. Being a global sport, boxing has accumulated a large following over the years. With the upcoming UFC 220, you can be sure that those fans will be looking for a piece of memorabilia from their favourite sport.
Successes and Signatures
The success of a team or player also drives market value. If a team has a good year, more fans will want to be associated with their success and will be more willing to invest in memorabilia. Winning major sporting events, like the UFC 220 for example, will also increase the value of memorabilia. So while your Miocic or Ngannou signed photographs might not yet make you rich, their values will almost certainly increase once one athlete wins.
While just about anyone can tell you that a signature can increase the value of memorabilia, Marc says that it's important that the signature is authentic and, if possible, comes with proof. A certificate of authenticity and/or a photo of the moment of signing can significantly increase the value of your sports memorabilia.
Key Moments and Events
Important moments in an athlete’s career can affect the value of their signed memorabilia for better or for worse. When a player breaks a record, makes a great play, defeats a difficult opponent or wins an award, this not only increases their popularity, but also the demand for their memorabilia and therefore the value increases as well. Or what about the 1997 rematch fight between Holyfield and Tyson? Immediately following Tyson’s outburst, the value of Tyson memorabilia skyrocketed because everyone wanted some memorabilia. Even events outside of the sports world can increase memorabilia value. Think about athletes who take on acting roles as well or work for charity events. The UFC 220 will certainly be one of these events that will affect the value of sports memorabilia.
Time
Economics plays an important role in affecting the value of sports memorabilia, namely supply and demand. Many sports fans will discard tickets and programs or only hold onto them for a few years. Overtime these items become scarce because of this and therefore become more valuable if kept in pristine condition. So hold on to your UFC 220 tickets and programs, keep them protected from the elements and store them away as an investment!
With the upcoming UFC 220 event, you can expect to see an increase in the sports memorabilia market, making this a great time to invest, but also to sell and cash in on your investments. Here at Catawiki we offer weekly Sports Memorabilia auctions where you can buy a piece of sporting history and sell memorabilia from your own collection. All you need is a free account to get started. Don’t miss your chance to profit from this sporting event!
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