A COLLECTOR’S CHRISTMAS LIST
The sports collector in your family should be the easiest person to shop for on your Christmas list. In a booming sports collectible market, there are literally hundreds of thousands of options, from trendy sports cards (both modern and vintage) to autographed memorabilia and some of the most quirky and bizarre gifts you will buy.
And finding them should not be a problem. There are hundreds of sources, from local card shops and dealers to online retailers and auction houses. You might even want to hit a weekend card and memorabilia show (see pages 54-57).
To give you a head start, we went shopping. Here’s what we found:
HONORING A LEGEND
Hank Aaron has been honored often following his passing in April, including before Game 3 of the World Series. Aaron memorabilia spiked following his death, with his 1954 rookie card setting records and signed Aaron items reaching five and six figures, a trend that is likely to continue following his Atlanta Braves winning the World Series.
Even Aaron’s non-rookie cards from the ’50s and ’60s typically sell for thousands (see Online Auctioneer, pages 20-21). His cards from the ’70s, however, are still reasonable and a nice addition to any collection. The 1972 Topps is a cool, clean pose with Aaron at bat and the Braves name in
