5 tips for collecting sports memorabilia

Do you have a stash of baseball cards that you collected as a kid? Are you looking to acquire a signed uniform or photograph from your current favorite player? These days, collecting sports memorabilia can be a fun and exciting hobby—and a potentially lucrative investment as well. Even if you’re just accumulating items for sentimental reasons, consider these tips as you expand your valuable sports memorabilia collection:

Make sure it’s the real thing.

With the demand for sports memorabilia, there is also a rather lucrative market for fakes. So, be sure to do your research before you buy. It’s safest to purchase from the official stores of reputable organizations like the MLB, NFL, NBA, NASCAR, and NFL, or make sure your item has been examined and approved by an authenticating company such as Professional Sports Authenticators (PSA) or Memorabilia Evaluation and Research Services (MEARS). If the item has been reviewed by one of these firms, it will have a certificate of authenticity.

Choose an insurer who knows collectibles and can give you extras.

Most homeowner's policies will cover some of your valuables—up to a certain amount. But if you have (or are building) a more extensive collection, you may want to consider purchasing a Valuable Articles policy from an insurance company, like Chubb, who can provide the protection you need to replace a lost, stolen, or damaged item.

Verify that it has a secondary market.

Not every piece of sports memorabilia is worth insuring. If it has a secondary market, it’s probably worth some money, and therefore worth protecting.

Consider inflation.

In certain cases, Chubb will pay up to 150 percent of the amount your item is worth today. Although it’s wise to get your items appraised periodically, Chubb ensures that if your item is worth more today than you thought—and it is lost, stolen, or damaged—you can replace it today.

Review your collection regularly.

Any time you purchase a new item for your collection, you will want to add it to your insurance policy. However, with Chubb, you don’t have to do it immediately. Your newly acquired items are covered for up to 90 days up to 25 percent of the policy limit, if you’re already covered for items like it on your policy.