Are my NBA memorabilia and collectibles worth anything?

Basketball season is in full swing, bringing superstar players like LeBron James and Steph Curry back to the sports zealot's viewing schedule. NBA ball might also remind Muzeum fans of the sports collectibles they have hidden away in their attic or garage, gathering dust instead of big bucks. 

This week, we'll tailor our latest blog post to finding out the value of your NBA memorabilia, whether you have autographed basketballs, rare cards or ticket stubs from historic games.

First, in what condition have you kept your collectibles and how are they being preserved? Are you keep them far from brightly lit windows or dank basement air? Remember that paper items like posters can decay due to the paper's acid content. That acid can cause increasing brittleness and may change the colour of what is printed, decreasing the value of a collector’s precious item.

We've heard various opinions on steering clear of laminating your posters and pictures, which also hurts the value of your collectible. It's best to keep paper items as clean and rip-free as possible lest the rare find look as terrible as a Dwight Howard free throw.

When it comes to actual basketballs, which are hopefully signed by someone famous, ensure the constant drubbing that ball has taken doesn't bruise its overall value. Fun fact: Muzeum has a signed basketball for sale, signed by NBA legends such as Tracy McGrady and Vince Carter. 

A popular collectible for sports heads are playing cards and basketball sits in an odd place within that category. Unlike baseball cards, bball cards weren't very common, but Fleer did a full run of NBA cards in 1986-1987, five years after Topps stopped producing basketball cards. Such a rare run boosts the value of those Fleer cards. So if you have any basketball cards, check those years! 

If you have more quirky items, like ticket stubs from legendary games, get them appraised by a specialist ASAP. Went to Wilt the Stilt's 100-point game? Checked out Kobe's last game on his retirement tour? Keep those stubs intact and clean and you might be sitting on some extra cash for that next vacation.

Also, we learned how the card company Upper Deck actually purchased the wood floor from Michael Jordan’s final championship game in the Delta Center for a sweet $1 million US.  Also, Dr. James Naismith’s original manuscript on the founding rules of basketball went for over $4.3 million US in 2010.

If you want another reference to evaluate the worth of your collectibles, note this buy from a year ago: someone's collection of Los Angeles Lakers collectibles sold at auction for $150,000 US, although it's not specified which items were in that collection.

A final note, that pertains to any sports memorabilia query: Collectibles that are extremely limited or 1-of-1 type items can be difficult to price because it's hard to know how many people may be in the market for something like what you have. It takes some research, networking and sports collectibles know-how to navigate an ever-shifting market that could value DeMar DeRozan's signed jersey one day, and the next day show more love for a pair of Kyrie Irving's on-court sneakers.

Do you have any NBA items you'd like appraised? We partnered with KSA Grading to help our collectors navigate the headyword of sports memorabilia appraisals. Call them at 519-804-8354 and tell them Muzeum sent you.