HOW YOU CAN MAKE BIG MONEY IN SPORTS MEMORABILIA
By Wayne Van Dyck
The popularity of sports trading cards, or "baseball cards", and sports memorabilia in general has never been bigger than it is now. The collection of these items is not just limited to youngsters, either. Adults have discovered trading cards as a lucrative investment field. There are prestigious auction houses in New York that are dedicated entirely to the sales of antique baseball cards. Autographs, bats, balls, jerseys, ticket stubs and game programs are bought and sold by sports fans worldwide. You can cash in on the growing interest in sports collectibles by starting your own online sports memorabilia shop.
This can be started and established for a small investment and run for minimal costs. If you choose to open a retail outlet, you will need an adequate supply of stock to draw customers into your online store.
You can begin as a trading club with a monthly or bi-monthly newsletter, featuring the items other members have for sale or trade. Once you have personally gathered a large number of items to serve as a stock supply for your business, you can branch out and begin an affiliate program.
If your city has a minor or major league team, check with the front office about having players do a special autograph sessions for your online store. Fans can buy exclusive autographs of cards, programs, etc., that can only be purchased from you at a special discounted price. While folks are on your site buying these special autographed items, they will have the opportunity to browse through your stock, make some purchases, and get to know your store better. While many teams charge for these special autographs by players, you should be able to recoup your expenses through the added sales the event will generate. Also, having an opportunity to become acquainted with your customers and their likes and dislikes will serve you well further down the road.
Place an advertisement online or in your city newspaper or local shoppers' guide informing readers of your location and that you take merchandise on consignment. Your ad might look something like this:
=============================================== Sports World Trading Cards and Sports Memorabilia
We buy and sell all kinds of sports keepsakes: * trading cards * autographs * balls * uniforms
* Baseball * Football * Basketball * Hockey * Golf * Tennis
Complete Sports Newsstand--Magazines, Books Consignments Welcome
3227 N. Hamilton Ave., next to the county courthouse 657-6545 ===============================================
Keep your ad simple. Don't overload it by telling everything about your store. Simply include enough to let the reader know that you have a shop that offers materials in which he will be interested. Also, remember that your ad should be simple enough to attract teenagers as well as adults. Younger collectors will see your ad and prompt their parents to let them buy from your store. Allow the reader to visit your site and check out your offers for himself. Once he gets to the store, then you can determine where his interests lie and what items in your stock will appeal to his desires. Your ad is designed to capture interest--not close the sale.
If you choose not to start out from a retail facility, but opt instead to sell online, there are a few things to keep in mind. Decide first how you will market collectibles online--will you sell exclusively from your own collection, or will you serve as a clearing house to bring buyer and seller together via the internet? If you plan to sell only your own materials, you will need to develop a catalog listing of what you're offering. Divide it by sport and item type. List all the trading cards, autographs and other collectibles under separate headings. Briefly describe each item. You may want to develop a code for describing the condition of the materials to include the description: M=Mint Condition; E=Excellent; VG=Very Good; G=Good; F=Fair. Cards can be listed by player name, year of issue, company issuing the card and condition with the price out to the side. If a card also carries a player's autograph, include that information as well. A typical description might read:
Ruben Sierra, 1991, Topps, M..................$12.00 Ruben Sierra, 1991, Topps, E, w/autograph.....$18.00
If you don't have a large enough collection of your own, start an online trading card and collectibles newsletter. While you will want to include two or three short columns describing recent trends in collecting sports items, price trends or forthcoming collector's items soon to be made available, the main feature of your newsletter will be the trader's section. Much like a shoppers' tabloid, your newsletter will include classified ads from folks selling their own items or seeking others who are selling items they want to buy. You charge a small price per word, line or ad to include the listing in your newsletter. Readers will contact each other directly. You will make your profit from subscriptions, your personal sales of memorabilia offered in the newsletter, and the sale of classified advertising and any display ads that readers may wish to place in your newsletter.
Free issue "Sports Memorabilia Newsletter." Brings buyers and sellers together. Latest news. SASE to: Collectors, Box 11000, Anytown, USA 10001
Selling sports memorabilia can be highly profitable. A trading card purchased for pennies can bring profits thousands of times the original cost. More than ever before, youngsters and adults alike are collecting sports keepsakes. You can grab a share of this lucrative market and parley your position into a profitable part-or full-time income. The decision is yours. Step into the batter's box and take a swing at success, knocking one out of the park! Good Luck!
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Wayne Van Dyck is a former venture capitalist and builder of offline technology companies. He is the founder and developer of Simple Money Machines. Simple Money Machines is all the money making technologies in one, easy-to-use, hosted application... enabling non-technical people to set up online businesses in less than 30 minutes. It's made for people with 9-5 jobs, retired folks, stay-at-home moms and college students. To get a FREE copy of "STARTING A HOME BUSINESS MADE SIMPLE", go to: http://tinyurl.com/ykyoqx.
===================================================== Permission to reprint this article in unchanged form, including author bio. =====================================================
Wayne Van Dyck is a former venture capitalist and builder of offline technology companies. He is the founder and developer of Simple Money Machines. Simple Money Machines is all the money making technologies in one, easy-to-use, hosted application... enabling non-technical people to set up online businesses in less than 30 minutes. It's made for people with 9-5 jobs, retired folks, stay-at-home moms and college students. To get a FREE copy of "STARTING A HOME BUSINESS MADE SIMPLE", go to: http://tinyurl.com/ykyoqx.
About the Author
Wayne Van Dyck is a former venture capitalist and builder of offline technology companies. He is the founder and developer of Simple Money Machines. Simple Money Machines is all the money making technologies in one, easy-to-use, hosted application... enabling non-technical people to set up online businesses in less than 30 minutes. It's made for people with 9-5 jobs, retired folks, stay-at-home moms and college students. To get a FREE copy of
