Collecting sports memorabilia has been around since the Victorian era and has become big business over the past few decades.

The earliest collectibles were drawings, panting and prints, and mint condition items from that period now sell for millions of dollars.

Sports collectibles diversified during the 20th century with cigarette cards, trophies, medals and game-worn jerseys amongst the most desirable items.

Baseball memorabilia often attracts plenty of interest – a point highlighted by the $4.4 million purchase of Babe Ruth’s 1920 New York Yankees jersey ten years ago.

Many sports collectibles are categorised as pieces of art – something to be cherished that can be passed down from generation to generation.

With that in mind, we take a closer look at how the lines between art and sports collectibles are more closely intertwined than many people may think.

The Allure of Sports Collectibles
If you enjoy sports, you probably own at least one pair of trainers. However, the chances are that you won’t have paid nearly $1.5 million for them.

That’s exactly what Nick Fiorella did in 2021, when he shelled out $1.47m to buy a pair of trainers worn by former US basketball star Michael Jordan.

He used the pair of red and white Nike Air Ships during his first season with the Chicago Bulls in 1984 and went on to become a global sporting icon.

Given his achievements in basketball, Jordan’s trainers are viewed by collectors as being extremely important from a cultural perspective.

Similar importance may be attached to memorabilia in modern sport, particularly in soccer where collectibles are highly sought after.

For example, a signed jersey worn in 2017 by one of the highest paid athletes in the world, Lionel Messi, was sold at auction for $450,000 earlier this year.

The Argentinian’s artistically designed adidas Nemeziz 19.1 boots he wore in the Champions League in 2020 may well fetch a similar figure if they are ever auctioned.

There are plenty of other items of highly desirable sports memorabilia items that are capable of fetching millions of dollars.

For instance, the ten most valuable sports cards and memorabilia sold for over $12m in 2016, with the top item – ‘The Laws of Baseball’ – fetching more than $3.2m.

Authentic signed items are widely viewed as pieces of art in their own right, although they must be in mint condition to retain their true value.

One-off items also fall into this category, which explains why a new sports memorabilia phenomenon has grown in popularity in recent times.

Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) have been widely tipped to be the next big thing in sports collectibles and are already a billion-dollar sector in their own right.

According to Market Decipher, NFT sports collectibles are currently estimated at $1.4 billion and are forecast to reach $92bn by 2032.

In simple terms, NFTs are digital assets that can be used to create and authenticate physical and virtual items such as sports memorabilia, artwork and music.

Blockchain technology is used to create a single, global database of collectables, thus reducing the risk of people being conned by stolen items or forgeries.

NFTs cannot be destroyed, removed or copied, giving them a much broader appeal for anyone searching for authentic sports memorabilia items.

They allow athletes and sports organisations to create unique sports memorabilia – items that can be classified as true pieces of art.

The NBA, Premier League and several other major sports organisations have already explored the huge possibilities presented by NFTs.

On that basis, art enthusiasts may increasingly look towards NFT sports collectibles as a solid investment for the future.