When you think of baseball memorabilia and sports collectibles, do you think of baseball trading cards or signed jerseys, vintage jerseys, jackets, caps, helmets, photos and posters of heroes? Well, there are plenty of ways to show your support by collecting items from your favorite team or player.

People also collect for other sports, like baseball, NASCAR, basketball, soccer, golf. Some items that are fun to collect are die-cast models, Bobble Heads, Hero Posters and the newer items are The Fat Heads items. These are life-size replicas of sports heroes that can be safely stuck to the wall. With all the things you can collect, it’s no wonder some are confused about where to start or how to start collecting sports memorabilia and sports collectibles. Collecting sports memorabilia or sports collectibles is a highly personal hobby whose value is based more on individual tastes and passions than on the success of the individual player or team.

For those of us looking to buy that special someone something unique related to their favorite NASCAR driver, basketball, baseball, soccer or golf player, team or sport, what are you looking for? If you like baseball memorabilia, you might want to consider the St. Louis Cardinals. Not only did they win the World Series in 2006, but they also have some of the all-time greats, including Albert Pujols, Scott Rolen and Yadier Molina. On the other hand, maybe they like NASCAR. Then you have Dale Earnhardt Jr., Tony Stewart and reigning champion Jimmy Johnson. Maybe your sports fan is a woman. Well, you might like Danica Patrick, who she took in the Indy racing leagues by storm. We can’t forget the late, great Dale Earnhardt Sr. whose collectibles have not only doubled but tripled since his death and seem to be increasing in value every year. As with many great painters like Picasso, Earnhardt’s fans refuse to let their dream and his legacy die.

When it comes to NASCAR, you may want to check out not just the cars, but driver-designed teddy bears, yearbooks and autobiographies, key chains and lighters, plates, glasses, clocks and more for your home. You’ll even discover that baseball memorabilia and sports collectibles have spilled over into holiday decorations with entire towns and tree decorations on the roof of your sports fan’s house.

However, there are other big sports stars as well, including sports greats like Ben Roethlisberger, Shaquille O’Neil, and Nomar Garciaparra. Also, let’s not forget the always resounding Michael Jordan. When vintage jerseys were mentioned, you may have realized how much they’ve influenced sports memorabilia, but in 1980, when the NBA, MLB, and NFL began selling both new and game-worn jerseys, it pushed collectors to want even more.

The pressure cast scene has also changed. Fire trucks were a hot item at one point, but they’re back to being older muscle cars and newer hotrod collectibles. Then we have the baseball memorabilia and sports collectors who take anything from a photo of Tiger Woods to the Los Angeles Lakers for basketball, or the Indianapolis Colts, the NFL Super Bowl champions. Even seven-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong has a strong following among sports memorabilia and collectibles.

When it comes to the value of the items you collect, remember that the more famous the star, the more expensive baseball memorabilia and sporting goods collectibles will be. If the item can be verified as authentic in some way, that really adds value. Be sure to keep all items related to your sports collection or sports memorabilia. These would include the original box, any correspondence or signatures, receipts, etc. All of this will help make the item more valuable and collectible.