In the past few decades it seems that the world's love for sports has only grown stronger. Records are being broken and players are giving the word Hero a new name. With this said, there are great investments when it comes to collecting sports memorabilia. However, keep in mind that it can become a very costly hobby as well. For those sports collectors out there who value their collectibles and those that have thoughts of becoming collectors, here are a few tips on buying and selling memorabilia:

Buy

• Pick a category to collect. You may then ask yourself which sports? Only one team? What player? When asking yourself these questions, the options are endless.

• Look at price guides such as Beckett as well as search the Internet and periodicals to get an idea of what items sell for.

• Research! Research! Research!

• Try attending a sports memorabilia show so that you can get a feel for the quality and pricing of items for sell.

• Get to know owners of baseball card shops. Don't worry, they will have other memorabilia besides just baseball. Once your comfortable, pick their brain and see if they know any contacts for national sources of sports collectibles.

• Get your feet wet and get involved in an auction. iTaggit.com is a great start!!!

• Ask an expert on your items authenticity. Proof of it's value is essential to making a good investment.

Sell

• Find someone qualified to give you an appraisal if your not sure about the value of your collectibles. Do some searching and don't just settle for one appraisal. Keep your options open.

• Sell the item yourself. Find a local dealer or try selling your items on the Internet. You never know who is interested.

• If you have items that are really high priced, you might want take them to an auction for the best return on your investments.

• To receive the best price, make sure you have as much documentation as possible so you can get the best price on your items.