Amazon Jumping in With Both Feet Into Sports Memorabilia Market

While sports collectibles have been available on Amazon for some time, the online giant announced Feb. 2 the formation of a new sports collectibles store (www.amazon.com/sportscollectibles) that will offer sports memorabilia ta a fixed prices and reported to have more than 2 million listings.

Amazon offers a selection from official licensees of the NFL, Major League Baseball, NBA, NHL and International Federation of Association Football. Customers will be able to browse collectible items by type, sport, year, team and price to find everything from trading cards and ticket stubs to game-used jerseys and autographed sports gear. And good news for collectors, the store displays the authentication source and condition rating from leading authentication service providers such as PSA/DNA, James Spence Authentication (JSA) and Beckett Grading Services (BGS).

"Our customers have told us that when purchasing sports collectibles they highly value authenticity, which is why we have teamed with some of the top sports collectibles sellers in the world to provide unique items with easy to find authentication and condition information," said Peter Faricy, vice president of Amazon Marketplace. "The emphasis on authenticated selection, combined with our A-to-Z Guarantee protection on purchases, allows customers to shop the new store with confidence."

Further, those looking to sell on the site must be approved beforehand.

There are more than 1 million trading card listings on the site (nearly half of which are for cards produced from 2000-09), with the seller, including well known dealers, noted in the listing and a link to other items being sold by that dealer on Amazon. Currently there are nearly 200 listings for cards dating earlier than 1940. There are approximately 42,000 listings for cards from the 1950s and '60s.

You can also shop for ticket stubs, shoes, postcards, photos, jerseys, bats – you name it, like any other sports memorabilia shop. More than half of the items lists are also available for $25 or less. Autographed items are a priority on the site, with a quartet of Babe Ruth signed balls available for purchase.