AJ Sports World Canada’s top source for Connor Bedard memorabilia, hockey autographs and player signings

Andrew Goldfarb, a lifelong sports fan who has been part of public autograph signings since 2002 as the president of Canada-based AJ Sports World, has only three pieces of sports memorabilia in his Toronto home.

First, he has a signed Muhammad Ali boxing glove, given to him by a friend in the hobby. “That’s a piece I treasure,” he said.

Next, he has an Andy Warhol/Wayne Gretzky piece that the company acquired years ago in an auction.

“It was just sitting in the warehouse and, after years, I just thought I’d rather have it in my home than sitting in the warehouse,” Goldfarb said.

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Finally, he has a Rudy Ruettiger-signed football helmet from the former University of Notre Dame football player who was the inspiration for the 1993 film “Rudy,” which Goldfarb tagged as “one of my favorite movies.” Ruettiger added numerous inscriptions alongside his autograph.

“I’m not a collector,” Goldfarb says. But that doesn’t mean he’s not incredibly knowledgeable about collecting and the hobby overall. He is. Andrew is following his dad, Harvey, who was a longtime hobbyist. AJ Sports boasts “Authentic Since 1991” because the company is the trusted source for autographed memorabilia in Canada. AJ Sports has managed more than 1,000 direct athlete signing events.

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AJ Sports will have a major presence this weekend at the Toronto Sport Card Expo April 25-28. The company will host such autograph guests as: former NHL stars Simon Gagne, Olaf Kolzig, Stephane Richer, Tomas Kaberle, Pete Stemkowski, Teemu Selanne, Dave Ellett, Brendan Morrison and Easton Cowan; former Toronto Blue Jays stars George Bell, Duane Ward and Devon White; former NFL QB Warren Moon; and legendary actor/Star Trek star William Shatner.

In December last year, the AJ Sports Headquarters was the site for four public autograph signing sessions that drew 100-plus collectors, all eager for a signature from hockey greats Jari Kurri, Esa Tikkanen, Ed Belfour and Jeremy Roenick. The company also had private autograph signings in December, including Rod Brind’Amour.

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Bowen Byram was at AJ Sports World in January and the company’s slate of January private signings included Shane Doan, Mike Gartner and Adam Lowry, among others.

“Watching kids when they get to meet athletes is great. Watching collectors spend their energy and time to meet a celebrity is great, too,” said Goldfarb, whose office features plenty of sports memorabilia, including team-signed hockey jerseys with the autographs acquired at past AJ Sports signings.

“The favorite part of my job is the creative aspect, creating new products, the design work. I enjoy that,” he said. “We’ve always focused on providing quality, top-end products, with authenticity and quality paramount.”

AJ Sports World is a must-see stop on the traveling collectibles scene, especially for hockey fans and a for a wide variety of astonishing signed souvenirs. The company headquarters is filled with countless framed, signed collectibles, plus an array of unsigned hockey pucks and plenty of their mystery AJ Sports Treasure Chest boxes (filled with a signed hockey jersey, a signed 8-by-10 photo and a signed hockey puck).

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AJ Sports World has been the home for public signings for more than 20 years—with former Toronto Maple Leaf star Bobby Baun owning the title of AJ’s first-ever.

“We used to do more signings, particularly with more active players. Now, it’s mostly retired players, who often draw good crowds [of collectors] and better crowds [than current players],” Goldfarb said.

“The public signings bring good memories. Really good memories.”

The list of signers at AJ Sports World reads like a Who’s Who, particularly from the hockey world. They have, for instance, hosted a signing with a former member of the Detroit Falcons, who were the Red Wings before the Red Wings.

Founded in 1926, the team was known as the Detroit Cougars until 1930. For the next two seasons, the team was named the Detroit Falcons before changing their name to the Red Wings in 1932.

“We certainly have had some cool experiences with all of the signing over the years,” Goldfarb said. “I was, for instance, a big Tony Esposito fan, so doing signings with him was always fun for me personally.

“Vince Carter was fun, same for Roy Halladay, though only about 12 people showed up for that signing.

“The memories aren’t about the sales; they are about the experiences.”

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Such as the 2013 signing that featured Hulk Hogan and a young Connor McDavid, who didn’t have many people in line waiting for his signature, which, no doubt, would never happen nowadays. Goldfarb and Hogan talked about McDavid’s potential to be a hockey superstar.

Then there was the signing when Alice Cooper wanted to meet Gordie Howe.

Or when Ron Turcotte, a former horse jockey best known as the rider of Secretariat and winner of the Triple Crown in 1973, wanted to meet Hogan.

Mitch Marner, a playmaking right wing who is in his eighth season skating for the Toronto Maple Leafs, drew crowds of collectors that pushed outside and wrapped around the store.

Marcus Stroman signed at AJ Sports World, then participated in the Ice Bucket Challenge that was a worldwide craze years ago.

AJ Sports World also has been the home to reunion signing shows, such as when members of the 1970 Boston Bruins appeared over a weekend.

“Hearing their stories was a lot of fun,” Goldfarb said. “Yeah, the signings bring back fond memories, totally. I’ve had a lot of fun with them.”

Goldfarb admits there are some sporting icons who he’d like to bring to his store for an autograph session, though he knows it likely will never happen. Two on that list include Wayne Gretzky and Ken Dryden.

“There’s a bigger market for hockey autographs versus the other sports in Canada, sure,” Goldfarb said. “We had a big Raptors and Blue Jays autograph business for a long time, but [the pandemic] changed that.”

Since the pandemic, AJ Sports World has jumped its business from 90 percent hockey to about 95 percent hockey-related. Baseball and basketball collectibles comprise the remaining, with little American football.

Asked about today’s hockey collectibles market, Goldfarb said it is “strong.”

And it doesn’t hurt AJ Sports World represents Connor Bedard, the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NHL Draft who has shined for the Chicago Blackhawks.

“We represent Connor Bedard, so we’re having a busy year, selling a lot of Chicago products. Last year, I couldn’t give away Chicago items,” Goldfarb said in December, just after Bedard NHL debut.

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Goldfarb also represented McDavid at the same point in his NHL career.

So, who’s the bigger draw at this point, Bedard or McDavid?

Bedard, because of the Internet hype and media push for the Chicago rookie.

Goldfarb said Bedard-signed collectibles are “red-hot.” Consider some of the Bedard-signed souvenirs that have been offered by AJ Sports World, with prices in CAD:

• Chicago Blackhawks Adidas Jersey, $900.

• Regina Pats CCM CHL Jersey, $800.

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• Blackhawks hockey puck, $320.

• Framed Blackhawks jersey with logo puck, $1,360.

• Blackhawks first NHL game 8-by-10 photo, $304.

• Sherwood Rekker VR 92 game-model stick, $1200.

• Regina Pats Navy CCM Hockey pants, $640.

• Game-used Sherwood Rekker hockey stick from an NHL game, $4,800.

• Regina jersey with “2023 CHL POY” inscription, $2,000.

• Sherwood Rekker game-model stick with first goal note #18/98, $2,000.

“I am happy with the results,” of Bedard collectible sales. “It is at least as good as I would have expected.”

Goldfarb noted that sales of Bedard collectibles have primarily been from North America. The international market will be a bit longer to take off, he said.

Long-term, Bedard could be one of the biggest names in the collectibles industry ever, “if he’s the type of player that everyone thinks he will be,” Goldfarb said. “I’m very optimistic about his future. We feel very confident in [his longevity].”

Other strong sellers on the hockey front include McDavid, Austin Mathews, Sidney Crosby, Alex Ovechkin, Kirill Kaprizov, Mitch Marner, Cole Caufield and Brad Marchand, among others.

“A team’s performance plays hand in hand,” with the demand on the collectibles front,” Goldfarb said. “Goal-scorers always score better than defensemen or goalies.”

Goldfarb added: “It really is a great hobby, a family hobby. Enjoy the hobby. Do it because you enjoy it, not as an investment.”