Your Sports Memorabilia: Autographs, Photos and Pinball Machines

By: Kate Donnarummo
Posted In: Sports

Among the tourist destinations, clothing, and fudge shops in Newport, R.I. lies a hidden treasure, Your Sports Memorabilia located at 170 Thames Street. Nestled amid the boat painting galleries, bars and restaurants, Your Sports Memorabilia carries one of a kind merchandise for the American sports fan.

As I entered the store, my eyes scanned the cluttered walls with framed pictures of past and present star athletes. The Boston Red Sox cover a significant amount of wall space, along with the 2008 NBA champions, the Boston Celtics.

Scattered on the walls are numerous New York Yankees collectables, as well as items from the Patriots, Bruins, Michael Jordan, and other greats. The store has signed merchandise and game worn apparel from legendary athletes such as Mickey Mantle, Joe DiMaggio, and Larry Bird.

I consider myself to be knowledgeable of sports, but nothing prepared me for the price tags I saw attached to dirty baseballs or framed posters. When I saw the ad for the upcoming Randy Moss signing, I assumed the event was free. I should have known better, as the world of sports has become a profitable market.

Today professional athletes are paid by their teams to play the game they love, as well as endorse companies like Nike or Gatorade. Athletes are paid to write their signatures as well.

While perusing the store, I spoke to Mitch Fauria, an employee, from Portsmouth, R.I. Fauria explained how the store acquires the items. Dozens of companies around the country sign contracts with athletes that agree to have the player sign a certain number of items and attend a certain number of autograph signings per year.

Your Sports Memorabilia holds autograph signings once or twice a month. Randy Moss has signed at the store and his signature costs $250.

Companies such as Upper Deck, Steiner Sports and Great American North sell their signed athletes’ signatures to stores such as Your Sports Memorabilia. The price of an item depends on the athlete and his or her accomplishments, and the number of signatures that player does per year.

Upper Deck is home to athletes such as Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods. Fauria explained that a Tiger Woods signed framed picture with a used golf club had been sold for $3900. A signed Michael Jordan picture priced at $2750 was on display.

Although some collectibles are pricy, I could fathom how one would pay for memorabilia signed or worn by sports’ idols.

The most expensive item in the store is not Ted Williams’ cleat or Michael Jordan’s signed sweat band, but a pinball machine made entirely of Bobby Orr, a former Boston Bruin, paraphernalia. The pinball machine had never been used by or signed by Orr. The amalgamated pinball machine made of bits and pieces of Orr associations is priced at $3000. I can only imagine how much a Michael Jordan’s pinball machine would be priced.