You used to play pirates with your cousins in your grandfather’s attic during those summers decades ago but you never noticed those boxes and crates piled up in one corner of the rickety part of the house. It must be some junk he collected all these years, you thought. Now that your grandfather asked you to clean it up for him, you really don’t have a choice but check out what could be in them.
After an hour or so of rummaging and sneezing through the years of dust and mildew, there were some interesting pieces you unearthed. A sports fanatic that you are, the pieces that really caught your attention were those with autographs of the famous sportsmen of all time.
Hidden treasures
Old attics can be gold mines for rare items and collections. Antique furniture, old stamps, coins and comic books are just a few of the pieces that you may find locked up in there to rot away and be forgotten. It is quite dismal to think that owners spent years of collecting them, but their value was never known or taken advantage of. Sometimes these treasures even end up in the wrong hands.
Several home owners who have passed on leave their possessions in their estates and years later news about new owners finding the precious items were splashed on the web. Stories like these can be avoided if the original owners themselves are conscientious of their ancestors’ heirlooms. Your grandfather probably never thought of selling them or didn’t really have a reason to put them up as collateral for a loan.
But who knows, maybe he’d decide to let you keep them or borrow them and it may even help you pay for your mortgage or secure a whopping amount for your grandfather’s retirement fund.
The real deal
To find out if your sports memorabilia are authentic or not is really convenient and less tedious in these technological times. Some tips to check if the lot is the real deal or not can be researched on online. If you’re planning to sell them or apply loans with collateral, premier lenders’ initial services include appraisal and quotation at no extra cost. Just imagine how much all your memorabilia can add up to if you just know how to spot them or if you have them appraised by the most competitive loan specialists.
The key is to find out which company can offer you the best rates among all the ones who claim to be forerunners in the industry. The possibilities can be astounding. Some of the most expensive sports memorabilia are:
1) $4.3 million – The documents of the original basketball rules
2) $3 million – Mark McGwire’s 70th home run ball
3) $1.3 million – Babe Ruth bat
4) $1.2 million – Rare Honus Wagner baseball card
5) $1.1 million – Muhammad Ali’s boxing gloves
Selling vs. lending
Most of the very expensive pieces were sold at auctions allowing these items to be sold more than they were appraised. Most owners let go of their collection because of how much they can fetch. But for others who consider their possessions as heirlooms, they want to keep their memorabilia and apply just for loans with collateral so they can take them back as soon as they’re paid off.
So in the future if they end up needing to file for a loan again, they already know which items they can put up as collateral that would allow them to take home the best deal. Your collections aren’t only pieces of the past you can cherish, they should also be able to help you secure a more comfortable and financially stable future.
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