Collecting autographed motor racing memorabilia can be a great hobby or small venture for motor racing enthusiasts as you can combine following your heroes with building a motorbike racing memorabilia collection.
Hand-signed motorcycle racing memorabilia
Collecting autographed motor racing memorabilia can be a great hobby or small venture for motor racing enthusiasts as you can combine following your heroes with building a motorbike racing memorabilia collection.
Paddock passes with access to the pits are the most effective way of making contact with the motor racing fraternity otherwise the member’s car park is always a good bet especially after the meeting is concluded, before the race starts the team is too busy to be approached.
I have always found drivers to be the most attentive and obliging when it comes to signing autographs and meeting fans, the cost of attending an event can be well compensated by increasing the value of your collection.
Formula 1 is the obvious choice and it is the second most watched sport in the world followed by football.
Early records show auto racing as originating in France in the late nineteenth century where racers would compete from one city to the next (1894 Paris to Rouen was the first recorded race) these races were known as endurance tests and became increasingly popular, the is a natural progression that will become the Grand Prix.
The French Car Club organized the first official Grand Prix at Le Mans in 1906
Motor manufacturers were immediately eager to get involved and attempted to sponsor drivers by donating large sums of money to help design competitive cars, even the Nazis got involved and encouraged Mercedes and Auto Union to advance the glory of the Reich.
By the time the Monaco Grand Prix was first run in 1933 motor racing had become a major business sport, with motor manufacturers and sponsors reflecting the glory of racing.
Special categories and areas
As with collecting sports memorabilia, it is always wise to specialize in nominated categories, categories defined as pre-war and post-war, motor sports collections from the modern era although desirable will usually not serve the value of previous examples.
Once collectors have determined which era they will concentrate on, they need to consider where to specialize, examples would include racing clothing, helmets, hats, rare autographs, autographed photos, event programs and framed presentations.
It is always important to consider the state of sports memorabilia, although one has to be realistic and keep in mind age and usage.
Motor racing memorabilia that I have personally collated, to name but a few I would be personally interested in, would include the following popular racers James Hunt, Nikki Lauda, Jim Clark, Graham Hill, Emmerson Fitipaldi, Enzo Ferrari, William Grover Williams Hermann Lang, Richard Seaman , Henry Seagrove, Stirling Moss, Malcolm Campbell (yes he is a Grand Prix racer), the list, it’s all about personal choice and opportunity.
Motorcycle memorabilia sales and auctions
Sports memorabilia auctions have always been my favorite as they usually include a lot of cricket, rugby and football collections which also interest me, motor racing is usually included too
A good start is the Knight’s sports auction or the Bonham Chester auction.
It is important to do your research make sure you order the auction flyer before the event and compare items for sale against previously realized prices.
Attend sales to have a look, check the proving and condition of the items you have researched and listed, remember not to get carried away when bidding as the bidding price can be way above the guide price quoted in the brochure. Write down the maximum you will apply for and stick to it, not forgetting that you will also pay up to 25% in commissions and unreasonable fees.
See the terms and conditions
Online bidding
When online bidding for hand signed motor racing memorabilia costs more and it seems to me you really need to attend the watch and the sale.
If you have to bid on eBay, it’s important to research the vendor and always ask for formal authentication, UACC or AFTAL.
I cannot stress enough the syndrome of alert shoppers who appertains to popular internet sites
I recently wrote an article which you can find on my website called Fake genuine rare signature, I highly recommend you to read this.
Good luck with your roundup and tell me how you got on.
