something to read if thinking of selling your collection

[groundhopper]

Many people who have built up a good collection of progs are disappointed to the response when thinking of sale.

Thought I would provide some background.

Going back to the period when I started watching sport, kids collected almost everything, our school had a stamp and coin club, a transport club even if not one for programmes but most kinds owned the latter. you could show off something that had the name Peter Osgood or Alex Stepney within it.

In the late 70's i took over the programme shop at Dulwich Hamlet in South London who were struggling financially and in the first couple of year could made over £1000 per year. we specialised in small almost unheard of clubs and we traded, swapped etc. Being near central London we even added to the attendance of the club by up to 20 on a midweek night.

People collected different things, kids still wanted Man Utd and cup finals, others wanted away progs for their own team etc.

Unusual items were still available, someone handed in a collection that included the oldest known Wimbledon programme.

The hobby grew through the 80's as more clubs made the effort.

some programmes exchanged hands for huge amount of money and there were full time dealers and a monthly magazine. Buying the right item was considered an investment.

The along came the internet, programmes were less interesting to youngsters than Space Invaders let alone what has followed and the youngest end of the market declined but values could still increase.

Eventually the collectors became older but also the values stopped increasing. it became clear that the prog bought for £200 might only be worth £100 in the future. this reduced the number of sales and eventually the average of collectors increased. Clubs including within RL were not interested in flogging a few progs when you could sell an overpriced replica shirt. The last decent RL shop was at Keighley which remained a treasure trove and resulted in the fact I have been to the ground more than any other non local team. I think the person running was pushed aside and treated badly. 

The market moved to the internet which became highest bidder rather than searching for gems. 

The final straw was that the collector who had almost every match for years of his team found none were being produced and collecting just odd matches is not the same.

There are almost no kids collecting or anywhere to have fun buying.

The consequence is visible on ebay 4000 pus items for sale and 13 bids.

What sells are usually older progs 40's and 50's where long term collectors have gaps, the matches against the Aussie club sides with a degree of history and little else. Were an Acton or Streatham prog become available it would still get £100.

So if you have 100 Leeds, Wigan or other clun collection from the 70's there are no buyers.

I collect different clubs and have a rare collection of the summer league amateur teams from 2000 plus. Rare but of no value.

i still but National Cup games involving small teams from earlier years but only find about three a year and have stopped looking.

Apologies for length but may explain a few things

    

 

 

     

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[Celtic Roosters]

Thanks Groundhopper. That's useful. I'm 68 now and decided to try and get some money for my collection of almost 9,000 RL programmes. Nobody is seems interested. I've started to give some away. A friend in Brazil was short of 2 Salford programmes so I let him have them and my Celtic Crusaders .v. Brisbane Broncos programme has gone to a Brisbane fan in Australia. I have programmes from every other game that Celtic Crusaders ever played. I have loads from defunct clubs like Bridgend, Southend, Kent Invicta, Prescot panthers, Blackpool, Chorley, Trafford Borough, Springfield, etc, etc. I have 100's from amateur clubs because that was my main passion. I have most of the BARLA National cup finals from the first one in 1973. I have quite a few from Summer Conference clubs as well, like Ipswich Rhinos. My oldest programme is a Salford programme from 1933. If anybody is interested just let me know what you are looking for and I will see what I can do?