Sports are today very much integrated into mass entertainment. Teams and clubs have fans, merchandising venues, there are souvenir collectors and many other dependent industries and activities that give athletes and franchises a life much larger than that of a stadium. Formula one drivers often earn more from ads and the commercial use of their names than from racing, football starts put their autographs on shirts, balls and shoes, and sometimes things go to extremes, like the Maradonian Church. Indeed, for some Diego Maradona is a living god, and he is received by tens of thousands just about anywhere in the world when he travels around.

Not surprisingly, a whole aftermarket of medals, rings and other team souvenirs has developed over the years, and these things are sold either thorough auctions or directly from the manufacturers. If you know a bit about the issue, it might make sense to purchase such items on certain moments, expecting prices and values to rise in the future. Here you have some examples of such souvenirs and collectors’ items:

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