If you are reading this as kicks online, or considering becoming one then a great way to start is by searching the Internet for reputable auction houses. Add to this a search for established and reputable dealers and you will have given yourself a good foundation. Certain "Cup Final" programs can fetch a great deal of money, from hundreds to thousands of pounds each. Remember though, that there are many collectors across the world searching for that "big buy". This is part of the financial side of being a football memorabilia collector. However, a true collector is just as interested in the story behind an item as the item itself. Certain memorabilia may bring back important sentimental memories for a collector.

Never underestimate the value in being a football memorabilia collector. If you are serious about your chosen hobby, it is hard, exacting work but rewarding and fascinating at the same time. Do not think you are going to start and have a program signed by "Becks" thrust at you at a bargain price. It should not happen and if it does, beware! In any big money business the fraudsters are always waiting for the unwary. Fabulous offers are there for the taking and their references seem impeccable. However, something that is too good to be true generally is! There are many genuine, well-established dealers globally; very willing to give advice and help you avoid the undesirables in this industry.

Football has a huge following globally and therefore you do not have to confine yourself to one particular item or aspect of the game. Television has brought the game into most homes on the planet and since the World Cup in 2010, interest has expanded remarkably. This in turn has stimulated the collecting of football memorabilia and brought into it new and ambitious collectors, eager to capture the best memorabilia offered. Unfortunately,this almost euphoria has brought with it even more sophisticated criminals who are even more adept at producing all forms of articles, references and items to fool the genuine collector.

Generally, football memorabilia collectors will find little difference between collectable items of today and those classified as ntique Programs, shirts, shorts and boots worn by football stars in recent and bygone years are in demand. The trend of the market is towards rising prices, with some collectors looking at collecting as a very practical form of investment. For example, Christies sold a pair of David Beckham football boots for ?4,000. The rising cost of obtaining football memorabilia is in some ways limiting collectors in what they can buy. However, the huge expansion of the game is creating increasingly available memorabilia from many different countries and stars.