Displaying Sports Memorabilia

I recently had an opportunity to display the ultimate in sports memorabilia collections at Pro Sports MVP, a successful sports marketing company.  The owner, David Chavez, had just moved his company into a new building and needed help with his enormous collection of autographed photos, jerseys, balls, and other assorted sports related items.  There were boxes full of footballs, basketballs, volleyballs, etc.  There were also several boxes full of autographed 8x10 photographs of athletes and celebrities.  In addition there were a number of framed jerseys from various sports figures.  After ooohing and aaahing over this amazing collection, I got to work.  The result was a cohesive display of over 300 photographs and sports-related items.

Here are some tips to organize and display your own collection.

• Sort the items by sport/subject, frame style, black and white vs. color, etc.
• Determine whether any items need special display (jerseys, balls, etc.) 
• You can purchase pre-made shadow boxes for jerseys or have them custom framed.
• The Container Store has the best price and selection for ball display cubes.
• Specialty cases for items like baseball bats, hockey sticks, and boxing gloves can be purchased from TeamLogoCases.com.
• Make sure you have the correct hanging hardware especially for the heavier pieces.  You can purchase these at any hardware store.
• Lay things out on a table or other large surface.  Start with the largest pieces first and build your display around that.  It is helpful to take a photo of the arrangement so that you can hang it correctly.
• Hang your first piece centered across the selected area.  Follow the arrangement you have laid out on the table. 
• Note:  the recommended height for hanging artwork is approximately 5' at the center.

These tips can also be used for displaying other types of memorabilia.  Do you have any special items you collect and would like to display?

Carrie

 


A large photo is centered in the middle.

 

This case was purchased at TeamLogoCases.com



Baseball cubes purchased from The Container Store




The jersey, poster and baseball collection make a great display when grouped together.

 

Here is a variety of frame sizes grouped with 3-dimensional pieces.

 



A flat screen tv is at home among these baseball photos.





A grouping of horizontal and vertical photos.



The jerseys and artwork are all based on hockey.

The bobbleheads on the second row form a slight arch.

Some three-dimensional items can be hung directly on the wall.

  


Helmets can be displayed in a cube or out in the open.

  

These items were grouped together by color

 

Football cubes purchased from The Container Store