Sporting Memorabilia & Equipment

This sector of the art and antiques market often generates big headlines in the general media – not least when an auction record for 1966 World Cup is set for example. But the market is extremely wide and varied. Here there really is something for everyone at every price level, whether a buyer focuses on football programmes, historic golf clubs or fishing tackle.

The bold man and the sea: Hemingway fishing rod sells

07 April 2025

One lucky bidder landed a top-of-the-line big game fishing rod made expressly for Ernest Hemingway (1899-1961).

Britains toy golfer swings into the saleroom

07 April 2025

Britains is best known as a producer of toy soldiers, but some of its ‘civilian’ figures required a different sort of bunker.

Rare 1875 Wisden hits £27,000 result despite missing original wrappers

31 March 2025

A copy of what is regarded as probably the rarest edition of the Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack came up at Knights Sporting Auctions (20% buyer’s premium) on March 21-23.

Rarest edition of Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack hits £27,000 hammer price at specialist sport auction house

27 March 2025

A copy of what is regarded as probably the rarest edition of the Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack came up for sale at Knights Sporting Auctions (20% buyer’s premium) on March 21-23.

Football programme recalls friendly match called off amid febrile atmosphere

24 March 2025

Underlining once again the desirability of football match programmes for games that were actually postponed or cancelled, an Arsenal example offered on March 3 hammered at £7500 via thesaleroom.com.

JPR Williams’ rugby shirt collection offered at Rogers Jones

18 March 2025

A memento from one of the most famous rugby union matches of all time: the Barbarians versus New Zealand in 1973 will go under the hammer at Rogers Jones on April 10.

2683NEDI NIB RWB David Coleman Typewriter Cropped

David Coleman’s commentary collection sells at RWB Auctions

04 March 2025

The personal collection of notes, research, transcripts and photographs belonging to former BBC sports commentator David Coleman (1926-2013) appeared at a recent sale held by RWB Auctions in Royal Wootton Bassett.

Postponed Hammers v Hatters match programme turns out to be a ‘grail’ purchase for collectors

24 February 2025

When bad weather made the Upton Park pitch unfit for play on Saturday, January 17, 1959, it must have seemed fairly unremarkable.

Smart idea to portray golf courses not just the players

24 February 2025

John Smart (1838-99) was one of the first artists to focus on golf courses themselves rather than the actual players.

1936 Olympic gold medal set to star at Graham Budd Auctions

19 February 2025

A 1936 Olympic gold medal, a 1931-32 Football League Division 1 winner’s medal and a Ferenc Puskas Real Madrid shirt are among some of the sporting memorabilia items on sale at Graham Budd Auctions on March 3-6.

What a result: West Ham v Luton football programme for postponed match takes 440 times top estimate

06 February 2025

When bad weather made the Upton Park pitch unfit for play on Saturday, January 17, 1959, it must have seemed fairly unremarkable.

Credit Hansons Pele’S Actual 1000Th Goal Match Shirt

Hansons World Football to host auction at Wembley

05 February 2025

Footballing memorabilia belonging to South American greats will be offered at the national stadium in April

Olympic gold medal from 1904 races to record price

31 January 2025

A gold medal from the 1904 Olympics set its own first when it fetched $436,297 (£351,000) plus 25% premium at RR Auction's timed sale in the US – a record for any 1904 medal.

Early Pelé card bid to nine times estimate at auction in Sweden

17 January 2025

An early card collectable of Pelé recently emerged at auction in Sweden – the country where he won the World Cup for the first time.

Early football memorabilia hits the spot

13 January 2025

A cornerstone in any early football library is 'Association Football & The Men Who Made It', the history of the modern game in its first half-a-century as written by Alfred Gibson and William Pickford and published by Caxton in 1905.

Heritage Auctions records highest-ever total for 2024

08 January 2025

Landmark entertainment, sports and comics auctions contributed to a fourth consecutive record-setting year for the US auction house

Pick of the Week: Vardon into the swing of things

30 December 2024

Unless you are a golfer, the name Harry Vardon is probably not a familiar one.

Bobby Moore World Cup shirt and Arthur Ashe racket lead sale in Paris

19 December 2024

A red England Bobby Moore shirt from the 1970 World Cup quarter final against West Germany and Arthur Ashe’s tennis racket featured at Agutte’s Memories of Legends sale in Paris.

McQueen’s shirt swap was a final one-off

09 December 2024

Graham Budd’s (24% buyer’s premium) On the Road to Manchester & The Kits of Legends Auction on October 1-2 included memorabilia from former Red Devils Gordon McQueen (1952-2023), David McCreery (b.1957) and Viv Anderson (b.1956).

1966 World Cup masterplan revealed in a simple suitcase