You see one on the opening to the hit show Pawn Stars. You see them going for big money at auction. Championship rings are among the most valuable pieces of sports memorabilia you can buy. At the very top of demand in this regard, obviously, would be authentic NFL Championship rings. Others in and around the organization receive rings besides just the players themselves. Naturally, the players’ rings are going to be the most expensive, because the demand is going to be the highest.
NFL Championship rings are pretty expensive to begin with, though, costing the National Football League at least $5,000 each to initially purchase. They are usually made of either white or yellow gold and accentuated by diamonds. Today, each Super Bowl winning team is awarded 150 of these rings by the league. Add to their initial expense the demand created by the combination of their popularity and scant supply, and it’s easy to see why authentic championship rings can easily thousands upon thousands of 
dollars. Rings owned by staff can usually be acquired for less money than those worn by players, but can still be very expensive.
Super Bowl rings are, of course, only one type of championship rings that people collect. In fact, virtually every professional sport awards a world championship ring of some kind. Over the years, World Series and Hall of Fame rings have proven to be very popular with collectors.
The rings have evolved over the years and today’s NFL Championship rings are among the gaudiest produced. It all depends on how the players design them. A low-key team is likely to skip the dazzling diamonds and pay closer attention to what the ring says on the inside.
College leagues and bowl games award championship rings. Even high school level state championships feature rings, particularly when it comes to football. Sadly, in this market, like in so many others, fraud has been known to occur. For that reason, it’s always best to have the authenticity of any given ring independently verified prior to purchasing it, particularly if there is a large sum of money involved.
There’s a big market for NFL Championship rings, as well as the other types of winning jewelry that exist. Replicas can be good investments, too, especially limited editions.
Many of these rings are well done, with a design that is virtually identical to the original. The replicas are often available on eBay, sold by companies or dealers who specialize in them. At $100-300, they’re relatively easy to collect and make a unique addition to your team collection (provided your team was lucky enough to actually win one).
Title Rings is a website that can offer additional information on the specific types of rings available and even provides links to rings for sale or auction so you can get started shopping for—or at least looking at—some of the interesting rings that always seem to be hitting the market.
Related Stories:
Auction Angel Returns Johnny Bench’s Personal Memorabilia to its Rightful Owner
Notes: Nebraska Coach Burglarized; National Nuggets
Customs and Border Agents Seize Unlicensed Replica Super Bowl Rings
Super Bowl 51 Ring on Auction Block
Former Cowboys’ Star Erik Williams Selling Collection
Ted Williams Uniform Sells for $137,274
Johnny Pesky, Kid Nichols Items Top Fenway Auction
Jock Smith Jersey Collection Among Highlights of New SCORE! Exhibit in Vegas
