Finding a perfect display case for your individual ball, jersey, bat or other piece of sports memorabilia can come down to many variables. The amount of available space might be the major consideration whether the item should be mounted or reside on a desk or shelf in your memorabilia room, fan cave or office. The important thing is that the item is indeed protected in some fashion. The quality, not to mention the value of a certain item, generally decreases the longer it lives outside of a protective case.
Here are some options for display cases for several individual items.
Jersey Display Cases
While it may sound like fun, it’s probably not a smart decision to wear your game-used or newly signed jersey to the stadium (unless it’s your old high school jersey). But you don’t want to stow it away in the closet, either. If you’re a collector, you’re probably well aware of the importance of keeping the jersey in good shape. Obviously, if your collection includes a lot of jerseys, it’s not practical to keep them all in cases but most people want to show off at least a couple.
Pricing varies depending on the type and quality. And remember, if you’re buying a jersey from an NFL lineman or NBA center, you may need an XL jersey case.
If you don’t mind pinning your jersey, you can own a wall-mount case for around $60. You can also buy cases that have hangars. Some have doors that open and shut easily while others come with locks.
Deeper jersey display cases allow for the addition of other items like cards, balls or other memorabilia related to that player or team.
Acrylic jersey cases are clear on all sides which allows you to see both the front and back of the jersey. There are a few different types available with most priced between $175 and $250.
Among the hottest selling jersey cases right now are those with engraved team logos on the front.
Yes, you can now protect your Kris Bryant game used jersey with a case that has the Chicago Cubs World Series Championship logo.
Baseball Bat Display Cases
Storing a bat properly is much more than just hanging it up on a wall between two nails as collectors once did a few decades ago. Display cases for bats can protect the autograph (if any) as well as the actual bat.
Bat display cases aren’t just limited to one bat. Multiple bat owners can typically find display cases that store several bats, too. This way you could store bats from the same team or multiple bats from the same player-assuming you’re that lucky or simply can afford it.
As with any type of case, buying one with UV protection is a must if any kind of sunlight comes into the area where it’s displayed (be sure to keep all of your items out of direct sunlight, even if they’re in a case).
The display cases don’t always have to go on the wall. Some, like this one, are meant for storage on a shelf or desk.
If you’re in the super economy mode or have a lot of bats, the plastic tubes you can easily carry are a cheap form of protection that should work just fine for around $10-$20.
Autographed Baseball Display Cases
Perhaps the most common use of a display case is for autographed baseballs. The display cases are often smaller, convenient, portable and illuminate a special moment in time. They’re fun to hold in your hand but an autographed baseball shouldn’t be touched often, especially by hands that are dirty or sweaty.
An autographed baseball needs to stand the test of time in a durable case that can best illustrate just how important that specific piece of history is. The sentimental value of a ball might often be more than the actual market value, so a display case needs to reflect that. Baseball display cases come in all shapes and sizes. You can buy a simple ball cube for under $5 or single ball case for less valuable baseballs.
If you have room on the wall and want to display several baseballs at once, you can buy a case that holds anywhere from a few to a few dozen. These home plate-shaped cases are meant for the wall of your memorabilia room.Logo display cases are also the trend with baseballs. Fans who want a special touch for their ball might opt to go that route.
Game-Used, Autographed Football Display Cases
Display cases for footballs can keep you or your children away from the temptation of tossing it around. Game used footballs come fall are almost too tempting in the open air. A football display case tucks it safely away from the minds that roam the gridiron each Sunday. Imagine having an autographed football worth its weight in gold only to have it scuffed up when it lands on the concrete driveway. Not such a great picture.
Like other sports, you can grab a simple acrylic case or buy one that has mirrors for a view of both sides.
Team logo cases for NFL and college teams are available for around $70.
Autographed Basketball Display Cases
The size of footballs and basketballs sometimes make them a challenge to display. If you have several, the inexpensive route would be the clear, plastic cube type that can be stacked for display almost anywhere.
Acrylic basketball display cases come in a variety of styles, some with a “riser” that can put your ball literally on a pedestal. There are also wall mounted cases, including some with team logos, that you can own for a little over $100, certainly a worthwhile investment for a value valued at a few times that amount.
Hockey Puck Display Cases
Durable by nature, game-used or signed hockey pucks sit on a desk or cabinet and probably have a decent shelf life. The only hitch is that the puck isn’t probably highlighted the way it should be and autographs can wear off with handling. Puck cases are relatively inexpensive. There are very affordable display cases and cubes ranging from $10-$20.
If you want something just a tad nicer, you can grab a case with a wooden base for under $25 .
Have a few special pucks? Cases that hold multiples like this five puck holder still don’t take up that much room.
There are also some wall mounted cases with a few different types and sizes available. If you want to create a display beyond the relatively unexciting puck, you can showcase it along with an 8×10 photo in one wall mountable display frame/ case.
Regular and Mini Football Helmet Display Cases
Helmets are pretty durable but they can get scuffed, scratched or dirty and lose value quickly. Whether you’re looking to protect a game-used helmet, an autographed full-size helmet or a bunch of mini-helmets with signat
ures, there’s a case out there for you.
Lower cost helmet cases usually have an acrylic shell with a platform of some sort. You can order them with wood bases or go a step higher and go for one that has a mirrored back to showcase the entire helmet.
Because of their low-cost, mini helmets are very popular with football autograph collectors. While they can pose some storage problems by themselves, these wall-mounted display cases are great for keeping a collection of mini helmets safe and somewhat organized. They’re ideal for showing off a collection.