This year’s Super Bowl has come and gone. You wore your favorite jersey every Sunday, Monday, and Thursday and didn’t lose hope in your team. Unless you’re a Patriot’s fan, you may have even been a bit disappointed this year, to say the least.
Well, until Thursday, September 5th when next year’s season starts, you’ll have to keep yourself busy by reading up on your team during the off-season, maybe checking out some spring training, taking notes during pre-season and the draft, and deciding on your fantasy picks. In the meantime, you may want to clean out your NFL collection, display it differently, and sell items you no longer want.
Most of us have a closet filled with jerseys, ball caps, and beanies. Some of us still collect NFL cards and figurines. There may even be the random cheese head or Terrible Towel in the mix. But are these prized possessions wasted by sitting your closet and possibly getting damaged? If so, we’ve come up with some unique and easy ways to turn your collection into a conversation starter or shrine to your favorite team and players.
Here are five ways to celebrate and display your collection while staying organized this off-season:
1. Buy a Display Case
Don’t hide your best collectibles in your closet. Doesn’t your collection deserve to attention and adoration? Purchasing a display case specifically for your collection is a great way to show it off, keep the dust off your prized pieces, and shine a little light on your favorite items.
Some aspects you’ll want to consider include:
- Construction: make sure your display case is sturdy enough to not topple over if bumped into. The last thing you want is to puncture your autographed football.
- Material: Most collectors choose their materials based on taste. This is a great way to decide. You’ll find display cases that are wood, glass, clear or colored acrylic, even metal.
- Shelving: If you have a variety of items, make sure they will all fit in your display with adjustable shelving. This also ensures that your display will still work for you as your collection shrinks and grows.
- Design Style: Most cases will come with the option of a mirrored back or not. If you want to add a bit more light to your room and sparkle to your item, this is a great choice. Otherwise, a solid-colored back creates excellent contrast to highlight your items,
- Glass or Acrylic: Glass is considered more suitable for rare and valuable items since it protects your collection fading from UV light. Acrylic is great if you have young children that might knock into your display.
2. Custom Make a Collectibles Cabinet
If you’re handy, why not build your own display? You can create a series of shelves or a cabinet from supplies from the hardware store. This will let you choose what you want and adjust the size to what you need. This can also save you money since buying memorabilia can get expensive and display cases cost almost as much. If you want to make your display seem more professional, you can install lights.
Make sure any wood stains or lacquers fully dry before placing items into your display. You don’t want to ruin of your valuable gear. You can even paint your teams’ logo on the back or side of your display.
3. Keep it Classy with Shadow Boxes
Shadowboxes make displaying jerseys, tickets, photos, and cards easy. You can arrange multiple items into one box or buy a series of boxes in various sizes for all of your collectibles. Creating your own shadow box costs about one-third of the price to have your merchandise professionally framed.
If you have a few mini-helmets, these can look like toys to little ones. Acrylic shadow boxes are perfect for keeping kids’ fingers off smaller collectibles like these.
Shadow boxes are also versatile. You can hang them or arrange them on a shelf. You can also open them up and update the items inside from time to time, too.
4. Create an Online Shop to Show Off Your Skills
If you’re a Niners’ diehard fan, and you have the best Joe Montana collectibles, don’t let them get lost in the clutter of your other items. This will make your collection seem less impressive. Or if you don’t have room to display everything you own, try opening an online shop.
This is a great way to share your passion for your favorite team and share your stories. You may even have some things that are worth than you realized. You can even create a blog where you can make seasons predictions or share your favorite plays from the latest game.
To create an online shop:
- Register your domain name.
- Choose a shop name.
- Select a layout that works for you.
- Take pictures and price your gear.
- Share your online shop with friends and family.
5. Mix Your Gear into Your Existing Decor
Pull some of your favorite pieces out of the basement or closet and mix them with your existing home decor. You can create an eclectic style by adding some of your NFL gear to your bookshelf or walls. You don’t even have to move any of your wife’s stuff, just hang your shadow box next to the family photos.
You can even collaborate with your wife if she has a better eye for design. Ask her for advice or where you can put some of your best collectibles. She will probably have some great ideas.
We work hard as fans to support our favorite players and teams. Show off some of the time you’ve spent by displaying your greatest gear. It’s a great way to keep yourself busy and let the excitement for the upcoming season build by sorting your memorabilia.
