Collecting Horse Racing Memorabilia

Horse racing memorabilia items have become hot collectibles in recent years. Most fans of the sport probably have some keepsakes such as a program from a big race, a Kentucky Derby glass, or photo of a favorite horse. Some of these items can have real value, especially the older items from the golden days of racing.

There are many different items that are being collects and traded, with eBay being one of the biggest markets for the stuff. Popular items include glasses, pins, programs, magazines, advertisements, games, postcards, plates, photos, and saddlecloths. Just about anything with a race horse on it or related to horse racing is a potential collectible, although most collectors will specialize in one type of item or items related to a single horse or race like the Kentucky Derby.

Many collectors start with glasses, Kentucky Derby julep glasses in particular, since they are usually given away free with a drink at the track. Glasses from 1974 to the present are easy to find in just about any part of the country and are quite affordable, as they were mass-produced and shipped nationwide. Collectors who want something more challenging will go for the older glasses (1938 to 1973) which are much harder to find since they were only available at Churchill Downs. Prices for these can range from $25 up to several thousand dollars for the oldest and most rare, giving the serious collectors something to dream about.

In addition to Derby glasses, there are many, many other types of glasses issued by tracks across the country as well as the other two Triple Crown races, the Preakness and the Belmont. Shot glasses have also gained popularity in the last 10-20 years, but they are more for recreational collecting since there are so many produced that few will ever have real value. This year alone there are 12 different shots produced for the Kentucky Derby.

After glasses, the most valuable piece of memorabilia is probably programs. Programs from the Triple Crown races are most popular with any race a Triple Crown winner ran in a close second. Most are worth at least $300 in nice condition, while older ones easily top $1000. Condition is all important in paper items like programs, and while racing collectors are a bit more accepting of flaws in old or very desirable programs than most paper collectors it still affects the value. Newer programs won't have much value, but programs from as recent as the 1970's can top $100 if there is a popular horse like Secretariat in them.

In the last few years, many tracks started to giveaway bobblehead dolls of jockeys, trainers, and horses to get more fans out to the track. What they really did was start a hot market for bobblehead collectors, with many fans spinning the turnstile several times. The day after a giveaway, it is easy to find the latest bobblehead up for sale on eBay. The value depends on the popularity of the character as well as the number produced. Only 10,000 Pat Day jockey bobbleheads were given away and he brings close to $100, while the 60,000 Jerry Bailey jockey bobbleheads can barely break $10.

Where can you find horse racing memorabilia? Quickest and easiest is to search on eBay where there is a thriving collectors community with hundreds of items up for sale every day. If you want to have more fun though, hit your local yard sales, flea markets, and antique malls. The thrill of the hunt can be half the fun of building your collection.