Now’s the time to start thinking about Christmas, if you haven’t already – and what would be better, for a sports fan, than a piece of sports memorabilia? There’s something unique and individual about memorabilia, a chance for real fans to connect with their heroes and heroines in ways that a simple shirt, photo, or poster can’t provide. Everyone can get their hands on an Arsenal shirt, an official club football or a piece of affiliated club sports gear – but how many people can say they’ve got something that directly links them to the team or sports of their dreams? A signature offers a connection between the fan and the sport that fan is passionate about in a way no other gift can.

Sports memorabilia, of course, is more than just the ideal gift. The signatures of the modern day heroes that are our sports men and women can represent a genuine investment. Every item of memorabilia is assured to appreciate in value over the years, with its value going up incrementally whenever the sports person associated with it achieves on the stage of their choice. Once that sports man or woman has retired, the item bearing their hand written autograph experiences another jump in value, which can only increase as the years go by: so anyone buying an item of sports memorabilia for a loved one this Christmas is going to be purchasing not just a unique attachment to the passion of that loved one’s life, but a chance for him or her to keep some money in the bank against a future rainy day. Memorabilia really is the gift that keep on giving – from the day the recipient tears off the wrapping paper, the value and meaning of the item inside just keeps on multiplying.

With Britain’s most popular sports in mid season now, the nation is starting to understand which teams and individuals are going to be playing themselves into next year’s halls of fame. Sports memorabilia purchased at this time of year tends to operate as a living slide rule measuring the likely achievements of the next generation of the super famous – offering a once in a lifetime opportunity to "get in on the ground floor" of the next generation of ultra famous British sports stars. Football, particularly, is subject to this kind of measure – and right now, with several unlikely clubs pushing for entry into those coveted "Big Four" spots, memorabilia buyers and collectors alike are advised to take advantage of starting prices to get in while the getting is good. Football offers an almost unrivalled opportunity to predict the big names of the next generation – the sport, after all, is played over such a long seasonal period that speculation in value terms tends to be extremely accurate – and that means that every mid season buying window gives a chance to get hold of some first generation sports memorabilia before the talent of an individual magnifies the value of his or her signed items beyond the pale of normal affordability. Don’t miss the opportunity – use this Christmas as a chance to get your favourite sports fan something that he or she will treasure forever.