Vintage sports pennants rising in popularity

I recently had a good collection of sports pennants in a local estate sale. Some were collegiate and some were baseball pennants from the 1970s. I decided to do a little research to see if there is much of a market for these pennants and was pleasantly surprised by what I found.

Fortune magazine actually published an article about collecting pennants. I also found a site that told you how to clean and repair pennants if you wanted to do that. Pennants come in all sizes, shapes and colors. Some go back to the late 1800s and of course are still manufactured today. Most pennants were cheap souvenirs made of linen or felt.

The pennant market is generally driven by nostalgia and emotion from the buyer. If someone really feels like they have got to have a 1960s Roll Tide pennant, they are going to buy it regardless of cost and especially if “auction fever” is involved. Generally, the larger pennants bring higher money as well as those that feature a mascot or a team that is no longer around.

When buying a pennant, condition is everything. Buy the ones in the best condition possible. You can clean them, but it is very tricky without ruining the pennant. You will often find that the old felt pennants can have pinholes or moth holes in them. Those really cannot be repaired, although I have heard of taking a pin and meticulously and carefully scraping felt from the surrounding area into the hole.

Pennants make great decorator items for sports themed kid’s bedrooms or game rooms. Probably the most popular and easy pennants to find are collegiate related. Pennants were originally commissioned as large pieces of art. Those are especially rare and beautiful. Vacation site/state pennants can be quite colorful as well.

Cheap souvenir pennants were produced at baseball and football games and often thrown away after the games. Newer pennants often contain a hologram on the back to authenticate the item. Of course pennants that are signed by major sports figures or teams are collectible in two different fields. Unfortunately, these signatures can fade or bleed through the material if not properly preserved.

The Fortune magazine article told of one gentleman who was making $20,000 a month selling vintage pennants. One particular pennant brought $21,500 at auction. I don’t know if you can make that kind of money selling pennants, but it certainly would be fun! Keep your eyes open at thrift stores, estates sales and flea markets for these vintage treasures.

Happy Collecting!

Jillinda Falen has been buying and selling antiques for over 30 years and is a licensed REALTOR and estate liquidation specialist. You can contact her through the Houston Home Journal or via email at jcfalen@gmail.com.

HHJ News