Be a Sport: Own a Piece of Athletic History

Sports represent something akin to a religion for many people, so it's not surprising that courtside Knicks or Lakers seats are always filled with VIPs, and athletes such as David Beckham have become global heroes. Some folks want to take it further, and own pieces of sports history.

There are as many ways to collect as there are collectors: Photos of exciting moments, autographed items used in play (balls, bats and so on), mini helmets, team uniforms, pennants -- even sheet music celebrating the early-day celebrities of sport.

Perhaps some of the rarest and most coveted items are those from behind the scenes, i.e. letters and legal papers.

Pete Siegel, an owner of New York's Gotta Have It! Collectibles, paid $996,000 for what he considers the Holy Grail of memorabilia: The "Curse of the Bambino" contract, not even signed by Babe Ruth, but by Red Sox owner/Broadway producer Harry H. Frazee, who sold Ruth to the Yankees' Jacob Ruppert and T. L. Huston in 1921 for a final price of $125,000 (plus a $350,000 loan to help float his shows). That piece of paper changed the history of America's favorite pastime forever.

An addendum to Ruth's 1922 contract -- a no-drinking clause inserted by Ruppert, which didn't deter Ruth from hoisting a few -- sold for $65,000 in 2007.

A piece of the Babe himself? An autographed photo will set you back a mere $12,000 (let's face it, the chances of finding one in the next garage sale you attend are pretty slim), whereas Dallas' Heritage Auctions sold Ruth's 1933 All-Star jersey for $657,250 in 2006.