SportsFan Outlet Review

(If you'd like to skip this article and see our top pick for a memorabilia retailer, click here.) We’re a nationwide group of memorabilia enthusiasts who created this Website to protect and inform consumers. It's estimated that over half of all memorabilia on the market is fake. With this in mind, our goal is to ensure people buy items that are both authentic and well-priced.

Overview

Sports Fan Outlet calls itself "one of the oldest Internet fan shops." The physical store was founded in 1999 and is located in Overland Park, Kansas. They sell autographed memorabilia, logo team merchandise, sporting equipment, recreational games and other sports related items.

There are a few key feature about the Sports Fan Outlet website, www.sportsfanoutlet.com, that make the company seem a bit "mom and pop." There are typos on many of the pages, and the product photos are generally poor quality. There are also a number of links on each page that makes navigating the site confusing.

Nowhere on the website does Sports Fan Outlet provide a detailed authenticity guarantee. The company does refund purchases returned within 30 days. Sports Fan Outlet also does not offer any information about the company's owners or employees.

The Good

  • Good selection

The Bad

  • Website looks "mom and pop"
  • Difficult to navigate
  • No explanation of authenticity guarantee
  • No information up front about the company

Our top pick for 2008:  SportsMemorabilia.com

SportsMemorabilia.com, which has been selling memorabilia online since 1996, is our top pick across the four fields of authenticity, price, ease of shopping and service.

SportsMemorabilia.com features a comprehensive authenticity guarantee and formal relationships with the major memorabilia wholesalers. All items come from organized athlete signings which were witnessed and logged.

The site is professional, easy to navigate and the one-page checkout is simple to use. They employ HackerSafe, THAWTE and 128-bit SSL to secure online transactions.

Searches on Google and Better Business Bureau for “SportsMemorabilia.com” yielded no negative mentions or complaints against the company. There have been no reported instances where a product was returned for lack of authenticity.

The site ranks #1 in Google’s organic (unpaid) search results for terms like "sports memorabilia" and “memorabilia”. Websites don’t pay for placement in these rankings— they are a reflection of Google’s trust in the site and the Website’s age.

In addition to a nice product assortment, the site includes other resources such as a blog and resource library. Information about the company’s background and founders is easy to find. The SportsMemorabilia.com staff, reached both via 800 number and email, was courteous and knowledgeable.

>>Read more about SportsMemorabilia.com