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How to Increase the Value of Sports Memorabilia

Besides being a huge gaming fan, growing up in Central Kentucky means that I also have a love of College Basketball. The Kentucky Wildcats are the only team in town, and so that’s the sports memorabilia I collect.

From the time I was about ten years old, I remember tuning in to watch every game that I could. My first year really following the team was the 1991-1992 season. This was just removed from Kentucky coming off of NCAA sanctions.

This also is one of the most haunting UK seasons ever thanks to Christian Laettner. To this day, that shot is shown every year during the NCAA March Madness.

It was just a few years later that Kentucky made one of its best 3-year runs in the NCAA tournament. In 1996 they won the national championship, were runner up in 1997, and again won the national championship in 1998.

[click_to_tweet tweet=”Do you own an item used by an athlete or have his signature on something significant? It could increase the value of the memorabilia! #SportsMemorabilia #autograph” quote=”Do you own an item used by an athlete or have his signature on something significant? It could increase the value of the memorabilia!”]

It wasn’t until 2012 when Anthony Davis won every award in college basketball and also won the National Championship. That summer I learned that the players from that team were leaving the team to go to the NBA.

Before that, however, they were traveling around the state and meeting with fans and signing autographs. This started my love of collecting UK memorabilia.

I was able to get my UK polo shirt signed by all five players that started in the National Championship games. Since then, I have been able to collect signatures from a majority of the players that have gone on to play in the NBA, including Karl Anthony Towns, Devin Booker, Tyler Herro, and many more.

I have jerseys, posters, magazines, and basketballs that have been signed by many players.

Collecting Sports Memorabilia

Perhaps you already purchased some collectible sports memorabilia, buying it as an investment in the future. But now you are wondering what you can do to make it worth even more money.

There is a super-easy way to increase the value so that you can sell it in ten years and make a profit. Investing in sports memorabilia is fun if you love sports, but it can also be lucrative, so you need to do everything in your power to earn from it.

Get Signatures

The best thing to do is to find the athlete who is connected to whatever memorabilia that you have.

For example, maybe you have a Wayne Gretzky rookie card from when he first came into the NHL. Perhaps you have a jersey that was worn by Brett Favre when he still played with the Packers and when he was a legend in Wisconsin.

You could be a huge college basketball fan and have to deck out your game room in its memorabilia (like me). These items would be worth a lot more, especially those that make it to the NBA if they are signed.

If you can find the star player your collectible features, you may be able to get them to sign the item for you. It might be worth a lot of money on its own, just think how much money it will be worth if they sign it.

Know the Rules

If you want to do this, make sure you find out if the person has any stipulations about signatures. Some players will only do it at games, for instance.

Others might only do it for money at special signing events. Learn about this so that you can approach them in the right manner and get the autograph. Happy collecting!

Do you collect anything?

August 7, 2020
4 Best Gaming Resolutions for Kids in 2020

There are loads of cool games available these days. Children can play so many types of games it’s insane, including; action, adventure, puzzle, RPGs, sports, and many more. For the younger crowd, there are also games revolving around their favorite characters, including; Spider-Man, Mickey Mouse, Pokémon, Sonic, among others. The choices are endless, with video game consoles, mobile games, and PC gaming all available at your fingertips. Here are some gaming resolutions to help your child get the most fun out of their gaming experience. After all, with so many choices available, your child could be missing out on a hidden gem or an element of fun, and thus these gaming resolutions will help your kids embrace more fun (within reason).

Play a multi-player game at least once a week

There are lots of cool games available, which boast a two-player option. You should encourage your child to take advantage of these because it means that they can either play with you or their friends.

This is good because not only does it enhance the level of fun that they have, but it also promotes social interaction as well. This is very important for the development of young children.

Set a time limit of only one hour per day

This is more of a strict gaming resolution because it limits the amount of time they spend gaming. However, as a parent, you know spending all of your time gaming is not good. Kids need variety plus it’s debatable whether or not video games are good for your health.

Not to mention, in the end, it will make gaming more fun because they will look forward to that hour each day. They will be counting down the minutes and have to savor every moment.

Use homework as an incentive

This is a great way to make sure your child does their homework. Make it your child’s responsibility to complete their homework without you pestering them. If they do it, then they can earn extra gaming time.

It is a win-win situation; your child gets to play more games, while you get the insurance that their homework has been completed.

Play a game beginning with a different letter every day

This is a great way to make sure the fun never dies. When your child plays a game today, tell them to find something which begins with an ‘A.’ When they play tomorrow, they can then pick a game that starts with a ‘B’ and so on.

This keeps an element of excitement alive and them busy at the same time. It will take them a while to find a game that they want to play, especially since they can choose from online computer games, mobile games, and video games.

In addition to this, if your child is younger, it helps them with learning the alphabet and introduces them to new words as well.

If you use the four gaming resolutions given in this article, your child will have fun in a responsible way. And, maybe learn something too. Happy gaming!

June 8, 2020
How to Effectively Teach Your Teen Driver’s Education from Home
Whether your teen is homeschooled or their high school doesn’t have an adequate program, teaching driver’s education may fall on your shoulders. To prepare them, you’ll need to follow the necessary state guidelines and regulations in addition to giving your kid ample time behind the wheel.

Additionally, remembering to stay calm and patient during their learning period will keep stress levels down.

Guidelines and Regulations Refresher

Knowing state speed limits, traffic signals, signage, and regulations are key pieces of information to identify when teaching your child to drive. If you’re going to be their primary instructor, you want to familiarize yourself with all of your state guidelines.

Often states may require parents who are teaching driver’s education to take a refresher course on the basics or fill out certain forms to ensure they are instructing their children in proper road safety. You’ll find several classroom courses offered that can help give the parents the right tools for their teens to learn.

Highway Safety 101: Commercial Truck Safety

Commercial truck safety can be lacking in formal driver’s education programs all across the country, and many people don’t understand how critical this information can be to save lives.

To prepare your teen for highway driving, you need to instruct them on truck safety. Commercial big rigs can often drive aggressively, and your young driver needs to realize the importance of avoiding a potential collision.

By checking all vehicle mirrors before changing lanes as well as giving commercial trucks room to handle the road, they can bypass accidental cutoffs and accidents.

Common Hazards for Teens to Avoid Around Trucks

Your teenager will need to understand that they should be vigilant when driving around trucks, and they may not be aware of the common hazards associated with driving around big rigs. They should be mindful of and avoid these common mistakes:
- Stay out of the trucker’s No-Zone. That’s the spots behind and beside a big truck where the driver has very limited or zero visibility.
- Don’t suddenly change lanes in front of a big rig with your vehicle.
- When a commercial truck is making right turns, don’t maneuver to the right of them.
- Don’t make a big rig have to brake suddenly or have to make dangerous maneuvers by merging incorrectly into traffic.
- Make sure you don’t speed up or slow down when a truck merges or changes lanes.
- Make sure you give yourself enough headway when passing–don’t pass unsafely.
- There are air turbulence and crosswinds that can hit you and knock you out of position when passing big trucks–use caution when passing.
- Make sure you accelerate enough when you pull out in the road when there is an approaching truck-don’t misjudge their speed if you’re making a left turn in front of them from an intersection.
- Don’t pull between two commercial trucks.
Quiz your teen on these rules and observe them when they first start driving on roadways around large vehicles. Many fatal vehicle crashes are caused by passenger vehicles, so they must understand driver safety around large commercial vehicles.

Practice Makes Perfect

While it is necessary to teach minors about state regulations from a book or manual, the practice behind the wheel is just as beneficial. You can start in a vacant parking lot so that they can get a feel for the car.

Parents should put themselves in their teen’s shoes and remember what it was like to drive for the very first time. Having compassion, patience, and a lot of time will give your new driver time to relax while adjusting to this new skill.

As your teen gets a grasp on the basics, they can slowly move to low traffic side streets. Practicing in all types of weather-related conditions is just as crucial to their safety, so you need to ensure that they can handle anything that Mother Nature throws their way.

Driver’s Education and The Learner’s Permit

Your child will need to obtain their learner’s permit before legally driving on main roads with an adult in the car.

Your city’s Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) has driver manuals with information in regards to the state’s road and traffic safety laws, which your teen will need to study and fully understand, to be exam ready. The DMV will also have the required paperwork to fill out. Good luck, and stay safe!
June 2, 2020
7 Easy Ways to Rejuvenate Your Garage

You’ve spent hours toiling in your garage, but are you using your space as efficiently as possible? Here are just seven ways to remodel, revamp, and rejuvenate your workspace.

1. Replace Your Garage Doors

Are you still struggling with the garage doors that came with the house? Are they old, outdated, or supremely slow? Replace them with a sleek new model with contemporary features like wireless keypads and remote locking capabilities.

We just built a house, and garage door openers were not included.

Remember, if you have two separate garage doors, places like Lowes and Home Depot want to charge you around $120 for the installation per door on top of the price of each opener.

Craziness!

So keep that in mind when you are budging for them. My husband was not a happy camper when he found out.

2. Install Cabinets

Garage cabinets are a great way to get things off the floor. You can stick everything from tools to half-finished projects inside them, not only improving your workspace organization but also freeing up room to move.

We saw some stock cabinets at Home Depot that we plan on putting in our garage one day. They are meant for a pantry usually, but we think two would go great in the garage for tools and whatnot. We are notorious for having a junked-up garage, but it stops now!

3. Jazz Up Your Flooring

Say goodbye to that stained concrete that makes the entire place look messy and unkempt. Install something like epoxy, tile, or limestone instead.

You can even paint your floor with stripes or checkers to give it the feel of a real auto shop.

4. Let There Be Light

Florescent lights are critical to the modern garage, but did you know that you can save up to $100 a year by switching to compact fluorescent lights (CFLs)?

They’ll shine just as brightly as your regular halogen bulbs, but they’re much more energy-efficient and cost-effective.

5. Upgrade Your Workbench

If your workbench doesn’t have wheels, it’s time to add them. If it doesn’t include built-in shelves and compartments for holding your tools when not in use, it’s time to look at models that do. Your workbench is the life and soul of your garage, so find something worthy of the title.

Half of our garage will be used as a workshop. My husband is into woodworking these days with all my Pinterest finds. Against one wall, there will be the pantry-type cabinets on the ends of the rolling workbench we saw at Home Depot. We are at Home Depot A LOT these days if you can’t tell.

6. Use Your Ceiling

All kinds of things can be attached to your ceiling to help you organize your garage and free up floor space. For example, hooks can hang little baskets of nails, and steel bars can hold plastic bins full of holiday decorations and sports equipment.

7. Write It Down

Does your garage have an area where you can jot down ideas in the middle of a project? Most don’t, and the ideas of their owners are lost forever. Make it a point of installing a few whiteboards, chalkboards, or bulletin boards around your garage so inspiration never goes to waste. You can even make a chalkboard by spraying an old mirror with chalkboard paint.

Bonus: Change Up the Walls

Alright, so when it comes to garages, chances are, the last thing you’re thinking is making it appear aesthetically pleasing. Sure, minimizing clutter and making the garage organized can make it look fantastic, but it’s not really going to be enough.

So, one of the best things you can consider is changing up the walls in a sort of way. This could be adding a nice peg board on top of your workbench, adding some shelving, or maybe even giving the walls a nice paint job.

But when it comes to rejuvenating your garage or your workshed in general, you don’t have to be limited to just adding some accessories or painting; you can even find out what the difference is between cedar and pine as you can even add these to your walls for a more unique and cozy feeling to the garage too. In general, you don’t have to settle for a boring garage; add what you want to the walls!

These are just seven (well, eight) ways to revamp your musty garage. From spotless floors to effortless organization, you won’t even recognize your man cave after you’ve taken all these tips to heart.

January 17, 2020
How to Save Money on the Video Games Your Kids Have to Have

Video games can be incredibly awesome ways for your kids to pass the time on dreary days, and even meet new people online that share their interests. The only problem is that video games can be expensive, especially during the holiday season. But before you start giving up buying groceries to buy video games, there are a few ways that the resourceful dad can get her kids the games they want without spending a ton of money.

Use a Game Rental Service

In most cases, your kids want video games that they have never played. They have seen the awesome commercials on the television, but they have no clue what the game really is.

The cheapest way to avoid buying brand new games that your kids lose interest in after a couple of hours is to get a subscription to a video game rental service. You can get games in any format you need at a low monthly rate. Plus this gives your kids a chance to try the games before you buy them.

Take Advantage of Downloads

Playing free games online is a great way to save money. If your kids have to have that newest game the day it comes out and renting the game is not good enough, then you can get the PC download version of the game and save more than half off the retail purchase price.

It would be best to get a bigger drive to take full advantage of game downloads due to the substantial storage space required by modern games. As games become more graphically advanced and immersive, their file sizes increase, too. Internal storage on computers may quickly fill up, limiting the number of games that can be downloaded and stored locally.

An external hard drive offers additional storage capacity, allowing you to expand the game libraries without constantly uninstalling and reinstalling games. Even when the worst happens, you can use data recovery services to get back your downloaded files.

Trade Video Games

If you have a game that your kids no longer want, then you could try and see how much the local video game store will give you for the game. The chances are pretty good that you will only get offered a fraction of what you paid for the game.

A smarter move is to find a good video game trading website and offer to trade that game to someone with a game your kids want. You only pay for the postage, and your kids get a new game to play.

You can also set up a network of local parents to swap games with as well.

Buy Used Games

It could be argued that the market for used video games is almost as large as the new game market.

Your favorite online auction website has pages and pages of used video games for sale. There are also websites dedicated specifically to the process of buying and selling used video games.

These websites can save you money when you purchase used games, and you can also use these sites to sell your kid’s old games and get a lot more than the retail store down the street would give you.

If your kids love video games, then you need to be creative with how you buy games. There are plenty of ways to get the games your kids want without spending a small fortune.

“Some trees flourish, others die. Some cattle grow strong, others are taken by wolves. Some men are born rich enough and dumb enough to enjoy their lives. Ain’t nothing fair.”

– Red Dead Redemption

What is your favorite video game?

January 17, 2020
5 Ways to Save Money Using Technology

Technology has a lot more to offer than many realize. Although it’s mainly used for entertainment, did you know that it can also save or make you money? Shopping online is one example of how you can save some bucks.

There’s not much overhead cost for online retailers compared to your local store. This sometimes enables them to offer larger discounts. Another way shopping online can be helpful when it comes to savings is the ability to easily and quickly compare prices across several different websites. The days when you have to rely on paper fliers or visit multiple stores to check prices are gone.

Luckily, it’s easier than ever to find a great bargain; a simple Google search is all it takes. To help you out a bit more, here are five ways to save money using technology.

1. Earn Cash Back On Your Purchases

If you are an online shopper or plan on becoming one, Ebates is a great website to keep in mind. You can join for free, and they actually pay you for signing up. New members receive $10 when they make a qualifying purchase of at least $25.

Ebates gives you cashback for purchases made at specific websites, all of which are popular and well-known. The percentages of cashback vary and also change over time. For example, they currently offer 6.0% cashback on Overstock.com purchases, whereas it used to be only 3.0%.

Ebates also has a variety of coupons that can help you save even more on your purchases. If you’re looking to earn some cash, you can do so by taking part in Ebates’ referral program. After you’ve made over $5, you’ll be eligible to receive your payment in the form of either a check or through PayPal.

A particularly appealing feature of Ebates is that you don’t have to remember to visit their website each time you want to purchase something online. You can install the Ebates Cash Back Button, and it will automatically let you know if the website you are viewing is eligible, as well as allow you to activate cash back without having to visit their site in a separate tab or window.

I would recommend that you also take a look at FatWallet, as they are very similar to Ebates and sometimes offer a higher percentage of cashback when you shop on certain websites.

2. Invest In Energy Efficient Gadgets

Modern gizmos can save you money because they are energy efficient. Look for the Energy Star label when you’re picking up your next electronic.

Energy Star-certified products typically use around 30 percent less energy than required by government standards.

Whether you’re buying a brand new TV, appliance, or even light bulb, most gadgets are now Energy Star certified and can save you money compared to your old ones.

Newer electronics are a worthwhile investment; it won’t take long for you to save the amount you spent on the product just by having a lower electric bill.

3. Save Money With Software

Anti-Virus Software

Surprisingly, some programs can help you save some money. One of the most important and widely recognized programs for your computer is the good old anti-virus (McAfee or Norton sound familiar?). Not everyone knows it, but paying for anti-virus software is completely unnecessary.

Did you know that you can get your anti-virus program for free? Well, you can, and not just for your computer. You can also get free anti-virus apps for your smartphone and tablet, all of which will provide the same quality of protection as a paid service.

Of course, paid services sometimes offer some additional features that can be useful, but those are usually a matter of preference rather than necessity. The free anti-virus programs will protect you just as well and without the cost.

Virtual Private Networks

Another program that can save you money is a VPN (Virtual Private Network).

The VPN adds extra protection that your anti-virus program does not, such as encrypting your entire connection to the internet. Encryption is a sort of code that hackers don’t typically attempt to crack unless there is a serious incentive that would make the effort involved worthwhile.

That makes the average person with an encrypted connection very unappealing to them. It takes far too long to crack the code. Plus, it can cost them money because a powerful computer is required to successfully hack into a secure connection (keeping their equipment running for over 24 hours can start racking up their electric bill).

A VPN can save you money in three ways. It will prevent hackers from obtaining your personal information (identity theft isn’t cheap), prevent you from spending additional money if one of the websites you subscribe to happens to be blocked wherever you travel (such as Netflix or Hulu), and allow you to call long distance for free or a reduced rate over programs such as Skype.

A VPN can do all of this because it is a remote server that you connect to. Therefore, websites will “read” your location as being the VPN’s rather than your own. This makes it easy to see if you are located in Canada when you are actually in the United States.

A VPN typically costs somewhere between $5 and $15 per month, but you can find one for free. In my opinion, the best free VPN available right now is CyberGhost.

Business Specific Software

As well as the two options we just spoke about, if you own a business, then there are going to be specific pieces of technology that will make your life ten times easier and save you money.

For example, it might be something like employee scheduling software for restaurants, which saves you a lot of hassle, but you can also get some pretty good deals on things like this if you know where to look.

You can also purchase for a long period, and that takes the price down. The same can be said for other types of business-specific software; you’ve just got to look!

4.Coupon Savings

The internet has brought us lots of things, including tons of coupons that weren’t commonly found before. You no longer have to sort through flyers to find savings on your favorite products. Now, you can just look online.

The easiest way to find coupons is to either check Coupons.com or the website of the specific product you’re interested in. Manufacturers will sometimes send you coupons if you take the time to email them as well.

5. Use Apps To Your Advantage

There are several apps available on your smartphone that can save you money.

Skype is one of them, as you can make free calls (voice or video) to other Skype users. Another one is Textfree, which lets you both text and call others free of charge.

Lastly, there are also a handful of coupon apps (Ibotta being one) that can help you keep some money in your pocket. Check your phone’s app store; you’ll be surprised at what you can find!

Technology can bring not only savings but also ways to earn money as well. When finances are tight, take a look at what your computer or smartphone has to offer. You might find that there are more savings to be had than you would have ever imagined.

January 17, 2020