HOFA: a sports memorabilia collector's best friend

A myriad of celebrities, sports memorabilia enthusiasts, and sports fans flocked into the NOVA Gallery last May 23 for the exclusive launch of Hall of Fame Authentics (HOFA) in the Philippines. It's the first premiere online source of authentic signed sports memorabilia.

HOFA offers 100% legit authenticated signed sports memorabilia at hard to beat prices. What's even nicer is that these rare finds have certificate of authenticity.

I was able to meet the guys behind the Hall of Fame Authentics namely Tep Songco, Ron Uy and Elvis Gutierrez. They shared riveting stories about their lives as sports memorabilia collectors.

Ron Uy bought what he thought was an authentic Kobe Bryant-signed Spalding basketball for $100 from eBay with an additional fee for shipping and taxes. He almost went down on his knees upon seeing the ball in the flesh because the signature is far different from the authentic ones.

It was a light bulb moment that sparked a vision for Sir Ron.

"We wanted to start something that would help other collectors, give them the information, make sure that they get the legit items," he said.

Sir Tep also got faked out when he bought a Jordan 11 Concord Retro 2011 but unlike Ron, he was able to return the item and get a refund.

They further shared more about being passionate sports fans, their collections, and how it evolved into a business. To them it was not just a hobby, but also a form of investment.

"Be a fan first, and an investor second. Timing plays a big factor. Case in point, in 2012 I was able to purchase a signed game used pair of Nike Kobe 7s which Kore wore against the Boston Celtics for $5,000 retail. Fast forward to Kobe's retirement and a pair of signed game used shoes was going for $18,000 retail," highlighted Sir Ron.

Clearly, sports memorabilia can be rewarding only if you have the eyes for the legit stuff and a trusted official distributor of authenticated sports memorabilia such as HOFA.

You can join the conversation online by following @hofa.ph on Instagram and by using #HOFAISHERE.