Pin Points - Tables Turn for Olympic Memorabilia Collectors

(ATR) U.S. collectors can capitalize on a more beneficial dollar vs. Euro exchange rate in two upcoming Olympic auctions.

The company Münzenhandlung Heinrich Winter of Dusseldorf, Germany, is conducting a mail bid auction that closes Thursday, Jan. 12 at 7 p.m. Central European Time (1 p.m. Eastern Time). Winter offered its first specialized Olympic auction in 1991.

The tables have turned for European collectors, who in the past couple of years were able to take advantage of auctions in U.S. dollars.

Among the 437 lots in the Winter auction: A 1956 Cortina torch with a starting price of 18,000 Euro ($22,800), a 1928 St. Moritz bronze medal in the original box, which starts at 5,000 Euro ($6,300), and a 1988 Seoul gold medal for women’s team foil, also in the original box, starting at 5,500 Euro ($7,000). There is a 15 percent buyers premium.

Participation medals from nearly every Olympics are also in the auction, as well as a large assortment of identity cards. The rarest are identity cards for a Czech canoeist competing in the 1936 Berlin Games (500 Euro; $630) and a Hungarian water polo player at the 1948 London Olympics (400 Euro; $500).

For Olympic clothing collectors, there is a Bavarian dirndl hostess dress with blouse and apron from Munich (200 Euro; $250), an official Austrian team suit for the 1976 Innsbruck opening ceremony (350 Euro; $440) and the official Austrian training suit for the same Games (150 Euro; $190).

Geneva Auction

David Feldman of Geneva has a "Feldman Express" online auction dedicated to Olympic memorabilia and philately, which will be held January 26, 2012 at 2 p.m. (CET)

This auction includes 506 Olympic stamp and memorabilia lots, with more than 150 "fresh" lots never before offered.

Most of these lots come from the Olympic Games of Berlin 1936. A majority have starting prices of less than 100 Euro ($125), with some items as low as 16 Euro ($20, including a 1936 handkerchief.

However, U.S. buyers must beware of exorbitant shipping fees. In Feldman’s last auction, the proposed shipping fee for an item measuring 45 mm by 33 mm (1 ¾ inches by 1 ¼ inches) was 25 Euro ($32). Also, U.S. buyers must pay at least 3 percent in additional fees to use a credit card.

Rarest Olympic Stamps from 1980

David Feldman is also offering an extremely rare set of relatively recent stamps. A Liechtenstein 1980 Olympic set that was withdrawn before issue due to the U.S.-led boycott of the 1980 Moscow Games has a price available on request.

According to the auction house, shortly before the day of issue, a few sets were given to journalists. "When the boycott was announced, the Postal Authority requested the immediate return of these sets and almost all recipients complied. The authorities then destroyed the entire stock."

Apparently, two journalists did not cooperate. Two sets are known to be in private hands. The other set was sold in 2002.

Atlanta Torch Less Valuable Than Expected

A 1996 Atlanta Olympic torch that was stolen and pawned attracted an enormous amount of media attention because of the difference between the supposed value ($15,000) and the price the Asheville, N.C., pawn shop paid ($200).

The only problem: The torch is worth only about 10 percent of that inflated value. Similar torches recently sold on eBay for $1,525 and $1,300. In the Atlanta area, prices of $700 to $800 have been attained, which makes sense since there were 12,467 torchbearers worldwide and estimates of more than 13,000 torches produced.

CyclistAndrew Crater, who carried the torch from Greensboro to Winston-Salem as a bearer in the 1996 Games, put a value of $15,000 on it, according to court papers, because of its personal significance.

Crater displayed the torch in his living room. Investigators charged Brian Edward McDonald with felony larceny and obtaining property by false pretense. Crater said he was out of town when the torch was stolen. McDonald, also a cyclist, had just moved into the house after making arrangements through the landlord, but Crater had not yet met him when the torch was stolen.

According to the Asheville Citizen-Times newspaper, Asheville police detective Phil Allen checked the pawn shops and found McDonald’s name on the sale ticket.

Mitt Romney Pins

Olympic collectibles featuring Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney are gaining steam on eBay, including pins featuring the former Salt Lake City Olympic chief.

A pin the shape of a baseball mitt with the slogan "Mitt Happens" is already up to $10.50. The square-jawed Romney is featured with the mascots in a Happy New Year motif on another pin and is also on a pin in which the mascots ask if they can light the cauldron.

The eBay description includes the word "Political" in the title.

Another pin, which is not currently on eBay, is a "6 months to go" edition that shows Romney driving a bobsled with the mascots asking "Are we there yet Mitt?"

Romney is the only Olympic CEO immortalized on Olympic pins.

Recently, a photo of Romney in his Olympic garb sold for $41.99.

Written by Karen Rosen.

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