Findlings Sports Equipment

Collectors Guide to Rare Sports Collectibles and Unique Sports Collections!!

Sport is an activity that is governed by a set of rules or customs and often engaged in competitively. Sports commonly refer to activities where the physical capabilities of the competitor are the sole or primary determiner of the outcome (winning or losing), but the term is also used to include activities such as mind sports and motor sports where mental acuity or equipment quality are major factors. Sports equipment includes any object used for sport or exercise.

Examples for sports include balls, goals, sticks for hockey and lacrosse, bats, wickets and bails for cricket, nets for tennis, volleyball and badminton.

Examples for exercise include swiss balls, weights, equipment for the gym.

Typically, experts say that a collector should decide when she/he will "zero in" on a specific collecting area rather than buying appealing items of all types. Collecting is considered to be very personal. There are a number of ways in which a collector may locate and buy the limited edition collectibles he/she wishes to own. Giftware and limited edition retailers, direct mail or magazine ads, swap and sell programs, auctions, antiques shops, antiques malls - even house sales may be fertile fields for the collector. Another way to add to a collection is to watch local ads for auctions, antiques shops, flea markets, and household or estate sales.

Some experts contend that collecting should not begin as an investment, that a collector should enjoy him/herself and purchase items that appeal to them. On the other hand, there are those who believe that a collector can become a more intelligent consumer of limited edition items and begin to select items that have an "edge" in the race for market appreciation. In addition to buying for beauty or for what they personally like, collectors might utilize certain checklists and guides. These guides, such as Warner’s Blue Ribbon Book on Swarovski, The No. 1 Price Guide to M.I. Hummel, and the Collectibles Market Guide & Price Index, offer criteria that may be helpful in evaluating plates, figurines, bells, and many other collectibles categories. When making a purchase, it is advised that a collector keep certain key ideas in mind, such as a buyer’s checklist.

There are artefacts and structures that suggest that the Chinese engaged in sporting activities as early as 4000 BC. Gymnastics appears to have been a popular sport in China's ancient past. Monuments to the Pharaohs indicate that a number of sports, including swimming and fishing, were well-developed and regulated several thousands of years ago in ancient Egypt. Other Egyptian sports included javelin throwing, high jump, and wrestling. Ancient Persian sports such as the traditional Iranian martial art of Zourkhaneh had a close connection to the warfare skills. Among other sports that originate in Persia are polo and jousting.

A wide range of sports were already established by the time of Ancient Greece and the military culture and the development of sports in Greece influenced one another considerably. Sports became such a prominent part of their culture that the Greeks created the Olympic Games, which in ancient times were held every four years in a small village in the Peloponnesus called Olympia.

Sports have been increasingly organized and regulated from the time of the Ancient Olympics up to the present century. Industrialization has brought increased leisure time to the citizens of developed and developing countries, leading to more time for citizens to attend and follow spectator sports, greater participation in athletic activities, and increased accessibility. These trends continued with the advent of mass media and global communication. Professionalism became prevalent, further adding to the increase in sport's popularity, as sports fans began following the exploits of professional athletes through radio, television, and the internet--all while enjoying the exercise and competition associated with amateur participation in sports.

In the new millennium, new sports have been going further from the physical aspect to the mental or psychological aspect of competing. Cyber sports organizations are becoming more and more popular.

Activities where the outcome is determined by judgement over execution are considered performances, or competition.