When it comes to a valuable piece of sports memorabilia, preservation of that special piece is key to retaining its value. Whether that value is personal or monetary, why not protect your favorite signed baseball, your impressive set of trading cards, your awesome collection of bobbleheads, or a cherished item you were gifted from a relative. If you have ever attended a card show or memorabilia event, you will undoubtably notice how well the vendors protect their valuable goods. So, what is the best way to protect your sports memorabilia items like trading cards, bats, baseballs, and more? I turned to Johnny Gulo and Display Zone for advice and answers:
How long have you been in business? What prompted you to get into the business?
We’ve been in business for six years. Around the time we started the business, we started
getting into collecting trading cards ourselves and quickly realized there was a growing
community of collectors looking for better ways to display and protect their collections. We saw
an opportunity to create high-quality display cases that would allow people to proudly showcase
their favorite cards while helping preserve them. That passion for collecting is what inspired
Display Zone and continues to drive our business today.
Were you a collector of sports memorabilia as a kid, as an adult?
As a kid, I loved collecting Pokémon cards, bobbleheads, and ticket stubs from events I
attended, including sporting events, movies, and concerts. Today, I primarily collect baseball
and hockey trading cards, along with autographed baseballs, and I enjoy both the history behind
the memorabilia and the stories each piece represents.
For the serious collector out there, why is it so important to encase or protect your sports
memorabilia?
For serious collectors, protecting sports memorabilia is about much more than preserving its
value. Every piece has a story, whether it’s a sports card, an autographed baseball, or a
homerun ball you caught from a memorable game. Proper storage helps prevent damage from
dust, UV light, moisture, fingerprints, and accidental handling, ensuring those stories can be
enjoyed for years to come. There’s also a sense of pride in displaying a collection. When memorabilia is protected in high- quality cases or displays, it not only stays in excellent condition but also becomes something collectors can confidently showcase in their home or office. In many ways, protecting a
collection is about preserving both the investment and the memories that make each item
meaningful.
Specifically trading cards?
Trading cards are especially vulnerable because even minor damage can have a lasting impact
on both their condition and their value. Something as simple as a soft corner, surface scratch,
fingerprint, or prolonged exposure to UV light can significantly reduce a card’s value and
desirability. Using quality protective display cases helps guard against everyday wear while
preserving the card’s condition for years to come.beyond protection, there’s also the enjoyment of displaying a collection. Collectors invest a lot of time searching for the right cards, building complete sets, or finding meaningful pieces for their collection. Properly encasing those cards allows them to be safely displayed and appreciated without sacrificing their long-term preservation. Whether the goal is passing a collection down to the next generation or simply enjoying it every day, protecting trading cards is an essential part of collecting.
Specifically baseballs, signed ones?
Signed baseballs are especially important to protect because the autograph itself is often the
most valuable part of the collectible. Exposure to UV light, dust, moisture, oils from your hands,
and everyday handling can cause signatures to fade or the baseball to discolor over time. A
quality display case helps preserve both the autograph and the condition of the baseball,
ensuring it looks just as impressive years from now. For many collectors, an autographed baseball represents a personal memory, whether it was signed in person, commemorates a favorite player, or marks a special moment in baseball history. Those moments can’t be replaced, which is why collectors want to ensure the baseball remains in the best condition possible.
Specifically baseball bats?
Similar to trading cards and baseballs, Baseball bats, especially autographed or game-used
bats, can be surprisingly vulnerable to damage if they aren’t properly protected. Dust, UV light,
humidity, accidental bumps, and everyday handling can all affect the bat’s appearance over
time, causing signatures to fade, finishes to discolor, or the wood to show unnecessary wear. A
quality display case helps shield the bat from these elements while keeping it securely
supported.
For those of us in the dark about the process, why is a protective case the best
protection option for a signed baseball?
A protective case provides the best all-around defense against the biggest threats to a signed
baseball. It helps shield the baseball from harmful UV light, while also protecting it from dust,
moisture, and accidental handling that can transfer oils and dirt onto the ball or cause the
signature to smudge or fade over time. Many quality display cases are designed with UV-
resistant materials, giving collectors an added layer of protection against fading and
discoloration. Just as importantly, a protective case allows collectors to proudly display their signed baseballs without constantly worrying about damaging them. Instead of storing a valuable piece away in a box, collectors can safely showcase it while knowing it’s protected and preserved in the same
condition that made it special in the first place.
Once an item, such as a bat, a hat, or a baseball is inside the protective case, should the
owner take the item out every so often to clean/dust the item? Or should they just leave
it in the case for good once it is sealed?
In most scenarios, it’s best to leave the item inside the protective case. Every time a collectible
is handled, there’s an opportunity for accidental damage, whether that’s fingerprints on an
autographed baseball, a scuff on a bat, or unnecessary wear to a hat. A quality display case is
designed to minimize exposure to dust, UV light, and everyday environmental factors, so frequent removal usually isn’t necessary. The only maintenance I typically recommend is occasionally dusting the outside of the display case with a soft microfiber cloth to keep it looking its best. If you ever do need to remove the item, whether to relocate it or inspect it, handle it carefully with clean hands or appropriate gloves and return it to the case as soon as possible. The less handling, the better.
When you sell a protective case to a customer, do you give further instructions on
protecting the customer’s sports memorabilia item?
While we don’t include detailed care instructions inside the packaging, we do provide
educational resources on our website to help collectors properly protect and display their
memorabilia. Our guides cover topics like UV protection, framing jerseys, protecting photos and
prints, and best practices for displaying collectibles, so customers have the information they
need to preserve their items in the best possible condition.
I see you sell UV-Protected baseball cases. What does UV light do to a baseball over
time if it is not in a protective case or just lying around someone’s house?
UV light is one of the biggest threats to an autographed baseball because its effects happen
gradually and often go unnoticed until the damage is permanent. Over time, exposure to
sunlight, and even some indoor lighting, can cause the ink from the signature to fade and the
white leather of the baseball to yellow or discolor. Once an autograph has faded, there’s no way
to restore it to its original condition. That’s why collectors often choose display cases made with
UV-protective materials. They help reduce the amount of harmful light reaching the baseball.
From your website, it looks like you cover a ton of other fan memorabilia and valuables
like guitars, sneakers, and books. Do you have a favorite area of fan or sports
memorabilia?
My favorite memorabilia to collect is autographed baseballs, bobbleheads, and sports cards. I
enjoy the connection each piece has to a player or a memorable moment in the game. Lately,
I’ve been focused on collecting sports cards of many of the new faces on the Chicago White
Sox. It’s been fun following their careers from the beginning and adding those cards to my
collection as they develop. A couple of my favorite autographed balls I have are Ozzie Smith
and Johnny Bench.
Do you have a store front or warehouse that customers can come into view items or is
this strictly an online business?
We are an online-only business. We’re always available to answer questions and help
customers choose the right display for their collection. Our goal is to make sure every collector
finds the best solution to protect and showcase the items they value most.
What is the best way to connect with you and see samples of your protective displays,
cases, and other creative ideas for protecting valuables?
The best place to connect with us is through our website, DisplayZoneShop.com, where you
can browse our full collection of display cases and protective solutions for sports memorabilia,
trading cards, guitars, sneakers, books, and more. You can also find us on Instagram, where we
share new products, display ideas, and inspiration for collectors looking to showcase and
protect the items they value most.
Huge thanks to Johnny Gulo, owner of Display Zone for the amazing masterclass on protecting sports memorabilia like baseballs, bats, trading cards, and so much more. For more information on Display Zone, head over to their impressive website – Display Zone – and get your valuable sports memorabilia protected the right way today!!!
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