Whether the items at auction factored into a great heist, a triumphant bust, a famous fictional portrayal, or a policeman’s daily beat, law-enforcement memorabilia is a category with something for just about any avid collector. Contact Central Mass Auctions if you want to sell yours for the most, or read on to find out more.
What types of police memorabilia are valuable at auction?
Law-enforcement memorabilia with historical significance is especially valued by collectors, and especially valuable at auction. We were fortunate enough to be commissioned to sell Eliot Ness’s credentials, which were purchased by the National Law Enforcement Museum in Washington, D.C. for $46,000.
Badges are a sought-after type of police memorabilia. Older badges tend to be rarer and more valuable, often selling for hundreds of dollars. Badges were made with a nickel alloy, brass and sometimes sterling silver. Patches are also popular with collectors, but typically are less valuable than badges.
There are many cross-collectibles. Some of us will remember tin police motorcycles and police cars. These are popular with both police and toy collectors, and can bring in thousands of dollars. Police call boxes are popular with collectors of police memorabilia and firefighting memorabilia.
Photographs from the early 1900’s and before appeal to those interested in police history and to buyers of local memorabilia when the officer is considered a local legend. “Wanted” posters and mugshots of criminals can bring huge sums. Forbes reported an auction price of $85,000 for a Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid “wanted” poster. The Old West has always been of interest to collectors. Memorabilia related to lawmen like Wyatt Earp and outlaws like Jesse James is sought-after, too.
There is a large market for vintage police- or detective-themed comic books. 1960’s and earlier “Dick Tracy” and “Police Comics” are highly sought after. Other Dick Tracy collectibles like friction cars and toy Tommy guns still command strong prices.
Many police-memorabilia collectors also want the tools officers used, such as nightsticks. At one of our auctions, we sold a wooden noisemaker that was used by officers to warn of trouble or when they needed assistance. It was similar in function to one of the vintage tin Halloween noisemakers: It was held by the handle and spun around the wrist to make noise. A police museum purchased it for several hundreds of dollars.
Need to sell your police memorabilia? Call in the reinforcements.
Do you have any police or law-enforcement memorabilia or collectibles, and want to sell it for the maximum amount at auction? Contact Central Mass Auctions for an assessment, and we’ll get on the case.
