Collecting the Sox: Pictures

If you want an attractive Red Sox collectable, it’s hard to go wrong with pictures. As with most collecting avenues, the options to build your collection around are almost endless. They come in different sizes, and colors, and can be acquired fairly cheaply. It’s a great way to start out decorating your very own Red Sox Room.

There are a couple different types of Red Sox pictures. Obviously, there are professional photos that you purchase or personal photos that you take yourself. They both have good points and bad points. As far as personal photos, they might be more meaningful. Naturally, if you took the photo, you have to have been there. Maybe you saw a player on the street, or at an event. Maybe you were at a game watching him field. Maybe it’s pictures of Fenway, inside or out. In any case, the picture is more than a collectable; it’s a permanent memory. You get to choose the subject and tailor the shot to exactly what you want. On the other hand, professional photographers often have better access to the really good shots. If you want a perfectly cropped, close up shot of your favorite player, you’re probably looking for a professional. Also, views like aerial shots are probably beyond the reach of most amateurs.

Once you decide the type of picture you like, it comes down to subject matter. Do you have a favorite player that you want to capture? Maybe a wall full of pictures of Jacoby Ellsbury? Or only pictures of him stealing a base? How about a picture of any Sox player wearing the Red Jerseys? There are also pictures of special events, or historic games. A picture of the last three Red Sox no-hitters would look nice. Or, team photos of all the World Championship teams. Pictures of you and players would add a personal touch. Or, pictures of you in different stadiums where you’ve seen the Sox play. The variety is almost endless.

The prices of photos are also conducive to building a nice collection. Naturally, if you take the picture yourself, it’s about 20 cents to get it developed. It might be a bit more for a larger size like an 8x10, but generally it can be done for a buck or two. Professional shots are going to be a bit costlier, but still not too bad. If you look hard enough online, even an 8x10 picture will cost you less than $10. At a store or gallery, it might run you twice that, or more. Framing will add a premium to the cost. But, you can get a frame cheaply if you need to. Again, the size of the picture is going to determine how much everything costs. But, it shouldn’t be hard to find something to fit almost any budget.

Like any collectable, storage is an issue with collecting pictures. An easy way to store them is in an album system. Pictures can be put in standard photo albums, or in binders. Either way, they fit nicely on a bookshelf. If you want to look at them more often than that, some sore of frame would be needed. You can get frames that sit on shelves, or hang on the wall. In either case, you need the space to put them. A 16x20 picture is going to take a certain amount of space, no matter how it’s displayed. It’s just something to think about before you buy.

All collections have good points and bad. Pictures certainly have a lot of good.

Any photo collectors out there? Want to share any favorites?