Why David Gower is selling his rare cricket memorabilia on eBay
Former England cricket captain David Gower has eschewed fancy auction houses and instead plumped for eBay to sell off a stash of rare mementos from his legendary career.
In among the usual second-hand shoes, garden furniture and iPhones, something peculiar and altogether more exotic is lurking on eBay.
A bat from Botham’s Ashes, signed by the protagonists of that legendary 1981 series; an MCC and England tour blazer dating back to the 70s; a Baggy Green belonging to Australian cricket greats from eras past; all are up for auction.
The items are part of a collection of rare memorabilia from the career of former England Test captain David Gower, who has decided — with a heavy heart in some cases — to part with his personal effects in the name of decluttering.
Gower tells City PM: “All the items up for auction have been in my attic for so long so this sale is the start of a tidying up process which also allows me to share them all with fans, people who might enjoy ownership. Better to do it now while they might still remember who I am!”
Starting bids on some of the lots in Gower’s sale, such as signed thigh pads and Hampshire CCC shirts, are as little as £50. The most prized items, such as signed bats wielded by Gower in his 117 Test matches, have a reserve price of £1,000.
“Everything in the sale is there because I would like someone else to enjoy it,” adds the 68-year-old, a familiar face in broadcasting since his retirement almost 30 years ago.
“I am maybe slightly reluctant to let some of the tour blazers go, especially the first ones with the MCC touring colours, which are both a piece of England history and a reflection of some of my treasured career landmarks.”
Gower’s stash and rise of sports memorabilia
Rare sports memorabilia has rocketed in value in recent years, with collectors proving willing to pay tens of millions for items associated with iconic sportspeople or moments.
Baseball great Babe Ruth’s 1932 shirt worn for his legendary “called shot” set the current world record last year when it sold for $24.1m, while a Michael Jordan Chicago Bulls shirt from his triumphant final NBA season fetched $10.1m in 2022.
Typically, such treasures go under the hammer at auction houses, however, rather than sitting alongside pre-loved domestic products and now-regretted fashion purchases on eBay.
Gower says: “There are always options but eBay is known to be a top destination for collectibles and I knew cricket fans around the world would have access to this collection – eBay makes it easy to discover and bid.
“Ultimately the idea is to find good homes for everything and, to be blunt, at the right sort of price.”
This haul is not the only sporting memorabilia being listed on eBay, although it is perhaps the only one put on sale by the athlete to whom they originally belonged. Other items tend to be sold by companies specialising in the trade or individuals looking to shift the odd piece.
Gower admits to being something of a collector himself, mostly of cricket artefacts but also art – David Shepherd, the doyen of wildlife portraiture, is a favourite – and items from other sports, although some of those may be up for grabs, too, it seems.
He says: “I have a John McEnroe Dunlop racquet somewhere and a signed print of the great Stanley Matthews. Talking of which, if anybody wants that it’s not in this auction but feel free to make me a bid!”
The David Gower collection sale closes on Thursday 17 July. Find it on eBay at: https://www.ebay.co.uk/e/collectables/the-david-gower-collection