Do you remember 1966? Maybe not. You may have seen the grainy footage of Geoff Hurst scoring the fourth goal in the Cup final against Germany and the commentator saying ‘They think it’s over, now it is’. Well this is 2010 and we are all hoping that England will do well at the World Cup in South Africa.

Anyone who has a World Cup 66 ticket or a final program owns a great soccer souvenir. Even early round game tickets and programs can fetch good prices. This type of soccer memorabilia changes hands for a lot of money and soccer gifts from each world cup final become more collectible over time. In 1966 all England players were awarded medals when they won the competition. In 1998, Bobby Moore’s wife, Tina, who was married to Bobby for 21 years, sold her medal at auction to secure the financial future for her and her two children. The medal was estimated at between £60,000 and £80,000.

Jerseys signed by players during major tournaments are also highly prized by collectors, as are match day balls.

On a smaller scale, any product that was made specifically for an event like the World Cup, if kept in decent condition, will gain value over time. By 1966, the ‘World Cup Willie’ mascot was everywhere, available as a stuffed toy, puzzle, and even promoting breakfast cereals. Today a collector with 1966 ‘Willie’ merchandise can see items for hundreds of pounds.

Serious collectors buy products and don’t even take them out of the boxes, making sure they retail their value and authenticity. Who would have thought that merchandise from the original Star Wars movies would be so valuable today? The same can be said for World Cup soccer memorabilia.