Is Dale Earnhardt memorabilia worth anything?

Is Dale Earnhardt memorabilia worth anything? What is the most valuable Dale Earnhardt collectible??

Introduction

Dale Earnhardt needs no introduction for anyone who has ever watched NASCAR.

One of the biggest names of all time in NASCAR racing, he is part of one of the biggest legacies in the stock car world.

Dale’s father was Ralph Earnhardt—one of NASCAR’s 50 Greatest Drivers of All Time.

Ralph has also been inducted into the hall of fame of the NMPA, International Motorsports, the National Dirt Hall Late Model, and the Oceanside Rotary Club of Daytona Beach Stock Car.

Dale’s son is NBC’s NASCAR analyst, team owner, NASCAR’s Most Popular Driver title holder, and two-time Daytona 500 champion, Dale Earnhardt Jr. Dale Jr has an elder sister, Kelley Earnhardt, an elder half-brother, Kerry Earnhardt, and a younger half-sister, Taylor Earnhardt-Putnam.

As if it wasn’t enough to be voted NASCAR’s most popular driver once, he held the title for fifteen consecutive years.

Dale himself is arguably the icon of the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing.

With seven NASCAR cup championships under his belt, the driver known as “The Intimidator” and “Ironhead” joins his dad on the list of the 50 Greatest Drivers of All Time, and in multiple Hall of Fame records.

Sadly, Dale passed away young—he was only 49 years old when he sustained a skull fracture in a three-car crash at the 2001 Daytona 500.

His father, Ralph, also died young—he suffered a heart attack at his kitchen table at 45 years old. Ralph was fixing a carburetor at the time.

With a stock car legacy like Dale’s, millions of fans have collected memorabilia from his career over the years.

The seven-time Winston Cup champ’s collectibles were in hot demand during his career, and many of these items can increase in value following a person’s death.

So, is Dale Earnhardt memorabilia worth anything? (Spoiler alert: yes.)

Read on to find out more.

What is Dale Earnhardt’s memorabilia worth?

It depends on several factors.

The value of a lot of Dale Earnhardt collectibles varies based on rarity, condition, and how easy it is to verify that they are authentic.

This is why signed pieces are so much more in demand.

Condition

Dale Earnhardt memorabilia that has been kept in good condition is always going to be more valuable than those that have sustained damage, faded, or been altered in any way.

As with any collectible in any genre, items that are in “original condition” will hold more value than those that have received wear and tear over time.

Rarity

The rarest an item is, the more value it holds over time—that goes for any collectible, and Dale Earnhardt memorabilia is no exception.

Take, for example, a Hershey’s chocolate bar that sold in 2009 for a whopping $10,083 with Dale Earnhardt’s face and signature on the wrapper.

It was a limited edition item that is no longer edible.

By the time Hershey’s retailers removed the candy from shelves across the US, many candy—and NASCAR—lovers had already eaten theirs.

So, for the savvy few who managed to hold onto one for another 8 years, they were able to turn a $10,081 profit.

Some lucky collectors are still selling their old Dale Earnhardt Hershey’s bars on eBay with an asking price of $8,000+.

Authenticity

Nothing boosts a piece of Dale Earnhardt memorabilia’s value higher than a signature.

In fact, a lot of autograph dealers estimate that any item can increase its value 10 times over simply by having it signed by a celebrity.

Take this Wrangler Jeans jacket that was autographed by Earnhardt—and worn by him during the NASCAR Winston Cup series.

At the time, the jacket retailed for $110—but Dale got his for free as Wrangler Jeans were a major team sponsor.

With his signature on the back, the current asking price is $4,082 on one listing on Amazon. The signature has been authenticated by James Spence Authentication, and it received a hologram of authentication.

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The Triple Threat – the most valuable Dale Earnhardt collectible

Of course, every once in a while, a piece of Dale Earnhardt memorabilia comes up that checks all the boxes for rarity, condition, and authenticity—like a 1996 Chevrolet NASCAR Monte Carlo driven by the legend himself.

In 2020, the black Monte Carlo—resplendent in all its stickers and branding—went to auction at Barrett-Jackson’s auction house.

The vehicle was part of a private collection belonging to Richard Childress, who is the owner of Richard Childress Racing.

As part of a fundraiser held by RCR in 2020, Childress agreed to part with one of his beloved Dale Earnhardt cars.

That’s right, the ultra-wealthy racing team owner has more than one.

Childress explained that he had grown the collection throughout his career with NASCAR, and had “never parted” with a Chevrolet from his Earnhardt collection up until that point.

The high-end Dale Earnhardt collectible was sold with no reserve for a staggering $425,000.

With the generous spirit Richard Childress has become known for over the years, he also gifted the winning bidder a VIP tour of Richard Childress Racing HQ, lunch at his vineyards, and a case of his award-winning wine.

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