There are so many things out there that you can make money on by selling on Ebay. One of my favorite things to sell however, is tennis rackets. There are so many styles, sizes, shapes, compositions, and colors! During my adventures as a picker, I come across a lot of them. I always keep an eye out for them because you can usually get them very cheap and sell them for a great return on investment.
Generally speaking, as is the case with most collectibles and antiques, the older the better. Age generally is most important but quality is not far behind. I would much rather have a new old stock racket from the 70’s than a very beat up and warped racket from the 20’s. Here’s a great video to show you some of the more desirable tennis rackets to look for.
I would generally pass on any wooden rackets that are warped unless they are very old. Wooden rackets that are warped are simply not desirable because they have not been preserved. Wooden rackets need to be kept in a press so that they don’t warp. For this reason, I sometimes am worried about buying wooden rackets if I don’t have a press for them! The presses themselves can sometimes even be worth some money.
The most desirable tennis racket to try to find, or the “holy grail” so to speak, would be the early fish-tail rackets. These had very strange fish-tail like butt cap ends to them. I don’t really know why they would make them like that, but they are extremely rare and worth thousands of dollars. Who knows? You could just see one at a tag sale at an elderly person’s house. I have found some incredible finds over the years!
Generally speaking, most modern rackets are certainly worth picking up for a few dollars. Your best bet is to look at completed listings on Ebay though. Don’t buy any modern rackets that look very cheap or flimsy because they are cheap and flimsy! These rackets are sold new at Walmart or Dick’s very cheap and are total garbage.
Look for the rackets from the 70’s and 80’s. This time period was huge for tennis because there was an incredible amount of evolution in racket construction. This led to there being tons of strange rackets produced which are fairly rare. Remember, condition is king! Rackets were meant to be played with and roughed up, not put on a wall! Rackets in like new condition from the 70s and 80s can be worth quite a bit, and while rare, are certainly not impossible to find. I have been on the lookout for a Wilson Pro Staff 85 but have failed in my effort to find one so far. It’s not too surprising considering it is probably the most iconic tennis racket of all time. Only the Wilson T2000 or the Price Graphite rival it for that title. Best of luck and keep on picking!
