Nelson Mandela’s tireless fight to end apartheid in South Africa and his stature as a global icon has made collectables associated with the man extremely popular. Mandela-related items have always been sought-after on bidorbuy and the demand would go up every time the former president was in the news, for example on the occasion of his birthday.
Now when the whole nation and the world are anxiously following the news about the ailing statesman’s health, it is only natural that the interest in Mandela-themed items has soared.
The most popular Mandela-related items on bidorbuy are coins. There are many different Mandela coins and medallions listed on the site, from very high-value limited edition mints, to the R5 circulation coins. Some say that the investment value of R5 circulation coins is uncertain, but people are often collecting them, either because they hope for future returns or because they attach sentimental value to them.
Also popular is the Mandela memorabilia section of the Antiques & Collectibles category, as well as numerous Mandela-related items listed in other categories: books, art, stamps, sporting memorabilia, etc.
The best way to browse through them is to perform a search, and that is exactly what the visitors to bidorbuy are doing.
Since Mr. Mandela has been hospitalised, there has been a noticeable increase in the number of searches for the terms Mandela coins and Mandela. At the moment, the search term Mandela coins is the fourth most popular search on the site, which is an enormous surge in comparison with, for example, March, when it was at the spot number 170.
There has also been an increase in the number of Mandela-related items sold on bidorbuy. During the last seven days, 668 Mandela-related items were sold. Of that number, 590 were coins. Especially popular were the so-called birthday R5 coins, minted in 2008 to commemorate Nelson Mandela’s 90th birthday.
Here are some of the Mandela-related items sold during the last seven days:
- 2012 Gold Centenary Medallion 5oz, sold on auction for R86,200
- Pretoria News: Mandela 90th Birthday, sold on auction for R70
- President Nelson Mandela Twice Signed Photo, sold n auction for R3710
Among the Mandela-related items currently on offer are:
- Nelson Mandela and Hansie Cronje: Signed Protea Cricket Test Shirt. Current Leading Bid: R15,200
- 1994 Inauguration First Day Cover with Proof R5 and with Autograph of Nelson Mandela. Current highest bid: R12,550.99
- 1994 General Election: Ballot Paper Signed by Nelson Mandela. Current highest bid: R8,050
- Signed Smiling R5 Mandela Proof Coin, with Mandela’s Signature. Current highest bid: R16,200
Currently, there are 1,648 listings on the site with the term Mandela in title, spread across fifteen categories. More than 250 of them are hot. With such interest, it seems certain that Mandela collectables, just like Mandela legacy, will continue to inspire generations to come.
