Five legends, one page: How Patrick Ryan secured a sports memorabilia masterpiece - CNN

Open this photo in gallery:Lesley Mak, a higher education administrator from Toronto, has built a collection of more than 60 fitted Toronto Blue Jays hats over the last decade. David Pike/The Globe and MailLesley Mak, a higher education administrator, bought her first Toronto Blue Jays fitted hat in 2015. Since then, she’s grown her collection to more than 60, spending an estimated $3,500 along the way. “Collectors went a little feral during the pandemic because we were at home, stressed and unable to socialize or attend public events,” the Toronto resident says. “So those of us who were lucky enough to maintain a steady income got fixated on online shopping.”Mak is among a growing cohort of Canadians who have been drawn to sports memorabilia collecting in recent years. Take Sacha Pilfold, a Burnaby, B. C.-based manufacturing manager who started collecting in 2022 and has since spent more than $5,000 on women’s sports memorabilia, including autographed game-worn jerseys, trading cards and soccer scarves.