7 On Your Side looks at rising price of Warriors memorabilia

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- Excitement over the Golden State Warriors is reaching a fever pitch in the Bay Area. So what does that mean for the value of their autographs and other memorabilia? 7 On Your Side went to find out.

The Bay Area is no stranger to championships. The San Francisco Giants, the San Francisco 49ers, the Oakland A's and Oakland Raiders have all taken home the bacon, but memorabilia collectors tell us there's something about this Warriors team that's different.

It's a lovefest right now in the Bay Area for the Warriors. Dubs gear is very popular at the sports collection shop Classic Materials at the Tanforan mall.

"The hottest item would be anything Golden State Warriors," Daniel Jue from Classic Materials said.

It's the same story at Memorabilia4Less.com out of San Ramon. Mark Castagnola from the story told us.

"Memorabilia wise, they are superhot. Steph Curry, of course, Klay Thompson, but it's trickling down to everybody."

Stephen Curry has yet to win an NBA Championship, but already the value of his merchandise ranks up there with three-time champions Buster Posey and Madison Bumgarner of the San Francisco Giants.

"On a photo, it's about $225 a framed photo," Castagnola said.

That price is for an 8 x 10 framed photo. Win a championship, and Curry would shoot curry past both Posey and Bumgarner among Bay Area athletes.

Jue at Classic Materials predicts just an unframed photo of Steph Curry could go for up to $299. He told 7 On Your Side, "The players are going to charge more per autograph. They're going to be harder to get in, to get signed, to get anything, to get close to them."

It won't be just Curry. Expect any autographed items of Klay Thompson, Andrew Bogut, Harrison Barnes, Draymond Green, Harrison Barnes, David Lee and anything Warriors related to go up too.

"I'd say a good 25-30 percent it will go up," Castagnola said.

"Prices will go up about 40 percent," Jue said.

Some are playing the memorabilia game like the stock market.

"We get a lot of people. They buy multiples of things and they're hoping that it will become a profit later on," Jue explained.

But for the vast majority of collectors, buying memorabilia is a way to feel connected to players.

"Most people are buying, not speculating, but buying because that's something they want," Castagnola said.

Unfortunately, the sports memorabilia market is full of fraud. Protect yourself by doing your research. Know the going rate and if the price is too low, walk away. Be aware that certain superstars like Michael Jordan have exclusive contracts with certain dealers. Know that certificates of authenticity, while important, can be counterfeited so look at them carefully before making a purchase.