Arsenal signed shirts: Three eras every collector should know

Arsenal collectors tend to fall into camps, and the camp usually depends on when they first fell in love with the club.

Some remember the noise at Highbury, others the unbeaten season, and others the move to a new home.

Here are the three eras that shape most collections, and what makes each of them worth owning.

The Highbury years

For many supporters, the Highbury era is the heart of the club.

Dennis Bergkamp, Ian Wright, Tony Adams and David Seaman played in a stadium that fans still talk about with real affection, and the club left it for good in 2006.

Shirts from this period suit the collector who values history over headlines, and they often come with a nostalgic pull that newer items cannot match.

The Invincibles

In 2003/04 Arsenal won 26 of their 38 league games, drew the other 12 and became the only side to go through a Premier League season unbeaten.

Thierry Henry, Patrick Vieira, Bergkamp and Robert Pires led a team that supporters of a certain age will never stop celebrating.

A shirt signed by one of them, or better still by several, is the centrepiece of plenty of Arsenal collections.

Squad-signed pieces from that season appeal to fans who want the whole team on one wall.

The Emirates era

Arsenal moved to the Emirates Stadium in 2006, and a new generation of fans has grown up there.

The FA Cup win in 2014 ended a nine-year wait for a trophy and gave supporters a fresh set of heroes to celebrate.

Signed shirts from recent seasons are the natural choice for supporters who want a link to the players they watch today, and they make accessible gifts for younger fans just starting a collection.

A note on provenance

Whichever era you choose, ask how the signature was obtained.

At Firma Stella, most items are signed in person, with the remainder coming from private signings, which means you can trace where a piece came from.

It is a fair question to put to any seller, and a good one will answer it without hesitation.

Choosing between them

There is no wrong answer.

Pick the era that you remember most vividly, because you will be looking at the shirt for years.

If you are buying a gift, think about the person receiving it rather than the price.

A shirt signed by a player they idolised will mean far more than a bigger name they never saw play.

And if you cannot decide, a single signature from one era is a good place to start, with the option to add to it later.

You can browse the full range of Arsenal signed shirts at Firma Stella.