Trophies are mementoes to be treasured forever. They could be awarded for certain accomplishments, or a memento of membership, or a souvenir from an event.

Trophies as awards are especially common for scholastic, sporting and office achievements. Academic awards are given in the form of trophies for different classes and subject proficiencies. Trophies for sporting achievements are the most popular. Games like tennis, football, basketball, cricket and golf all have coveted trophies. No one can forget the pictures of sportsmen weeping with joy and clutching their hard-earned trophies.

Trophies are sometimes given for achieving business targets or for attending training programs. They are also given to members of elite clubs and organizations.

Trophies can be different in make and design. Some companies offer custom trophies, which are exclusively designed trophies for particular events, people and occasions. For example, the Oscar is custom-made for the Oscar awards.

Materials to choose from include glass and crystal, plastic, acrylic, resin, enamel, and metals like pewter, gold or silver. The design is left to the imagination of the client. Traditional trophies offer a cup-based design. Some rare designs include bobble heads, resin sports jerseys or Rolls-Royce grilles.

A baseball trophy has a ball or a player pitching the ball, all in metal, or a sports jersey or a baseball-player bobble-head with custom-made engravings. Golf trophies have the figure of a golfer teeing away, or a golf ball, or a golf kit. Soccer trophies have soccer balls with customized engravings, or a goalie or player in action.

Customization enables one to make a trophy unique and valuable. Often it is not the cost that is important, but the ingenuity of the design. The trophy with the shape of a Rolls Royce grille was custom-made for the Rolls Royce owner