Hand Signed Baseballs Need Preservation

So how do keep your hand-signed baseball in good shape?  It does require some care and maybe a small investment on your part.

Let’s start with the autograph itself.  It’s best to have your baseball signed with a ball-point pen, preferably blue on color.  While Sharpie markers may be popular with collectors of 8×10 autographs, equipment, jerseys or other items, the Sharpie ink will often absorb into the baseball, damaging the quality of the signature over time.   It’s a good idea to buy a regulation National or American League baseball than a cheaper, generic ball from a discount store.  Official NL and AL baseballs can be found at better sporting goods stores or on eBay.  The quality of the baseball will help preserve the quality of the signature.

Be sure your hands are clean when getting the autograph or handling it.  It sounds simple enough and some dirt can be gently removed, but it’s best not to have to worry about it.

Once you have the ball, buying a display case is a small investment that will protect your ball as long as you own it.  There are several different varities; square two-piece acrylic holders and round holders with a plastic or wooden base are two of the most popular.  You can usually find them for under $10.  Make sure it’s a U/V protective case-at least 50%.  It also helps prevent the handling of the baseball by you or your visitors which can damage it.  It’s also a good idea to avoid fluorescent lighting.

If your signatures have already faded or you have a very old baseball with faded signatures, never retrace them to make them stand out.  Even a ball with fading signatures will be worth more than one that’s been traced.

It’s also a good idea to keep your hand-signed baseballs in a temperature-controlled environment.  You don’t have to invest in an elaborate set-up; just keep it in a room where the temperature remains under 75 degrees most of the time, with lower humidity.

You can see some high quality, authenticated  autographed baseballs on eBay