Autographed Baseballs: Themes for Your Collection

Most collectors prefer their autographed baseballs in three forms:

• Single-signed baseball
• Team-signed baseball
• “Theme” baseball

The single signed baseball is popular with collectors for its simplicity.  The player signs his name on the ‘sweet spot’, the narrow area between the seams.  They’re easy to display, clean and neat with one singular focus.  Many collect autographed balls from Baseball Hall of Famers in this fashion.

The team-signed baseball is a bit more complicated, but somewhat of a rare treasure, especially if you’re looking at one from decades ago.  Team balls are those signed by all members of a certain team.  Collectors of Yankees memorabilia, then, would gravitate toward a certain memorable edition of that club, likely a World Series winner.  World Series championship team-signed balls are among the most valuable in the hobby.  Others favor All-Star team balls or just collect signed balls from every year of their favorite team.  With team-signed baseballs, one must guard against “clubhouse” signatures.  Many times, baseballs would get passed around the lockerroom and the more famous athletes would have a clubhouse attendant or batboy sign their name to the ball because of the tedium involved for a popular player.  It sounds disappointing and it is-but it’s also reality.  Fifty years ago, autographs really didn’t have much monetary value and players who were asked to sign hundreds per day just simply didn’t want to be bothered.  Good autograph authenticators can tell the difference.  PSA/DNA or James Spence Authentications are two good authenticators, but there are others.

Theme balls are fun.  Autographed baseballs can be created by picking a certain milestone or other theme and adding signatures to it when possible.  You can try to collect a baseball signed by pitchers who have won 300 games, pitched no-hitters or perfect games or won Cy Young Awards.  You can chase 500-home run club members, MVPs, batting champions or Rookies of the Year.  Obviously, if your theme includes a deceased player, you’ll have to find a single-signed ball from that player and then add the living players to it.  You could start with a modified theme, however.  Something like “Perfect Game pitchers from the 1980s through today” would probably work.

It’s good practice to check out authentic autographed baseballs on eBayto see what’s availalable and get ideas for building your collection.