Signed Baseballs question
 

Hello,
in regards to signed baseballs, what is the best way to display them without worrying about fading. I collect signed baseballs and dont want to put them in the dark in the closet for 30 years without seeing them. I was thinking about putting them in one of those psa/dna uv ball cubes and then on a book shelf behind museum glass. would that be the best way to display them? also, what about spraying the ball with krylon to protect them? anyone use krylon before? would be interested to see how others display their baseball collections.

NO direct sunlight. Avoid near proximity to windows. Be wary of placement near direct lighting. I'm not sure of different types like, CFL, etc. Other people might have better ideas.

The type of pen used on the ball also would determine how long an autograph lives on a ball. There's a type of pen that seemed to be in common use at card shows in the late 80's til at least the mid 90s, that dissipates into nothing visually. I used Bic pens in the late 80s that still look good.

Sometimes, its the leather on the balls. Good luck. Witster

Using Krylon might make them look better, I don't know, but it would make their resale value practically nil.

You may want to check out the "memorabilia room" thread, it's a monster, and no matter what your collection looks like, you're bound to drool.

thanks for your advice on this. i think krylon will preserve the autograph so it wont fade? correct me if im wrong? whats the purpose of krylon on signed baseballs? also, i took your advice and searched for memorabilia rooms! all i can say is WOW! Amazing! by seeing those rooms, i know there has to be a ton od people here that collect signed baseballs that dont keep them stored in the dark for 20-30 years, so i would be interested in seeing how others display their collections protecting them from fading. thanks again to both of you for your help.

+1. I have a 500 HR display of basically the 11 living members back in the day. Stored in the same ball cubes, beside each other in a cabinet. These balls were collected through signings advertised in SCD. Two of them (Robinson and Killebrew) eventually "dissipate(d) into nothing visually". The remaining seemed unchanged.

Note: I managed to replace the balls through Net54 BST. My notation of a successful transaction is below.

I have over 500 single signed baseballs and 50 team signed baseballs going back to 1919 and they all are kept out of sunlight and any other light source in a temperature controlled closet in my baseball room. They all are in their original RO-A or RO-N boxes with the original "rice" paper in the box or in Ultra Pro cubes in their box.
I do not display any baseballs and just a few pictures on a rotational basis. That being said I still have some fading on baseballs especially on the dreaded Haiti Bobby Brown baseballs and those done in black ink. Those signed in basic blue ink Bic pens have rarely faded over time but they would have for sure if displayed. I have no experience with the new gel ink pens and I have never bought a Sharpie signed baseball.
Fading is a fact of life with all inks but do what you can to prevent it, as I
have: avoid the elements , light and excessive handling, also have good quality blue ink signatures.

very true. i agree with you. im just trying to find out fro the experts and long time collectors here, if there is an option other than putting my baseballs in a closet in the dark for 20-30 years? even displayed in minimal light i believe will fade the baseballs (correct me if im wrong?) to me personally, theres no sense in collecting something that i have to "hide" for decades. theres no fun in not displaying them. im sure with great collections and collectors here, someone might have some advice on how they display there collections. i know to keep them out of the light, that goes without saying, but im searching for, trying to learn from the best here on. how do they display their signed baseball collections and protect them from fading (besides avoiding light, i get that part) or is that basically it, just put your baseball on a shelf out of direct light and it will be fine (is it that simple? am i missing something here? just want to make sure because id hate to display a ball incorrectly and have it fade away to nothing :( .I would like to know if there is anything else people do besides lighting for displaying their collections? does anyone recommend, use or think museum glass will work? anyone recommenced.use those psa/dna uv ball cubes? I appreciate your help and advice.. thanks.

Since around 2002, I've primarily used uni.ball Gel IMPACT pens. The 1.0 MM size. No problems with fading. However, MiLB balls bled into the leather, so I only ruined one LV 51s team ball.

Its a gel ink, so it can smear. The signer can't drag his hand all over it. I, too, have hundreds of balls signed with this pen, with no issues.

I would refrain from using Krylon on your ball. In years passed, balls were shellacked. Over the decades, they yellow and crack. I even have a ball with brush hairs. It looks cool to an extant as the balls age, but I would avoid it.

In 1989, I accidently got Griffey on an AL ball with a sharpie. They don't fade, but they bleed into the leather. So, without hesitation, I talked to a few collectors I knew who recommended clear nail polish. I poured the nail polish over the signature and let the excess run into the stitching.

I've looked, and my black ink show autos are looking badly... Hopefully, pens that are used now are of a higher quality.

Witster

thanks for the info, i appreciate it. i always thought sharpie bleeds into baseballs.

also, i forgo to add last time.what choices do we have in avoiding fading? my thoughts are with spraying with krylon, it will at least "lock in" the signature preventing it from fading. if we dont spray with krylon, the signature will fade over time guaranteed. your thoughts on this?

I would not spray the balls. It may turn them an ugly yellow or make the ink signatures bleed, and it won't protect them from UV either. The ink could still fade even if under a layer of Krylon.

Here is what I do:

* Use Ultra Pro UV ball cubes
* Display the balls a few at a time and rotate every few months. Keep them in a dark closet when not on display.
* Put them in a spot where they will not be hit by direct sunlight
* If you are work for the day, draw the blinds in the room
* Do not use florescent lighting

Using these steps, the balls will go many years with no signs of fading, and you will be able to enjoy them.

Use LED bulbs , no UV.

thank you, I will take your advice on the lighting and uv cubes to display. I appreciate your help because for years and years my collection has been stored away in a box in the dark, what is the fun and purpose of collecting if you cant display it? (its a very slippery slope, because I want to/and will display my signed items, but also dont want them to fade!) I think if I take the advice here, my signed items should last at least my life time (they can fade after im long gone, but ill enjoy them NOW!

I keep mine in a glass case in my "mancave". Lighting is low and when I am not in there I have lights off and the one window covered with black out cloth so no light gets in.

very nice display, thanks for your advice, i will try this out , thank you again!

A lot of great advice already given. Keep in a cube or case with UV protection, keep out of constant sunlight, do not handle baseballs without gloves (oils from hands are killer), use LED lights in display area. Even with all of this, if the pen used was crap, you're still going to have fading/bleeding. BIC Med PT was always my pen of choice and those balls have held up well.

UV Protection...Cubes & Inks & Gloves
 

Spraying with Krylon would be a very bad option to deter both A & B UV rays. The possibility of a minute or large chemical reaction between spray components and ink components certainly exists. BCW offers ball cubes with a selection of UV stabilizers incl. longevity expectancy. Teaming up a quality ball cube and a display case with conservation glass that has added protection of owner applied UV film and then kept out of direct sunlight is a very workable approach to protecting a precious and fragile collectable. I do not believe that A & B rays turn corners. I think they only travel in straight lines and do not "Ricochet" around a room. Maybe someone here can shed some light on this. Sakura Micron pens (Under $6.00) offer 100 yr. archival ink in a variety of colors and roller ball diameters. Microns are very well reviewed by players using them on baseballs. I recently inquired of a plastics engineer about the difficulty and cost of adding both UV stabilizers and clarifying agents specifically in the manufacturing process of slabs. The response was that there would be no added difficulty and few pennies per unit of expense. The grading companies have been dragging their feet and offering very weak excuses regarding not including this protection. Conservator gloves cost little more than a dollar each and are made of the highest quality cotton and are a must in handling baseballs. They are available at many retailers on the internet.

To display my collection, I purchased a 153 ball display from http://www.homeplateheroes.com/Baseb...Thumbnail.html - The displays are really nice, well made but on the expensive side. I looked high and low for a display case and I think Home Plate Heroes are one of the best. Around the holidays they offer decent deals and really great deals when the appear at shows (they don't want to have to pack the displays). My case was an item a customer backed out of and was on sale. The display is on my basement wall between two windows that are just above grade. Obviously, the balls should be kept out of direct sunlight. In my opinion any fading of signatures was due to the force at which the player signed and the ink reacting to the leather. Bud Selig, Bob Horner and Gaylord Perry have just about faded away, especially the Horner. Currently, I try to stay away from getting balls signed. If I do decide to get a ball signed, I think I will try on of these pens on a lesser player.

https://www.pigmamicron.com/history