What can you tell me about this Ruth ball?

[w7imel]

Originally Posted by Big Six

So my cousin is looking to insure the Ruth baseball and her insurance company is asking her for an appraisal. What’s best, approved way to meet this requirement?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Call me crazy but the condition and value of the ball isnt something I would go out of my way to insure. Yes it is an authentic Ruth ball but I think you would spend more money getting it sent to the right person to get it authenticated/graded and appraised to be wort the trouble. After theft or damage deducteble was me what would be the purpose? Again you guys chime in if I am wrong.

[Topnotchsy]

Originally Posted by w7imel

Call me crazy but the condition and value of the ball isnt something I would go out of my way to insure. Yes it is an authentic Ruth ball but I think you would spend more money getting it sent to the right person to get it authenticated/graded and appraised to be wort the trouble. After theft or damage deducteble was me what would be the purpose? Again you guys chime in if I am wrong.

I'd lean this way as well. The way I was taught to think about it, insurance in general is a losing proposition (that's how the insurance companies make their money obviously) so it's really there to protect you from the "can't afford to lose" situations. In this case there's nothing here to indicate that if the ball was lost/damaged that you would be in much worse shape.

I guess if it was only a few bucks to insure, why not. But personally I would spend a ton of money doing so unless there was good reason (at which point I would consider selling it unless there is a lot of personal value.)

That said, really cool item. And while as others have mentioned the condition is not great, even as is, it was immediately apparent from the style signature that it's an earlier signature.

[Runscott]

In many collecting areas it is recognized that insurance will NEVER be paid, so we just don't insure things.

In vintage baseball I generally insure just because many collectors get upset and post nasty things about you if you don't. But the truth is - insurers love to get paid for insurance, but they NEVER pay up. There is always a reason why you don't get paid for the lost or damaged item. I could give you three examples off the top of my head where I filed a claim and got refused. The first refusal was from a vintage collectibles insurance company that I was paying over $1,000 twice a year to. When I finally had a $300 claim they found a loophole to avoid paying. Good for them - I immediately cancelled their $2,000 a year golden egg and posted here what a sh*t company they were. On the other hand, it had still been a good idea, as I quite buying insurance through the post office and had been paying over $2,000 per year, so I unwittingly had self-insured myself and proven that it was the best idea.

The other two that come to mind were with USPS - you would not believe the excuses they come up with.