opinions: team signed baseballs value
 

Hi,

Looking for opinions on why team autographed baseballs often don't sell well. It seems that unless its a famous team such as the 1960 Pirates or the Yankees, team signed signed baseballs don't bring as much as I believe they should.

Thanks,

Chris

That's often the case, but if there are two 'fans' of the team in question (not flippers), such balls will often bring decent money. I've personally driven up the price of many late '60s Astros balls, always ending up the underbidder. Now I finally have one, so I guess the prices will drop.

I think there's a difference between "don't sell well" and "don't bring as much as [you] believe they should." I say that because they sell just as well as single-signed balls for me, when priced correctly.

What you can't do is base your price on adding up what all the individual signatures would bring. That would seem logical, but isn't how the market works. A team-signed ball with 25 signatures will almost never sell for anywhere near what 25 single-signed balls of those same players would.

I learned a lot during my quest for an Astros ball - ended up getting a 1967 ball, signed right after Eddie Mathews was traded, so it was a little cheaper. Thought I had won a 1970 ball, but the price was driven up because it was signed right before Joe Pepitone was traded to the Cubs. Seemed like small details at the time, but I think that's why they went higher.

A recent Astros ball also had Neil Armstrong's signature, so I didn't even add it to my watch list, knowing it's price would be astronautomical.

Thanks for everyone's input. Neat story about Neal Armstrong!

With star players, especially from early in their careers can have extra value. A 1974 or 75 Brewers team ball with an early Robin Yount will bring extra due to the Yount. Sort of a rookie card ball.

For the casual buyer, star name(s) will often make the difference. A buyer may not be a fan of the Atlanta Braves, but Hank Aaron is Hank Aaron.

along these same lines, I've always thought All Star team balls are undervalued as well

This may point to team balls being something one could 'invest' in. A buyer's market. I think they're a safe purchase as team balls will always have appeal to collectors and team fans. The bottom of the market won't fall out.

I used to buy team balls and always thought they could be had for a song. So to speak. And in fact I once had a rookie Robin Yount/Brewers, which is why I used that example. My favorites were 1920s minor league team balls from Babe Herman's estate/family auction a few years back. Babe collected team balls from the teams he played on.

I've never been a big fan of vintage team signed baseballs . . .
 

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. . . because the intensitiy of the ink signatures always seems much bolder in photos than when held in hand under "normal" lighting. But from time to time, I will cross over, and purchase a signed ball. But either price has had to compensate for the failure of the signatures to look as good as they did in the pictures, or the quality of the signatures has to be as good as pictured, and/or the team is from the 1910's/1920's. I will gladly pay more than estimate if the signatures are very bold and clear. And I have come to really appreciate the scarcity of team signed baseballs from the teen's and twenty's; most especially those with decent quality signatures and minimal crazing of the shellace/clear coat finish.