Is this a vintage baseball?? If so, how old???

[Mac927]

This ball is in pretty rough shape but I have not seen one like it. It doesn't have the lemon peel look as it does have the figure 8 style. It is old and just trying to get information on the year it was possibly made and if it is an actual baseball. Thanks in advance for your help!

[vintagesportscollector]

This is just a guess, but I would say c.1900 and hand made - the inside is a hot mess, and looks like a bunch of scrap was used as filling and crudely bound. The stitching however looks like it was well done. Because the cover was loosely bound to the inside, and I imagine this was a soft ball, I could see how this did not stand up to a beating and was easily torn - probably was an outside chew toy for some dog too.

[murphusa]

Cool home made ball. great find

[Mac927]

Thank you for your input. I don't think its a softball as it is smaller than a baseball. It seems to big to be a cork ball so I'm just trying to determine the age and if in fact it is a baseball.

Thanks in advance for everyone's help.

B.

[murphusa]

homemade pre 1900. just when it was made is anyone's guess.

If I had it to sell I would ask $225.00

[vintagesportscollector]

Originally Posted by Mac927

Thank you for your input. I don't think its a softball as it is smaller than a baseball. It seems to big to be a cork ball so I'm just trying to determine the age and if in fact it is a baseball.

Thanks in advance for everyone's help.

B.

No way to know age for sure. By "soft ball" I meant soft in feel - not made for use in Softball. It's home made so dimensions will not be exact to baseball, but I imagine it was made to play baseball. Could 1890s, 1910, 20...home made so anyone's guess. My guess is 1900. Neat ball either way.

[Mac927]

Thank you for everyone's help! Are you joking saying that this ball is worth $200 in that shape? Wow. I was thinking like $20!

B.

[Ron]

looks like the ball was stitched with a concealed lace stitch and many older softballs were factory stitched this way. This ball is much smaller than a softball but based on stitch could still be factory made as a playground ball

[murphusa]

Originally Posted by Mac927

Thank you for everyone's help! Are you joking saying that this ball is worth $200 in that shape? Wow. I was thinking like $20!

B.

I'll give you $20 for it