Mantle Ball - UDA vs PSA 9

[packs]

Originally Posted by Runscott

I think you are right that it is a combination of things. Regarding most of the 'brown' ones - if they are not shellacked, do they look like they've been consistently handled? I ask because I can't remember ever seeing a ball that looks un-handled (like my two), but is browned. The only exception is the ones that have had shellack or similar substances applied.

Really? I see scattered toning on baseballs all the time. It's usually brown spots in seemingly random locations that look to me like they'll eventually spread to cover the entire baseball.

Here's just one example:

Clean Sweep 500 Homers

[Runscott]

Originally Posted by packs

Really? I see scattered toning on baseballs all the time. It's usually brown spots in seemingly random locations that look to me like they'll eventually spread to cover the entire baseball.

Here's just one example:

Clean Sweep 500 Homers

That looks like a light coating of shellack or something similar.

[packs]

I don't think so. It's natural toning. I don't know what causes it, but it's something that naturally happens. Probably influenced by sunlight, but I don't think it's only sunlight.

Eddie Mathews

Lee Smith

Yaz

[Runscott]

Originally Posted by packs

I don't think so. It's natural toning. I don't know what causes it, but it's something that naturally happens. Probably influenced by sunlight, but I don't think it's only sunlight.

Eddie Mathews

Lee Smith

Yaz

The first and third one look like game use or batting practice use.

No excuse for the Lee Smith ball - looks like it must be some sort of impurity in the leather or the yellowing you describe, from just sitting around exposed.

But I really don't know - I actually had a third ball that I got signed in 1973, and it also looks pristine, although I gave it to my brother last year. So perhaps I've been lucky, but my experience is that as long as you aren't handling them a lot (when I was a kid, I even handled these quite a bit, with no ill effects over time), and they were fresh out of a box to begin with, you don't get the yellowing/browning you are describing.

Does anyone have a ball that was never rubbed up or otherwise handled other than for signing and occasional viewing, that turned yellow or brown in areas?

[packs]

I have plenty, just none on hand for a photo. I highly doubt they're game used or practice used as they both have inscriptions and were likely signed at a show.

It's just something that happens. The UDA ball mentioned in the original post is also noted as toned. I would assume that was a brand new ball when signed.

[Runscott]

Originally Posted by packs

I have plenty, just none on hand for a photo. I highly doubt they're game used or practice used as they both have inscriptions and were likely signed at a show.

I'm asking for examples that you have owned for the entire period, not ones that you bought that you are making assumptions about to support your thinking.

I could be totally wrong about this, but I would like to see some real examples from forum members. So far, I'm the only one who has any, and I have three pristine 40+ year old examples. One was a very cheap (but leather) ball I bought at a drugstore, another was a more expensive, but still cheap, ball that I bought at the drugstore, and the third is an official NL ball.

[Runscott]

But you could be a lot younger than me, which makes my request unfair, unless you have 'younger' balls that have yellowed Anyone else?