WANTED: Willie Mays to sign my 1960 NL Ball

[Runscott]

Even if you could get him to sign exactly where you want, with blue ballpoint, his signature no longer goes with those 1960 ones. The stamped Mays at least looks like his 1960 signature.

[Bugsy]

Originally Posted by Runscott

Even if you could get him to sign exactly where you want, with blue ballpoint, his signature no longer goes with those 1960 ones. The stamped Mays at least looks like his 1960 signature.

+1

Even if you did get a decent Mays signature on it, and that looks like a real gamble in the first place, I still think it would ruin it since the ball was signed in 1960.

[JMEnglish27]

One of my early memories as a fan...Willie did a signing at the single-A Fresno Giants game when I was 10. This was almost 30 years ago, so I don't wanna hear about the man's eyesight. He just flat doesnt care.

I was so excited...I'd seen the films and heard the stories of this gregarious player who everyone loved...one of the greatest of all time.

Got to the front of the line, and he snatched my ball, scribbled on it, and rolled it back across the table at me, without looking up once or saying a word.

Still have the ball...though I'm not sure why.

[Exhibitman]

Originally Posted by bigj7489

I was so excited...I'd seen the films and heard the stories of this gregarious player who everyone loved...one of the greatest of all time.

Got to the front of the line, and he snatched my ball, scribbled on it, and rolled it back across the table at me, without looking up once or saying a word.

That was exactly my experience when going to meet the great Willie Mays, except for added one detail: he never even looked up or otherwise acknowledged my existence when I said hello and tried to chat with him. By contrast, Musial, Aaron, Jim Brown, Muhammad Ali, all gentlemen. Mays, just a dick with ears.

The ball itself was already signed by Mantle and Snider, so I sold it off. Also sold all of my Mays cards and didn't buy another for 10+ years.

[39special]

I would not try and get him to sign it.The ball looks good the way it is.

[Scott Garner]

Originally Posted by 39special

I would not try and get him to sign it.The ball looks good the way it is.

I totally agree!

If you send it why not wrap something around the ball (brown paper bag?) and cut out a "window" where you want him to try to scribble his signature. At least then if it sucks (which it likely will) it won't ruin the existing autos.

[Sophiedog]

Originally Posted by Runscott

Even if you could get him to sign exactly where you want, with blue ballpoint, his signature no longer goes with those 1960 ones. The stamped Mays at least looks like his 1960 signature.

Scott is right....The ball looks good the way it is. Why take a chance?

[almostdone]

I agree. I wouldn't risk it. Too many horror stories out there and not that big of a return. Won't the ink stand out and not have the same fade as the others? Just too many risks IMO.
Drew