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Storing autographed baseball
Posted By: mike wrenn
Can someone offer advice on storing autographed baseballs. |
#2
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Storing autographed baseball
Posted By: Jimmy
I would place them in the middle of the house in a nice dry area away from the windows and sun, The round ball holders are the best, so in case you move them around. The other holders make the balls move too much. Do not place them in the basement or the attic |
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Storing autographed baseball
Posted By: William
The final assembly of a baseball includes a layer of contact cement on the leather and the winding. More often than not, when you see a spot forming on the ball it has to do with a chemical reaction inside the ball. Depending on the age, it could also be staining that shows itself late in life due to factory processes. I've read that the horrible toning issues that Rawlings experienced in the 80's was caused by the Haitian factory that they were made in using regular water to soak the hides instead of distilled water. |
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Storing autographed baseball
Posted By: William
Since you asked about storage, and I didn't really answer in my last post.... |
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Storing autographed baseball
Posted By: mike wrenn
Thank you for the very informative responses, I greatly appreciate it. It's nice to know that it's a natural |
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Storing autographed baseball
Posted By: George Dreher
Mike, you said that the balls are stored in a cool dry closet. Is there any chance that the humidity is getting above 70% in the summertime inside the house? Do you ever open the windows and let outside air into the home? Also, is there carpet or a bare floor in the closet? |
#7
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Storing autographed baseball
Posted By: mike wrenn
I have had them in a closet for about 10 years. |
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Storing autographed baseball
Posted By: George Dreher
Hi Mike, I should have mentioned the condition of the baseballs. Not one of them has any spotting. I do have a baseball signed by Lefty Gomez that the ballpoint signature has faded slightly on, and a Billy Martin ball signed with felt tip that has spread a little. Also, a Johnny Vandermeer and Allie Reynolds that are now cream colored, slightly off-white. But 99% of them are still mint snow white balls, even the ones from the 1960s. |
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Storing autographed baseball
Posted By: Erick Lewin
Is it true that handling/touching a ball will yellow it too from the oils on your hands or is that just a myth? Is it mainly just humidity? |
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Last edited by shimozukawa; 02-16-2011 at 11:38 PM. |
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That was me in the post above.... allowing them to breathe is just another way of saying that they should not be stored air tight. You want it to be able to adjust to subtle changes within its micro environment. Most elements of a ball will hold some amount of moisture. If you allow it to retain moisture, you may end up with spotty or moldy baseballs. If you contain an overly dry ball, its surface will dry and degrade. The tissue wrapped method allows them to float somewhere in between.
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Last edited by shimozukawa; 02-16-2011 at 11:58 PM. |
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I've been collecting signed baseballs for almost 30 years and first kept them in ball cubes and then ball display cases...both presumably airtight and have not had a problem with mold at all. Living in California where the humidity is not bad may have something to do with it though.
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I know this thread is old, but hopefully someone can help me.
I've got about 30 signed baseballs (from 1988). They were in a safety deposit box, then in a dresser, but now I'm thinking of getting a waterproof/fireproof safe. Is this a good idea? they are currently in the cardboard box with the tissue paper. I don't need to display them, I just want to protect them. Thanks!! |
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If they look good after 25 years of doing what you're doing, keep doing it. I personally wouldn't lock them up (for reasons mentioned above) unless they were in a climate controlled environment and their value was significant. Otherwise, I don't think you'd be doing them any favors.
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A dresser drawer is probably adequate for storage, so long as you can maintain a moderate humidity level. Obviously, if the dresser is in the basement or the attic, that suggestion goes out the window. You could buy a small humidity monitor to keep tabs on the moisture level in your location and adjust the climate accordingly, or as you see fit. You could probably find a digital monitor for around $20. As far as protecting the value, insurance is probably your most cost effective way to protect yourself from loss.
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As far as insurance, these need to be added to my homeowners policy, they won't be covered under the regular HO policy, right?
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Also consider that most fire safes are designed to protect their contents from complete destruction in the event of a fire, not to keep sensitive collectibles in top condition in the midst of an inferno. Given the options of recovering signed balls from a safe that had been through a fire, or receiving a cash payout for balls that were destroyed in a fire, I know which I would rather have.
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#20
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Quote:
You can get a collectibles rider on your homeowners to increase the amount or buy a separate collectibles policy. I have never filed a claim, but anecdotally I have heard that dealing and valuing your items is typically a better experience with a specialist like Collectibles Insurance Services, rather than having to deal with a general insurer like your homeowners. http://www.collectinsure.com/ I have had a policy through CIS for years. It's reasonably priced and you only need to itemize individual items valued over $5000. What I really like is the mail loss coverage which often negates the need for me to purchase postal insurance. In effect, the policy pays for itself in this regard. For the cynical among us, I have no financial interest in this company... Just offering the information as a customer.
__________________
Steve Zarelli Space Authentication Zarelli Space Authentication on Facebook Follow me on Twitter My blog: The Collecting Obsession |
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Does anyone else have reviews or experiences with CIS?
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#22
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I had a Pete Rose signed baseball in a plastic cube holder stored in a closet in a back room that I didn't keep air-conditioned and it got mold spots on it. I have now drilled small holes on either side of the cube to let the cube breathe and I make sure to keep the balls in an air-conditioned environment
Sent from my LG-M153 using Tapatalk |
#23
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Storing autographed baseball
There are two ways to store BB's: 1) not going to display BB's - cool, dark low humidity area preferably a closet (no windows, no sunlight). If you are going to display - a cool, dry, low humidity room with UV protected glass and a dehumidifier in the room. I have several hundred autographed baseballs stored both ways with minimal issues. I would also recommend OMLB BB's, signing with ball point pen (vs. sharpie), not handle the BB's, all will extend the life of both the ball and the autograph. The moisture and oils from your skin will impact the BB over time. I have slight toning spots from the leather on some of the older BB's due to leather issues however overall they are in outstanding shape over four decades+.
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