Phila A's signed ball and T206s from an estate auction

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Posted By: Keith

I posted a brief post about this ball last week, but that was before I actually had the ball in hand.
My friend and I came across these great items at a local estate auction. The auction house doesn't typically do sports memoribilia, usually sticking to antiques and furniture, and they didn't realize what they had here. The items came from an elderly womans estate, and were found in the basement. The items actually came into the auction house the day before the auction, and the items weren't advertised other than some poor photos online, and no description.

I got the following three items: a 1929 American League signed baseball, 3 T206 cards glued to paper in a small frame - the three being Tinker, Evers, and Chance, and a 1948 Swell Gum Sports Thrills card (greatest inning ever)

Obviously the item I really wanted was the signed ball. It is signed by all A's, and looks to be signed from 1928 to 1930. It has all the proper markings with a the Reach logo, an American League Baseball logo, and a fascimile signature of E.S. Barhard - American Leaue president, which I believe dates the ball from 27 to 32.
The logos and stamps are identical to those on a couple of the signed balls in the current Hunts catalogue, namely the 1927 Yankees signed ball.
The ball also has several handwritten dates written on different spots on the ball below autos, and the dates coorespond with several games of the 1929 World series. The ball also has written on it: World Champions 1929-1930.
The signatures are as follows:
Ty Cobb (I assumed sig was acquired in the 1928 when Cobb played with the A's)
Connie Mack
Lefty Grove
Jimmy Foxx
Al Simmons
probably Eddie Collins (E smudged)
Joe Boley
Ossie Orwoll
George Burns
Bing Miller
Joe Hassler
Eddie Rommel
George Earnshaw
Sammy Hale
Walter French
Jack Quinn
Cy Perkins
Max Bishop
Joe Bush
and 6 other sigs which are very faded (one of which looks alot like Mickey Cochrane)

I tried to matchup most of the big name autos and they look pretty good, but I will let an authenticator tell me for sure.

I would like to consign this ball at some point; Any suggestions on an auction house? I was thinking Hunts or Mastro. Any ideas on potential value? Also what do you think of the autos?
I know this is a vintage card board, and not a "autograph" board, but I think this board is full of so many experts, I had to get your opinions.

thanks for any help guys (edited to shorten title).

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Posted By: peter ullman

wow...that's an amazing ball. i'd recommend any of the big auction houses...robert edwards would be my first choice!

pete in mn

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Posted By: prewarsports

Very nice ball. For some reason A's balls from the late 1920's are the most plentiful of any team balls from the era, probably because they were so good with lots of top notch names. With the signatures not being the strongest in the world and with what appears to be shellack on it, I would value it at around $1500-$2000 with the number being twice what an ordinary A's ball in that condition would sell for because of the Cobb signature. I have bought and sold many team balls from that era and I think it would realize somewhere in that range from an auction house.

Rhys