Suggestions for a vintage football

[effe]

So I recently rediscovered this ball while cleaning up the basement. My first question is, is it possible to have a bladder replaced on a ball this old? As you can see it doesn't display very well as is. If it is doable does anyone know of someone that can do the work and make the laces look "vintage". From the limited research I've done it doesn't sound like the current laces can be saved once removed.
My other question is there seems to quite a few signatures on the ball. As toned as the ball is I can't make any of them out. Is there a way to treat the ball to bring them out, or would doing so destroy the value of the ball itself? Any suggestions would be appreciated.

[perezfan]

Steve Hill (Hammer Sports Relics) is your guy. He replaces these bladders at a very reasonable price. Often, he can indeed save the original laces, but he cannot guarantee that. They tend to snap from getting brittle after all those years, and he can't predict the outcome until he actually performs the "surgery".

I have had Steve replace about 5 - 6 bladders for me, and he's been able to rescue the original laces each time. Very fortunate. If he cannot save the laces, he will replace them with something very similar. I think he stocks vintage leather lacing that he can match up pretty well.

But if the replacement lacing does look newer than the rest of the football, I would just get my fingers dirty... rub the laces for a few minutes, massage in the grime, and then wipe off the loose dirt. Some residue will adhere to the laces, so they should not stand out nearly as much. Perhaps there's a better solution, but I am not aware of one.

As for the autos... Steve is able to condition the leather without harming the ink. Whether or not this will make the autos clearer/stand out better, only he can address with you. Feel free to send me a PM if you want Steve's email address. I haven't used his services for a couple years, but assume he's still in business.

Hope this is helpful.

[effe]

Originally Posted by perezfan

Hope this is helpful.

It is! Thanks. Sending a PM now

[cmoore330]

+1 for Steve Hill.

[bocca001]

What's the best way to find him? I'm not finding him easily online (but that might just be me).

[effe]

I sent Perezfan an IM yesterday because my first attempt with Tapatalk didn't seem to go through. When I hear back either he or I can IM you. I did see Steve was on LinkedIn but it wouldn't let me message him without a paid account.

[perezfan]

Originally Posted by effe

I sent Perezfan an IM yesterday because my first attempt with Tapatalk didn't seem to go through. When I hear back either he or I can IM you. I did see Steve was on LinkedIn but it wouldn't let me message him without a paid account.

Just provided Steve's email to John via PM. Just FYI, I never did receive the first attempt.

What the heck... I'll just post it here in the thread for anyone who is looking to replace a bladder or is in need of football preservation/restoration...

hammersportsrelics@yahoo.com

Hope this is helpful.

[effe]

Just wanted to give Steve a shout out for doing a great job and perezfan for the referral.

[perezfan]

Looks awesome... so glad it came out great!