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There is no shortage of bidders when rare or high grade single-signed baseballs hit the market. Even players who lived long lives are in demand by collectors. Case in point...a 1950-era Kid Nichols signed baseball which sold at auction April 22 for $53,775. Nichols, who played around the turn of the 20th century, simply isn't found alone on any autographed balls.
 Heritage Auctions sold the Nichols ball and several others liquidated from a major collection. Among the other baseballs signed was an Eddie Collins single autograph ball that brought $22,705. A Nap Lajoie skyrocketed to $26,290.
Apparently we're not losing many collectors with deep pockets.
A circa-1947 Babe Ruth signed ball sold for $19,120, a price matched by a 1960 era Jimmie Foxx single-signed sphere. Collectors are willing to pay for quality judging by the selling prices of these. And if you happen to know where another Kid Nichols signed baseball might be, you've got a nice windfall waiting for you!
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Many collectors of signed baseballs look for the special commemorative balls issued by Major League Baseball for special occasions. Cal Ripken baseballs are especially popular and two different ones were issued later in his career—each documenting a landmark moment in his Hall of Fame career.
The Cal Ripken baseballs were used by MLB on the following occasions: the 2131 ball was designed for use at Camden Yards on September 6, 1995 when Ripken Jr. broke Lou Gehrig's record for consecutive games played. Gehrig had set the mark in the 1930s with 2130 consecutive games played. 2131, of course, represented the number of the new record.
 The Official American League baseball had the number 8 logo on it for Ripken’s jersey number along with the two record numbers.
In 2001, Ripken’s two-decade long big league career came to an end and he was again honored during his final game with the use of a special “farewell” ball. This Ripken baseball featured a drawing of Cal waving to fans along with the dates of his rookie year (1982) and his retirement season (2001).
Collectors can own the commemorative baseballs for what’s generally a very reasonable price since MLB and Rawlings created thousands of exact replicas of the Ripken baseballs to meet the demand of fans and collectors. They are favorites for collectors who appreciated what Ripken did—and still does---for baseball.
The signed The Cal Ripken Jr. Commemorative baseball was used in the game played at Camden Yards on On September 6, 1995 when Cal Ripken Jr. broke Lou Gehrig's record for consecutive games played, 2131. The Official American League Gene Budig baseball featured the number 8 logo on it and the number of consecutive games he played in to break Lou Gehrig's record.
You can buy the autographed Ripken baseballs through ProSportsMemorabilia.com which has a large supply of those and other Ripken signed pieces.
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As a player the great Mickey Mantle’s accomplishments on the baseball field are many; and that got him a first ballot vote into the Hall of fame. Mantle did so much and meant so much to so many fans as a player he is still discussed over 40 years after his retirement. Although his great career is the obvious reason why Mickey Mantle autographed baseballs are worth what they are, there are actually more reasons why there's still more demand than supply.
Mantle was one of the first baseball players who signed for pay at baseball card shows. He was an immensely popular guest, especially on the east coast where the kids who had grown up watching him play, got a chance to reconnect when Mantle first began appearing in the early 1980s. Mantle also had a contract with Upper Deck in which he had to sign a good amount of memorabilia.
Ever since those days, Mantle’s autographs were worth more than any other players’ autographs. Show promoters saw the incredible demand and Mantle raised his prices. He signed thousands of items, of course, but it didn't quench the thirst of baseball fans in general and New York Yankees collectors in particular. Many fans became sports collectors because of Mantle.
The demand for his autograph continued to rise and it has not really stopped. Mantle was successful as a player on the field and charismatic enough off it to generate legions of fans. All those things put together made him a likeable person, and a baseball hero. Even if it was eventually discovered that Mantle was a flawed hero with a drinking problem and a nasty streak, it never really hurt his popularity.
If you want to obtain a Mickey Mantle autographed baseball, it's not difficult. Just be sure to purchase one that's been authenticated by a reputable source like PSA/DNA.
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Have you ever wondered what it is that makes signed baseballs worth a certain amount of money? How one baseball can go from costing you $20 or even getting it for free, but end up costing hundreds or even thousands of dollars? If you have been a baseball collector or are a prospective collector, these questions will certainly come to your mind at one point or another. A lot of times people get autographed baseballs from “no-name” players and they never think that the ball will be worth anything. A lot of times people get autographs from “hot shot” players or prospects that are supposed to end up being in the hall of fame and they think these balls will be worth a lot of money in the future. The thing is, it is hard to really say what a ball will end up being worth in the future because, well, no one can predict the future.
There can be a few factors that determine the value of a signed ball and those are usually the performance of the athlete. But, there are other factors that can be involved when it comes to these values and they can be easy to overlook. Sometimes beginning collectors overlook these factors and end up getting rid of baseballs that could end up being worth a lot of money in the future.
These factors include milestones of, either individual players, teams, ballparks, or even the MLB itself. Whether the ball is an official MLB ball and if it was the type of ball used during that player’s time, has a lot to do with it. Believe it or not, there are people out there who sell fake MLB balls, so be on the look out for those. The condition of the ball, meaning the physical condition, has to be either good or original. Remember, just because the ball has scuffs does not mean that the ball is not worth anything, the scuffs could be from when the player hit the ball or something similar, making the ball actually worth more.
Additional factors include where the player signs the ball, the “sweet” spot of the ball is the best place to get a ball signed. Believe it or not, there are players who refuse to sign on the sweet spot, either for superstition reasons or because they have an exclusive autograph contract with a memorabilia company that won't let them sign there for anyone else.
With regard to vintage signed baseballs, whether a player lived a long time also factors in, especially with regard to Hall of Fame players. Those who lived a long time ago and died relatively young, like Christy Mathewson, are among the most valuable autographs in existence because there simply aren't that many out there, as one of our earlier posts proved.
Although these may not be the only factors that determine the value of a signed ball, they are definitely some important ones that you should look out for if you plan to continue to collect signed baseballs.
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If you have ever attended batting practice at any Major League Baseball stadium, then you know that it can be a pretty fun experience. Now, if you are on the other side of that, then you should take one day to head early to the ballpark and enjoy the fun of seeing major league baseball players take their at bats before the game. Not only that, but you will most likely get a chance to mingle with some of the players, which in itself can be a pretty cool experience. If you have not done it before, I know it sounds a little crazy to come to the ballpark two hours before the actual game, but you won’t know what you are missing until you experience it.
I was one of those who thought it was a crazy idea to come to the ballpark early, and now, well I go to batting practice to almost every game that I attend. I have had the chance to speak to my favorite players, receive free baseballs, get autographs, and of course look at some amazing home run shots, not to mention catch a few. But if you want to make that experience even better and more fun, before you head to the ballpark give Zack Hample's trick a try. He's collected thousands of official MLB baseballs and writes about it in a blog on MLB.com. In this blog entry you will get the chance to learn how to make a ball-retrieving device with just using a glove, a sharpie, string, and a rubber band. Take your time to do a few practice grabs at home and then head over to the ballpark to try it out. You can end up going home with a few baseballs, you will find that people will try to trade you food, beer, and even money sometimes for the balls that you retrieve. It is a pretty fun experience.
One thing to remember though, be mindful of the fact that some ballparks don’t allow these devices and they may warn you to stop using the glove trick, if they do, simply put it away. Also, some players hate seeing these devices because they think it makes us fans look greedy which is understandable. So just have fun with it, don’t get greedy and give a ball or two to a child so that its obvious that your doing it all in the name of fun. If this turns out to be an experience that you love, don’t forget where you learned about it, signaturebaseballs.com.
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There may be a bunch of different reasons why people like to collect autographed baseballs.
Some may do it because it is their hobby, some because the balls actually hold some sentimental value, some because they want to make some money while doing the collecting, some want to just have their own piece of history in their hands, and some may do it for a mixture of these things. Whatever reason or reasons that you have for being an autographed baseball collector, it is hard to not think about how much each ball or collection of balls is worth in monetary value.
Although it is hard to say exactly how much a ball is or will be worth when it is autographed, there are some basic guidelines you can follow in order to figure out which balls will or are worth the most.
If the purpose for your autographed baseball collection is for monetary value and you want to collect autographs that are eventually worth a good amount of money, there are some tips you can follow to have the highest chance of getting these. If you follow baseball closely, this should not be too hard as you will know the top prospects out there and you can try to get an autograph from them,. These should have the highest chance of being worth a good amount of money in the future based on what will initially be a small investment of money--or even just time. Of course, nothing is guaranteed.
There is one thing you can do which will give you a very high chance of ending up with a valuable autograph. If you get a signed baseball by a star player from the New York Yankees, that baseball has a very high chance of eventually being worth some good money. You may be asking yourself, why are Yankees signed baseballs worth more than other players or teams? And the answer to the question is easy. The Yankees are the most popular baseball franchise out there and they have been known to have the most popular players. The fact that the Yankees are so popular and successful gives place for the concept of supply and demand.
There are always people looking to buy, trade, or sell autographed Yankees’ baseballs and if you happen to have that special ball that everybody wants, chances are that the people will be willing to pay a good price for your ball.
Autographed baseballs from Yankees World Series Championship teams are always extremely popular.
At signaturebaseballs.com we will give you great links to a good variety of Yankee autographed baseballs at a great value. Bargain hunt and you'll see your investment hold or increase its value over time.
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The spring 2010 catalog auction being conducted by Robert Edward Auctions will include some very rare signed baseballs.
In addition to autographed items from all eras, and signed photos of legends such as Ty Cobb and Babe Ruth, the collection of hobby pioneer Larry Killeen, assembled with great care over a span of decades beginning in the 1950s, will be featured.
The collection includes thousands of autographs and is especially noteworthy for its remarkable level of quality throughout and its inclusion of hundreds of Hall of Fame signatures, including checks, photos, letters, and one of the most advanced collections of signed Hall of Fame postcards ever assembled.
The auction also presents an extremely impressive collection of particularly rare and noteworthy single-signed Hall of Fame balls, including Warren Giles, Chuck Klein, Ed Walsh, Bill Klem, Tom Connolly Willie Wells, Hilton Smith, Elmer Flick, Tris Speaker, Harry Hooper, Chick Hafey, and Sam Crawford, in addition to spectacular high-grade examples of Babe Ruth and Ty Cobb.
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A single-signed John F. Kennedy baseball sold over the weekend at Hunt Auctions' latest sale.
The ball h ad originally been presented to former Washington Senators' manager Mickey Vernon during one of JFK's opening day first pitch tosses between 1961 and '63. The family of the late big leaguer consigned the ball and a number of other items to the auction.
The final bid, including a 15% buyer's premium, was $26,450.
The ball was personalized to Vernon and had faded a bit over the years.
A game bat signed by Joe DiMaggio and presented to Vernon in the early 1950s, sold for $35,650, the top price among the 800+ items sold by the auction house.
A baseball in superior condition, signed by Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris brought $15,306 while a ball signed by 13 members of the 1930 Yankees including Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig, sold for $9200.
While signed baseballs from Kennedy are extremely rare, players like Mantle signed thousands--especially after their playing days ended. Mantle was a regular on the sports card show circuit throughout the mid-1980s to early 90s.
Despite the large number of signed Mickey Mantle baseballs on the market, the demand still outweighs the supply in most cases. Mantle balls are among the most counterfeited, however, so collectors and fans are encouraged to buy only those carrying professional authentication.
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Legendary Auctions will conduct its next sports memorabilia sale in September.
Among the items up for bid will be a Hall of Famers Single Signed Baseballs Collection (56) Including Campanella, DiMaggio and Mantle autographed baseballs.
This collection of 56 single signed OAL, ONL, and OML balls each bears either a blue or black ballpoint autograph from a Hall of Fame inductee. The spheres are moderately toned to white examples, with the scriptings averaging “7-9”. Signed baseballs include: Aaron, Campanella, DiMaggio (“HOF 55”), Drysdale, Koufax, Mantle, and Musial. Minimum bid $1,500.
1934 Tour of Japan Vintage Signed Baseball (16 Signatures) Including Ruth, Gehrig, Foxx and Berg. The autographed baseball boasts sixteen black ink "Tour" signatures averaging about "5-8" in terms of strength and clarity. The ball's sweet spot is occupied by Babe Ruth ("6"). On other panels are Cascarella (Joe), Frank O'Doul ("7"), Lou Gehrig ("7-8"), Whitehill (Earl), Connie Mack ("7"), Moe Berg ("7"), Rabbit Warstler, Doc Ebling (trainer), John Quinn (umpire), Clint Brown, Eric McNair, Frankie Hayes, Jimmie Foxx ("8"), Lefty Gomez and Earl Averill. Minimum bid $1,000.
1914 New York Giants Team Signed Ball (10 Signatures) Including Mathewson, McGraw and Thorpe. Signature highlights on this unofficial “National League” ball include Christy Mathewson, John McGraw, Jim Thorpe and Chief Myers (signed “J.T. Myers”). All have significant fading, with Mathewson rating “2-3” strength, Myers projecting “2”, and McGraw and Thorpe assessing “1-2”. Most of the other names have faded into obscurity. Finding Mathewson's signature on a team ball—let alone acquiring the ball—can constitute a lifelong quest for the most ardent collector. Minimum bid $1,000.
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While there has been much discussion regarding the recent softening of the sports collecting market, no one seemed to be addressing it at the recent Legendary Auctions Live Sports Sale. In fact, more than 200 attendees at the high-end, sports memorabilia event, held July 31, 2009 at the House of Blues in Cleveland, Ohio, seemed more than happy to let their bid paddles do the talking. The ensuing “conversation” produced a sports memorabilia auction event that not only exceeded expectations, but produced several record-breaking industry prices.
Doug Allen, CEO and president of Legendary Auctions, was pleased and encouraged with the auction results because it gave collectors access to never before seen items while rewarding consignors appropriately. “Even in this difficult economy, I think the results are extremely telling about the potential of the industry when a top quality event, packed with high-end material reaches our customer base,” said Allen. “It seems, at least in our auction, the economy took a back seat to the collecting instinct.”
Significant items from Bob Gibson’s personal baseball collection were included in the recent Legendary Auctions Live Sports event. Not surprisingly, said Allen, those items were among the ones with the highest prices realized. “Gibson is one of the most talented and respected pitchers in baseball history,” said Allen. “In addition, Bob is just a well-liked guy. The combination of extraordinary talent and off-field congeniality is a hard for collectors to resist.”
In addition, Allen said the Gibson portion of the auction was fueled by an extensive public relations push in the St. Louis area during All-Star Week. “One St. Louis local who heard about the auction from our media efforts spent six figures,” said Allen.
The top prices realized for items from Bob Gibson’s personal collection include:
* Bob Gibson's 1968 National League MVP Award - acknowledging one of the best single season pitching performances in history realized a final price of $120,000;
* Bob Gibson's 1968 Cy Young Award from his incredible 1.12 ERA season commanded $84,000;
* Bob Gibson's 2006 St. Louis Cardinals World Championship ring sold for $57,000;
* Bob Gibson's 1967 World Championship ring - awarded after winning three games and posting a series ERA of 1.00 sold for $54,000;
* Bob Gibson's personal Hall of Fame plaque - awarded at his induction went for $45,000;
* Bob Gibson's 1981 Hall of Fame induction ring went for $30,000;
* Bob Gibson's "All Century Team" collection (7 items) - bestowed upon the Top 30 of the 20th century's best players went for $19,200;
* Bob Gibson's 1971 Gold Glove Award went for $16,800;
* Bob Gibson’s "First Major League Victory" game used ball - the only one he kept went for $12,000;
* Bob Gibson's game used glove sold for $9,000;
* Bob Gibson's 1959 St. Louis Cardinals contract - his rookie season sold for $5,400 and;
* Bob Gibson's 1968 St. Louis Cardinals contract - from his historic MVP and Cy Young season went for $4,500.
Allen and the ecstatic winning bidders weren’t the only ones happy with the outcome of the recent Legendary Auctions Live Sports sale. Dick Zitzman, Bob Gibson’s representative said that his client was also pleased with the results of the auction. “The sale allows Bob to participate at a higher level to a charity he cares deeply about,” said Zitzman. Part of the proceeds from the auction will benefit the Baseball Assistance Team (B.A.T.), an organization that helps baseball families who have fallen upon hard times.
The Bill Hoffer Collection was another group of items that attracted considerable attention in the Legendary Auctions Live Sports Auction event. Acquired directly from the family of the 19th century baseball player, the collection featured extraordinary items enhanced with iron-clad provenance. This resulted in a record-setting price for a non-Hall of Fame player’s jersey. A spectacular circa 1895 Baltimore complete uniform worn by Bill Hoffer (including shirt, pants, belt, cleats and leggings) sold for a stunning $105,000. Other notable record-breaking prices set during Legendary Auctions Live Sports sale include the highest price ever paid for a restored card. A restored 1909 T206 Honus Wagner baseball card sold for $222,000. Also, a rare 1903 World Series Program at Boston set a public auction record by commanding $105,000.
Other auction highlights include: a Roberto Clemente 1966 Pittsburgh Pirates game used home jersey and pants - from his MVP season realized a final price of $69,000; a phenomenal Mickey Mantle 1966 H&B game used bat - graded PSA DNA GU-10 - one of the finest Mantle gamers in existence sold for $57,000; 1911 Western Playground Association SGC-graded collection (12 different) sold for $42,000; rare 1874 Warren CDV's of George and Harry Wright (2 items) - featuring both Hall of Famers in uniform sold for $39,000; a significant 1895 Baltimore pennant winning game ball sold for $28,800; Bill Hoffer's 1897 Baltimore player contract - signed by Ned Hanlon went for $27,600; a Babe Ruth 1931 signed letter to a friend - incredible content: baseball and beer went for $25,200; Bill Hoffer's circa 1895 Baltimore sweater went for $24,000; an 1895 Baltimore Base Ball Club "Champions" Imperial Cabinet photograph - featuring seven Hall of Famers went for $21,600; a Babe Ruth Early 1940s signed oversized studio photograph - PSA DNA MINT 9 commanded $16,800; and an 1895 Temple Cup Championship series program at Baltimore sold for $10,800.
“Overall, we are thrilled with the results of the auction and by the response of our bidders to the live auction format,” said Allen. “Our goal is to provide the best material in the best manner possible to produce a rewarding experience for both our consignors and bidders. This event obviously delivered on all levels.”
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