Can you prevent stains and spots on your autographed baseballs?

Staining that is not the result of handling or storage.

I was recently looking through my autographed baseballs; mostly obtained in-person in the 1990s and early 2000s. They are all Rawlings Official American League, National League or Major League Baseballs.

I am well are of proper storage conditions and they have been stored in archival cubes in a cool, dry closet since they day they were signed. However, in a shocking number of cases, the baseballs have dark toning and stains - not typical even toning. On some, portions of the ballpoint signature have almost evaporated. This is not like UV fading, but portions of the signature are significantly lighter than other parts.

Yet, some balls stored in the same closet are still snow white.

I suspect this is the result of chemical reactions of oils and/or the chemicals used to process the leather. Perhaps depending on the manufacturing lot, the way it was processed made it more prone to the staining. It is certainly not environmental or from handling.

In my view, recently signed baseballs are like investing in a ticking time bomb. Even under the best conditions, they can fade or stain to the point of undesirability. There isn't a thing you can do to prevent it.

Now, I would not purchase a signed baseball unless it was at least 20 years old at this point. I think if you get to a certain age and the ball is still clean looking, it likely stable and will remain free of atypical spots or toning.

How to remove cigarette smoke and musty smells from collectibles

If you are an avid collector, chances are, this has happened to you...

You finally find an item you've been looking for a long time. You count the days until it arrives. When it is delivered, you open the package in glorious anticipation... and then... UGH... it reeks of cigarette smoke or some other musty smell.

If it is a common item, you can return it. But, what about tough-to-find items in otherwise good condition you don't want to return?

You may be tempted to "Febreeze" it or use some other product to mask or cover up the smell. These methods typically do not work well, and you risk staining the item when spraying it with any chemical.

The key is using baking soda because it doesn't doesn't mask odor; it absorbs odor. I have used this method to successfully remove undesirable smells from books, comics and baseballs.

1. Dump a box of baking soda in the bottom of a Tupperware container big enough to hold the item. Avoid a container that is excessively large.
2. Put a wire rack or something in the container to suspend the item above the baking soda.
3. Place the item in the container and seal it tight.
4. Give it a few weeks to a month and check the item. If there is still smell, replace the baking soda with a fresh supply and give it more time.

This method should work to remove most, if not all, of the nasty smell.

Good luck!

The Quest for Neil Armstrong's Autograph

A few years old, but a good read. The Quest for #NeilArmstrong #Autographs https://t.co/ermIb2wnT6 #SpaceLOA.com

— 🚀 Steve Zarelli 🚀 (@SteveZarelli) October 7, 2017

Greg Marino: Watch a forger at work

Fascinating new interview with Greg Marino in which he demonstrates his forgeries. Fakes are obvious today.https://t.co/bownQP9wm2

— 🚀 Steve Zarelli 🚀 (@SteveZarelli) October 14, 2017

Poster signed by 30 astronauts sells for $25,640 @ RR Auction

Vintage print signed by 30 #astronauts sells for $25,640! 👍 Wow @RRAuction #SpaceLOA #NASA #autographs pic.twitter.com/fKYUUl0vdv

— 🚀 Steve Zarelli 🚀 (@SteveZarelli) October 20, 2017

Fake Mickey Mantle autographs can sell for more than real!

Authentic #MickeyMantle signed baseball sells for $200. Dreadful #forgery sells for $370. 🤢 #DoYourHomework #Autographs @Yankees @MLB @ebay pic.twitter.com/cuSwgKOOrn

— 🚀 Steve Zarelli 🚀 (@SteveZarelli) October 30, 2017

Donald Trump Autographs... be very careful!

President Donald Trump autographs may be the hottest signature on the market right now, and also the most dangerous. His campaign trail scribbles are a forger's dream. It doesn't exactly take a master forger to imitate that style. My recommendation would be to focus on his older style signatures, which you have a reasonable chance to authenticate with some level of confidence.

To further complicate the matter, there are Autopen machine signatures in the 2016 Election Edition The Art of the Deal books that were sent to donors. They are NOT authentically hand-signed. eBay is full of these Autopen machine signed books with sellers asking $300 and up. As you can see in the graphic, the signature is exactly the same in all of the books... there is no doubt these were signed by an Autopen machine.

Autopen machine signatures in The Art of the Deal.

Carrie Fisher - May the Force be with you.

This is a post that is being done decades before its time. A very sad and premature passing.

Buying a short period after a celebrity's death is always a bad idea. Prices are over-inflated and a ton of fakes flood the market. In particular, Carrie Fisher used a secretary for mail requests, so that comes into play as well. As always, do your homework and caveat emptor.

Authentic Carrie Fisher and Mark Hamill signed photo. Signed through Official Pix.

Thank you Carrie Fisher for all of your great work. You will be missed.

Removed dedication on baseball. Not looking good.

Almost a year and a half ago, I wrote about signature/dedication removal on baseballs. The signatures or dedications are not actually removed, rather, they are "painted" over by matching color and airbrushing. At the time, I wondered what would happen as the ball continued to age, but the paint stayed white? Would it look like white paint spots on a toned ball?

One thing I did not consider is that baseballs can expand and contract with humidity. Even a fractional change in size could theoretically crack the paint.

I think I found an example of what the "paint job" looks like when a ball has been expanding and contracting. Or maybe the paint wasn't mixed or applied properly.

Either way, it's a mess. And, it should cause anyone to think twice about dedication/extra signature removal.

Joe DiMaggio signed baseball with dedication airbrushed over. Note the white overspray on the red stitches.

Collecting Tip: Avoid Dented Cans

If an item is readily available in good condition, don't buy one with condition issues unless it is at a very steep discount.

Condition issues become less problematic when it is a rare or high cost item. For example, a stain won't hurt a Babe Ruth signed ball badly, but it’ll decimate the desirability of a Mantle signed baseball.

If an item is easily available in excellent condition, forget about the “dented cans.”

Derek Jeter signed baseball

20 years ago today, Derek Jeter hit his first major league homerun and thus began a dynasty that would win four World Series over the next 5 seasons.

Where does the time go?

In my view, earlier Jeter signatures are much more appealing and desirable than the mass-produced signatures through Steiner, which seem to have deteriorated over the past few years.

Derek Jeter signed baseball

Harper Lee autographed photo

Harper Lee (1926-2016) signed photograph

Here is a fairly uncommon signed photograph... a Harper Lee autographed 8x10. I obtained this directly from Ms. Lee many years ago.

Harper Lee was a sporadic mail signer. I write her several times over the years with mixed success. I obtained a signed photo and a signed book. However, the last time I wrote I asked about the movie Capote in which she was portrayed... she refused my request sending back a terse few words scrawled on my request letter. I take it she did not like the movie or any attention it garnered.

Rest in peace, Harper Lee and thanks for a great book.

Abe Vigoda, 1921 - 2016

Farewell to a great actor and a good friend to autograph collectors.

Abe Vigoda signed photo as Detective Phil Fish

So long, Yogi Berra

Yogi Berra was truly a one-of-a-kind American icon. An all-time great baseball player as well as a World War II combat veteran. I had the privilege to meet Yogi a few times... my only regret is not getting a photograph with him.

Rest in peace, Yogi. You will be missed.

A fool and his money are soon parted

$463.76 for a half of a Mickey Mantle signature on a manufactured 1 of 1 card. For this amount, you could buy three flawlessly signed Mantle 8x10s in mint condition and have money left over.

I always say "collect what you like," but this is truly mind boggling.

Charlton Heston autographs... more fakes than ever on eBay

Every once in a while I must slow down and observe the car wreck that is Charlton Heston autographs on eBay. Four years after the Charlton Heston secretarial study, they still abound unabated. Of the first 25 listings, at least 13 are not authentic. That is a 52% fake rate.

How to identify airbrushed signed baseballs

There are resources that will airbrush baseballs to remove personalizations or unwanted signatures to create a "single signed ball." It's important to note that the personalizations or unwanted signatures have not been removed, rather they have been skillfully painted over.

In most cases I have seen, the sellers do not disclose this type of work has been performed. The ethics of that is another topic unto itself.

For removed personalizations, look for the remaining writing to look off center or oddly placed. Sometimes you will see subtle hints of airbrushing that touches the edge of the remaining signature, or slight remnants of the removed writing that remain close to the signature. You may see slight over spray onto the red stitching and/or white spray into the holes of the stitching.

Finally, if you have the ball in hand, the paint should light up unnaturally under a UV light.

While the airbrush artists do a good job at color matching, what happens if the leather in the ball tones over time? I doubt the paint will tone along with it. Will you end up with a naturally toned ball that looks like it has white paint spots on it?

Forger Greg Marino: Still bringing in the bucks

The FBI busted the Operation Bullpen forgery ring, including the primary forger, Greg Marino, over 15 years ago. Yet his work still pollutes the hobby today.

At the time, Marino’s “Mickey Mantles” were considered deceptive fakes; but they are glaringly obvious by today’s standard. Yet, fish are still taking the bait. 

Here is someone who spent $419.14 on a worthless Greg Marino penned Mickey Mantle forgery on eBay.

In my view, the forgery problem on eBay is as bad or worse than it has ever been. Anyone with a trained eye knows eBay is overrun with fake autographs. There are no meaningful measures in place to keep bad sellers in check and the sellers know they can peddle forgeries with impunity.

The value of a descriptive auction listing title

Here is a Derek Jeter figurine from the Danbury Mint. A high quality statue that should got for $75 or more all day long.

And this is what happens when it is listed as "Derek Jeter Collectible" with no description on eBay. It sold for $14.82 shipped.

James "Jimmy" Stewart: Autopen Signature Study

Common Jimmy Stewart Autopen on photo.
Matches pattern #1 below.

James Stewart was a willing through-the-mail signer for many years. However, after suffering medical problems in the 1990s, his office fulfilled mail requests with secretarial signatures and an Autopen machine.

The proxy signatures -- typically signed "James Stewart" -- are obvious to anyone with some familiarity with James Stewart's authentic signature. Autopen machines are most commonly used by politicians and astronauts, so some collectors are fooled and do not consider the possibility of an Autopen for a Hollywood celebrity.

While some collectors are familiar with the "Jimmy Stewart" pattern sent by his office primarily on photos, there were at least four other Jimmy Stewart Autopen patterns.

In the 1990s, I had a friend who worked at Crown Publishing who provided me with a dozen signed bookplates from Jimmy Stewart's book, Jimmy Stewart and His Poems. In the stack of bookplates, I identified five different Autopen patterns. Regrettably, I never properly scanned the bookplates and I thought they were lost in a move over ten years ago. As luck would have it, I recently found them mixed in with some old photos I haven't looked through in many years.

Five Jimmy Stewart Autopen patterns.

There are matches for patterns 1 through 3. There were not matches for patterns 4 and 5 in the batch, however, close examination of the signatures shows tell-tale Autopen signature characteristics: hard stops and starts; evidence of machine vibration; and very subtle "jerky" mechanical motion associated with the Autopen armature. From many years of studying the nuances of Autopen signatures, I am confident 4 and 5 are Autopen machine signed without having the benefit of matching examples.

In my experience, pattern #1 seems to be the one Stewart's office used most frequently and often appears on photographs. That said, it is entirely possible they occasionally used one of the other patterns, so be on the look out for any one of the five!