Autographed baseballs are among the most popular types of sports memorabilia, with a history stretching back decades. Teams have been writing on them since the earliest days of the game when the teams, score, and other details of a game were written on the ball, which was then kept as a “trophy”.
Signing or autographing a ball didn’t become popular until the 1920s, although earlier balls do exist, of course. Fans and collectors like autographed baseballs for many reasons. They are easy to store thanks to the showcases built especially for them. They are easy to see and each one tells a story. Where did the ball come from? Represents?
Team-signed baseballs can put you in a big time, whether it’s from a World Series winner, an All-Star team, or just a regular club from a regular year. Collecting baseballs from World Series champions is one way to build a collection. You may decide to only collect baseballs signed by Hall of Famers. Or, you can collect a ball signed by each year’s team from your favorite franchise.
You can choose a milestone, such as members of the 3,000 hit club, Cy Young Award winners, World Series MVP, or anything else you can think of.
If you’re building a collection that revolves around a player, make sure the ball is ONLY signed by that player if you care about future value. While balls signed by multiple players may seem like a good deal, their value isn’t nearly as strong as a ball bearing only one autograph.
Baseballs signed in the sweet spot, the narrowest white area between the stitches, are held in higher esteem than those that are not.
Be sure to invest in ball stands to display your autographed baseballs. They will keep them free of dirt, fingerprints, and smudges and make sure to keep them out of direct sunlight. Nothing fades a ball faster!
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