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In the world of sports memorabilia one of the most popular items to collect has always been the autographed game ball. Going a step further, one of the most collected types of game ball is the baseball.
I believe the reason for this is because baseball has always been deemed Americas favourite past time, and as such the players of this great game of baseball have always made themselves available to sign balls, inside and outside of the ballpark. The signing of the ball is, in my humble opinion just as much apart of the culture of the sport of Baseball as hitting a home run. We are reminded of this every time we see those nostalgic photographs of greats like the "Babe' or Mickey Mantle taking time out after a game to sign a few balls for adoring fans.
The autograph baseball also holds an enticing appeal for collectors because it is easy and manageable to store and display. After saying all of the above, there are a few things one must consider when beginning any baseball autograph collection.
Step One: Who or what do you want to collect? This seems like a fairly easy decision, but more often than not, people seem to get sidetracked and loose their focus quickly. This can be a costly and time consuming mistake. I have a couple of suggestions to put you're mind on the right track. Maybe you are a die hard fan of a particular team? You may want to try to collect as many players past and present that represent that team. Some people are interested in HOF's (Hall Of Famers). If you have a personal collection of a particular player, an autographed baseball would make an excellent addition.
Step Two: Authentication, authentication, authentication! This is a very crucial point. Unless you are able to obtain your autograph in person, then you must be very careful of getting caught up with a fake, which will then make the autograph useless. In this day of online auctions, one must be even more vigilant not to be misled by the cyber shark that is out to steal your hard earned money. I ALWAYS suggest spending that extra bit of cash and purchasing an item from a reputable authentication company. If you are going to buy from an online auction such as Ebay, then make sure the seller includes the proof of authenticity, and not one that he/she has made up on their own computer. There are a few industry standards that you can rely on when it come to authentication. The first one being any autograph that has passed the PSA/DNA process. The second option is to buy from a certified company such as Steiner Sports, or Onyx Authenticated Sports Memorabilia.
Step Three: When obtaining an autograph from the player of your choice there are a few ground rules that one must follow. Always be polite when requesting a player to sign a ball that is hugely important. Remember no one wants to take time out to do a favour for a person who is acting rudely of like a jerk. As the saying goes you can get more flies with honey than vinegar. Always be prepared. This means make sure that you have an official MLB Rawlings baseball and a ballpoint pen on hand. You can use blue or black ink, dark blue is preferred. Do not use a black marker or a sharpie for signing balls. These writing instruments tend to bleed out and ruin the autograph. A sharpie is better suited to getting a photo or a jersey autographed. When you do make your request for an autograph, ask the player to sign the ball in what is known as the "sweet spot." This is the largest blank panel on the ball. If you are going for a team signed ball, then I would suggest that you request the most popular or top rated player to sign in the sweet spot, allowing the rest of the players to sign on various other areas of the ball.
There are a number of other places or events in which you could pick up an autographed ball at.
Card shows and expos
An induction of a new Hall Of Famer at Cooperstown
Ballgames either before or after the game
A fund raising banquet or event
Through the mail (if you are lucky)
All in all collecting autographed baseballs is a lot of fun and very rewarding. Just bare in mind these few simple guidelines and you should be well on to building a terrific sports memorabilia collection!
Cami Berardi is a sports memorabilia hobbiest, and collector. She enjoys not only collectiong but writing and researching the hobby and industry. You can see more of Cami's dealings at: http://www.youtube.com/patriotsfangirl12
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