How to Prevent Yellowing of Autographed Baseballs?

Gemmy10

I keep mine in a plastic cube in the closet. Does this prevent yellowing of the baseball and fading of the autograph? Unfortunately, this kind of defeats the purpose of showing off one's colllection but i do march them out for friends who have never seen them when they visit my home.

WinPitcher

keeping the ball out of direct sunlight and in a darkened closet is good.

JoeOrlando

Unfortunately, yellowing can occur even with proper pre-cautions. There was a time, within the last 10-15 years, when baseballs were being pre-treated with un-distilled water (it was supposed to be distilled) and, today, there are thousands of baseballs in the marketplace that are turning yellow/brown because of the organisms that were allowed to soak into the baseballs during the manufacturing process.

Scary but true.

Take care,

Joe Orlando
PSA President

RonAndChelle

Yeah, I have a ball that I bought brand new and had signed by Nolan Ryan in 1991. It has only seen the light of day roughly a dozen times and always just to show it someone for a minute or two. It's always been kept in a holder, in a cardboard box, in a closet. When the wife found the collection not long ago I took a look at it and it's yellowing badly. I guess what Orlando was talking about is probably the case with this ball. Real shame.

WinPitcher

Very informative Joe, Thanks

boggs301012

RonAndChelle

It has only seen the light of day roughly a dozen times and always just to show it someone for a minute or two

No offense that is 12 to 24 minutes the last 13 years it has seen daylight, how do you enjoy the item I say display it!

Joe Orlando


Very nice of you too share you knowledge with the forum.


James

BigKidAtHeart

<< <i>No offense that is 12 to 24 minutes the last 13 years it has seen daylight, how do you enjoy the item
I say display it! >>




AMEN!!

RonAndChelle

<< <i>RonAndChelle

It has only seen the light of day roughly a dozen times and always just to show it someone for a minute or two

No offense that is 12 to 24 minutes the last 13 years it has seen daylight, how do you enjoy the item I say display it! >>



Boggs,

I know that it has been put up for a while. Before I married her I lived in a townhouse in Georgetown (D.C.) and kept everything stored in a spare bedroom because I worked so much that I just would acquire something and then put it away. I moved and it stayed packed up after the move as I just kind of got out of the hobby for a while. We then met and were married and the stuff never left it's packing boxes. This stuff has been packed away and she recently found it in a closet in a spare bedroom in our house and went nuts over the prospect of starting the collection up again. NOW everything will be displayed in a room that she has set up just for the hobby. Unfortunately now I know that my Nolan Ryan is destined to be a yellowed/brown ball. At least I have the memories of meeting him and having it signed. I can always buy a new Ryan ball that (hopefully) won't yellow.

Stone193

Ron&Chelle
OK - so you got me curious - just went into the closet and found the box where I have some auto balls - I have a Ryan my son got around '92; it has not seen daylight, moonlight, flashlight, israelite or any other kind of light and yes, it is slightly yellowed especially around RO-A. So much for protecting the goods - still looks good to me tho - not a ball collector altho I have quite a few. Worst encounter: getting a ball signed by Mays.
Mike

RonAndChelle

No slightly yellowing on ours. It's YELLOW! All of the way around the ball. But, what are you gonna do? At least it's still signed and I have the memory even though not a perfect ball.

duner

another problem is any contact with hands. apparently oils in your hand really wreak havoc on the ball too....but i guess it's kind of hard to tell nolan ryan to keep his fingers off the leather and on the seams.

Gemmy10

RonAndChelle,

How about the ink on the signature? Did that hold up? I know for old baseballs the practice use to be to shellack the baseballs to preserve the signature which takes away from it's value. I aways see several shellacked Ruth baseballs on eBay but even they get a pretty penny when they sell.

RonAndChelle

The ink is great, signature as clear as the day he signed it. It was signed with a ballpoint and is holding up great. It's just that yellow.......

kuhlmann

RonandChelle

I must say this! Your wife is really cool!! she collects and plays fantasy! I own a sports business and my wife cant stand anything about sports .

Aknot

<< <i>RonandChelle

I must say this! Your wife is really cool!! she collects and plays fantasy! I own a sports business and my wife cant stand anything about sports . >>



Ditto.....well she at least gives me my space. She just doesnt "get it" though. But then again I do not get soap operas.

RonandChelle check your PMs.

RonAndChelle

Kuhlman,
That's why I said yes when she asked me. Knew a good one when I saw her. My fault that I didn't pull out the collection a long time ago instead of her running across it. Could have been doing this again for years now. And she says to tell you "Thank you"

Stone193

Aknot
Hope you like sleepin on the couch!
Mike
Ron - I agree here - you ARE lucky!

Aknot

<< <i>Aknot
Hope you like sleepin on the couch!
Mike >>



No actually I got the "garage". Finished it off and walled the door off (the garage door not the door connecting to the house!!). She has her soaps and I got my cards. I show here the Callahans and I get "Thats nice dear", she gets the same repsonse when I hear about so and so being preggers and cheating on such and such.