New Member - Autographed 1971 Chicago Cubs baseball [Edited: Now with photos]

KJohnson1221

Hey folks!

I came across a baseball yesterday while I was cleaning my room up. I have had this for a while now and it has just kind of sat in boxes for a while, and I took it out yesterday and took a look at it

Anywho, I'm checking out this baseball and it has 25 signatures on it, featuring Ernie Banks, Fergie Jenkins, Billy Williams and Ron Santo.

I live in the Chicagoland area (about a 40 minute drive from Chicago) and was wondering if there was any way I could get the authenticity of this item checked out to see if it's legit or not. I don't have any real intentions of selling it because I'm a Cubs fan, I'd just like to know if its real or not.

I guess my question is, is there anyway that I could get it checked out by someone in my area/on these boards?

I'm writing this from my phone because I'm not home but I'll post some pictures if need be later tonight.

You folks seem to know your stuff and I've been searching the forums for similar things and seen you've been pretty helpful to other people asking similar questions

Thanks in advance!

Edit: Still on my phone, doubt I'll be home at a decent hour so I'll just post them here

http://yfrog.com/9g1ukj

http://yfrog.com/9grvtj

http://yfrog.com/1rd11wj

http://yfrog.com/5nybxvj

http://yfrog.com/6ei24j

http://yfrog.com/78p46j

http://yfrog.com/2rn42j

http://yfrog.com/6tmjyj

http://yfrog.com/02kfnj

http://yfrog.com/2ps28j

http://yfrog.com/2pc7cj

If you need higher quality photos I'll see what I can do

storm888

"...but I'll post some pictures if need be later tonight..."

/////////////////////////

Excellent.

Ironmanfan

we can confirm the possibility of it being (or not) one of those facsimile/printed signature baseballs that carry minimal value...Looking forward to seeing it!

fandango

welcome NEW MEMBER-

storm888

OAKESY25

looks like facsimile to me

csmtampa

It is a printed baseball. Still a cool item to have since your a Cubs fan.

KJohnson1221

Thanks for letting me know

Just out of sheer curiousity, and the fact that I know nothing about collecting sports memorabilia, how does one go about pointing something like that out?

I'm not going to lie I'm a bit disappointed to hear that it's a printed ball, but like you said it's still something cool to have

Ironmanfan

<< <i>Thanks for letting me know

Just out of sheer curiousity, and the fact that I know nothing about collecting sports memorabilia, how does one go about pointing something like that out?

I'm not going to lie I'm a bit disappointed to hear that it's a printed ball, but like you said it's still something cool to have >>



Pretty obvious that it's stamped (as I originally suspected), although one of the ways to tell is seeing some of the printing over the lace holes (such as in the Joey Amalfintano(?) 'signature').....Lots of people have these type balls that they think are real...maybe worth $10-$15 on a good day

HeritageSports

I must get a dozen inquiries a week here at Heritage about these stamped baseballs, and another feature that they all have in common (besides the unusually symmetrical application of the "autographs," and the occasional aforementioned writing over the stitches) is the fact that there is no manufacturer's stamping on the balls. In other words, without the "autographs," the balls would be blank. Whenever someone calls asking about a team signed ball I ask about the stamping right off the bat, because if there is none it's almost certainly one of these souvenir stamped models.

CARDSANDCOINS

Also the balls with the printed autographs have the names going vertical and horizontal.
On almost all of the hand signed ones the names are all going horizontal.

TheHun

I am surprised that a representative from Heritage would post such a broad statement on a message board.

There are hundreds of legitimate signed baseballs without stamps. From the earliest days, many fans stood outside stadiums or at appearences - with a ball, any ball that they could afford - to get an autograph.

Many consignors and auction houses actively sell non-official baseballs bearing autographs. The unscrupulous who forge signatures can just as easily purchase official MLB balls and pass them off as real.

Welcome to the CU message board ...

cheers

Ironmanfan

<< <i>I am surprised that a representative from Heritage would post such a broad statement on a message board.

There are hundreds of legitimate signed baseballs without stamps. From the earliest days, many fans stood outside stadiums or at appearences - with a ball, any ball that they could afford - to get an autograph.

Many consignors and auction houses actively sell non-official baseballs bearing autographs. The unscrupulous who forge signatures can just as easily purchase official MLB balls and pass them off as real.

Welcome to the CU message board ...

cheers >>



what "broad statement" was that? I though that the information he posted in regards to the inquiry as to how one can spot a facsimile/printed baseball was very useful....

show me a baseball otherwise without any other identifying markings or stamps...non-official baseballs certainly have stamps/markings

TheHun

I've got a bucket of baseballs with no stamps.

are they fake ?

If I get an autograph on one - is it fake ?

THAT'S the broad statement.

nightcrawler

Jessica Simpson has brains = a broad statement.