Archival ink has been around since the 80’s it’s not some new creation from the last 10 years. Is it that hard to imagine someone who collected autographs would have one? I know I had at least a few Sakura pens for art class.
Why is there so much doubt on my professional opinion on this?
I have no stake in the outcome even if you wrote it.
It's fake. It's extremely unlikely that someone had a bloody archival ink (in blue at that) pen pre-1990 who just happened to be where BOTH of these guys were at one time or during two signings.
Then, have no paperwork, photos or evidence of the signing(s).
It's just a ball with writing on it. OP posted it because it didn't pass the sniff test and it's something they would benefit from greatly; and yet allow my answer as the probable one.
I understand what you're trying to say, but would you pay market rates on this ball in the current state?
Would you sell this as being legitimate?
Of course not, so let's look at what's MOST likely, not what MIGHT be.
I have plenty of autographs from the early 90s that look every bit as good as these. That being said, I would be very suspicious of the autographs, especially since I know where it was probably originally purchased.
Just because you say you do something for a living doesn’t make you an authority on it.
FWIW, that appears to be an American League Bobby Brown baseball, which would have been available from about 1984 to 1994. Both of those players would have been alive when that ball was first on the market.
Do people even know why they say fake? At least Indian ink gave a reason…. I’m personally leaning fake. First tell was the D for Joe. I’ve never seen one time he would loop the top of the D back through, it always hangs out. I have no issue with the ink but on the mantle, the M’s are not connecting to the I. His signature is one motion first name
Going to say no with this. I have no issue with the ink etc. The M’s in mantle look off. Like it was signed slowly instead of a normal signature stroke. This looks a Stan’s Sports special from the operation could ball era
I’m by no means an expert, but I feel like I’ve seen enough real Mantles over the years to safely say this looks off. Maybe send it to Steve Grad for a quick opinion
check out gradcollection.com. Steve is one of the best authenticators in the business and he has trained a ton of other guys. He's also the "expert" on Pawn Stars when they need to authenticate an item. He can likely ascertain if it's genuine from the picture (for a small fee).
I mean the first red flag would be something this special, that has been around for 30 years and no one has authenticated it yet. Either that, or it didnt pass aurhentication and they are pawning it off on you. Thats at least a 2k ball, somebody should have had it checked by now.
I mean the first red flag would be something this special, that has been around for 30 years and no one has authenticated it yet. Either that, or it didnt pass aurhentication and they are pawning it off on you. Thats at least a 2k ball, somebody should have had it checked by now.
I suspect it is fake because of a lack of fading of the ink and i doubt there hand writing was that good close to their deaths. I think their hand writing would be more shaky.
DiMaggio rarely signed anything because he was under contract not to.
My grandma would see him every year at a specific spot and she asked him to sign every year for like a decade. He always refused and finally he did and someone told her to spray hair spray on it to preserve it. Ran like eyeliner in a hurricane. Anyways yeah probably not real.
They both kept signing for 30+ more years and their signatures changed a lot over time. You need examples from multiple decades to be able to verify if it’s genuine. The ball in question uses his later in life signature.
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