Signed Baseball tips please

[Rick]

Last time I was home I noticed my dads team baseball from high school is starting to fade. All the signatures are starting to disappear. Anybody have any suggestions on how to stop this from getting worse. I am going to make a display for all of my father, brothers, and mine under UV glass, but is there anything else you guys and gals know to stop the fading. I thought of spraying a clear coat on all the baseballs but fear staining them or the coat yellowing in the future. Any tips will be very helpful and appreciated, thanks Rick.

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If you don't take care of your tools, they won't take care of you.

 

[Bob Carter]

Rick-I am a pretty serious collector, and unfortunately fading of ink is sometimes unpreventable. But if these are of value (anybody make it to the Hall of Fame?), I wouldn't do anything to them. I've seen balls that have been shellaced, clear-coated, etc and they all look horrible. But even if they are just sentimental, I'd shy away from anything being applied to the old horsehide.

 

[Susan May]

Do not spray the ball with anything!!!!

(And yes, I have been to the Baseball Hall of Fame.)

The best thing that I can tell you is to put the ball in a case made with UV glass, and put it in a dark room. Tha ink is fading due to the type of ink that was used. They did not know to use acid free, and fade proof ink in the past, and they still don't use them today.

If you really want to know about the museum, I'll be glad to tell you... but it's not pretty.

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Sue May
"You want it when?!?!?"