Real or fake? Any thoughts...

[brandoningram]

Too pricey for me, but what do you guys think? Real Ban Johnson?
Nice ball though. Maybe if he cut the price down a few hundred.
http://cgi.ebay.com/1909-Reach-Off-American-League-baseball-Ban-Johnson-/160423074868?cmd=ViewItem&pt=Vintage_Sports_Memorabilia&hash=item2559f5dc34

[David Atkatz]

Yes, it is certainly genuine.
But, contrary to the email he posted on the auction page, block lettering was used through the 1923 season.

Here are a few photos of my 1923 Yankees signed ball:
(And, yes, that is Lou Gehrig above Mike McNally on the side panel.)

http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j245/datkatz/1923oalhuggins.jpg

http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j245/datkatz/1923oalgehrig.jpg

[brandoningram]

awsome ball David...I Just picked up a Harridge 31-34 ball to go with my 35-59 ball, and the only OAL ball I need now is the block lettering Johnson ball. Just need to save up .

[prewarsports]

That ball looks real, but something is not right with it. Why would a ball in that nice of condition not have the Ban Johnson signature on the side? I think it has been professionally cleaned up something because I have owned maybe 50-100 Ban Johnson balls and seen maybe another 300-1000 more in auctions etc. and I have never seen a ball that nice with the Johnson stamp rubbed off. Not implying anything about the seller, it is just very odd.

Rhys

[brandoningram]

Thats what threw me for a loop was that there was no sig. You knew it had to be a BJ ball because of the OAL stamp. But it looks immaculate...and fishy at the same time.

50-100 BJ balls that you have owned...wow. I have an old one bairly legable. Let me know if you put one on the market.

[David Atkatz]

It is possible that the ball was never stamped. (Each of the stamps--League, weight, Reach, etc. was put on separately, and by hand.)

It doesn't make sense that he cleaned the Johnson stamp away, but didn't damage any others.

[prewarsports]

I would just be concerned that there might have been some writing on the side that got cleaned off with the Ban Johnson or something. I suppose it could have been unstamped but it was against league rules to use any baseball without the commissioners stamp on it. It also does not really make much sense that all the other stamps are so bold and dark and the Johnson is just missing.

It doesn't matter really because anyone who is going to spend $1500 on a '09 patent Ban Johnson ball is going to want the signature stamp on there. Even if everything about this ball is legit and it just never got stamped.

Also, I dont own 50-100 Ban Johnson balls right now and most of the ones I owned were signed by someone or a team, maybe only 5-10 unsigned ones and they are rare to find without any writing removed or anything.

[David Atkatz]

Quite true.

[brandoningram]

Now, what would an 09' ball without a BJ stamp on it be worth...certainly not $1500-1700. Maybe closer to 800, 1000 at the most? The thing Im curious and weary about is that there are some repros out there, and I dont want to throw an offer out there if thats a possibility.