Hello and help with 1931 Japan Tour ball?

[Misha]

Firstly hello! I'm a collector of mainly modern GU items but joined here expressly to get the wisdom of vintage collectors.

I live in Japan, and recently on a Japanese online auction site (kinda like ebay) I came across a signed ball that has a total of 16 signatures on it, but the owner could only identify 1 which was Lou Gehrig.

Figuring it was possibly a tour of Japan ball I did some research and identified the following (grouped according to location on ball):

Lou Gehrig
Rabbit Maranville
Willie Kamm

J.E. Reardon (umpire)
Frank O'Doul
Muddy Ruel
George Kelly
unidentified (upside down under Kelly?)

Lefty Grove(ss)

Dr. Leonard Knowles (Team Trainer)
Ralph Shinners
Al Simmons
Herb Hunter

Larry French
Billy Cunningham
Tom Oliver

These match exactly to the 1931 Tour of Japan roster but is missing Mickey Cochrane (the upside down name seems to be Cochrane, but the first initial is a G or S?), and Frank Frisch to be complete.

Here are links to auctioned Tour of Japan balls I found and then my ball's photos. I would like to know everyone's opinion as to the authenticity of this ball. To my untrained eye, the signatures on my ball seem to match the flow etc of the ones in the auctions. Crossing my fingers!

Thanks for any info, Michelle

Previously auctioned balls for comparison:

http://www.lelands.com/auction/auctiondetail/66936/June-2011-Catalog/Sports/Baseball-Autographs/Lot191~1931-Tour-of-Japan-Team-Signed-Baseball

http://www.legendaryauctions.com/LotDetail.aspx?inventoryid=9082

http://sports.ha.com/c/item.zx?saleNo=7075&lotIdNo=405001

http://sports.ha.com/c/item.zx?saleNo=151228&lotIdNo=24001

My ball:

[MooseDog]

Look pretty good from the pictures. Cochrane's first name was Gordon, so yes, that looks like G. Cochrane.

[Misha]

Oh I didn't know that about Cochrane. Thanks for that! Well if that's the case, then the ball has everyone except Frisch. Some balls have Fred Lieb the sportswriter on them so that's another name "missing".

Anyone else please feel free to comment. If this ball does seem good, how should I keep it?? I'm not looking to sell it at the moment, but I'm scared that it might get messed up or something. At the moment it is as it was delivered to me, wrapped loosely in a sheet of polystyrene/plastic/foam wrapping material people use for wrapping dishes in when they move. This is then in a Japanese wooden box away from any light. I haven't touched it at all with my hands, just looked and rolled it around on the sheet.

Of course I know price depends on many factors when it comes to autographs, but again, if real, anyone wanna give me some estimate of it's value? It wasn't cheap for me, about 80+ bids were put on this before I finally got it. Just curious…..

Thanks again for any input from all

[MooseDog]

Unfortunately the best way to keep a ball like that is in the dark. A dark closet or drawer or better yet, a safe deposit box in a bank.

If you live in a humid area, the safe deposit box is about the only "safe" place to store it.

[djson1]

I would say it's worth what you paid for it. If you had 80+ bids on it, that's almost the market speaking about the value.
Care to share how much you paid for it (or at least a hint/range)? :)

[Scott Garner]

Firstly hello! I'm a collector of mainly modern GU items but joined here expressly to get the wisdom of vintage collectors.

I live in Japan, and recently on a Japanese online auction site (kinda like ebay) I came across a signed ball that has a total of 16 signatures on it, but the owner could only identify 1 which was Lou Gehrig.

Figuring it was possibly a tour of Japan ball I did some research and identified the following (grouped according to location on ball):

Lou Gehrig
Rabbit Maranville
Willie Kamm

J.E. Reardon (umpire)
Frank O'Doul
Muddy Ruel
George Kelly
unidentified (upside down under Kelly?)

Lefty Grove(ss)

Dr. Leonard Knowles (Team Trainer)
Ralph Shinners
Al Simmons
Herb Hunter

Larry French
Billy Cunningham
Tom Oliver

These match exactly to the 1931 Tour of Japan roster but is missing Mickey Cochrane (the upside down name seems to be Cochrane, but the first initial is a G or S?), and Frank Frisch to be complete.

Here are links to auctioned Tour of Japan balls I found and then my ball's photos. I would like to know everyone's opinion as to the authenticity of this ball. To my untrained eye, the signatures on my ball seem to match the flow etc of the ones in the auctions. Crossing my fingers!

Thanks for any info, Michelle

Previously auctioned balls for comparison:

http://www.lelands.com/auction/auctiondetail/66936/June-2011-Catalog/Sports/Baseball-Autographs/Lot191~1931-Tour-of-Japan-Team-Signed-Baseball

http://www.legendaryauctions.com/LotDetail.aspx?inventoryid=9082

http://sports.ha.com/c/item.zx?saleNo=7075&lotIdNo=405001

http://sports.ha.com/c/item.zx?saleNo=151228&lotIdNo=24001

My ball:

Great looking ball!!!

[yanks12025]

I know what she paid because I was messaging her last week about the ball and auction. I won't disclose the price but I feel she made a good buy and if sold could bring a lot more.

[Misha]

I know what she paid because I was mediating her last week about the ball and auction. I won't disclose the price but I feel she made a good buy and if sold could bring a lot more.

Hi Brock! Well I'm feeling better about the ball with the comments in the thread. I do think I got a good deal, but it certainly was the most I've ever spent on a single item, seeing that I usually collect Oakland Athletics stuff 68-present.

At the moment I want to keep it in the best possible way, it's sad to stick it in a box in a drawer. A previous poster mentioned humidity being bad for it, well it's so humid here in summer, so I'll probably take it back to California next month and see if it fits in the safety deposit box.

If I do decide to sell it, should I get it authenticated first then consign it, or will the auction house do that for me? Any preferences for authenticator?

Sorry to ask so many questions, but like I said in the OP I joined this site expressly since I knew you folks on here were much more knowledgable than me.

Michelle

[Topnotchsy]

Just want to congratulate you on this ball. I own a 1931 AS team signed ball (mine has Lieb but is missing Knowles. Such a cool part of history, and the fact yours is a Japanese ball is awesome!

[Misha]

Thanks! Will enjoy it for a long time