View Full Version : Family Heirloom Or Not?
Forgebuster
02-08-2015, 05:13 PM
I have a Ruth ball that has been in my family forever. My father in law gave it to me in 1982 and we never knew the authenticity of it other than it was for sure not one of the Sinclair Oil secretarial signatures. About a year and a half ago I took it to get authenticated by one of the top two authenticators in the business who will remain unnamed. Although their synopsis albeit wasn't unfavorable I have since read horror stories even about the top two on authentication foo bars that I am at a loss as to who I would trust to evaluate it. I am not willing to mail it anywhere for obvious reasons. (I traveled 500 miles with it in hand last time.) Does anyone have any suggestions as to who may be a good resource on Ruth's that I could approach about this. I would be willing to send them photos and then later arrange a meeting if deemed credible. Please advise if any of you big time collectors have any on this. Thanks!
jhs5120
02-08-2015, 05:31 PM
I have a Ruth ball that has been in my family forever. My father in law gave it to me in 1982 and we never knew the authenticity of it other than it was for sure not one of the Sinclair Oil secretarial signatures. About a year and a half ago I took it to get authenticated by one of the top two authenticators in the business who will remain unnamed. Although their synopsis albeit wasn't unfavorable I have since read horror stories even about the top two on authentication foo bars that I am at a loss as to who I would trust to evaluate it. I am not willing to mail it anywhere for obvious reasons. (I traveled 500 miles with it in hand last time.) Does anyone have any suggestions as to who may be a good resource on Ruth's that I could approach about this. I would be willing to send them photos and then later arrange a meeting if deemed credible. Please advise if any of you big time collectors have any on this. Thanks!
Hello!
You have a couple options. If you're just interested in knowing the authenticity, please post a photo and some experts here will be happy to help. If you are looking to sell the ball, I would suggest PSA/DNA or JSA. There are some horror stories (few and far between), but no one will deny the value their word brings in an auction.
Jason
Forgebuster
02-08-2015, 05:46 PM
I will never sell the ball. My son in law is a pro photographer and I think he took some really good pics of it a year or so ago. I will post it on here if I can get them from him. My pics won't do it justice! Of the companies you mentioned it was one of those I took it to. I am fairly confident this ball is genuine due to its history of when my father in law got it-long before the master forgers were mass producing vintage stuff I can only assume. The only COA it has is the LOA from the company I took it to of course. Thanks again I will try to post those pics soon.
johnmh71
02-09-2015, 05:54 AM
I don't understand what you are looking for. You state that you want to know the authenticity, but you won't submit it to anyone or post a photo so that some of the members on here with many years of experience can render an opinion. Are we supposed to ok it based on your story? It doesn't work that way.
nebboy
02-09-2015, 06:39 AM
We also have a Sinclair Oil secretarial signature ball in our family. I also did the research to see if any of these ball were ever really by Ruth. Short story is that history of these balls are wide known. No matter how good the family back story is about it being a true Ruth signature, getting a company like JSA to auth a Sinclair Ruth is not likely going happen. I've tracked the sell of them over the years and the sell for around $200-300 range. Our ball also will never leave famiy, it's still fun to own even if ghost signed.
Forgebuster
02-09-2015, 07:21 AM
No John I just couldn't get the pic from my son in law. He is a procrastinator. I am going to post it here in a few for some opinions.
Forgebuster
02-09-2015, 08:02 AM
I can't seem to get the photo to upload for some reason. It is in a jpeg file. Maybe too large? Any advice?:mad:
I can't seem to get the photo to upload for some reason. It is in a jpeg file. Maybe too large? Any advice?:mad:
I told you (in my email back to you) to send me the file and I will help. It is probably too big or a bad format to post here. A lot of phone pics are difficult (if that is what it is)...LL
btcarfagno
02-09-2015, 08:50 AM
I can't seem to get the photo to upload for some reason. It is in a jpeg file. Maybe too large? Any advice?:mad:
Upload to someplace like photobucket and then post a link to this site. That's how I do it anyway.
Tom C
Misha
02-10-2015, 12:31 AM
If it's a cell phone photo that's too large, another "easy" method is to email the photo to yourself. After you add the photo to the email, you can change the size of the file to small. Then send the email and save the photo in that email. It will post fine
The picture was 27MB.....you guys can figure the over on it but our system will allow uploads of about 80kb.....and will resize things automatically at about 1.5mb and lower. Over that size and it probably won't work. Here is the ball in question...
Upload to someplace like photobucket and then post a link to this site. That's how I do it anyway.
Tom C
If this would have been posted to the board in photobucket, at that size, it might have brought the board down or you would have a picture the size of (5) 24" monitors. :)
Runscott
02-10-2015, 10:47 AM
Well, he's right about one thing - it's not a Sinclair ball.
Also provides a moment for philosophical reflection: "Forever" isn't as long as we sometimes think.
w7imel
02-15-2015, 05:50 PM
Well, he's right about one thing - it's not a Sinclair ball.
Also provides a moment for philosophical reflection: "Forever" isn't as long as we sometimes think.
Like last month? You cant be serious can you? Ball is trash! But I do find the storys about these garbage balls entertaining from time to time.
Klrdds
02-15-2015, 06:08 PM
I do not think this ball will get certed...it is very suspect. " Forever" seems to be a relative open-ended term used to help legitimize autographs.
Scott Garner
02-15-2015, 06:28 PM
The picture was 27MB.....you guys can figure the over on it but our system will allow uploads of about 80kb.....and will resize things automatically at about 1.5mb and lower. Over that size and it probably won't work. Here is the ball in question...
27 MB- Yowser!!
Scott Garner
02-15-2015, 06:29 PM
The picture was 27MB.....you guys can figure the over on it but our system will allow uploads of about 80kb.....and will resize things automatically at about 1.5mb and lower. Over that size and it probably won't work. Here is the ball in question...
27 MB- Yowser!! :eek: