I agree with Mike and using Bic medium point pens. They have always been my favorite pen choice. I would also add that using BLUE ink as opposed to black is a great idea. Black ball point ink frequently fades, and, in my mind, is a recipe for disaster. I avoid it because I have been burned a few times, especially if the signer has a light touch with a pen. Two HOF guys that sign with light pen pressure that come to mind are Tony Gwynn and Eddie Murray.
When it comes to signatures that bleed, there are a lot of reasons that this seems to happen with a baseball. Leather baseballs are not always as stable as a piece of paper when it comes to a sig. One that Mike didn't mention is that all baseballs are not created equal. Experience has shown me that some balls just seem to naturally end up with toning and bleeding signatures regardless of how you handle them (on the laces, etc.) and what pen you use.
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Originally Posted by mr2686
It might or might not have anything to do with humidity. Some ink tends to bleed more than others on balls...and even if not the ink, it sometimes has to do with the oils from your fingers that might have touched the area before it was signed. My general rule of thumb, buy a ball, take it out with gloves and make sure it's not blemished where you want it signed. If you don't have gloves, like during a show, only handle it by the laces. Put the signed ball in a case or display cube that is made with high quality uv glass. Try to keep them out of the light as much as possible. Also, I like to use Bic medium point pens...I've had the best luck with them. I have about 110 balls, alot of which are from back in the 80's, and the one's where I could control the pen used, ball, etc are all looking great. There are a couple that look a bit faded due to the pen used and a couple that have bled a bit (either an ink or handling issue). If you live in an area with high humidity, and you have a memorabilia room, you may want to invest in a dehumidifier. In California we really don't have a need for one, but I've been to other states where I would invest in a couple  |