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Originally Posted by tha-rock
I have collected HOF on several media in my time including 8x10s, and I have enjoyed collecting all of them, but it makes it tough when you want several different media signed by a HOFer, namely the newer expensive guys like Jeter, and older guys.
The previous poster said he preferred baseballs, but I disagree. Baseballs sometimes tend to develop spots and the signature can bleed into the ball or fade over time. I have almost never seen a sharpie signature fade and only rarely bleed on an 8x10. What I have seen happen to a sharpie signature on a glossy 8x10 is that the photo might stick to the plastic page it is stored in, so be careful about storage. Ballpoint signatures on glossy 8x10s sometimes fade or turn lighter, but ballpoint or fountain pen signatures on non-glossy photos are still clear after 100 years have passed. I have a Hoyt Wilhelm baseball he signed for me in 1983 that is 60% gone, but it has been exposed to a lot of direct incandescent light.
Also there is the storage issue. 100 signed baseballs take up a lot of space, whether you keep them in cubes or in boxes, whereas 100 signed 8x10s will fit in one 3-inch 3 ring binder. When buying or selling, signed baseballs are going to be more expensive to purchase, but should bring a higher price than an 8x10 of the same player when you sell. As has been said many times, collect what you like according to your own tastes and desires.
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Thanks for saving me the time to write all of that and simply agree with you!
I'm not at all a fan of the 8X10s that have been signed for the card show circuit over the past 40+ years. I tire of seeing the same image(s) for each player ad nauseum.
On the other hand, a vintage Burke or Conlon 8X10? Now we're talking! There's the prefab feel of the card show 8X10s, then there are the vintage masterpieces! I'd still rather stick to smaller items for size constraints, but it's pretty difficult to pass up a vintage 8X10 with a high aesthetic appeal provided the price is right. If it has the right combination of image, clarity, condition, etc., you'll never have a difficult time moving it, either.
Baseballs...ugh. So cumbersome, so ridiculously temperamental. For the most part, no thanks. I have far more than I ever desired. Again, I am much more appreciative of vintage examples. Specializing in rare, obscure players' autographs, sometimes I've been forced to use a vintage team ball as a placekeeper for a particularly rare autograph until a flat comes along. For the most part, a combination of vintage fountain pen on the finer quality old leather looks pleasing. You can keep all your blotchy Haiti and Costa Rica Rawlings balls, as well as the newer OMLBs, upon which a ballpoint signature may or may not nearly disappear after even a couple of months. You had better bring your own ballpoint that you've had long-term success with if getting balls signed at a show.