Question about Babe signed ball

[HighRollerII]

I don't know if this belongs in this section - I looked around and found my best judgement to place this here. There is nothing for sale in the thread just possibly buying a signed ball and have questions about this ball.

So on a sports auction website there is a signed baseball by Babe Ruth; the LOA is through JSA. The ball is legit and for being as old as the ball is its not in horrible condition but again in my price range for being a complete amateur collector.

The ball has been sprayed with shellac to seal in the signature. Does the sheallac help the ball overtime or is this something to avoid? Also lets just say I get lucky enough to win this auction and the ball is mine. How in the heck do I show this off? sealed bulletproof case (I am joking)? UV protected case; any other precautions that I should take?

Again I apologize if this is in the wrong location.

TIA!!

[David Atkatz]

Many balls of that era were protected with shellac. It doesn't hurt the ball, or the ink, but there are two problems. First, the shellac yellows over time. Since over seventy years have passed since the ball was shellacked, it is now as yellow as it's gonna get, so if you can live with the color, that's fine. The other problem is that if the shellac chips off, it can--and most likely will--take the ink with it. So, don't bang it around. A UV-safe ball cube will be fine for storing the ball. Store it in a cool, dry, and above all, dark, place, and you'll be fine.