Should a Authentication Company start grading World Series Programs

[jboosted92]

I thought it might be a good idea....encapsulated..

what do you guys think?

[HRBAKER]

Is there a universally (or close to) accepted grading scale? Do the authenticators have any "experts" on staff? Is there an rampant issue with fakes being sold as authentic? We my as well not stop until we have all hobby related items entombed one way or another, right?

[baseballart]

No, it is not a good idea.

[steve B]

I'd be against it too. If someone really wanted it done, I guess it;s ok, but for me reading it would be lost, as would looking at any scoring that was done. (Feel free to start the "scoring" jokes now that you've had the straight line)

Steve B

[mr2686]

I don't like slabbing, encapsulating, whatever you want to call it...I think I've expressed that enough by now. With that said, one of the joys of collecting WS programs or yearbooks is to be able to look through them...which you couldn't do if sealed up. I also second everything HRBAKER said.

[perezfan]

Good idea! But why stop at Programs? How about entombing Hartlands, Pennants, Bobble Heads, Pinbacks and even Vintage Gloves, Bats and Trophies? There are reproductions of all these things, afterall.

I guess Pinbacks have been slabbed already, but I've never seen a slabbed Lemon Peel Ball or Crescent Padded Glove (and the time seems long overdue!)

Maybe they could even slab/grade some of the older REA, Mastro, Lelands and Hunts Catalogues. I have a few that might grade NRMT, and some that I wrote notes in, which should still garner an "authentic" rating. Once slabbed, we wont be able to flip through any of the pages, but they should be worth more money

Seriously, I have no faith in some contrived authentication company having graders that know any more than we do. This Forum should be the authentication source... and it's free!

[barrysloate]

It's nice to be able to read books, programs, and publications. That is part of the joy of owning them. That would be taken away if they are slabbed.

Of course World Series programs have been reprinted, so if you feel you must protect the originals then I guess you can flip the pages of the repros.

But I say bad idea. I'm for less slabbing in the hobby, not more.

[Hankphenom]

"I'm for less slabbing in the hobby, not more."

My sentiments exactly. When you buy anything slabbed, you've bought yourself a slab, not a card, autograph, pin, whatever. If you buy a graded slab, you've bought a grade. There are other ways to authenticate items, and this is one of the worst ways anybody could have come up with. As for programs, aren't comic books slabbed routinely, so why not, even if you can't read them? But now this brings us closer to the heart of the matter, which is that slabbing classic antiques is inherently ridiculous, including baseball cards. But hey, go ahead and slab yourselves silly if you want to, I won't be joining in the "fun."
Hank Thomas

[barrysloate]

Hank- one difference regarding comic books is they were made with poor quality acidic paper. Those really shouldn't be handled as over time they will begin to deteriorate. World Series programs, however, were usually made with good quality paper. No reason why one can't handle them carefully and not compromise their condition.

[Ladder7]

Slabbing would preserve what you have for long-term, safe storage and add legitimacy to our memorabilia when leaving it to an heir who may be ignorant of its' significance.

After all. How many self-professed baseball fans have we all met that had ever heard of Harry Wright, Cap Anson, Alexander Cartwright, Elysian Fields, Royal Rooters and the countless other legends in our collections? Steve

[RichardSimon]

Originally Posted by perezfan

Good idea! But why stop at Programs? How about entombing Hartlands, Pennants, Bobble Heads, Pinbacks and even Vintage Gloves, Bats and Trophies? There are reproductions of all these things, afterall.

I guess Pinbacks have been slabbed already, but I've never seen a slabbed Lemon Peel Ball or Crescent Padded Glove (and the time seems long overdue!)

Maybe they could even slab/grade some of the older REA, Mastro, Lelands and Hunts Catalogues. I have a few that might grade NRMT, and some that I wrote notes in, which should still garner an "authentic" rating. Once slabbed, we wont be able to flip through any of the pages, but they should be worth more money

Seriously, I have no faith in some contrived authentication company having graders that know any more than we do. This Forum should be the authentication source... and it's free!

Bravo for this post and amen, brother.
The slabbing will get out of hand at one point.
Look at comic books. I understand why some people want to slab their comics, but as so many have already said, how can you read a slabbed book.
And reading through a program is one of the joys of owning it.
Enough with the plastic tombs already, enough.

[Scott Garner]

Originally Posted by perezfan

Good idea! But why stop at Programs? How about entombing Hartlands, Pennants, Bobble Heads, Pinbacks and even Vintage Gloves, Bats and Trophies? There are reproductions of all these things, afterall.

I guess Pinbacks have been slabbed already, but I've never seen a slabbed Lemon Peel Ball or Crescent Padded Glove (and the time seems long overdue!)

Maybe they could even slab/grade some of the older REA, Mastro, Lelands and Hunts Catalogues. I have a few that might grade NRMT, and some that I wrote notes in, which should still garner an "authentic" rating. Once slabbed, we wont be able to flip through any of the pages, but they should be worth more money

Seriously, I have no faith in some contrived authentication company having graders that know any more than we do. This Forum should be the authentication source... and it's free!

I'm all for the idea of slabbing REA, Mastro, Lelands and Hunts catalogs. Think of what great doorstops or boat anchors they would make! Let's stop the madness....

[nolemmings]

Count me as one who has no problem slabbing programs. I don't collect them really, but did land this one, slabbed as NM by GAI (pardon the poor cropping--the entire holder would not fit the scanner)


I once won a '65 World Series program (LA) on ebay that looked and was advertised nm-mt. When it arrived, it was absolutely pristine. No way it was ever fully read, maybe hardly/not at all. As geeky as this might sound, I didn't enjoy it because I didn't want to put any kind of stress on the binding or inadvertent crimp on the cover or a page. Bottom line, it remains in a plastic sheet, and would be slabbed if I could find a decent service. I will buy a beater if I want to read that program-- in this case, at least, it is simply not scarce.

I believe that there is nothing wrong with trying to preserve an older item, especially one that is in unusually strong condition. I know that seems antithetical to enjoying the item, and it is, but I have no problem understanding a collector's motivation in having it slabbed.

[David Atkatz]

Of course there's "nothing wrong" with trying to preserve an item; in fact, it is your responsibility as a collector to do precisely that. But all you need do is go to any responsible dealer in archival preservation materials--University Products, for example--and you'll find a wealth of items that will enable that preservation, without paying a self-proclaimed expert to "authenticate" it.
It will be preserved as museums preserve their pieces.

When have you ever seen a slabbed piece at the Hall of Fame--or any other museum, for that matter?

Take the responsibility for your own collection--both authentication, and preservation. And grading? Simply an absurd concept when it comes to historical artifacts. They are what they are.