"Say Hey" Authenticated?

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Posted By: Hagar Henderson

I'm interested in buying an autographed Willie Mays baseball from Dave and Adams Card World. It's listed as being "Say Hey" authenticated and has a "Say Hey" hologram sticker on it. Does anyone know if this was Willie himself selling his own autographs? I'm trying to gauge the chances of this being a legitimate autograph. If Willie was selling them, I would certainly hope all of the signatures would be legit. What do you think? Am I safe in buying it?

Edited to add that the signature looks perfect compared to all of the other Mays signatures that I have seen.

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Posted By: davidcycleback

'Say Hey' is Willie Mays' company, and you should have no worry about the authenticity. If a player's hologram is on the ball (or jersey, other) it's safe to assume the signature is genuine. The player's whole market advantage ($$$) is that the hologram indicates the ball and autograph are from him.

Additionally, I've seen numerous 'Say Hey' hologrammed balls later get LOAs by PSA/DNA and JSA.

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Posted By: Hagar Henderson

Thanks. I just wanted to make sure it really was Willie's business. I'm going to go ahead and buy one of those balls. I already have an Upper Deck Authenticated Mantle ball. Those two would look good next to each other.

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Posted By: Jodi Birkholm

Yes, you should be great with "Sey Hey". To my knowledge, nobody has attempted to forge those holograms as of yet.

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Posted By: Mark

Here is my Mays ball... sorry for the dark pic (my flash washes out the autograph every time).

I just have a PSA Letter, and not the Say Hey Hologram. I believe this inscription to be rare on a Mays Ball, as it has the date of his famous Catch in the '54 World Series. Has anyone else seen one signed in this manner?

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Posted By: Jodi Birkholm

Any special inscription by Mays is worth holding on to. Your ball is a great investment piece. Mays' temperamental demeanor is legendary. Like Rickey Henderson and Hank Aaron, it's obvious he never won any spelling bees as a child!

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Posted By: Hagar Henderson

I placed the order Friday night. I can't wait to get it! Mays doesn't make too many autograph appearances any more. Now I will have both Mantle and Mays! The Mantle is Upper Deck Authenticated.

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Posted By: davidcycleback

Sounds like a nice pair. Next you can get a Sandy Koufax, who was signed for UDA and Steiner. Hank Aaron has signed for Steiner as well, and Stan Musial has his own autograph company (Stan the Man, Inc). I had a 'Stan the Man' signed photo. The cool thing was the LOA was signed by Musial as well. Nolan Ryan has his own hologram and you can buy autographs from his charity which will come with the hologram.

I once had a Cal Ripken single signed ball that had three holograms, a postmark, postage stamp and 2 LOAs. I was just glad it wasn't signed by two players.

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Posted By: Hagar Henderson

Dan, I actually got Stan Musial to sign two items through the mail for free back around 1987. One was a 3x5 index card that I sent, and another was a postcard with his picture on it that he sent on his own.