First off let me say wow! That is a beautiful display you have, I am sure many years of time and research invested.
Thank you for the response. You've confirmed my beliefs that there are too many challenges in acquiring a legitimate lemon peel ball.
perhaps more so than any other collectible I've dabbled in. Maybe this could be a goal for the next two years.
A thought on seeking the experts. Are there any specific websites or sources that sell vintage baseballs with some expertise and guarantee? This day in age with coins, photographs, autographs etc you'd expect a viable authenticator for every category of collecting.
I know major auction houses frequently offer them however I am very skeptical (as you mentioned) Mainly because of stories I've read on some lemon peel ball scandals in years past.
In the meanwhile I'll continue researching and taking the patient approach.