I'm not knocking Ken, as all auction houses handle things the same way (if PSA and/or JSA like it, then we like it and the bidders who don't read Net54 will like it), but Shelly's point is significant. For a ball this important, I would like to see the AH's tell the consignor: "okay, but it goes through physical testing first. It's going to cost you $3,000-5,000 which you eat either way. If it fails, you keep the ball."
There are plenty of places on a ball like this that could absorb a one-time physical testing (with all the chipping, etc), and it would put all doubts to rest. Besides, some day someone will have it tested and what if it fails? That's no good for any auction house that has ever auctioned it, or for PSA and JSA.
Regarding the 'Risberg/Risbirg' issue, there aren't too many exemplars, but I did find a couple where I could see his 'e' leaning toward looking like an un-dotted 'i', and the dot on the ball's 'i' could definitely be ink splatter.
__________________
$co++ Forre$+
|