[Smarti5051]

I recently received two baseballs signed by Mickey Mantle from my MIL. Each is inscribed:

To Bill(other one is "To Will")
Best Wishes
Mickey Mantle

The balls are brand new and the ink has not faded at all, as they have been stored away in a box in a cabinet for 40 years. I had a couple of thoughts, and wanted to check with memorabilia experts to see what the best course would be if I am ultimately interested in selling one (or both). First, what do most memorabilia collectors think about services that clean words from a signed ball (ie "To Bill")? Is this usually frowned upon by memorabilia collectors (like altering cards), or is it preferred? As a non-memorabilia collector, I would prefer the ball without the "To Bill," but I am not sure the collector community's preference.

Second, assuming there is value added by removing the inscribed words, how do authenticators like PSA deal with a card that has had inscriptions removed? Will they still authenticate the autograph, or will they consider the ball altered and either refuse to grade or make an altered designation?

Finally, overall, if it costs about $150 to remove the "To Bill" and about $50 to get the signature authenticated, does the cost outweigh the value added if the ultimate goal is to sell the ball?

Thanks for any insights.