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#1
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I'm pretty new to the vintage and signed baseball markets but I've noticed that many auction house listings mention that the signatures on a given item were preserved under a layer of shellac. In some cases the ball appears pretty browned, but other times it appears to be pretty close to white.
I was wondering how shellac was viewed by collectors? Are signatures with the same "grade" valued differently if one is on a ball that has shellac? Is it more a matter of aesthetics when it comes to coloring? Is there anything else worth knowing? Also, does a layer of shellac mean there is less of a concern about fading and sunlight? I have the balls displayed in a place where they get no direct sunlight, (and in general not a ton of light) but definitely don't want an 60-90 year old item to fade because I was careless. Any help is very much appreciated! After being a fan of baseball for a long time I've ventured into this world knowing very little, and this board has been a huge help. |
#2
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Always best to collect balls without shellac, in my opinion. If two balls have comparable sigs, the non-shellacked ball will be the more desirable...
* Shellac can turn color over tme (anything from beige to yellow to dark brown) * Shellac can flake off over time, leaving an uneven surface. * Shellac can actually lift off and can chip the signature off the ball. I have seen extreme examples where the shellac starts flaking off, and lifts the ink right off with it. In many cases, the shellac doesn't do this, but why take the chance? I always hold out for non-shellacked balls for these reasons. As a general rule, a shellacked ball will sell for 25 - 30% less than a comparable non-shellacked ball. Of course there are exceptions that go both ways. There is a reason that this practice is now antiquated and obsolete. If the auction house is putting a positive spin on it (such as "Signatures are well preserved under a protective layer of shellac"), they are just engaging in puffery and trying to inflate its value. Hope this helps. Last edited by perezfan; 06-06-2014 at 07:55 AM. |
#3
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Given the way signatures can sometimes fade or blur with time, is there anything that can be sprayed over a ball that is undetectable, but protects them?
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$co++ Forre$+ |
#4
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A UV ballcube is the best way to go.
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Always Buying game used BATS A portion of my collection on GUA: https://gameusedauthority.com/all-co...member_id=pUnl |
#5
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Are the ball cubes that come from the auction houses (like Heritage) UV protected? Thanks
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#6
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The fading and blurring on my balls (1972-73 signatures) is due to the ink and leather, as they have rarely been exposed to light. I got one signed in 1972 and in 1973 - all of the signatures from 1972 are now blurry. The other was signed in 1973 and all of the signatures on one piece of leather are now virtually gone, while the others still look brand new.
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$co++ Forre$+ |
#7
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![]() On a serious note, I would listen to Perezfan above...
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Leon Luckey Last edited by Leon; 06-06-2014 at 08:32 AM. |
#8
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Personally I like the look of shellacked baseballs as long as they aren't destroyed. For me it's a connection to the original owner, which I find cool. Like when you buy a card with a name stamp on the back.
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#9
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For me it depends on the item but I definitely agree for many items. I got a baseball signed by the WWII team from the Stan Musial collection (he served in the Pacific theater and they had an 8 team league there... action was not nearly as intense as it was in Europe.) It's totally brown and covered in shellac but I love that that was how he had it (and it's been really interesting researching the people who signed the ball...)
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#10
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![]() Quote:
Thanks for the extensive response. I don't know that the auction houses were putting a positive spin on it this way. Just that they were mentioning it and I wanted to understand the ramifications. The focus of my collection are items that are at the nexus between baseball and general history so there aren't a ton of items I am really looking to buy (especially since my preference is signed baseballs). I picked up a couple of WWII team signed baseballs from the Musial Estate Auction from Heritage a year ago and both of them have shellac on them, and picked up a 1931 US tour to Japan team signed ball and it too has a layer of shellac. Aesthetically for me they all look great (I actually like the look of the browned Musial ball) partially because of the uniqueness of the item and the fact that this is how Musial had the ball and I was comfortable with the prices I paid, but I wanted to better understand the relevance of the shellac. This Musial definitely displays some of the effects you mention: ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() While the 1931 AS one looks a little cleaner: ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
#11
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That's the best you can hope for. It seems to me that these shellacked balls are now so old that we are 'probably' okay basing our purchase on how they look today.
I only have one shellacked ball (I would never say that anywhere but here), and while nowhere near as nice as yours, I think it looks pretty good:
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$co++ Forre$+ Last edited by Runscott; 11-30-2014 at 12:15 PM. |
#12
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Great stuff... and with regard to this topic, beauty is definitely in the eye of the beholder. Some of those older balls look pretty cool with the shellac, as referenced above.
My personal fear is that the shellac could flake off and take the prized signatures with it. Just a little pessimism with some OCD sprinkled in for good measure. That's why I've personally avoided them. If you look at prices realized in the major auctions, you'll see the general collecting population feels the same. Of course a lot depends on the severity of the shellacking. Not sure why some shellacs and varnishes flaked and changed color, and others didn't.... Perhaps it was the particular brand of shellac Perhaps it was the way in which the varnish was applied (i.e. sprayed vs. brushed on) Perhaps it was the storage method and/or exposure to the elements (light/heat/cold/humidity) over the years Maybe someone here with a science degree can chime in and enlighten us a bit more ![]() |
#13
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such a discussion won't devolve into "when water is not a chemical".......
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