Prewar Baseball

[1880nonsports]

experience helps. It's a leap of faith to different degrees as these were often crude and homemade examples. Type of leather, stitching, weight, diameter, and construction are all used in conjunction with an experienced eye. The ball looks OK from a scan - not pretty - but I see no glaring signs that's it's a marriage or a fake. As to whether it could be a handmade 20th century ball - the lemon construction suggests no but without it in hand it's measured speculation. As for value I'd suggest a lower estimate without more substantive information and study - it's not that "pretty". Have attached a pic of a few of my types. Still looking for a nice "H" style ball in larger size than the one I have.

no guarantees whether written or implied

[Scott Garner]

Originally Posted by 1880nonsports

experience helps. It's a leap of faith to different degrees as these were often crude and homemade examples. Type of leather, stitching, weight, diameter, and construction are all used in conjunction with an experienced eye. The ball looks OK from a scan - not pretty - but I see no glaring signs that's it's a marriage or a fake. As to whether it could be a handmade 20th century ball - the lemon construction suggests no but without it in hand it's measured speculation. As for value I'd suggest a lower estimate without more substantive information and study - it's not that "pretty". Have attached a pic of a few of my types. Still looking for a nice "H" style ball in larger size than the one I have.

no guarantees whether written or implied

Jeesus!! That's one gorgeous vintage ball display!
Congrats on your collection....

[Runscott]

Originally Posted by 1880nonsports

It's a leap of faith to different degrees

To me, collecting home-made baseballs has that same "leap of faith" element that you have with a lot of autographed items. I have a hard time taking that leap when there are other things to collect that don't require it, but I completely understand, and I know that Mark is your man when it comes to this sort of item. I also like the idea of asking Mears to look at it, although I wonder if a letter from a well-respected forum member might be just as good, or maybe even better.

I recently received a photograph from Legendary for which I later located a letter of opinion from David (Cycleback). I already knew it was real, but as a collector on this forum, such a letter would be more important to me than a PSA/DNA slab.