Mantle Ball - UDA vs PSA 9

[shelly]

Originally Posted by Clueless

I just don't quite understand why the PSA graded ball always seems to sell at a higher price than a UDA first person authenticated ball. Not sure which will retain greater value in the future.

Because it is all bs. If your buying the ball to keep. Buy the UDA ball and be happy. It is total garbage gradeing a ball. It can fade it can become spoted or it can be handled the wrong way and there goes your bs nine.

[Clueless]

Originally Posted by shelly

Because it is all bs. If your buying the ball to keep. Buy the UDA ball and be happy. It is total garbage gradeing a ball. It can fade it can become spoted or it can be handled the wrong way and there goes your bs nine.

Good point. If Mick was signed to a contract with UDA near the end of his career, I wonder how it is that he was able to sign a pristine ball as I do not believe the signature predated 1990, after which he was under UDA contract. I guess you just have to trust PSA on that. But yeah, seems strange to me that a ball with an opinion can cost so much more than a ball that is first person authenticated. Doesn't make any sense to me.

[packs]

Won't every ball turn brown eventually? I know UV cases have only been around for so long, but it seems like leather will always age. Or at least it has aged in a consistent way for a long time.

[w7imel]

Mickey signed with UDA after his career and closer to his death, he signed with them mid 90's if memory severs well. He did alot of card shows as well mid 90's before he died. If it is UDA authenticated it was signed long after his playing days. As far as ball toning as I understand it the balls from bobby brown made in haiti didnt use distilled water and that led to it but besides that keeping in an UV case should really help. someone please correct me if I am wrong.

[Runscott]

Originally Posted by packs

Won't every ball turn brown eventually? I know UV cases have only been around for so long, but it seems like leather will always age. Or at least it has aged in a consistent way for a long time.

I have two team-signed balls that are over 40 years old, and both look brand-new. Entropy eventually gets everything, but it could be thousands of years.

[w7imel]

do you display theses balls scott? if so in a UV holder?

[tazdmb]

The Mantle comment with UDA is spot on, was with them from around 93-94. He was their first exclusive athlete, and then-like now-there stuff is 100%. Given a choice between UDA witnessed signature and PSA, it is a no brainier to me.

[shelly]

Ninty nine percent of all Mantle balls you see for sale are after he quit baseball.
If I where to buy a ball from todays market it would be a UDA.
Why whould you ever need any third party to authenticate and pay more. Look ask and find a clean ball. If the person that sold it to you lied send it back untill you get what you want.
In answer to your question. Mick either signed with a UDA person there or it was done at corperate.

[Clueless]

Originally Posted by tazdmb

The Mantle comment with UDA is spot on, was with them from around 93-94. He was their first exclusive athlete, and then-like now-there stuff is 100%. Given a choice between UDA witnessed signature and PSA, it is a no brainier to me.

Yes, normally it is a no brainer. However, would your opinion change if the UDA ball had minor toning and the PSA is mint graded? Would you ever choose a ball based on its better condition if it means 3rd party authenticated?

[Runscott]

Originally Posted by w7imel

do you display theses balls scott? if so in a UV holder?

Michael, one has spent most of its life (since '73) in a dark box, but several years, off and on, out in the open, exposed - it's now in a dark basement and never sees sunlight, and very little bulb light. I bought the other one (1967 ball) last year and my suspicion is that it's also spent its life buried in a box somewhere. But I don't know. I'm old enough, and these balls of low enough value, that I'm not concerned about much of anything happening to them during my lifetime, but all of my other exposed autographs of any value (stuff I will pass down or perhaps sell someday), are behind uv-protected glass. I think it makes sense, even if I'm not sure it is necessary.

[packs]

There will always be exceptions of course. But I don't know if just sunlight is the cause of the browning. The same aging is evident on many baseballs and who knows what environments they were in. But it is consistent. Maybe it's only sun, maybe its a combination of things.