Mantle Ball - UDA vs PSA 9

[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.

[w7imel]

no!!!!!!!!!! I want real deal...thats just me. want to go to sleep knowing money was wall spent

[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?

[djson1]

Originally Posted by Clueless

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?

I would still pick the UDA ball. After reading about all the horror stories on here, I don't think I would ever even buy a Mantle ball without UDA, unless another company like Steiner did Mantle balls, which I don't think they did (somebody can correct me here). But I think the % of fake Mantle balls out there are just too high....I'd stick with something reliable like UDA.

Plus, recently I saw a bunch of Koufax balls authenticated by PSA and JSA and they were all bogus sigs. My confidence in their opinions is just getting worse and worse as the years go on.

[Fuddjcal]

Originally Posted by djson1

I would still pick the UDA ball. After reading about all the horror stories on here, I don't think I would ever even buy a Mantle ball without UDA, unless another company like Steiner did Mantle balls, which I don't think they did (somebody can correct me here). But I think the % of fake Mantle balls out there are just too high....I'd stick with something reliable like UDA.

Plus, recently I saw a bunch of Koufax balls authenticated by PSA and JSA and they were all bogus sigs. My confidence in their opinions is just getting worse and worse as the years go on.

Do the work yourself PERIOD. It doesn't make a rats ass of a difference. Just look at the stupid autograph for cryin out loud. 2 of the 3 I showed you don't have a thing on the ball. I did my own authentication and I don't care what any child like moron with a sticker or a stamps says. Do you have rocks for brains or just ADHD? or just a hard head? Just wondering? AND yes, Mantle fakes out weigh the real ones 10-1. They stand out like a sore thumb. If you can't tell the difference, maybe you should collect train sets

[djson1]

Originally Posted by Fuddjcal

Do the work yourself PERIOD. It doesn't make a rats ass of a difference. Just look at the stupid autograph for cryin out loud. 2 of the 3 I showed you don't have a thing on the ball. I did my own authentication and I don't care what any child like moron with a sticker or a stamps says. Do you have rocks for brains or just ADHD? or just a hard head? Just wondering? AND yes, Mantle fakes out weigh the real ones 10-1. They stand out like a sore thumb. If you can't tell the difference, maybe you should collect train sets

Were you specifically addressing this to me, Chuck, or were you speaking in generalities? Because if you were speaking to me directly, I don't understand what your problem is. Your choice of words and tone reflects pretty badly on yourself. And by the way, if you feel confident in your Mantle balls, that's fine, but for some of us who don't want to take that gamble on autographs that are highly targeted by expert forgers, we prefer not to be duped and can live without having a high percentage forged autograph, like a Mantle ball. I was just saying, if I'm in the market for a Mantle ball, I would definitely choose UDA over a TPA.

[w7imel]

Didnt mantle sign with ScoreBoard INC before UDA. Could have sworn Service merchindise and places like that sold them before he went to UDA

[shelly]

Originally Posted by w7imel

Didnt mantle sign with ScoreBoard INC before UDA. Could have sworn Service merchindise and places like that sold them before he went to UDA

Yes they did. Score Board was around long before UDA. The had a whole lot of people that went on to sign with UDA. AAron, Williams,Mantle, Montana to name a few.

[Clueless]

Originally Posted by djson1

I would still pick the UDA ball. After reading about all the horror stories on here, I don't think I would ever even buy a Mantle ball without UDA, unless another company like Steiner did Mantle balls, which I don't think they did (somebody can correct me here). But I think the % of fake Mantle balls out there are just too high....I'd stick with something reliable like UDA.

Plus, recently I saw a bunch of Koufax balls authenticated by PSA and JSA and they were all bogus sigs. My confidence in their opinions is just getting worse and worse as the years go on.

Thanks, jason. Would you ever purchase a Mantle ball based on your own evaluation of hiis sig? Or would you require a coa?

Also, on the Koufax balls, are you saying they were bogus based on your own evaluation or was this publicly acknowledged by psa?

Thanks, for sharing your thoughts!

[djson1]

Originally Posted by Clueless

Thanks, jason. Would you ever purchase a Mantle ball based on your own evaluation of hiis sig? Or would you require a coa?

Also, on the Koufax balls, are you saying they were bogus based on your own evaluation or was this publicly acknowledged by psa?

Thanks, for sharing your thoughts!

If I ever get to the point where I feel comfortable in determining authentic Mantles, I may purchase one. But I already have a few from the '80s that I got in person (photos), so, I think I'm good for now. Plus, I was never a big Mantle guy anyways.

Regarding the Koufax balls...I'm saying they were bogus based on my own evaluation. There are certain known forged or secretarials of Koufax and I've seen PSA and JSA certs on them quite often.

[shelly]

Originally Posted by djson1

If I ever get to the point where I feel comfortable in determining authentic Mantles, I may purchase one. But I already have a few from the '80s that I got in person (photos), so, I think I'm good for now. Plus, I was never a big Mantle guy anyways.

Regarding the Koufax balls...I'm saying they were bogus based on my own evaluation. There are certain known forged or secretarials of Koufax and I've seen PSA and JSA certs on them quite often.

Can you send me some scans of the balls you think are bad or put them on the net.

[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.

[Runscott]

Originally Posted by 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.

I think you are right that it is a combination of things. Regarding most of the 'brown' ones - if they are not shellacked, do they look like they've been consistently handled? I ask because I can't remember ever seeing a ball that looks un-handled (like my two), but is browned. The only exception is the ones that have had shellack or similar substances applied.

[Runscott]

Originally Posted by 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.

I think you are right that it is a combination of things. Regarding most of the 'brown' ones - if they are not shellacked, do they look like they've been consistently handled? I ask because I can't remember ever seeing a ball that looks un-handled (like my two), but is browned. The only exception is the ones that have had shellack or similar substances applied.

[Fuddjcal]

You'd really have to buy the autograph and not the stupid sticker. The one thing about the upperdeck balls he signed is that they tone like a bit**, right in the bag and box they come in. Even if they are never displayed. It is almost impossible to find a so called UD "9".

The funny thing about some of the Bobby Brown AL balls is that if they haven't toned by now, usually they won't. same with the signature.

Signatures on selig balls that are graded will almost always fade over time for some reason, but the OLD balls that do not have a propensity for toning, somehow won't & don't?

As an owner of 10 Mantle balls, I would never pay a premium for a graded ball...EVER. I think it's moronic. My favorite Mantle balls are ones that are SNOW WHITE with-out some stupid sticker and they were purchased for a fraction of the cost of a stupid PSA 9, and much much nicer. Yes I have a PSA and a couple JSA Mantles thrown in there, but that's only because I was still learning his signature when I purchased them years ago. They almost always get Mantle right at least. Good luck.

[ATP]

Originally Posted by Fuddjcal

You'd really have to buy the autograph and not the stupid sticker. The one thing about the upperdeck balls he signed is that they tone like a bit**, right in the bag and box they come in. Even if they are never displayed. It is almost impossible to find a so called UD "9".

The funny thing about some of the Bobby Brown AL balls is that if they haven't toned by now, usually they won't. same with the signature.

Signatures on selig balls that are graded will almost always fade over time for some reason, but the OLD balls that do not have a propensity for toning, somehow won't & don't?

As an owner of 10 Mantle balls, I would never pay a premium for a graded ball...EVER. I think it's moronic. My favorite Mantle balls are ones that are SNOW WHITE with-out some stupid sticker and they were purchased for a fraction of the cost of a stupid PSA 9, and much much nicer. Yes I have a PSA and a couple JSA Mantles thrown in there, but that's only because I was still learning his signature when I purchased them years ago. They almost always get Mantle right at least. Good luck.

No dog at all in this fight, but you quote you bought a few psa and jsa mantles when you were still learning, so why berate someone in a similar position. As an aside, to the OP, if you find a Mantle ball you really like, not authenticated, and want reassurance, pm me and I can tell you almost with certainty if it is real. You will probably get a steal of a price too as non authenticated mantles sell all the time on ebay for low prices.

[w7imel]

Scott that was my question for you guys. I had always heard that the bobby brown bals some of them were flawed due to leather being processed in non distilled water. I was wondering from you guys if you belive this to be true as well. thanks. And was definatly not ignoreing you. Value your opionion very much....mike

[Clueless]

Originally Posted by ATP

No dog at all in this fight, but you quote you bought a few psa and jsa mantles when you were still learning, so why berate someone in a similar position. As an aside, to the OP, if you find a Mantle ball you really like, not authenticated, and want reassurance, pm me and I can tell you almost with certainty if it is real. You will probably get a steal of a price too as non authenticated mantles sell all the time on ebay for low prices.

Thank you so much for the offer. If i find one, i'll take you up.

[packs]

Originally Posted by Runscott

I think you are right that it is a combination of things. Regarding most of the 'brown' ones - if they are not shellacked, do they look like they've been consistently handled? I ask because I can't remember ever seeing a ball that looks un-handled (like my two), but is browned. The only exception is the ones that have had shellack or similar substances applied.

Really? I see scattered toning on baseballs all the time. It's usually brown spots in seemingly random locations that look to me like they'll eventually spread to cover the entire baseball.

Here's just one example:

Clean Sweep 500 Homers

[Runscott]

Originally Posted by packs

Really? I see scattered toning on baseballs all the time. It's usually brown spots in seemingly random locations that look to me like they'll eventually spread to cover the entire baseball.

Here's just one example:

Clean Sweep 500 Homers

That looks like a light coating of shellack or something similar.

[packs]

I don't think so. It's natural toning. I don't know what causes it, but it's something that naturally happens. Probably influenced by sunlight, but I don't think it's only sunlight.

Eddie Mathews

Lee Smith

Yaz