Autographed baseball assistance

[Jetsfan]

I would think if I had purchased the ball without due diligence, that would make me a sucker (assuming that's what the PT Barnum reference was about). The balls are now headed for authentication. But thanks to those who provided constructive assistance.

[witster]

Realistically, any big purchase without making an attempt of research or due diligence, would make you foolish as well as a sucker.

As for "prices", he has every right to be concerned about what he might be spending. Perhaps, if they were cheap enough, he could just go and blindly buy the balls with no research and, take his chances.

The cautions about clubhouse signatures is VERY valid, especially for Brooklyn, regardless of the provenance. An "in person" account of actually receiving the signatures, as opposed to WHO I bought them from, would make me feel better about buying them.

Hopefully, you've found an artifact that you're happy to be the caretaker of.

Witster

[Duluth Eskimo]

Adam,
You could have saved yourself a whole lot of headache by asking for assistance prior to buying the items that you have admittedly not much knowledge in. Now, you are sending them for "authentication" and paying probably at least $200 more to be told what you could have had for free by posting some photos. I don't know if you're a sucker, but you're in the right ballpark.

[Jetsfan]

I'm not sure why many on this site, where I came as an admitted novice in this area, looking for help, have assumed I'm a sucker. Maybe my prior posts implied that I bought these balls already - I have not. These items were brought to me by a family acquaintance who is also not an expert in this area. When I explained to her that I would feel uncomfortable purchasing these items without having them authenticated, she stated that she was going to pay to send them for authentication, not me. After that we were going to discuss whether I would still be interested in purchasing the items. She was going to bring them for me to see them in person later this week.

Insults aside, I have not seen the balls yet, I have purchased nothing as of yet, and would not have even considered purchasing the items without authentication. Just wanted to clarify for the record, as it seems some have interpreted my prior post to mean that I already bought the balls - I have not.

[witster]

Moving forward, I wouldn't recommend considering buying anything, especially something autograph-related, without at least seeing pictures of the items. Particularly, an area where you aren't very knowledgeable.

Am I correctly presuming you are possibly buying the balls from a family member from someone involved with the Brooklyn Dodgers? If so, its also possible, that the stories vary over time due to varied memories of events which happened decades ago. Remember, you are likely dealing with 2nd and 3rd hand stories on the origins of the ball.

The authentication will be pricey for someone. The high majority of authenticated Brooklyn balls I've seen online, have some level clubhouse signatures. I'd consider saving images of authenticated Brooklyn balls. That will help with your future buying decisions. I don't know if you're a Brooklyn fan, or if you're only wanting to reap the benefits of an opportunity to buy fresh items.

Good luck to you. And hopefully, both you and the family acquaintance are both happy, if you complete a transaction.

Witster

[Bpm0014]

I'm not sure why many on this site, where I came as an admitted novice in this area, looking for help, have assumed I'm a sucker.

Not only do the members on this site err on the side of caution, they are always skeptical of someone new coming in (in general) and asking too many questions. The members here are not only a tight-knit community, they can also smell something fishy from a mile away. Thus, many of them can be a little brash at first. With that being said, the knowledge on this site is unsurpassed...and free. The best word of advice is to come in....introduce yourself....and have a little mouth and big ears for the first couple of months.

[Jetsfan]

Thanks Brendan,

I've actually been reading (and buying) on the card side for years, though infrequently posting. Appreciate the thoughts. And I should have some pictures to post this weekend.

Adam