Best Pen for a Signature on a Baseball?

[mcgwirecom]

I know they were making a baseball that looked like an Official ML Manfred ball but was made in China I think and had a synthetic cover. These of course were much cheaper then the real thing, but they LOOK like the real thing. Are you sure you have the one with the leather cover? Just throwing it out there...

[Mr. Zipper]

I was recently looking through my signed baseballs... most obtained in-person in the 1990s and early 2000s. So, they are typically Selig and Budig official baseballs.

They have been stored in cubes in a cool dry closet since they day they were signed. In a shocking number of cases, the balls have dark toning and stains. On some, portions of the ballpoint signature has almost evaporated. Not like UV fading, but portions of the signature are significantly lighter than other parts. Yet, some balls stored in the same closet are still snow white.

I suspect this is the result of chemical reactions of oils and/or the chemicals used to process the leather. It is certainly not environmental or from handling.

In my view, recently signed baseballs are like investing in a ticking time bomb. Even under the best conditions they can fade or stain to the point of undesirability. There isn't a thing you can do to prevent it.

I would not purchase a signed ball unless it was at least 20 years old at this point. I think if you get to a certain age and the ball is still clean looking, it likely stable and will remain free of atypical spots or toning.

[saltbox68]

Two quick opinions:
1. Until 1974 baseballs were covered with horsehide, not the presently used cowhide. The horsehide was more accommodating to signatures. Usually when the ball toned or darkened, it did so evenly.
2. Game used balls that have been rubbed with umpires’s mud are also more likely to age well. This makes the leather less absorbent and so the ink of signatures is less likely to lighten or disappear entirely.

[Case12]

Of hundreds I have, never had one bleed. All Rawlings OMLB, most signed in 80's or 90's. All blue ballpoint. Some browned slightly. A couple Browned a lot. I am ok with Browning personally. That's how history works sometimes. Only one faded. Ryne Sandberg from early 2000's. I got him at a show. Signature completely gone and inscription gone. That sucks. Had I caught it early enough I would have traced it (it was personalized, so I would rather trace than loose it). All displayed in same place.

[Huck]

Originally Posted by Case12

Of hundreds I have, never had one bleed. All Rawlings OMLB, most signed in 80's or 90's. All blue ballpoint. Some browned slightly. A couple Browned a lot. I am ok with Browning personally. That's how history works sometimes. Only one faded. Ryne Sandberg from early 2000's. I got him at a show. Signature completely gone and inscription gone. That sucks. Had I caught it early enough I would have traced it (it was personalized, so I would rather trace than loose it). All displayed in same place.

I feel your pain. I have a Bob Horner, Gaylord Perry and Bud Selig that are all but gone. The Horner being the worst of the bunch. On the bright side the DiMaggio and Mantle look as if the balls were signed yesterday. I have sworn of getting balls signed, which stinks because a ball signed on the sweet spot just displays so well.