Fading Autograph Question

[CamaroDMD]

Originally Posted by Klrdds

Many issues can be the cause ,but I believe in your case the case is still too exposed to light , temperature and humidity no matter what its UV rating is.
Also the balls themselves can be a problem especially how they were handled prior to signing . I agree with Mike , in that the type of pen is important .I always get baseballs signed in Medium blue ink from new Bic pens for current players , and I've used them for over 30 years with no problems. But I also believe that Selig and Post -Selig baseballs have a slightly different finish on them as well.

Do you think it's light from the window...even with the blinds closed?

[Michael B]

Originally Posted by CamaroDMD

Do you think it's light from the window...even with the blinds closed?

Look at the light coming in in your photo. That is quite a bit. If this is an easterly or westerly facing window go in the room when the sun is hitting that side of the house and you will have your answer. If that is your only choice for where you display you may wish to consider black out curtains. Alternatively, you could hang dark curtains, on a 'U' shaped rod and use velcro to attach the edges to the wall. If you go with curtains I would use a single curtain, hang the rod very high on the wall so that the frill at the top touches the ceiling. The curtain should hang 8 -12 inches below the sill and extend 4-6 inches past the sides of the window. It is not perfect, but it is a solution. If you keep it closed when the sun is on that side of the house it will also keep out a lot of heat. My bedroom window faces the morning sun and has blinds. I did not want to hang curtains so I use an old dark blue duvet cover hanging with push pins. It keeps out a lot of light and heat. I have a hook so that I can pull it aside when I need light and it is cooler.

[CamaroDMD]

Originally Posted by Michael B

Look at the light coming in in your photo. That is quite a bit. If this is an easterly or westerly facing window go in the room when the sun is hitting that side of the house and you will have your answer. If that is your only choice for where you display you may wish to consider black out curtains. Alternatively, you could hang dark curtains, on a 'U' shaped rod and use velcro to attach the edges to the wall. If you go with curtains I would use a single curtain, hang the rod very high on the wall so that the frill at the top touches the ceiling. The curtain should hang 8 -12 inches below the sill and extend 4-6 inches past the sides of the window. It is not perfect, but it is a solution. If you keep it closed when the sun is on that side of the house it will also keep out a lot of heat. My bedroom window faces the morning sun and has blinds. I did not want to hang curtains so I use an old dark blue duvet cover hanging with push pins. It keeps out a lot of light and heat. I have a hook so that I can pull it aside when I need light and it is cooler.

This is a southern facing window. So, it really never gets direct sunlight. But, I do live just about the 45th parallel so the sun is always on the northern part of the sky as it passes overhead.

Curtains would be an option for sure. Do you think it's the light from outside or inside? There is an overhead light but it uses LED bulbs. I can't imagine that plays much of a role.

I want to expand this collection so I need to protect it as best as I can.

[mrmopar]

That is scary to think, but I believe it can happen to paper items too. I do not collect baseballs, but have a couple dozen I have picked up for one reason for another. I will go to my death still complaining about the certain UD Sweet Spot balls that faded. Aside from several Garvey cards that have faded almost to nothing, I am victim of a Mike Marshall glove card /25 that is bleeding/fading into nothing. Had I known or had the slightest clue, I would have paid extra for the baseball versions. They seem to have survived. The gloves, at least mine, are not!

[mcgwirecom]

It can definitely be the ink too. I had a Perfect Game ball signed by 18 pitchers. Only one player faded a lot over a few years and of course it had to be Koufax which cost me $400. The rest held up much better.

[Klrdds]

Looking closer at your photo I see fading and / or spotting on all the baseballs except Mathews , Glavine and Uecker . Also they show different types of ink size and quality . I’d move that display to a better place , and not worry about the curtain issue unless this is where you wish the display to be . It’s a nice display that I have seen many times being near Atlanta with various Braves players ,and replacing the faded baseballs wouldn’t be difficult or expensive if you wanted .

[CamaroDMD]

Originally Posted by Klrdds

Looking closer at your photo I see fading and / or spotting on all the baseballs except Mathews , Glavine and Uecker . Also they show different types of ink size and quality . I’d move that display to a better place , and not worry about the curtain issue unless this is where you wish the display to be . It’s a nice display that I have seen many times being near Atlanta with various Braves players ,and replacing the faded baseballs wouldn’t be difficult or expensive if you wanted .

Unfortunately, I have very limited space to display this so I'm sorta stuck where it is. It's display it here or nowhere. If the belief is that the proximity to the window is a significant part of this issue, than black-out curtains would seem to be the best fix.

As for the balls themselves, the two photos posted were taken using different cameras, lighting conditions, and angles. Looking at them in hand, I can tell you that the Chipper, Justice, and Spahn (especially Spahn) were always lighter on the ball and using a different kind of ink. To my eye, if these have changed over time it's been minimal. The Cox was always weak at the top of the signature but it may have weakened slightly further. The Andruw Jones, Mathews, Aaron, and Glavine look to be exactly as they were the day I purchased them. The Hank Aaron ball has always had a light brown spotting to it. The first photo masked it pretty well but it has always been there and looks unchanged.

The Uecker was not in the frame during the original photo but was added a short time later. Has probably been there for 4+ years. It was a TTM auto using the exact same type of ball and pen as the Murphy and Niekro. My intention was always to round out this set with a Greg Maddux ball (in Uecker's place) but it just hasn't happened yet. My intention for now is to actually get a bigger frame of the same type and do a more diverse collection of balls. So, I want to make sure they are protected.