Vintage baseballs… advice for first time buyer?

[Belfast1933]

I enjoy adding complimentary items to accentuate my Hall of Fame card collection and display….

One area of memorabilia that I know zero about is vintage, old timey baseballs. Would love to hear some advice from experienced collectors to help me find affordable, but authentic and cool old baseballs to display in my card cave.

Any high level guidance or advice you can share? What kind of cost price points occur as the balls get older and older?

If there are previous threads on this topic, I’d welcome that referral as well.

Thx all,

Jeff

[Shoeless Moe]

Buy yourself these 2 Books:

http://www.historyofthebaseball.com/

[khkco4bls]

Official league baseball's, generic baseball's what are you interested in

[mrreality68]

good question. I would also be interested in the experts about baseballs. For me it is vintage baseballs pre 1939 potentially game used, or specials ones related to specific era's of times. I thought I read somewhere the balls has different manufacturers different years in the early days

[perezfan]

How far back do you want to go? Lemon Peels? Belt Balls? Early Figure 8s?

Antique Baseball collecting is among the most fun/rewarding segments in the hobby. But it’s a completely different “animal” than manufactured balls of the 20th Century. Please specify your interests, as it will make it easier to help out.

[sphere and ash]

This is a theme to which I’ve devoted myself for almost 30 years, and I’m happy to help offline. At first, inspired by the Hall’s ‘evolution of the baseball’ exhibit, I tried to recreate it. Then I realized that there were other stories to tell: why do fans fight for foul balls, no different than the ones they can purchase except for the fact that they have entered the field of play? Why did early teams keep their baseballs as trophies of victory and why did they decorate them? How did that tradition evolve? In what ways was it continued by folk artists like George Sosnak? What does the evolution of the baseball say, if anything, about American ingenuity? What do Federal League, Negro League, and AAGPBBL balls say about American social movements? I could go on, but you understand that much more is possible than collecting every possible Harridge stamp. There is nothing wrong with that, of course—everyone has their own story to tell through their collection—but I think more interesting collections are made without a checklist in hand.

I acquired the last out ball from Brooklyn’s 1955 season. Gil Hodges wrote on it, “It’s good luck just to touch it.” That’s what I wanted to get at: what is it about the baseball as object and symbol and artifact that makes it so compelling? There is no right way to do it; this was merely my way.

[Belfast1933]

As the OG poster here, first let me say THANKS for the posts so far… and to clarify what I am looking for, I can safely say.. I’m not sure yet!

My happy place at home is my baseball cave where I display my HOF cards which are complimented by great items like vintage baseball mags, my first-ever pick up of a vintage “spitter” catchers mask, a cool 1940’s Mel Ott mitt, etc.

But I’d also love to sprinkle in some meaningful but affordable baseballs to help show off the collection.

I am not into autographs nor do I need to know the ball had significant historical relevance (though, that is a cool way to collect!)

If I could, showing a sample baseball through the years would be a nice adjunct to my “card cave” - for example, are old lemon peel baseballs crazy unaffordable?

Sorry I can’t be more specific yet… but please do keep the stories (and advice/lessons learned) from your own experience coming!

Thanks and Happy Friday, all!

[mrreality68]

Originally Posted by Belfast1933

As the OG poster here, first let me say THANKS for the posts so far… and to clarify what I am looking for, I can safely say.. I’m not sure yet!

My happy place at home is my baseball cave where I display my HOF cards which are complimented by great items like vintage baseball mags, my first-ever pick up of a vintage “spitter” catchers mask, a cool 1940’s Mel Ott mitt, etc.

But I’d also love to sprinkle in some meaningful but affordable baseballs to help show off the collection.

I am not into autographs nor do I need to know the ball had significant historical relevance (though, that is a cool way to collect!)

If I could, showing a sample baseball through the years would be a nice adjunct to my “card cave” - for example, are old lemon peel baseballs crazy unaffordable?

Sorry I can’t be more specific yet… but please do keep the stories (and advice/lessons learned) from your own experience coming!

Thanks and Happy Friday, all!

Wow. That room looks amazing. Congrats Jeff

You have a nice display, nice collection and blend it all well.

I am envious I just have a few photos up on wall, few balls on small shelf and 1 Bat on the wall spread out and it does not real flow and not displayed as nice as yours. A mask and glove I might now add at some point