question concerning my 1952 Yankees signed baseball

[ericmc83]

My father gave me a 1952 Yankees signed baseball. At least...it's 1952 the best we can tell. My aunt was childhood friends with a member of the team and she had a cardboard box full of signed balls from the 40s and 50s. She let the family go through the box and pick out whatever they wanted!! The only person it doesn't have is Mantle. It has Dimaggio across the sweet spot...along with Yogi Berra, Billy Martin, etc. I have 2 questions. First of all, is there anything I should know when I store this to keep it from aging? Are there any tricks to keeping this in good shape through the years? Second question is about the value. I will not sell this ball, but I would like to have an idea of its value. Any help would be appreciated! Thanks in advance. ~Eric

[Arlo]

I'm not by any means a preservation expert, but a simple plastic ball-holder will go a long way to prevent aging by keeping the ball (and the ink) safe from both accidents and oils on fingers. Keeping the ball away from direct sunlight also makes a big difference.

As to the value, I really couldn't say. Even without Mantle, there are some great players there, and Yankees memorabilia is always popular. One factor that might keep the value down, though, is the lack of authentication of the signatures.

Nice item!

[Lofunzo]

I'm not by any means a preservation expert, but a simple plastic ball-holder will go a long way to prevent aging by keeping the ball (and the ink) safe from both accidents and oils on fingers. Keeping the ball away from direct sunlight also makes a big difference.

As to the value, I really couldn't say. Even without Mantle, there are some great players there, and Yankees memorabilia is always popular. One factor that might keep the value down, though, is the lack of authentication of the signatures.

Nice item!

I agree about the sunlight. I had a ball that was in a holder from day 1 and it faded in a few years.