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Would you keep this ball??

[IMG]http://i450.photobucket.com/albums/qq224/Blackitalian/baberuthball.jpg[/IMG]

bought this 1930 yankees ball for $2200. All signatures are authentic but has a clubhouse gehrig signature. Also after looking at the ball more i noticed the toning is actually shellac which i wasnt made aware of before i bought it. Would you keep this ball or return it? the shellac has obviously been on there for a long time but the auction never stated it had it on there

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Permalink Reply by terrier8HOF on October 19, 2012 at 5:25pm

Even with the clubhouse Gehrig, that is not a bad price for a Yankees team ball with Ruth on it. and the Ruth is actually a fairly nice example. As for the shellac, it was very common back then. people did this to preserve the signatures, but it actually reacts and turns the ball brown. As far as whether you should keep it or not, that is a personal choice. I have a 1929 barnstorming ball with Ruth, Gehrig, Hornsby, Hack Wilson, Vance, Cuyler and Hartnett. it is also shellacked on the signatures, so the ball itself has a nice normal tone for its age, but the shellacked areas are brown. but the signatures are still strong, so it really doesn't bother me. but if you are not happy with the ball, send it back.

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Permalink Reply by Joey Farino on October 19, 2012 at 5:26pm

will the shellack ruin the signatures over time?

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Permalink Reply by Steve Cyrkin, Admin on October 19, 2012 at 6:28pm

Good question. You'll notice some areas on the Babe Ruth signature where the shellac cracked off and took ink with it. That's likely to continue. But you've got a bold ball there and I agree with Terrier, it wasn't a bad deal. They should have told you it was shellacked, though.

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Permalink Reply by terrier8HOF on October 19, 2012 at 6:50pm

Steve, I am curious about the degradation continuing. I have a ball from 1929 that is shellacked and ive had it for 10 years, and it looks the same as when I bought it. after 80 years, as long as you store the ball properly, wouldnt you think that most of the degradation would have stablized by now?

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Permalink Reply by Steve Cyrkin, Admin on October 19, 2012 at 7:06pm

You should talk with someone experienced in preservation, but degradation will continue...it's a matter of how fast. It depends on where you live, how it's stored...light, humidity, temperature.

The ball will expand and contract slightly and moisture and contaminants can get into the areas where the shellac has cracked or chipped away.