Signed Baseballs l Autographed Baseballs
When it comes to collecting autographed signed baseballs, there are some general guidelines you need to know. First, a blue ball-point pen is definitely the way to go. You will notice that the blue ink is preferred due to the strong contrast and resistance to fading through the years. One check of popular autograph pages at Steiner Sports, Tri-Star, etc. to review their selection will prove this point. Traditionally, the "sweet spot" of the baseball is reserved for the manager of the team. So, if you are wanting to collect autographed baseballs of specific players, you need to request they sign on the sweet spot. At autograph shows, where you are paying for an athlete signature, they generally assume you want their signature in this location.
But if you are getting signatures at the ballpark before the game, it's important to request this. You need to be aware that since players are aware of this protocol, they may not always comply with your request when it comes to a free autograph!
That doesn't mean that a baseball autographed in a location other than the sweet spot is flawed, it just means the value will be impacted - good or bad.
The exception to this rule is below, where special edition baseballs are generally signed on the "horseshoe" area of the ball:
It's best to have them signed with blue or black ballpoint pen instead of a Sharpie marker. A Sharpie can bleed if you aren't careful.
Blue ballpoint pen holds up the best over time especially if you protect it from the elements with
baseball display cases.
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