What is a 1948 or 49 Boston Red Sox team signed ball worth?

Ragic · Nov 9, 2009

My Family has owned this house since the 1930's My Mom now own's the house and has lived here all her life (70 years) It is a huge house with a full length attic. I thought I knew what was in every box in the attic but I was wrong. This past summer while I was on vacation, I was cleaning and putting things that were in cardboard boxes into plastic totes. In a box that held my Grandfathers old pay stubs and bank statements and various other paperwork, was an old baseball. I never seen it before so I brought it into the light for a better look. Well, after nearly having a heart attack on the spot, I did research on the net and came up with enough info to date it as either a 1948 or 1949 Boston Red Sox team signed ball. It has all the players including Ted Williams, Dom Dimagio, Johnny Pesky etc... But it also has Joe McCarthy, he became the Red Sox' manager in 1948 and came within a hair of winning a pennant that year and again in 1949, before retiring for good early in the 1950 season. And Ki Ki Cuyler who was a Boston Red Sox coach when he died suddenly, only 50 years old, before the 1950 season.

5woodluther · Nov 11, 2009

I would guess retail to be $800 - $1000.

tokenhead · Dec 9, 2009

Ragic said:
My Family has owned this house since the 1930's My Mom now own's the house and has lived here all her life (70 years) It is a huge house with a full length attic. I thought I knew what was in every box in the attic but I was wrong. This past summer while I was on vacation, I was cleaning and putting things that were in cardboard boxes into plastic totes. In a box that held my Grandfathers old pay stubs and bank statements and various other paperwork, was an old baseball. I never seen it before so I brought it into the light for a better look. Well, after nearly having a heart attack on the spot, I did research on the net and came up with enough info to date it as either a 1948 or 1949 Boston Red Sox team signed ball. It has all the players including Ted Williams, Dom Dimagio, Johnny Pesky etc... But it also has Joe McCarthy, he became the Red Sox' manager in 1948 and came within a hair of winning a pennant that year and again in 1949, before retiring for good early in the 1950 season. And Ki Ki Cuyler who was a Boston Red Sox coach when he died suddenly, only 50 years old, before the 1950 season.

,Is the ball shelaqued ?,A protective cover,very common to do so...

Ragic · Dec 9, 2009

The ball is shellacked. It is in great condition. I really need to get it appraised.

Steve

tokenhead · Dec 10, 2009

Ragic said:
The ball is shellacked. It is in great condition. I really need to get it appraised.

Steve

Any reputable sports memoribillia dealer should be able to appraise it(i JUST lent my sports book out)but being shellacked the $800.00-$1000.00 range seems right.Shellack although preserves(very commom practice"in the day")the ball and looks pretty it ruins the autographs,check HA(Heritage auctions-HA.COM)past auction results on sports memo.for a better idea&i'll see what i can find out...signed balls can be tricky,"auto-pens","bat boys" signing,etc. good luck and HH ALL !!!

civil war hunter · Jan 3, 2010

Well it could be a fake. I see some shininess to the Baseball which could mean its old or new. Tell me about the Baseball and how you met? The price range if it was real. $20,000 or less

Ragic · Jan 4, 2010

The ball is shellacked, that's why it has a shine. It was very common to do this to a ball to protect the signatures. It's not a fake, I just need to get it apraised.

tokenhead · Jan 5, 2010

Ragic said:
The ball is shellacked, that's why it has a shine. It was very common to do this to a ball to protect the signatures. It's not a fake, I just need to get it apraised.

,Not really to protect the sigs.it was the intent to preserve but in the long run it WILL ruin the sigs,start to peel&take sig w/it.The one sig looks to have been signed AFTER the shallack(team-ball out the window?)none the less a GREAT ball&find!!! Ted Williams for Chri*t sake! that alone is very cool...i'll keep searching,good luck to ya&HH ALL!!! :read2: