Fans Speak / A. C. Haeffner

Cards and Collectibles - Autogrpahed baseballs, baseball cards, memorabilia, appraisals, sales and auctions.

What is my autograghed 1989 National League All-star team ball worth?

Anonymous wrote:

I was recently packing for a move and came across a few items that I frankly had completly forgotten about. An autograghed 1989 National League All-star team ball that I had put into a sandwhich baggie. I was wondering If that ball held any real value and also if you could give me a ballpark figure on a 1989 TOPPS Sammy Sosa,which I believe, is a rookie card. I'''

Charlie Haeffner's Reply:

Sosa's Topps rookie was 1990, not 1989, and goes for about $5 in mint condition. If it's below near-mint, it would have very little demand and, thus, very little value.

The National League All-Star Team ball is tough to judge for three reasons: I don't know its condition, how it came to be signed by the players, or what players might be missing.

If it was signed in your presence by the players, then you can confirm the signatures as legitimate. If not, there is always the possibility that some of the signatures were ghosted -- signed by an acquaintance of the players or a clubhouse boy or someone else. This is a problem that occurs far too often in autographed material.

If it is legitimate -- verifiably so -- and in extremely nice condition with clear signatures (and the signatures of key players), then the value could be across a range starting at about $100 and going up to perhaps $400 retail, depending on the vendor. By selling to a retailer, of course, you would settle for a percentage of what the retailer planned to sell it for.

I hope this helps.

Charlie Haeffner

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