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Extraordinary Finds | Hear More from Lowry About the Auction!

Extraordinary Finds | Hear More from Lowry About the Auction!

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1933 All-Star Game Signed Baseball

Value (2002) | $20,000 Auction – $25,000 Auction
Watch  

GUEST:
My husband's grandfather was a friend of a baseball great, Bill Dickey. And Bill Dickey must have been a very generous man because he gave a lot of baseball memorabilia from his career to my husband's grandfather, and my father-in-law gave this baseball to my husband and me.

APPRAISER:
So, what we have here is the American League team from the very first all-star game, 1933. It was played July 6, 1933, in Comiskey Park in Chicago in conjunction with the World's Fair. A gentleman named Arch Ward actually came up with the idea, and this baseball represents that team. This team was a juggernaut. It was amazing, as you can see by some of the names on this ball. The most important, of course, Babe Ruth, signed the sweet spot, as you can see. We have two other greats. Jimmie Foxx, right here, and Lou Gehrig, right there. A beautiful ball. And amazing that it kept its condition through the years. Part of that was due to the fact that somebody, maybe Bill himself, shellacked this ball. Now, sometimes, shellacking does damage to the ball, and it all depended on the type of shellac used back then. Sometimes it browns it, and sometimes the signatures are obliterated completely. But in this case, they preserved it. "Provenance" is a word we use a lot here on this show, and, of course, that's the history of the piece. And this baseball in particular has a great history because Bill Dickey, one of the actual members of the team, gave this to your husband's grandfather.

GUEST:
That's right.

APPRAISER:
So, that's amazing provenance. Do you have any idea what this might be worth?

GUEST:
It would just be a stab. I mean I would think at least a few thousand dollars, but really...

GUEST:
Yeah, a few thousand.

APPRAISER:
But I don't have the kind of knowledge to say.

APPRAISER:
Well, I would add about 20 ...to that number.

GUEST:
Oh, my goodness!

APPRAISER:
Because a baseball like this, in this condition, with that sort of provenance, is $20,000 to $25,000.

GUEST:
Oh, my goodness! That is just wonderful!

APPRAISER:
Without question, it's one of the finest 1933 All-Star game balls I've ever seen.

GUEST:
Oh, I am so pleased!

APPRAISER:
And it was a real pleasure to meet you and to see this great ball.

GUEST:
Oh, thank you so much! Thank you. Very good.

Support provided by: Learn more

Appraisal Details

Appraiser
Simeon Lipman
Collectibles, Sports Memorabilia
Appraised value (2002)
$20,000 Auction – $25,000 Auction
Featured In
Hot Springs, Hour 3 (#0715)
Vintage Hot Springs (#2120)
Event
Hot Springs, AR (July 13, 2002)
Category
Sports Memorabilia
Period
1930s , 20th Century
Form
Autograph , Baseball
Material
Leather

Executive producer Marsha Bemko shares her tips for getting the most out of ANTIQUES ROADSHOW.

Value can change: The value of an item is dependent upon many things, including the condition of the object itself, trends in the market for that kind of object, and the location where the item will be sold. These are just some of the reasons why the answer to the question "What's it worth?" is so often "It depends."

Note the date: Take note of the date the appraisal was recorded. This information appears in the upper left corner of the page, with the label "Appraised On." Values change over time according to market forces, so the current value of the item could be higher, lower, or the same as when our expert first appraised it.

Context is key: Listen carefully. Most of our experts will give appraisal values in context. For example, you'll often hear them say what an item is worth "at auction," or "retail," or "for insurance purposes" (replacement value). Retail prices are different from wholesale prices. Often an auctioneer will talk about what she knows best: the auction market. A shop owner will usually talk about what he knows best: the retail price he'd place on the object in his shop. And though there are no hard and fast rules, an object's auction price can often be half its retail value; yet for other objects, an auction price could be higher than retail. As a rule, however, retail and insurance/replacement values are about the same.

Verbal approximations: The values given by the experts on ANTIQUES ROADSHOW are considered "verbal approximations of value." Technically, an "appraisal" is a legal document, generally for insurance purposes, written by a qualified expert and paid for by the owner of the item. An appraisal usually involves an extensive amount of research to establish authenticity, provenance, composition, method of construction, and other important attributes of a particular object.

Opinion of value: As with all appraisals, the verbal approximations of value given at ROADSHOW events are our experts' opinions formed from their knowledge of antiques and collectibles, market trends, and other factors. Although our valuations are based on research and experience, opinions can, and sometimes do, vary among experts.

Appraiser affiliations: Finally, the affiliation of the appraiser may have changed since the appraisal was recorded. To see current contact information for an appraiser in the ROADSHOW Archive, click on the link below the appraiser's picture. Our Appraiser Index also contains a complete list of active ROADSHOW appraisers and their contact details and biographies.

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