Temporary & Permanent Storage of Autographed ROMLBs

[MrBelvedere]

I am new to the TTM approach. In this past month or two, I have TTM'd Johnny Bench, Andre Dawson, Bobby Doerr, Wade Boggs and Jim Bunning.

I haven't evaluated how to store and display these balls permanently. In the meantime, I am wondering if anyone has advice on how to store them temporarily?

Obviously, I know to keep them out of direct sunlight. Beyond that, I don't know the pitfalls (plastics?).

Right now, I have a couple of balls in Ziplock bags. For a couple of the other balls, I put them back in the plastic cube that came with the ROMLB when I bought it. Are these safe, temporary options?

Over ten years ago, I met Magglio Ordonez and Minnie Minoso in person and got their autographs on separate ROMLBs. I put those balls in plastic displays (the kind with a wood base) and the balls turned yellow. I want to avoid that from happening again!

[bcommerce]

I have several hundred and I store all mine in the UV protected cubes. They have done very well over the past 10 years. The shelves I use have to contact with direct sunlight and I try to keep the temperature constant and as free of humidity as possible.

[lizard-jd]

I have several hundred and I store all mine in the UV protected cubes. They have done very well over the past 10 years. The shelves I use have to contact with direct sunlight and I try to keep the temperature constant and as free of humidity as possible.

Like bcommerce said, the UV protected cubes are the best way to display them. To date, I have around 375 on two large 6' book shelves. The cubes all have little signs with the players name. They are stacked 3 to 4 high & 2 or 3 deep per shelve. Obviously, not all are visible but they are all out in the open so I can see them. Why have them if I can't look at them when I want or show a specific one to a friend?

[yankeesfan1324]

For now, if you have one of those 4 or 5 row baseball card boxes you can load that up with them, but in the long term cubes or a case that holds multiple is the best. Make sure you go with UV protected glass or plastic even if it will be away from sunlight.

[MrBelvedere]

Thanks everyone for your suggestions.

When people say "cube", they do not mean the plastic cube case that the ROMLB came in, right? I bought these balls at Dick's.

Is there consensus or industry-standard on a specific brand of cube to use?

Sorry for the novice questions, but again, I had my autographed balls from Minoso and Ordonez turn yellow over time. These new autographs of mine are much better and I want to make sure it doesn't happen again.

For now, if you have one of those 4 or 5 row baseball card boxes you can load that up with them, but in the long term cubes or a case that holds multiple is the best. Make sure you go with UV protected glass or plastic even if it will be away from sunlight.

[yankeesfan1324]

I would guess Ultra Pro is the best, something like this:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/170993836802?lpid=82

I don't know exactly what the packaging looks like, but I would guess that it is just for temporary protection of the ball, not any auto you may get on it. I am almost certain it isn't UV proof.

[cyberer]

ultrapro are good, however I am pretty sure the last 2-3 years the cubes that the balls come in from target, modells, etc, are all UV coated. It says on the bottom of most of them now UV. So when I don't feel like spending the money on the ultrapros I will just use what they came in.

[cyberer]

to my last post- if you go here (or other sites) and read the product description, it says they come in UV cubes.

http://www.shopusasports.com/Rawling...01-cube-dz.htm

So I don't really worry about it anymore.

[MrBelvedere]

Thanks for all of the input. I have been really apprehensive about what to do for storage since over the course of 13 years, so much damage was done to some of my autographed balls. The only silver lining is that my autographs from Magglio Ordonez and Minnie Minoso (circa 2000) aren't worth much of anything today anyway.

That said, does the link below contain what most people are talking about when they refer to a cube? This might be what I go with for my new HOF balls.

http://www.amazon.com/Ultra-Pro-Prot...=pd_sim_misc_1

[bcommerce]

Looks like my storage is alot like lizard-jd , all my baseballs are in cubes and stacked 2-3 high on a shelf out of the direct sun, I can only go one row deep unlike lizard. The main key is the sunlight yellowing the baseball. I had one as child my mom got at a car dealor ship 25 years ago, and untill I really started collecting signed baseball it sat on my window sill in one of those cheap gold holders. We 10 years ago when I started collecting signed baseball I dug it out of a box, sat in window for 15 years and a box for 10 years. Well its was Hank Aaron, I still have it sitting in a UV protected cube and smack dab in the middle of my signed baseball collection. But the light is what is bad on them. Dont know about lizard but I have considered putting a sheet over my shelves to add protection, but I just keep the blinds closed in the man cave room.