What pen should you use for getting autographs?

iLikePie

Bench Warmer
Baseballs:

What to use? Ball point pen, best color, blue. Blue is least likely to fading other than the other colors.

What NOT to use? Sharpies or other kinds of markers, they will bleed through the baseball and fade away, making the autograph look worse, and less valuable.

What baseball to use? You should really ONLY use a ROMLB (Rawlings Official Major League Baseball). NEVER use synthetic balls, here is the difference:

ROMLB:

Ted_Williams_ball_med.jpg


SYNTHETIC BALL:

332.jpg


As you can see on the synthetic ball, it looks like it's starting to bleed through. In a couple years, it will be hard to see.


Other kinds of memorabilia:


What TO use: Sharpie most of the time, but make sure its not a fat sharpie, unless you are signing on something big, such as a 16x20 or 30x40 poster...

Memorabilia for a sharpie to be used on: jerseys, helmets (including mini helmets), footballs, hockey pucks, golf balls, basketballs, etc.

What NOT to use: Most of the time, do NOT use pen, I can't think of a item that you would use a pen on other than a baseball and look good on...


Any questions? ASK! :)
 
use a ball point pen (blue) from like staples. Make sure it writes smoothly so there aren't point where no ink shows up. Also, use ROMLB even though they can be a bit expensive. Never use those synthetic so called "china baseballs". The ink does not last on those. In addition, when the ball is signed, wrap it in like soft wax paper or tissue like material.
 
pelfreyNY34 said:
use a ball point pen (blue) from like staples. Make sure it writes smoothly so there aren't point where no ink shows up. Also, use ROMLB even though they can be a bit expensive. Never use those synthetic so called "china baseballs". The ink does not last on those. In addition, when the ball is signed, wrap it in like soft wax paper or tissue like material.
I have some of the baseball wrapped...they do help!

Thanks for the tips!
 
Just buy some staedtler lumocolor markers and you wont have to prep the cards...They are higher than sharpies, but are worth it....That is all I ever used when I use to do graphs at the local baseball games.
 
Proof that Sharpie doesn't fade (even after 13 years), if you store your baseball properly.

IMG00115.jpg
 
I'll have to check when I get home. I honestly don't know. I was 13 when I got it signed and had about 25% of the knowledge about the hobby that you young guys do these days.
 
so the Lumocolor pens...if you use them on glossy cards, does the ink first seem very wet on the glossy parts of a card, or does it instantly stick? I know with Decocolor pens on the glossy parts of cards, it is at least at first very wet. And do Lumocolors soak in bad to cards that are basically Topps Total cards (like the non-glossy cards), or does it stick perfectly?
 
It had never even occurred to me that I should use a particular type of pen or marker for a particular type of surface. I guess I never thought that you really can't use a ballpoint pen as it would have a pretty rough time on a jersey haha. I saw another thread in this subforum listing a bunch of suggestions of what is best at what but I didn't want to necro it as it's a pretty old post.

http://www.sportscardclub.com/threads/whats-the-best-item-to-get-an-autograph-on.362736/
 
Whatever you use I wouldn't skimp on the price.
If an autograph is done right it could fetch a pretty penny depending on
the quality.
 
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