Dear Do-It Man: I have the genuine signatures of two very famous baseball players, Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig. My husband saw these men standing side-by-side in a hotel in Detroit, I believe it was the Book Cadillac Hotel, and asked them to sign his autograph book.
Lou Gehrig looked at my husband and said, "You should be out there giving them instead of getting them." (My husband was tall and well-built.)This happened many years ago, I think about 1934, when my husband was on a mission for the LDS Church.
I'm wondering if these signatures have any value. I'm 82 years old and am curious to know.
- Mrs. B., Idaho.
Dear Mrs. B.: Baseball memorabilia is a complicated and dynamic field. The value of the signatures would ultimately depend on how much someone offered to give you for them.
However, for a ballpark figure we checked with a couple of national experts. One said the signatures could have a retail value of anywhere from $495-$625 (Babe Ruth), and $605-$805 (Lou Gehrig). Another said they'd each retail for $400 to $500. If they were on the same sheet of paper, it would be worth about $700.
Their value depends on a number of factors including whether the signatures are in fountain pen or pencil, the color of paper they're on, whether they're smudged, etc.
The amount you could sell them for also depends on whether you have a letter from an expert saying the signatures are authentic.
A company in Texas called Mark Jordan Inc., Professional Sports Appraisers, 1600 Airport Freeway Suite 508, Bedford, Tex., 76022, phone number (817) 267-0400, is considered an expert in the field. If you mailed or faxed the company a photo copy of the signatures, it would give you a preliminary, verbal authentication at no charge.
For a letter of authentication the company charges $50 per item. You pay whether or not the item turns out to be authentic. And you must send the original signatures (not photo copies) by insured mail or shipping service.
Another source of information on sports memorabilia is Sports Collectors Digest, 700 E. State St., Iola, Wis., 54990, phone (715) 445-2214. A yearly subscription to the weekly magazine costs $49.95. The publication includes articles on collectors items as well as advertisements placed by buyers and sellers.
The value of a sports celebrity's signature also depends on its context. Baseball Cards Etc., a shop in downtown Salt Lake City, for example, has a suggested retail price of $3,000 on a picture of Babe Ruth with his autograph at the bottom. The retail price of a picture of Lou Gehrig with his signature at the bottom is also for sale for $3,000.
Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig both played for the New York Yankees. Ruth, who had previously played for the Boston Red Sox, was released from the Yankees after the 1934 season. He then played for the Boston Braves where he ended his career in 1935.
Gehrig retired from baseball in 1939 because of illness. He suffered from an incurable nerve disease, later referred to as Lou Gehrig's disease. He died in 1941.