Expert: Fabio Anderle - 5/28/2008

Question


.. Hi.. i am in possession of a green & white Celtics Ball... has a Red Auerbach signature on it.. no certficate for this... so i am wondering..

1) about how much would you say it could fetch..? I've only seen the orange balls, so haven't found a comparison.. and

2) ... would it be difficult to acquire a certificate of authenticity for this..? will i have to get a handwriting expert..??

thanks, much appreciated..!

Answer
Hi, Jess,

1) All the basketball signed by Red Auerbach I have seen so far were evaluated in the 150-450 dollars range. I don't think the colour of the ball would make a big difference, though, so expect your ball to be worth like that too.

2) A certificate of authenticity is not easy to acquire. Of course, things would be easier if you had taken a photo of Red Auerbach while he was signing the ball, because this would prove beyond any doubt that THAT particular basketball had been signed by HIM. A certificate of authenticity can double the value of memorabilia, that's why my range of evaluation was so wide. To have your item authenticated, you can try at

PSA/DNA http://www.psadna.com or
James Spence Authentic (JSA) http://www.spenceloa.com

which are commonly considered the most trusted authenticators around.
I hope this helps



Fabio