Goodwill store sports memorabilia stories

Ramiro valdez

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Aug 26, 2020
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San Antonio, Texas
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Look at what I found in the year 2012!





My name is Ramiro M. Valdez, my mother named me in memory of my uncle, Ramiro Romo, grandfather to the x-Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo who has achieved a high level of recognition in sports on my motherā€™s side of the family. Defining historical lost artifacts sometimes becomes my passion, especially when an item contains lost history about our American heritage. American baseball originated in the mid-1800ā€™s and it became Americanā€™s favorite sport. The early American association league was torn apart by the creation of the new national league in 1876. The new organization recruited the best pitcher in the league named Albert Spalding to helped William Hulbert in persuading other players to join the new league putting the American association league out of business in the early part of 1876. St. Louis Brown Stockings had entered the league in 1875 for the soul purpose of beating the Chicago White Stockings at their game. They embarrassed the White stockings by winning more games during the 1875 season. The White Stockings managed to win the series between the two, but the city of Chicago was not happy! They eventually took matters into their own hands by supporting the creation of the new national league. They secured themselves with a powerful team by acquiring some of the best players in the league including Spalding. The brown stockings were chartered into the national league in order to continue the rivalry between the two. An argument, of whom was the best, became a personal matter at the end of the 1876 season forcing the two into a championship that had nothing to do with the new league rules. The argument was that Chicago won the most games taking the pennant, but not all the games were played that year. St. Louis won all series against every team embarrassing Chicago again considering themselves champions of all series. A. J. Reach was the preferred and leading producer of baseball equipment in 1876. In that year he promoted a special ball with a center core that contained a mix of black rubber and plastic composition to make the ball bounce better which was put together by his special operating company woven machine. The discovery of a strange ball rolling around at a goodwill store has brought the attention to baseballā€™s lost history. The ball describes itself, by the information written on the ball, to be the championship of the west five game series winning baseball that was given to the brown stockings team manager known as Mazon, whom awarded the ball, with team signatures, to their MVP, George Washington Bradley. A St. Louis native called out Bradleyā€™s signature to have been known as the tail with a 4 because he won 4 games out of five. He also mentioned that Mazon used tge letter Z on his signature which are the signature inscribed on the ball. The ball plus signatures have been proven to be authentic by specific equipment pertaining to an authenticating company know as PSA/DNA on August 8 of 2014. But the ballā€™s lost history has become a problem to every appraiser, authenticator, and museum expert including the Hall of Fame. The ball carries many signatures, some have been certified and others are awaiting certification but without certifying the year of the ball one cannot truly appraise the ball or signatures. The ball carries extra visible signatures from iconic players of the 1800ā€™s such as Anson, Burkett, Andy Leonard and other signatures that have not been identified. History some times becomes my passion and when it pertains to important part of American history, I try to define it, record it and save it. I have encountered, during my life, on two other separate occasions the left handed swinging batter logo stamp with the Reach A. J. name surrounding the logo and I have no doubt that this ball was manufactured by his company. My final research will have the final information extracted by Avoniximaging company using their thermography machine plus a scan of the center core. Claiming statements, will be filed with the ball, of several individuals who brought forward evidence of unrecorded historical knowledge pertaining to several signatures found on the ball insisting that the ball is what it is, authentic, genuine and the game winning baseball of the championship of the west five game series. But? Will this be enough information to certified the ball as being from 1876 by a certified professional? I believe that the ball carries enough information to establish what the ball claims to be and Iā€™ve done everything that can to help define its lost history. So it has come to my attention that I must deliver the ball to an auction house where knowledgeable baseball collectors can decide for themselves the value of a priceless baseball. I will deliver it to an auction house near Dallas Texas thatā€™s willing to except the ball in hopes that someone will price it, buy it and return it to its rightful place of honor where it belongs. There will be no reserve, no return and it will be sold.
 

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Blackfoot58

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Thatā€™s very interesting. ā€œPricelessā€ has always meant, in my opinion, ā€œno amount of money could buy the itemā€, hence the origin of the word. Iā€™m guessing once auctioned it will no longer be ā€œpricelessā€. The price will be established by the highest bidder. Good luck with a very unique item and thanks for sharing.
 

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Ramiro valdez

Full Member
Aug 26, 2020
177
99
San Antonio, Texas
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Thatā€™s very interesting. ā€œPricelessā€ has always meant, in my opinion, ā€œno amount of money could buy the itemā€, hence the origin of the word. Iā€™m guessing once auctioned it will no longer be ā€œpricelessā€. The price will be established by the highest bidder. Good luck with a very unique item and thanks for sharing.
Iā€™ll try to post some of the testing information at a later time
 

tamrock

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Ramiro valdez

Full Member
Aug 26, 2020
177
99
San Antonio, Texas
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Contact Heritage Auctions. They'll get back to you. I discussed an item I have once with one of their representatives over the phone, as they did call me back after I sent images and described what I had thought about selling.





Thanks for being honest and posting about Heritage Auctions. I trust that they were very helpful to you. Heritage is not too far from where I live and They have always been my first choice. I contacted them in 2014, but their top sports representative review the photos and was questioning the ball as having a cushioned cork center even though the printing on the ball carried the word core and not cork. It made no sense to me and by their statement they were insisting that the ball maybe fake? PSA/DNA was expecting the same thing and were relying on their machine to prove what they thought it would be. They didnā€™t have to say anything because I read their actions the minute they took the ball for testing. Itā€™s ok to think the impossible and nothing wrong with that. As a matter of fact I commend them for being the only company able to put the ball through a test. They were without words and based on lost history they had the right not to have an opinion at that in time. I decided that I needed more proof to help the professionals in finding a decent appraisal value that would fit this type of ball. I found out about scanning the ballā€™s interior/exterior to settle the question of the center core and itā€™s usage. I also found out about infrared thermography which can help in bringing out some of the old writing found on the ball to further prove what the ball has been saying all along. This ball will pass every test and will not let you down as to what it is. The scanning done by Avoniximaging, on Tuesday, has all ready verified the ball as being batted may times with a cushioned core center and not cork. After the test I called Heritage Auctions and Iā€™m happy to say that they have accepted the ball. They will soon to take over the final testing and will define an auction date to provide the collectors the opportunity to buy a rare lost historical baseball. Tamrock, I want to thank you for your input about Heritage Auctions. Above everything that has happened I believe that they will provide great service.
 

tamrock

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Thanks for being honest and posting about Heritage Auctions. I trust that they were very helpful to you. Heritage is not too far from where I live and They have always been my first choice. I contacted them in 2014, but their top sports representative review the photos and was questioning the ball as having a cushioned cork center even though the printing on the ball carried the word core and not cork. It made no sense to me and by their statement they were insisting that the ball maybe fake? PSA/DNA was expecting the same thing and were relying on their machine to prove what they thought it would be. They didnā€™t have to say anything because I read their actions the minute they took the ball for testing. Itā€™s ok to think the impossible and nothing wrong with that. As a matter of fact I commend them for being the only company able to put the ball through a test. They were without words and based on lost history they had the right not to have an opinion at that in time. I decided that I needed more proof to help the professionals in finding a decent appraisal value that would fit this type of ball. I found out about scanning the ballā€™s interior/exterior to settle the question of the center core and itā€™s usage. I also found out about infrared thermography which can help in bringing out some of the old writing found on the ball to further prove what the ball has been saying all along. This ball will pass every test and will not let you down as to what it is. The scanning done by Avoniximaging, on Tuesday, has all ready verified the ball as being batted may times with a cushioned core center and not cork. After the test I called Heritage Auctions and Iā€™m happy to say that they have accepted the ball. They will soon to take over the final testing and will define an auction date to provide the collectors the opportunity to buy a rare lost historical baseball. Tamrock, I want to thank you for your input about Heritage Auctions. Above everything that has happened I believe that they will provide great service.
That's great to hear. The item I had was a 1926 sterling silver football trophy, which the first appraiser to look at it felt it had potential, but it wasn't quite his area of expertise. He forwarded the images over to another appraiser who just felt it wasn't really something he felt would draw much attention from the bidders they hope to gain interest from.
 

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Ramiro valdez

Full Member
Aug 26, 2020
177
99
San Antonio, Texas
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
That's great to hear. The item I had was a 1926 sterling silver football trophy, which the first appraiser to look at it felt it had potential, but it wasn't quite his area of expertise. He forwarded the images over to another appraiser who just felt it wasn't really something he felt would draw much attention from the bidders they hope to gain interest from.
Well, you never know the next time you might get lucky and find something worth their while. Through the years I keep my hopes alive and I manage to collect a couple of other items. If you can? Keep trying cause every day someone looses something?
 

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Ramiro valdez

Full Member
Aug 26, 2020
177
99
San Antonio, Texas
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Here is a different statement that is center on what the ball is claiming to be

In 2012, I found a very rare historical baseball at a goodwill store in San Antonio Tx. PSA/DNA has authenticated the ballā€™s printing to include its writing and Avoniximaging has verified a cushioned core center as indicated by the ballā€™s printing. The ball has been identified as an old baseball made before 1910 and describes itself as an official ball American League with red lacing covered with cowhide carrying a left handed swinging batter logo. The ball has no affiliation to MLB American League baseball used in 1901 which had red with blue lacing. MLB doesnā€™t recognize the printing on the ball because itā€™s an early American League ball from a manufacturer who made baseballs for the American League that was established by National Association of Professional Base Ball Players in 1871. Each home team had to provide the ball for the game and it had to be made according to standers established by the NABBP in 1872. The National League was established in 1876 and during their second season they awarded Spaulding exclusive rights to procure the balls that were to be used on every game which put an end to the home team having to buy baseballs from other manufacturers. Was there official ball made in accordance with the stander for the American League before the National League was established? The answer is yes! Who was the best ball maker then? A.J. Reach! The logo belongs to A.J. Reach and Iā€™m one of few who have had the luck of identifying the logo on two other baseballs which I didnā€™t buy but can attested by experience for anyone who is willing to challenge my knowledge. I welcome any information that would state otherwise. If there is no other, then we should move on with what we know. The ball is a product of A. J. Reach with his personal promotional logo carrying five small diamond fields pertaining to a special five game championship series. The list of pre-World Series baseball champions describes all championship games played from 1876 to1905. There were only three five game championship series recorded. The first one was the unofficial Championship of the West in 1876 which had nothing to do with the National League. The second one was the National League Temple Cup championship in1895 and Temple Cup championship of 1897. The National League has no claim to the ball because the ball in question has nothing to do with the National League. That leaves us with only one of a five game series championship called the Championship of the West between the St. Louis Brown Stockings and the Chicago White Stockings. Its only right to have signatures belonging to the St.Louis Brown Stockingā€™s players even though they are not all visible. George Washington Bradley has the right to have his signature on the ball with the number 4 at the tail end of his signature pertaining to the number of games he won. Samuel Mason Graffen trade mark signatures with the letter (z) is on the ball. There were other signatures added through out the years besides the team signatures, such as A. Leonard, Anson, Burkett, and a barely visible signature of Gleason amongs others that have not been identified due to dry or missing ink. This happens to be an extremely rare baseball due to its lost history. A once in a lifetime discovery and an unprecedented baseball historical find. This will soon be part of someoneā€™s collection as soon as it hits the auction block.
 

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Ramiro valdez

Full Member
Aug 26, 2020
177
99
San Antonio, Texas
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I do not need to see all the lettering on the ball because I have encountered three identical baseballs in my lifetime and Iā€™m counting on others who may have knowledge of these unrecorded baseballs here in Texas between 1968 and 2012.
 

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