by Number9 » December 11th, 2007, 11:31 pm
I also collect older league baseballs. They are a fun side pursuit. For me, I take the opposite approach to that of my gloves. I avoid cleaning and oiling them for two reasons. One; the nicer the ball, the more valuable it is. After spending some good money to get it in my hands, I don't want to alter it. I don't think it enhances anything, certainly not the value. You also run the risk of removing or obscuring the stamping which is usually nothing more than ink on the surface. Reason two; if I buy a beater for display, the character is in the surface, I personally wouldn't want to remove that.
If you were to do anything to them, do it lightly. The more water that is in the solution the more the leather will shrink. Also, avoid stuff like saddle soaps that have wax in them. You probably don't want them to be shiny. Something like lanolin, as you mentioned, would probably be ok if you used it sparingly. Be prepared for the leather to darken though, no matter what you use.
I have most of them in ball cubes, mainly because I don't have them displayed. The stackable cubes make it easier to store them. I don't really worry about the few that I do have out though. They're replaceable.
Just curious, what kind of ball are you considering cleaning/treating?