The greatest storage challenge is presented by the balls themselves. Whatever type of autographed ball you are partial to, always wear white gloves when handling it; with a stitched ball, such as a football or baseball, pick it up on the seams to avoid stressing that area. Wrap balls in acid-free tissue or muslin and store them in an acid-free box. Keep them in a dark, cool, dry environment, such as on a closet shelf.

If you want to display your treasures, look for Lucite or acrylic ball storage cubes that protect against ultraviolet light and are specifically designed for each type of ball. These are available at hobby shops or at http://www.ballqube.com . If you have a ball signed by many players, rotate it regularly so no one side is constantly exposed to light. It is also a good idea to cover the cube with a piece of cloth when it is not being shown to keep signatures from fading.

Remember that leather, used on footballs, basketballs, baseballs and some soccer balls, needs a climate-controlled environment. Display balls where you can keep the temperature between 60 and 70 degrees, the humidity around 50 percent and the lights low. Never use prong stands to display your treasure because over time the prongs dig into the leather.

Footballs, basketballs and soccer balls raise another serious issue: Jason Aikens, collections curator at the Pro Football Hall of Fame, says that the bladder, a kind of large rubber balloon that holds the air inside the ball, breaks down over time. This causes the ball to deflate, and if left in this condition, the outside shell also will begin to break down, and the area holding the autograph may crack. It is crucial to keep putting air in the ball so that it maintains its shape. You can have the bladder replaced if it won't hold air, as long as the rest of the ball is in good shape. Often the ball's manufacturer, if still in business, will do this for a fee. Unfortunately, old footballs with brittle lacing are difficult to reinflate. If the ball is quite valuable and fragile, consult a conservator (find one by going to http://aic.stanford.edu ). Researchers at the Pro Football Hall of Fame are studying materials to place inside the balls to help maintain their shape.

First, never glue, staple, fold, tape, laminate or write on your cards. And never, ever attach them to your bicycle spokes (despite the cool Harley-Davidson sound this makes). Put your cards in inexpensive Mylar sleeves specifically designed for trading cards. If you want to look at them often -- and that's part of the fun -- slip the individual sleeves into a larger protective sheet, usually called a pocket page. The pocket pages hold four to nine cards and fit into a three-ring binder. These supplies are available at your local hobby shop or at Web sites such as http://www.the2buds.com/sumytrcd.htm .

If quick and easy is your style, skip the pocket pages and place the Mylar-protected cards directly into a shoe box lined with aluminum foil, which protects against acidity in the cardboard. Store the box in a cool, dry environment, such as a closet shelf or desk drawer. And if a card is already valuable, take extra precautions. Put it in a non-flexible screw-down or snap case to protect the card from bending and most other types of damage, except water damage. Keep it out of the light as much as possible; fading will decrease the card's value. And if you think it's worth a potential fortune, invest in a waterproof/fireproof safe for your home or a safe-deposit box.

Even trading cards have leaped into the digital age. There are a few excellent computer programs to help manage your collection, such as Sports Card Tracker ( http://www.sports-card.info ) and BaseballPro for Windows ( http://www.mmrsoft.com/baseballpro.htm ). Beckett.com comes highly recommended as having the best software to organize, price and grade all sports and non-sports cards. The organizer and the pricing software can be downloaded for a fee. Go to http://www.beckett.com and look under Collecting Supplies.

Most players sign autographs using whatever writing utensil is handy. Unfortunately, not all inks are created equal. Some fade very quickly. If you want to be sure that the autograph lasts, bring your own archival-grade pen. The Zig Memory System Writer costs under $3, comes in various colors, and has two tips -- one is thick enough to show up on a football and the other is thin enough for a baseball (available at art stores and wherever scrapbook supplies are sold, or online at http://store.scrapbooking-warehouse.com/zigwriterpens.html ). The ink in this pen is archival quality, permanent, lightfast, smearproof and waterproof once it dries.

Pictures, bills of sale, oral histories, written histories, autobiographies and other documentation that provides a trail of ownership is called provenance. Provenance in sports memorabilia is extremely important. The story behind the item is what people really cherish. There may be plenty of bats from the 1930s, but one handled by Babe Ruth is much more valuable. Make note of how you came into possession of the piece and why you saved it, as well as any amusing anecdotes. Even if your story does not add to the value, it will make it all the more enjoyable for your descendants.

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