19023

"Joe DiMaggio, Marilyn Monroe Signed BB PSA/DNA"

Currency:USD Category:Sports - Cards & Fan Shop / Sports - Autographs (Original) Start Price:85,000.00 USD Estimated At:80,000.00 - 120,000.00 USD
 Joe DiMaggio, Marilyn Monroe Signed BB PSA/DNA
<B>The Finest Known Joe DiMaggio & Marilyn Monroe Signed Baseball.</B></I> Though the marriage of Joe and Marilyn was troubled and very short, it remains to this day the ultimate celebrity pairing, the consummate sports legend and the definitive Hollywood star. It is well known that despite a lifelong affection for Miss Monroe that saw DiMaggio send flowers to Marilyn's grave until his own passing, Joe absolutely refused to sign any Monroe related material after her death, whether it be photographic images or pages already bearing her autograph. Any signed artifacts blessed by both legendary hands derive only from the brief periods that this couple spent together, literally only a span of months given the short length of their romance and the large percentage of that time that travel separated them. This tight rein that DiMaggio held upon supply after Marilyn's death, paired with the intense desirability of DiMaggio/Monroe material among autograph collectors, propels this remarkable sphere to the status of one of the most desirable and valuable signed baseballs ever offered for private sale.<BR><BR> This pair of autographs was acquired by a New York area news photographer in the early 1960's as the couple was believed to be considering a reconciliation while on vacation together in Florida during baseball's Spring training. By a pure stroke of luck, the photographer happened to have access to a baseball when meeting the famous pair, providing the most desirable of media for this historic duet of signatures. The occasion was memorialized in a 1989 edition of "Newsday," which devoted almost two pages to describe the event. A copy of that news article accompanies the ball.<BR><BR> Speaking to the quality of the baseball, we can do nothing but heap praise upon yet more praise. Our catalog photography should aptly illustrate that the blue ballpoint signatures, placed in tandem upon a lightly toned side panel, remain in the same 10/10 bold ink that was applied over four decades ago. Even the ball itself is the most appealing model, an Official American League (Cronin) model, remembering the league where Joltin' Joe earned his immortality.<BR><BR> Heritage Auction Galleries is very proud and pleased to offer to the collecting public a piece that is as much a "diamond" as the gems Marilyn craved, and the ballfield that Joe dominated. Whether you foresee its future in a velvet lined case or a steel bank vault, we are certain that you will find that investment in a piece that epitomizes the American Dream is a solid one indeed. <I>LOA from PSA/DNA.</B></I> <BR><BR><B>Important notice:</B> Heritage usually auctions material at the rate of 200-250 lots per hour. On some occasions eBay Live bid software or the Internet may not be able to keep up with the pace of the auction. We recommend placing a realistic absentee bid now as insurance to avoid disappointment. Occasionally the auctioneer may eliminate or reject an eBay Live bid, and the auctioneer may also reopen a lot after the close of the eBay live bidding (usually because we missed an audience bid), and may reject your bid even if it shows you as the winning bidder. By bidding via eBay Live, you agree that Heritage may award the lot to another bidder at its sole discretion under the circumstances described above or any other reasonable circumstances. Since eBay bids are not shown to us until we open the lot on the floor, we treat those bids just like floor bids. In most cases the floor responds before the eBay bid is presented to us, due to Internet lag time, so for consistency we have made it a policy that floor bids are always considered first over tie eBay live bids. Also please note that all Heritage lots purchased through eBay Live carry a 22.5% Buyer's Premium. Please make sure you read the Terms and Conditions before you bid. This lot is being auctioned in conjunction with a live floor auction by Heritage Galleries & Auctioneers. All final auction and invoice information will be supplied by Heritage Galleries & Auctioneers, and all other information should be considered preliminary. Lot:19023 <BR><BR><B>Winning Notification and Billing:</B> After the FINAL session in this auction is complete, Heritage will send e-mail and snail mail invoices. This process normally takes several days. All final auction and invoice information will be supplied by Heritage Galleries & Auctioneers, and all other information should be considered preliminary. <BR><BR>This auction will be conducted on a live auction floor and over the Internet through eBay Live. If you choose to place an absentee bid, please take a moment to <font color='#0000ff'><u><a href='http://pages.ebay.com/liveauctions/help/before/laabsentee.html'>learn how eBay Live absentee bidding works</a></u></font><font color='#000000'>