That photograph is one of the two most famous sports photographs, and autographed baseballs are strong partly because, on baseballs, forged signatures are pretty easy to spot. A strong price was paid for a Tour of Japan All-Star team autographed baseball, slightly soiled, with signatures of 12 members of the tour, including Ruth, Gehrig, Foxx, Mack, Averill, and O'Doul, which came from the family of Captain James F. Patrick, the captain of the Empress of Russia , the ship that carried the American team back from Japan. Some autographed baseballs cost a fraction as much and brought as much pleasure to their buyers. He was the governor of New York. I think I got a bonus.
Ephemera continues to bring unpredictable prices.
Baseball cards are now graded like coins and receive certificates like Stradivarius violins. Professional Sports Authenticator in Newport Beach, California, has made a business of grading cards, making sure they have not been trimmed with a laser or, heaven forbid, forged. Having a PSA certificate can jack up the price. There were two boxed rare 1913 Tom Barker baseball card game sets loaded with Hall of Famers, the cards never out of the box, and with a Ureeka Soft Drink advertisement on the back proclaiming it as the drink of the Braves and Red Sox. Each set came with a wood and metal Ureeka bottle opener.