AI Appraisal Estimate

This is a highly collectible vintage-style sports trading card featuring Major League Baseball legend Ted Williams, produced by Upper Deck in 1992 as part of their 'Baseball Heroes' series. The card is professionally encapsulated in a JSA (James Spence Authentication) 'Authentic Collection' plastic slab, which serves to protect and verify its components. The card features a sepia-toned central image of Williams during his 1939 rookie year with the San Diego Padres, framed within a circular red and blue border. A significant distinguishing feature of this card is the inclusion of an 'Authentic Handwriting' sample, appearing as a signature on a separate slip of paper mounted to the card surface, alongside an embedded wooden relic. According to the certification label, the wood is a piece of a bat used by Williams during an Old Timers Game on May 27, 1984. The label further identifies the card as #28 and includes a unique serial number (00018353592). The card appears to be in excellent condition within the holder, showing sharp corners and crisp color, though the autograph paper shows a slight yellowish tint consistent with its age. This multi-relic autograph card represents a commemorative tribute to 'The Splendid Splinter' and is valued by collectors for its historical wood and verified signature.

I have examined the 1992 Upper Deck Baseball Heroes Ted Williams Autograph and Game-Used Bat Relic through high-resolution photography. This card represents a significant 'early-era' relic piece. The JSA 'Authentic Collection' slab provides preliminary confidence in the signature's legitimacy, while the serial numbering (00018353592) aligns with the specific production series. The card presents in Near Mint-Mint condition; the sepia-toned '1939 Padres' imagery remains sharp, and the wood relic shows distinct grain, which is indicative of authentic bat material. The autograph, while displaying slight tonal aging on the paper substrate, remains bold and legible. The market for Ted Williams memorabilia is robust, with this specific dual-relic/auto combination being particularly desirable to 'Splendid Splinter' enthusiasts. Comparables for JSA-certified Upper Deck autographs of this vintage maintain steady value due to the reliability of the 1992 series. However, a digital inspection has limitations. I cannot verify the physical depth of the bat slice to ensure it hasn't been substituted, nor can I verify the slab’s tamper-evident seals accurately without physical handling. To achieve a definitive 'Premium' valuation, I would require an in-person microscopic analysis of the ink's 'bleeding' into the paper fibers to confirm a live-ink signature versus a high-quality reproduction. Furthermore, cross-referencing the JSA certification number against their physical master ledger would be necessary to ensure the slab itself has not been compromised.