Top 5 markers and pens for sport autographs

Content Originally Published by Yahoo! Sports on Friday January 14, 2011.

Some of the top collectible items are autographed sports memorabilia and other items autographed by sports teams or players. Some pens and markers are great for one item such as clothing but can bleed or fade on other items such as baseballs. Here are the top 5 pens and markers and what materials they work best on.

Ball Point Pens, such as the Papermate disposable ball point pen, is the best type of pen used for autographing a baseball. Blue is the preferred color for collectors because a black pen tends to fade to a purple color while the blue color holds its true color over time.

Best pens for sports autographs

Black Medium Point Sharpie Markers are the best marker to use on paper items such as event programs and photographs. This is the preferred type of marker because once it dries it does not bleed or fade on paper materials. The black sharpies also work well on clothing and baseball hats. They can stand the test of time and in case they are washed, the sharpies will not wash out.

Fine or medium point blue or black sharpie markers are the best choice for autographs on items such as sports magazines. Keep in mind that for dark backgrounds on the cover of a magazine, you will want to use a blue color sharpie and for a light color magazine cover, you will want to use a black color sharpie. The autographs will show up better and last over time.

Decocolor silver or black paint pens are the best pens for autographs on footballs and basketballs. Sharpies do not stand out on a basketball because of the rough ridges and material of the balls. The silver or black paint pens are made with acrylic paint and when dry is permanent. This works well and gives great coverage for autographs on basketballs.

Silver Sharpies work the best for dark colored baseball bats. This is the choice of professional collectors. If the bat is a light color, black sharpies will be the best choice for visibility. Be sure that the autograph has dried over a few days before allowing anything to touch the autographed area because smudging and smearing can occur if the autograph is touched before the sharpie dries. This material takes a little longer than clothing.