CA2137937A1 - Collectible articles of sporting equipment bearing preferred-personality-created indicia - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention includes a diversity of embodiments of improved collectible articles, each of which bears at least one preferred-personality-created indicium on a base comprised of an item of sporting equipment. The present invention further includes a method for producing such an improved collectible article and for including intrinsic authentication augmentations means for authenticating the genuineness of the preferred-personality-created indicium or indicia affixed to the article. The method of the present invention allows the creation of an embodiment bearing a preferred-personality-created indicium in the form of a autograph written on an item of sporting equipment or in the image of a fingerprint pattern affixed to the item. The method of the present invention allows for the inclusion of both autographic and fingerprint indicia on a single item.
Comprehensive intrinsic authentication augmentations (including authentication augmentations bearing witness and notary public signatures) are provided by the method of the invention for intrinsically authenticating the preferred-personality-created indicium or indicia affixed to an item of sporting equipment. The method of the invention is specifically concerned with production of articles bearing intrinsic collectible improvement augmentations as intrinsic collectible augmentation means for improving the attractiveness of items of sporting equipment as collectible articles to collectors of memorabilia.

Description

'~379~7 . 1 Patent Application of Frederick C. Schlauch for OF
SPORTING EQUIPMENT
BEARING PREFERRED-PERSONALITY-CREATED INDICIA

FIELD OF THE lNV~N'~ ION

This invention relates to the field of collectible items of sporting equipment (baseballs, footballs, hockey pucks, baseball bats, sports jerseys, and the like) having intentionally affixed memorabilia features. This invention particularly concerns autographic and fingerprint indicia affixed by preferred personalities to items of sporting equipment as intrinsic collectible improvement augmentation means for improving the attractiveness of the items as collectible articles to collectors. This invention further particularly concerns additional augmentations affixed to items as intrinsic collectible improvement augmentation means for improving the attractiveness of the items and as intrinsic authentication augmentation means for authenticating preferred-personality-created indicia.

BACKGROUND OF THE lNV~NllON

In the field of collectible items of sporting equipment bearing intrinsic collectible improvement indicia, one of the biggest problems faced by collectors is determining whether or not the script-written name of a sports personality on an item is a genuine autograph personally created by the personality. Fraudulent autographs are common. Determining the authenticity of autographs on items related to the sport of baseball has been especially troublesome. But, with expansion of collector interest in other sports during the past several years, the problem of bogus autographs has likewise grown, especially on football, basketball and hockey items. For example, Miedema (Sports Collectors Digest, July 24, 1992, page 60) reports basketballs bearing counterfeit autographs of Michael Jordan, items bearing counterfeit autographs of basketball star Magic Johnson, and items bearing counterfeit autographs of hockey star Wayne Gretzky.

The quantity of items bearing counterfeit autographs of sports players in the present marketplace is mindboggling.
For example, a television interview with a person who had been convicted of selling items bearing counterfeit autographs revealed that this one person had sold "more than 75,000 fake signatures" (Reid, Tuff Stuff, April 1993, pages 27-28). Sports autograph expert John Raybin is quoted as saying that the quantity of bogus autographs on the market had grown from less than one percent twenty years ago to 5 to 10 percent in 1993 (Marazzi, Sports Collectors Digest, June 25, 1993, page 70).

The magnitude of the problem of items bearing bogus autographs has become so intolerable that legislation has been proposed in a number of states to legally require a letter-of-authenticity for each sale of an item bearing an autograph (Newman, Tuff Stuff, February 1993, pages 116-118).

Fraudulent autographs are often produced by a counterfeiter with intent to sell these imitations to unsuspecting customers. This intentional counterfeiting for illicit profit is not the only way through which bogus autographs enter the collectibles marketplace. Many sports 2137g37 personalities are overwhelmed by requests from fans and collectors for autographs. To meet this heavy demand, a number of sports players resort to using autopens, machines that write imitations of the real signatures of the involved sports personalities. Usually such authorized autopen autographs are not made with intent by the players to deceive fans for illicit profit. In fact, such autopen autographs are normally distributed free to fans, at a financial cost to a player or his team that results in a loss, not a profit. Nevertheless, despite the goodwill intended by a player authorizing the creation of autopen imitations of his genuine autograph, these autopen imitations are substantially just as bogus and worthless to collectors as the fraudulent autographs made for illicit profit by unauthorized counterfeiters.

Autopen imitations are not the only kind of bogus autographs to enter the collectibles marketplace as creations authorized but not personally created by sports players. Authorized ghost-written autographs are even more troublesome to collectors than autopen autographs. A number of sports players authorize other people, including family members and team personnel, to act as ghost-writers to produce ghost-written facsimiles of player autographs. As is true for most player-authorized autopen autographs, most such player-authorized ghost-written autographs result from the player desiring to meet the demands of fans and ~137937 collectors for autographs.

Regardless of whether a facsimile autograph is created by a profit-minded counterfeiter, an autopen, or an authorized ghost-writer, the autograph is bogus and its existence is a bane to collectors.

Bogus autographs present a real problem in a market where an item of sporting equipment bearing a supposedly authentic autograph of a famous personality may cost a collector or investor thousands of dollars. Major financial loss is likely to befall such a collector or investor if a later determination proves his perceived investment is a nearly valueless item of sports equipment made even less valuable by the presence of a defacing bogus autograph.

Books have been published to assist collectors in determining whether an autograph is genuine or bogus. But such books are of limited value, especially in making an absolute determination on the authenticity of autographs prepared by deceitfully masterful counterfeiters and expert ghost-writers. Well-done bogus autographs prove virtually impossible for the most knowledgeable autograph experts (even those who have written the books) to distinguish from genuine autographs with certainty. So, a collector or investor is likely to be frustrated when trying to determine whether such suspicious autographs are authentic or bogusly well-done, even if he is equipped with a library of the best books on detecting bogus autographs and even if he carefully and objectively attempts an absolute determination.

An example of an ongoing controversy among autograph experts is the authenticity of a high percentage of the baseballs bearing autographs supposedly created personally by Babe Ruth. Ruth is regarded by many as the greatest baseball player of all time, and baseballs bearing his genuine autograph are highly valued by collectors.
A Ruth-autographed baseball is listed as having a market value of $3,500.00 (Tuff Stuff, December 1993, page 216), and baseballs supposedly bearing Ruth's signature are not infrequently available in the marketplace.
The controversy centers on how to distinguish a baseball bearing a genuine Ruth autograph from a baseball bearing an authorized ghost-written facsimile. Some experts apparently believe that a number of the baseballs being sold in today's marketplace as genuinely Ruth-autographed actually bear bogus autographs created by clubhouse personnel and other persons authorized by Ruth to ghost-write the autographs! Baker mentions this problem on page 254 of the Baseball Autograph Handbook (Second Edition, 1991), and Baker further discusses the creation of bogus autographs through ghost-signing by Ruth's wife. Baker reports that these wife-produced signatures bear an "incredible resemblance" to a genuine Ruth autograph. These 2137937~

ghost-written signatures continue to cloud the market for items bearing Ruth autographs and will probably continue to do so. Baker states that the problems of ghost-writing and frequent counterfeiting make purchasing an item with a Ruth autograph a buying action "not recommended for the novice"; and Baker adds "collectors wishing to do so should approach such an acquisition with prudence."

Held by many collectors and investors are fears of the falseness of autographs on items of sports equipment. These fears extend far beyond baseballs bearing Ruth's name. The fears are pervasive and appear to be keeping many collectors and investors from entering the marketplace at all! And it is not unreasonable to believe that the significant absence of demand from such fearful collectors and investors keeps the market for autographed sporting equipment depressed.
Continuing this overall depression in the marketplace is the absence of items bearing both genuine autographs and intrinsic means for authentication sufficient to alleviate the fears of a significant number of these collectors and investors.

The fears of these collectors and investors are not limited to sports equipment bearing autographs of Ruth and other deceased players. The distrust extends to items bearing autographs of living personalities (including retired players, active players, and other personalities who _ 8 sign their autographs on sporting equipment). And the existence of this widespread distrust is understandable.
Deceitful counterfeiting, player-authorized autopenning, and player-authorized ghost-writing, continue to flood the marketplace with items bearing bogus autographs that are difficult, if not impossible, to distinguish from items bearing genuine autographs.

A baseball autographed by Joe DiMaggio is an example of an item bearing an autograph of a living person that is of significant interest to collectors and investors in today's market. Thousands, quite possibly tens of thousands, of baseballs autographed by DiMaggio are known to exist. Despite this apparent abundance, the market value of a baseball autographed by DiMaggio is $325.00 (Tuff Stuff, December 1993, page 214). That a living person can simply sign a raw baseball having a initial retail value of about $5.00 and transform it into a an improved collectible article worth $325.00 demonstrates the strength of the marketplace for this kind of autographed collectible and the collectible improvement power of a preferred-personality-created indicium functioning as a preferred-personality-created intrinsic collectible improvement augmentation means for improving the attractiveness of an item to collectors.

`- 2137937 As in the case of Ruth, the problem of ghost-written bogus autographs exists for items bearing autographs supposedly those of DiMaggio. DiMaggio's sister reportedly would ghost-sign bogus DiMaggio autographs on items (Baker, Baseball Autograph Handbook, Second Edition, 1991, page 151). The percentage of the supposedly DiMaggio-autographed items being sold in today's marketplace actually bearing genuine autographs remains undetermined, and collectors and investors must exercise extreme caution when buying such items in the absence of means providing valid authentication of such genuineness.

The examples of the Ruth and DiMaggio ghost-writings are not rare instances. Authorized autopenning and ghost-writing are still commonly used by many players, both active and retired, to meet the demands of fans and collectors for autographs. Such autopenning and ghost-writing practices may even be increasing.
Worries about items bearing bogus autographs intentionally created by counterfeiters for illicit sale seem even more deeply entrenched among collectors than the already widespread concerns about autopen and ghost-written autographs. In fact, the percentage of such counterfeit items in the marketplace may be even greater than generally believed because of the possibility that much of the more skilled counterfeiting results in autographs so nearly identical to the genuine autographs that even experts may ~13793`7 not question their genuineness.

Most autographed items of sporting equipment contain nothing incorporated as parts of the items to authenticate the genuineness of the autographs. The average collector or investor is typically left with no meaningful basis on which to judge the authenticity of the autograph on a purchased item other than the "good faith" of the selling dealer in a marketplace where many dealers have dubious reputations and where distrust abounds.
Investors who buy such items often find that these cannot be readily resold to dealers because of the nearly ever-present distrust of autographed items.

A number of dealers in autographed sports equipment offer mostly, or only, items that the dealers personally witnessed being autographed by the involved personalities.
This kind of policy creates a problem for investors wishing to sell their autographed items because a high percentage of dealers will not purchase such "second hand" items. Even a collector who personally witnessed a personality sign an item may be discouraged when he tries to sell this now "second hand" autographed item and no purchase offers are made by dealers.

Trustworthy and substantially foolproof means for authenticating the genuineness of autographs on items of ~137937 11 sporting equipment are obviously needed. Collectors need such authentication means so that they can be certain that their "second hand" purchases involve items bearing genuine signatures of their favorite sports players.
Collectors usually want to be certain that there is little, if any possibility, that they are purchasing items with bogus autographs. Investors need such authentication means to have confidence in the authenticity and resaleability of the autographed items that they purchase with intent of eventual resale. Dealers need such authentication means to assure customers of the genuineness of the autographed items being sold and to allow the dealers to purchase "second hand" autographed items with confidence.

To overcome the widespread worries of collectors and investors about items bearing bogus autographs, some dealers and companies have produced means designed to assure collectors of the genuineness of the autographs on items of sporting equipment. Most of the items supposedly authenticated under this background art involve extrinsic authentication means (authentication means physically separate from the involved autographed sporting equipment).

These predominant kinds of background art guarantee the genuineness of an autograph on an item by involving some form of text or statement that is extrinsic to the body of tangible material comprising the autographed item. One form of such background art is advertisement text which merely states that an autograph is guaranteed to be genuine without offering any additional substantiation; examples of this form include the advertisement of Great American Sports (Sports Collectors Digest, August 7, 1992, page 106), the advertisement of Stuart Collectibles (Tuff Stuff, June 1993, page 141), and the advertisement of Thrill of Victory (Tuff Stuff, October 1993, pages 159-160).

A second form of such extrinsic authentication is text stating that an autograph is genuine on a payment-received receipt given to a customer; this second form is used by Moody's (Baseball Cards, December 1991, page 173).

A third form is a specially prepared certificate or letter guaranteeing the authenticity of the involved autograph; this third form is used by Score Board, Inc.
(Tuff Stuff, October 1992, page 125), JC's Sports Connection (Tuff Stuff, June 1992, page 33), and Authentic Verification Association, Inc. (Sports Collectors Digest, June 26, 1992, page 225). This third form may be created before a respective autographed item is sold, at the time a respective item is acquired, or after a respective item has been acquired. A method for issuance of a certificate-of-authenticity by an "autograph certification service" for a respective autograph item is reported by Sperling (Autograph Addict, Tuff Stuff, June 1992, page - 2137g37 13 143). A certificate may involve "authentication" by a handwriting expert years after the creation of an autograph on an item, although such an "authentication"-is really just a post-autograph-creation, expert or educated opinion and not witness-based authentication. A letter or certificate may be notarized (Albersheim, Tuff Stuff, November 1993, page 139).

The limited value of a certificate-of-authenticity or like device is well recognized by experts in the field of sports memorabilia. Such certificates are too often of little or no value in protecting collectors from conartists peddling fraudulently autographed articles (Hawkins, Sports Collectors Digest, October 21, 1994, page 24).

These three forms of the background art involve printed authentication means extrinsic to the body of tangible material comprising an involved autographed item. All three forms are flawed by having the means for supposed authentication as bodies of material separate from the bodies of material comprising the involved autographed items. That the text or statement is not an intrinsic (integral) part of the body of material comprising the autographed item allows the text or statement to be easily disassociated from the autographed item. Accidental loss is quite possible. Such loss typically makes the disassociated body of autographed material an item without the barest ~137.937 14 supplementary evidence of the genuineness of the involved autograph.

Accidental loss is not the only manner through which an extrinsic means of autograph authentication may be disassociated from an item. The physically independent relationship between the autographed item and its extrinsic authentication means provides a deceitful dealer or other person with an easy way of intentional disassociation for fraudulent purposes. For example, an item may bear an autograph that is genuine and sufficiently genuine in appearance so as not to raise suspicions in a potential buyer. Such an item may be disassociated from its extrinsic authentication means and sold separately, leaving the deceiver with an extrinsic authentication means. The deceiver may then associate the extrinsic authentication means with an item bearing a counterfeit autograph of the involved sports personality. This would allow the deceiver to reap profits from two sales instead of just one sale.
The purchaser of the second item would wind up with an item bearing a bogus autograph, albeit with an extrinsic authentication means that now serves the purpose of falsely certifying the genuineness of a bogus autograph.

A deceitful dealer or other person may increase the level of the illicit profits resulting from fraudulent use of an extrinsic authentication means many times if the means 213793~7 _ 15 is in a common form easily duplicated by inexpensive photocopying or photo-offset printing. The deceiver can literally create hundreds, if not thousands, of items bearing counterfeit autographs and inexpensively create a sufficient number of copies of the original extrinsic authentication means. A copy of such means would then be available for each of the fraudulently autographed items so as to allow the deceiver to more readily sell the counterfeits.

It is very easy to create fraudulent extrinsic authentication means in the form of certificates bearing superficially impressive wording, typestyles, graphics, and embossing. Such fraudulent certificates may be easily and inexpensively created by deceitful dealers and others in large quantities, eliminating the need to print or photocopy multiple counterfeits of an original legitimate authentication means. These fraudulent certificates may be printed in whatever quantity is needed by the deceiver to equal the quantity of items on which the deceiver has created counterfeit autographs. The deceiver may even use tricky and qualified wording on these extrinsic certificates so as to eliminate or reduce the likelihood of prosecution for fraud should the deceiver be investigated by appropriate law enforcement authorities. Indeed, such a deceiver would appear to have little chance of receiving his deserved punishment. This escape from justice appears especially ~137937 likely considering the amount of items bearing counterfeit autographs being sold in the marketplace today in relation to the low frequency of the investigation and prosecution of autograph-counterfeiters by law enforcement agencies.

The authentication system of Molee et al.
(U.S. Patent 5,267,756) includes a kind of certificate-of-authenticity. Molee et al. teach affixing a first hologram with a unique code number to an article and a second hologram with the same unique code number to a certificate-of-authenticity. Molee et al. further teach a registration "hotline" entity having a master record or list containing the unique code number and information on the article to which the number applies. The system of Molee et al. further includes extrinsic means for a purchaser to register the article by mail or telephone with the entity.
These extrinsic means allow a customer to later confirm information about the article through a registration "hotline."

The certificate-of-authenticity of Molee et al.
overcomes some of the problems inherent in other certificates-of-authenticity of the background art.
However, the system of Molee et al. fails to provide a less cumbersome way of authenticating an article. Indeed, Molee et al. add remoteness to the authentication process by introducing customer communication with a registration ~137937-- 17 "hotline" entity. Should the entity eventually decide to shut down its "hotline" or go out-of-business, a customer may be left with no way of gaining access to the master record or list. The authentication system of Molee et al.
is excessively dependent on authentication means extrinsic to a respective autographed article.

Although seemingly recognizing the collectible improvement power of the authentic autograph, Molee et al. fail to present a second major kind of preferred-personality-created intrinsic collectible improvement augmentation means for improving the attractiveness of articles to collectors.

The value of the hologram of Molee et al. is its function as an authentication device substantially dependent on the presence of an authentic autograph or some other significant feature of an article and on the existence of extrinsic authentication means such as the certificate-of-authenticity and the master record or list.

Molee et al. and others skilled in the background art clearly teach away from comprehensive intrinsic authentication means.

Thus, under the background art, the marketplace is substantially limited to embodiments comprising only one 213793Z, major kind of preferred-personality-created indicium and to an availability of comprehensive authentication means that are extrinsic, too frequently dubious, often remote, and sometimes dependent on an authentication entity remaining solvent in business.

None of the prior art recognizes the need for the availability of a second major kind of preferred-personality-created indicium as a preferred-personality-created intrinsic (integral) collectible improvement augmentation means for improving the attractiveness of a sporting equipment article as a collectible article to collectors of sports memorabilia.
None of the prior art recognizes the synergistic authenticating role that a second major kind of preferred-personality-created indicium would serve on in an improved collectible article bearing both a first major kind of indicium (the authentic autograph) and a second major kind of indicium. Furthermore, none of the prior art teaches comprehensive intrinsic (integral) authentication augmentations as intrinsic authentication augmentation means for integrally and comprehensively authenticating a preferred-personality-created indicium on an article of sporting equipment.

OBJECTS OF THE lNv~lION

Accordingly, some objects of the present invention are:

(a) to provide intrinsic (integral) and comprehensive means for authenticating the genuineness of an autograph of a preferred personality on an item of sporting equipment;

(b) to provide intrinsic authentication means for bringing the authentication of an autograph of a preferred personality on an item of sporting equipment under laws relating to perjury and notarization;

(c) to provide intrinsic authentication means for identifying a person or persons responsible for certifying the authenticity of an autograph on an item of sporting equipment;

(d) to provide intrinsic authentication means that are readable and understandable and not in the form of a numbered hologram which must be correlated with extrinsic (nonintegral) authentication means for comprehensive authentication;

(e) to provide intrinsic authentication means that furnish a collector viewing an autographed item of sporting equipment with the name of the preferred personality who affixed the autograph to the item, the date of the affixing of the autograph, and the geographic location of the affixing of the autograph;

(f) to provide intrinsic authentication means that function both to authenticate a preferred-personality-created indicium on an item of sporting equipment and to improve the attractiveness of the item as a collectible article to collectors;

(g) to provide a second major kind of preferred-personality-created indicium as a preferred-personality-created intrinsic collectible improvement augmentation means for improving the attractiveness of an item of sporting equipment as a collectible article to collectors;

(h) to provide a method for producing an improved collectible article comprising both the authentic autograph and the second major kind of preferred-personality-created indicium as preferred-personality-created intrinsic collectible improvement augmentation means;

(i) to provide collectors with articles bearing both preferred-personality-created indicia and authentication augmentations functioning intrinsically and synergistically as mutually supportive intrinsic collectible improvement ~137937 .

augmentation means and as intrinsic authentication augmentation means; and (j) to provide collectors with a wide diversity of improved collectible articles encompassing a variety of intrinsic collectible improvement augmentations previously not available.

Additional objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will be set forth in the following description and drawings and will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following or may be learned by practice of the invention. Objects and advantages of the present invention may be realized and attained by the methods and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

SUMMARY OF THE lNv~ lON

The method of the present invention physically unites a base and at least one augmentation to produce a unified body of tangible material that is an improved collectible article.

~137937- 22 The method of the present invention introduces a second major kind of preferred-personality-created intrinsic collectible improvement augmentation in the form of an image of a fingerprint pattern affixed to a base by a preferred personality as an authentic fingerprint indicium.

The method of the present invention allows production of intentionally improved collectible articles, with each article having an item of sporting equipment as its base and having at least one preferred-personality-created indicium intentionally and intrinsically affixed thereto as a preferred-personality-created intrinsic collectible improvement augmentation means for improving the attractiveness of the item as a collectible article to collectors of memorabilia. This at least one preferred-personality-created indicium is either an autograph written on the base by a preferred personality or an image of a fingerprint pattern affixed on the base by a preferred personality as an authentic fingerprint indicium.
The method of the present invention includes one or both of these preferred-personality-created indicia in an embodiment. The method of the present invention requires affixing of at least a second augmentation to a base for each embodiment bearing an autographic indicium.

Although substantially functioning as preferred-personality-created intrinsic collectible improvement augmentation means for improving the attractiveness to collectors, both the authentic autographic indicium and authentic fingerprint indicium also function as preferred-personality-created intrinsic authentication means for authenticating that a respective preferred personality had contact with the base.

The method of the present invention allows affixing one or more intrinsic authentication augmentations to a base so as to corroborate the genuineness of at least one preferred-personality-created indicium affixed to the base.
Among such intrinsic authentication augmentations are textual authentication components (including statements and notarial confirmation texts). The method of the present invention further allows inclusion of a signature of a witness in such an affixed statement or as a separate indicium to a base, and the method of the present invention further allows affixing a signature of a notary public to a base. These intrinsic authentication augmentations are affixed both as intrinsic authentication augmentation means for authenticating at least one preferred-personality-created indicium affixed to the base and as intrinsic collectible improvement augmentation means for improving the attractiveness of the article as a collectible article to collectors. Although functioning as ~137937 authentication means, these augmentations also serve as means for improving the attractiveness of an article to collectors by increasing the integrity and trustworthiness of the article.

The method of the present invention also allows improvement of an article by intrinsically affixing to the base such additional intrinsic augmentations as: a name of a preferred personality in print lettering, a numerical indicium, and a pictorial image of a preferred personality in the form of a photograph or the like. These additional intrinsic augmentations may be affixed so as to function as intrinsic collectible improvement augmentation means for improving the attractiveness to collectors and/or so as to function as intrinsic authentication augmentation means for authenticating the genuineness of one or more preferred-personality-created indicia.

The method of the present invention allows creation of a diversity of embodiments, utilizing different quantitative and qualitative combinations of preferred-personality-created indicia and intrinsic authentication augmentations within singular unified bodies of tangible material. The method of the present invention allows creation of a superior quality of intentionally improved collectible articles bearing preferred-personality-created indicia and having intrinsic ~1379~7 trustworthiness and collector-attractiveness not possible under the background art.

The present invention includes all products of the method of the invention. These products encompass all improved collectible articles produced by the method of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. lA is a front view perspective of an embodiment of the invention having an autograph and an image of a fingerprint pattern as two preferred-personality-created indicia, a statement bearing a signature of a witness, and notarial confirmation text; and the embodiment having a base comprised of a baseball.

FIG. lB is a side view perspective of the embodiment of the invention of FIG. lA.

FIG. lC is a side view perspective of the embodiment of the invention of FIGS. lA and lB. Shown in FIG. lC is the side of the embodiment opposite the side shown in FIG. lB.

FIG. 2A is a front view perspective of an embodiment of the invention having an autograph of a preferred personality, a statement bearing a signature of a witness, and notarial confirmation text; and the embodiment having a base comprised of a baseball.

FIG. 2B is a side view perspective of the embodiment of the invention of FIG. 2B.

FIG. 2C is a side view perspective of the embodiment of the invention of FIGS. 2A and 2B. Shown in FIG. 2C is the side of the embodiment opposite the side shown in FIG. 2B.

FIG. 3A is a front view perspective of an embodiment of the invention having an autograph and an image of a fingerprint pattern as two preferred-personality-created indicia; the embodiment having a statement with wording that includes the name of the preferred personality, the date of the affixing of the autograph, and the geographic location of the affixing of the autograph; the embodiment having a signature of a witness as a part of said statement; and the embodiment having a base comprised of a baseball.

FIG. 3B is a side view perspective of the embodiment of the invention of FIG. 3A.

2t37937 27 FIG. 3C is a side view perspective of the embodiment of the invention of FIGS. 3A and 3B. Shown in FIG. 3B is the side of the embodiment opposite the side shown in FIG. 3B.

FIG. 4A is a front view perspective of an embodiment of the invention having an image of a fingerprint pattern of a preferred personality, and a statement bearing a signature of a witness; and the embodiment having a base comprised of a baseball.

FIG. 4B is a side view perspective of the embodiment of the invention of FIG. 4A.

FIG. 4C is a side view perspective of the embodiment of the invention of FIGS. 4A and 4B. Shown in FIG. 4C is the side of the embodiment opposite the side shown in FIG. 4B.

FIG. 5 is a view of an embodiment of the invention having an autograph and an image of a fingerprint pattern as two preferred-personality-created indicia, a statement bearing a signature of a witness, and notarial confirmation text; and the embodiment having a base comprised of a football.

FIG. 6 is a view of an embodiment of the invention having an autograph and an image of a fingerprint pattern as two preferred-personality-created indicia, and a statement bearing a signature of a witness; and the embodiment having a base comprised of a football.

FIG. 7 is a view of an embodiment of the invention having an autograph of a preferred personality, a statement bearing a signature of a witness, and notarial confirmation text; and the embodiment having a base comprised of a football.

FIG. 8 is a view of an embodiment of the invention having an autograph and an image of a fingerprint pattern as two preferred-personality-created indicia, a statement bearing a signature of a witness, notarial confirmation text, the name of the preferred personality in print lettering, and a pictorial image of the preferred personality; and the embodiment having a base comprised of a basketball.

FIG. 9 is a view of an embodiment of the invention having an autograph of a preferred personality and a statement bearing a signature of a witness, notarial confirmation text, and a numerical indicium; and the embodiment having a base comprised of a basketball.

FIG. 10 is a view of an embodiment of the invention having an autograph of a preferred personality; the embodiment having a statement with wording that includes the _ 29 name of the preferred personality, the date of the affixing of the autograph, and the geographic location of the affixing of the autograph; the embodiment having a signature of a witness as a part of the statement; and the embodiment having a base comprised of a basketball.

FIG. 11 is a view of an embodiment of the invention having an autograph and an image of a fingerprint pattern as two preferred-personality-created indicia, a statement bearing a signature of a witness, and a notarial confirmation text; and the embodiment having a base comprised of a hockey puck.

FIG. 12 is a view of an embodiment of the invention having an autograph and an image of a fingerprint pattern as two preferred-personality-created indicia, a statement bearing a signature of a witness, and notarial confirmation text; and the embodiment having a base comprised of a hockey puck.

FIG. 13 is a view of an embodiment of the invention having an autograph and an image of a fingerprint pattern as two preferred-personality-created indicia, and a statement bearing a signature of a witness; and the embodiment having a base comprised of a hockey puck.

FIG. 14 is a view of an embodiment of the invention having an autograph of a preferred personality; the embodiment having a statement with wording that includes the name of the preferred personality, the date of the affixing of the autograph, and the geographic location of the affixing of the autograph; the embodiment having a signature of a witness; and the embodiment having a base comprised of a hockey puck.

FIG. 15 is a view of an embodiment of the invention having an image of a fingerprint pattern of a preferred personality, a statement bearing a signature of a witness, and notarial confirmation text; and the embodiment having a base comprised of a hockey puck.

FIG. 16A is a view of an embodiment of the invention having an autograph and an image of a fingerprint pattern as two indicia created by a preferred personality; the embodiment having a statement with wording that includes the name of the preferred personality, the date of the affixing of both the autograph and the image of the fingerprint pattern, and the geographic location of the affixing of both the autograph and the image of the fingerprint pattern; the embodiment having a signature of a witness as a part of the statement; the embodiment having notarial confirmation text;
and the embodiment having a base comprised of a baseball.

2i37937 _ 31 FIG. 16B is an enlarged view of a section of the embodiment of the invention of FIG. 16A.

FIG. 17A is a view of an embodiment of the invention having an autograph and an image of a fingerprint pattern as two preferred-personality-created indicia, and a statement;
and the embodiment having a base comprised of a baseball bat.

FIG. 17B is an enlarged view of a section of the embodiment of the invention of FIG. 17A.

FIG. 18A is a view of an embodiment of the invention having an autograph of a preferred personality, a statement, a signature of a witness, and notarial confirmation text;
and the embodiment having a base comprised of a baseball bat.

FIG. 18B is an enlarged view of a section of the embodiment of the invention of FIG. 18A.

FIG. l9A is a view of an embodiment of the invention having an image of a fingerprint pattern of a preferred personality, a statement, and a signature of a witness; and the embodiment having a base comprised of a baseball bat.

21~7937 FIG. l9B is an enlarged view of a section of the embodiment of the invention of FIG. l9A.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

100: a baseball comprising the base of the embodiment of FIGS. lA, lB and lC.

130: an autographic indicium in the form of an autograph of a preferred personality.

140: a fingerprint indicium in the form of an image of a fingerprint pattern of the preferred personality whose autograph is affixed as autographic indicium 130.

150: a statement having authentication wording.

160: a signature of a witness.

170: notarial confirmation text.

180: a signature of a notary public.

_ 33 - 200: a baseball comprising the base of the embodiment of FIGS. 2A, 2B and 2C.

230: an autographic indicium in the form of an autograph of a preferred personality.

250: a statement having authentication wording.

260: a signature of a witness.

270: notarial confirmation text.

280: a signature of a notary public.

300: a baseball comprising the base of the embodiment of FIGS. 3A, 3B and 3C.

330: an autographic indicium in the form of an autograph of a preferred personality.

340: a fingerprint indicium in the form of an image of a fingerprint pattern of the preferred personality whose autograph is affixed as autographic indicium 330.

350: a statement having authentication wording.

2 137g~ 7 352: the name of the preferred personality whose autograph is affixed as autographic indicium 330.

354: the date of the affixing of autographic indicium 330.

356: the geographic location of the affixing of autographic indicium 330.

360: a signature of a witness.

400: a baseball comprising the base of the embodiment of FIGS. 4A, 4B and 4C.

440: a fingerprint indicium in the form of an image of a fingerprint pattern of the preferred personality whose autograph is affixed as autographic indicium 430.

450: a statement having authentication wording.

460: a signature of a witness.

500: a football comprising the base of the embodiment of FIG. 5.

530: an autographic indicium in the form of an autograph of a preferred personality.

~137937 35 540: a fingerprint indicium, comprised of a substance containing organic matter having genetic information on the preferred personality whose autograph is affixed as autographic indicium 530, in the form of an image of a fingerprint pattern of said preferred personality.

550: a statement having authentication wording.

560: a signature of a witness.

570: notarial confirmation text.

580: a signature of a notary public.

600: a football comprising the base of the embodiment of FIG. 6.

630: an autographic indicium in the form of an autograph of a preferred personality.

640: a fingerprint indicium in the form of an image of a fingerprint pattern of the preferred personality whose autograph is affixed as autographic indicium 630.

650: a statement having authentication wording.

660: a signature of a witness.

2137~37 36 700: a football comprising the base of the embodiment of FIG. 7.

730: an autographic indicium, in the form of an autograph of a preferred personality, comprised of a substance containing organic matter having genetic information on said preferred personality.

750: a statement having authentication wording.

760: a signature of a witness.

770: notarial confirmation text.

780: a signature of a notary public.

800: a basketball comprising the base of the embodiment of FIG. 8.

830: an autographic indicium in the form of an autograph of a preferred personality.

840: a fingerprint indicium in the form of an image of a fingerprint pattern of the preferred personality whose autograph is affixed as autographic indicium 830.

850: a statement having authentication wording.

860: a signature of a witness.

870: notarial confirmation text.

880: a signature of a notary public.

891: a print-lettered name of the preferred personality whose autograph is affixed as autographic indicium 830.

893. a pictorial image of the preferred personality whose autograph is affixed as autographic indicium 830.

900: a basketball comprising the base of the embodiment of FIG. 9.

930: an autographic indicium in the form of an autograph of a preferred personality.

950: a statement having authentication wording.

960: a signature of a witness.

970: notarial confirmation text.

980: a signature of a notary public.

~137~37 .

995: a numerical indicium.

loO0: a hockey puck comprising the base of the embodiment of FIG. lo.

1030: an autographic indicium in the form of an autograph of a preferred personality.

1050: a statement having authentication wording.

1060: a signature of a witness.

1100: a hockey puck comprising the base of the embodiment of FIG. 11.

1130: an autographic indicium in the form of an autograph of a preferred personality.

1140: a fingerprint indicium in the form of an image of a fingerprint pattern of the preferred personality whose autograph is affixed as autographic indicium 1130.

1150: a statement having authentication wording.

1160: a signature of a witness.

1170: notarial confirmation text.

1180: a signature of a notary public.

1200: a hockey puck comprising the base of the embodiment of FIG. 12.

1230: an autographic indicium in the form of an autograph of a preferred personality.

1240: a fingerprint indicium in the form of an image of a fingerprint pattern of the preferred personality whose autograph is affixed as autographic indicium 1230.
1250: a statement having authentication wording.

1260: a signature of a witness.

1270: notarial confirmation text.

1280: a signature of a notary public.

1300: a hockey puck comprising the base of the embodiment of FIG. 13.

1330: an autographic indicium in the form of an autograph of a preferred personality.

1340: a fingerprint indicium in the form of an image of a fingerprint pattern of the preferred personality whose autograph is affixed as autographic indicium 1330.

1350: a statement having authentication wording.

1360: a signature of a witness.

1400: a hockey puck comprising the base of the embodiment of FIG. 14.

1430: an autographic indicium in the form of an autograph of a preferred personality.

1450: a statement having authentication wording.

1452: the name of the preferred personality whose autograph is affixed as autographic indicium 1430.

1454: the date of the affixing of autographic indicium 1430.

1456: the geographic location of the affixing of autographic indicium 1450.

1460: a signature of a witness.

1500: a hockey puck comprising the base of the embodiment of FIG. 15.

1540: a fingerprint indicium in the form of an image of a fingerprint of a preferred personality.

1550: a statement having authentication wording.

1560: a signature of a witness.

1570: notarial confirmation text.

1580: a signature of a notary public.

1600: a baseball bat comprising the base of the embodiment of FIGS. 16A and 16B.

1630: an autographic indicium in the form of an autograph of a preferred personality.

1640: a fingerprint indicium in the form of an image of a fingerprint pattern of the preferred personality whose autograph is affixed as autographic indicium 1630.

1650: a statement having authentication wording.

`~ 42 1652: the name of the preferred personality whose autograph is affixed as autographic indicium 1630.

- 1654: the date of the affixing of autographic indicium 1630.

1656: the geographic location of the affixing of autographic indicium 1630.

1660: a signature of a witness.

1670: notarial confirmation text.

1680: a signature of a notary public.

1700: a baseball bat comprising the base of the embodiment of FIGS. 17A and 17B.

1730: an autographic indicium in the form of an autograph of a preferred personality.

1740: a fingerprint indicium in the form of an image of a fingerprint pattern of the preferred personality whose autograph is affixed as autographic indicium 1730.

1750: a statement having authentication wording.

_ 43 1800: a baseball bat comprising the base of the embodiment of FIGS. 18A and 18B.

1830: an autographic indicium in the form of an autograph of a preferred personality.

1850: a statement having authentication wording.

1860: a signature of a witness.

1870: notarial confirmation text.

1880: a signature of a notary public.

1900: a baseball bat comprising the base of the embodiment of FIGS. l9A and l9B.

1940: a fingerprint indicium in the form of an image of a fingerprint pattern of a preferred personality.

1950: a statement having authentication wording.

1960: a signature of a witness.

~137937 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE lNv~.llON

Each embodiment of the present invention minimally comprises at least one preferred-personality-created indicium intentionally and intrinsically affixed to a base as at least one preferred-personality-created intrinsic collectible improvement augmentation means for improving the attractiveness of a unified body of tangible material as a collectible article to collectors of memorabilia. This at least one preferred-personality-created indicium is at least one authentic autographic indicium of a preferred personality or at least one authentic fingerprint indicium of a preferred personality.

Each of a number of embodiments of the present invention also comprises one or more authentication augmentations intrinsically affixed to a base, with each authentication augmentation being affixed so as to function both: (i) as an intrinsic authentication augmentation means for authenticating at least one preferred-personality-created indicium affixed to the base, and (ii) as an intrinsic collectible improvement augmentation means for improving attractiveness to collectors. The textual authentication components (including statements and notarial confirmation texts), witness signatures, notary public signatures, and like ~ 45 augmentations of the present invention are affixed to function both as intrinsic authentication augmentation means and as intrinsic collectible improvement augmentation means.

An embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in FIG. lA, FIG. lB, and FIG. lC. This embodiment includes base 100, which is comprised of an item of sporting equipment in the form of a baseball. Autographic indicium 130 and fingerprint indicium 140 comprise two preferred-personality-created indicia affixed to base loo. Autographic indicium 130 is an autograph created by a preferred personality writing on a surface of base 100, and fingerprint indicium 140 is an image created by the preferred personality touching the surface of base loo with a finger coated with a transferable substance so as to transfer the transferable substance to base 100 and thereby to form fingerprint indicium 140 as a substantially indelible augmented part of the embodiment. Statement 150, having wording that authenticates the genuineness of both autographic indicium 130 and fingerprint indicium 140 as creations of the preferred personality, is affixed to base 100. Witness signature 160 is affixed as a part of statement 150, providing signatory authentication of the truth of the wording of statement 150. Notarial confirmation text 170, having wording that states the witness who affixed witness signature 160 did affirm the ~137937 46 truth of the wording of statement 150 in the presence of a notary public, is affixed to base 100. Notary public signature 180 is affixed as a part of notarial confirmation text 170 on base 100.

Many other embodiments of the present invention are possible: for example, the embodiments shown in FIGS. 2A, 2B, & 2C; FIGS. 3A, 3B, & 3C; FIGS. 4A, 4B, & 4C; FIG. 5;
FIG. 6; FIG. 7; FIG. 8; FIG. 9; FIG. 10; FIG. 11; FIG. 12;
FIG. 13; FIG. 14; FIG. 15; FIGS. 16A & 16B; FIGS. 17A & 17B;
FIGS. 18A & 18B; and FIGS. l9A & l9B.

As in the embodiment of FIGS. lA, lB, & lC, the base of each of the three embodiments shown in FIGS. 2A, 2B, & 2C; FIGS. 3A, 3B, & 3C; and FIGS. 4A, 4B, & 4C; is comprised of a baseball. In the embodiments of FIGS. 5, 6, and 7, the base of eàch embodiment is comprised of a football. In the embodiments of FIGS. 8, 9, and 10, the base of each embodiment is comprised of a basketball.
In the embodiments of FIGS. 11, 12, 13, 14, and 15, the base of each embodiment is comprised of a hockey puck. In the embodiments of FIGS. 16, 17, 18, and 19, the base of each embodiment is comprised of a baseball bat. These items of sporting equipment are only examples of the large number of bodies of tangible material that may be used as the bases for embodiments of the present invention.

~137937 Any item of sporting equipment may be used as the base for an embodiment of the present invention. The term "item of sporting equipment", as used in this application, comprises: (i) any item substantially manufactured for use in the performance of sport;
(ii) any item substantially used in the playing of a sport; (iii) any item substantially designed for use by a sports player; (iv) any item substantially designed as a replica of an item generally used in the performance of a sport; (v) any item manufactured as a facsimile of an item generally used in the performance of a sport; (vi) any item manufactured as a collectible item designed to appeal to collectors and designed in the form of an item generally used in the playing of a sport; or (vii) any item designed so as to resemble an item used in the performance of a sport and manufàctured with at least one white surface suitable for affixing an autographic indicium of a preferred personality thereto.

For example, the term "item of sporting equipment," as used in this application, comprises any tangible body of material that is a baseball, a football, a basketball, a soccer ball, a hockey puck, a tennis ball, a golf ball, a rubber ball, baseball bat, a hockey stick, a tennis racket, a golf club, a baseball cap, a baseball batting helmet, a baseball batting glove, a baseball mitt, a 21379~7 baseball jersey, a baseball uniform, a football jersey, a football uniform, a football helmet, a basketball jersey, a basketball uniform, a soccer uniform, a hockey jersey, a hockey uniform, a hockey helmet, a tennis shirt, a golf shirt, a boxing glove, a pair of boxing trunks, a commemorative baseball, a commemorative football, a commemorative baseball bat, a commemorative item designed in the form of an item generally used in playing a sport, a white-panelled football, a white-panelled basketball, a hockey puck with a lightly colored surface for affixing an autographic indicium, an imitation sports jersey, an item of facsimile sports clothing, an item designed for use by children in the playing of a sport, or an item designed for hobbyists as a model of an item generally used in the performance of a sport.

The term "preferred personality," as used in this application, comprises any person who creates at least one indicium, as an autographic indicium in the form of an autograph of the person or as a fingerprint indicium in the form of an image of a fingerprint pattern of the person, on a base. An active professional athlete, a retired professional athlete, a notable amateur athlete, a member of a sports hall-of-fame, an entertainment personality, a notable academic personality, a notable artistic personality, a notable political personality, a heroic personality, a public figure, a notorious personality, and a `` ~137937 famous personality, are some examples of kinds of preferred personalities.

The "base" of each embodiment of the present invention is comprised of an item of sporting equipment, and each embodiment of the invention includes at least one indicium affixed as a part of the unified body of tangible material comprising an improved collectible article. This at least one indicium is in the form of an autograph of a preferred personality or in the form of an image of a fingerprint pattern of a preferred personality.

An "intrinsic collectible improvement augmentation" is an augmentation intentionally and intrinsically (integrally) affixed to a base so as to enhance the attractiveness of the resulting unified body of tangible material as a collectible article to collectors of memorabilia and to so enhance this attractiveness substantially contemporaneously with the affixing of the augmentation.

A "substantially utilitarian augmentation" is an augmentation affixed to an item for a substantially utilitarian purpose not encompassing any substantial intent to make the item attractive to collectors of memorabilia.
Substantially utilitarian augmentations include, for example: a signature affixed to a credit agreement for the utilitarian purpose of obtaining credit, a fingerprint _ 50 placed on a registration card used by a law enforcement agency for the utilitarian purpose of functioning as an information form in a data bank of criminal records, and a notarized body of text included in a deed or like instrument for the utilitarian purpose of facilitating transfer of a real property title. The signatures, fingerprints and other augmentations of Parliman (U.S. Patent 1,206,362), Effrig (U.S. Patent 1,322,293), Jones (U.S. Patent 1,374,208), Voght (U.S. Patent 1,380,506), Chadwick et al. (U.S. Patent l,483,926), Stoddard (U.S. Patent 1,499,955), and Edwards (U.S. Patent 1,560,047), are examples of substantially utilitarian augmentations. Thus, an intrinsic collectible improvement augmentation and a substantially utilitarian augmentation are two clearly different kinds of augmentations, with each kind having a distinct function or purpose.

The method of the present invention comprises the creation of at least one indicium by a preferred personality on a surface of a base so as to incorporate this at least one indicium as at least one substantially indelible augmentation to the base and thereby as at least one unified part of the unified body of tangible material comprising an improved collectible article. This at least one indicium is intentionally and intrinsically affixed as a preferred-personality-created intrinsic collectible improvement augmentation means for improving the ~137937 51 attractiveness of the article as a collectible article to collectors of memorabilia.

The at least one preferred-personality-created indicium may be an autograph of a preferred personality created by the preferred personality using a writing device to transfer ink or a like substance from the writing device and thereby to form and affix an autographic indicium to the base so that the autographic indicium becomes a unified part of the unified body of tangible material comprising the improved collectible article. The writing device used to create an autographic indicium may be a ballpoint pen, a fountain pen, an indelible marker, or any other writing means that a preferred personality may use to create an authentic autograph. Or the preferred personality may create and affix an autographic indicium by any other means appropriate for the creating and affixing of an authentic autographic indicium.

Or the at least one preferred-personality-created indicium may be an image of a fingerprint pattern of a finger of a preferred personality (a fingerprint indicium).
This fingerprint indicium may be created by applying a transferable substance to a finger of the preferred personality, by touching the finger to a surface of the base, by transferring the substance to the base, and thereby forming and affixing the image of the fingerprint pattern as _ -- 52 the fingerprint indicium and as a unified part of the unified body of tangible material comprising the improved collectible article. The transferable substance used by a preferred personality to form and affix a fingerprint indicium to a base may be a substantially indelible and substantially pigmented substance (i.e., substantially indelible ink, transferable dye, pigmented liquid, fingerprint pattern transfer substance, or a like substance which may be transferred so as to form and affix an authentic fingerprint indicium). Alternatively, the fingerprint indicium may be formed and affixed by using fingerprint-developing solutions or other means for forming and affixing an authentic fingerprint indicium.

A preferred personality may create and incorporate in the unified body of tangible material comprising an improved collectible article: one indicium in the form of an autographic indicium, one indicium in the form of a fingerprint indicium, or two indicia in the form of both an autographic indicium and a fingerprint indicium.

The simplest embodiment within the scope of the method of the present invention is formed by a preferred personality creating a fingerprint indicium as the only augmentation affixed to the base of the embodiment.
The simplest embodiments having an autographic indicium and being within the scope of the method of this invention each ~i37937 _ 53 requires a preferred personality creating an autographic indicium as an augmentation affixed to the base of the embodiment and requires affixing of at least one additional augmentation to the base.

The method of the present invention includes the affixing of a statement as an augmentation to a base to authenticate the genuineness of at least one preferred-personality-created indicium on the base.
The wording of such a statement is composed so as to provide a person reading the statement with information certifying that one or more indicia in the embodiment were created by a preferred personality. The wording may include a variety of data. For example, among these data that may be included in the wording of the statement are: (i) the name of a preferred personality who created at least one indicium on the base; (ii) the date of the affixing of at least one preferred-personality-created indicium on the base;
(iii) the geographic location of the affixing of at least one preferred-personality-created; (iv) the name of a witness who observed a preferred personality create an indicium as a unified part of the unified body of tangible material; (v) the specific kind of sporting equipment serving as the base; (vi) a serial or model number assigned to the involved improved collectible article; (vii) the kind of imprinting, writing or other means used to affix the statement to the base; and (viii) any other data as may contribute to supporting the authenticity of at least one preferred-personality-created indicium.

A statement may be created and incorporated as an augmentation affixed to a base by any means that results in the statement becoming a part of the body of tangible material comprising an embodiment of the present invention. For example, a statement may be:
(i) imprinted directly on a base; (ii) silk-screen printed directly on a base; (iii) rubber-stamped directly on a base; (iv) photo-offset printed directly on a base; (v) branded on a base; (vi) embossed on a base;
(vii) handwritten on a base; (viii) heat-stamped on a base;
(ix) embroidered on a base; (x) created on a substantially flat unit of material, such as a piece of paper or cloth, separate from a base and affixed onto the base using an adhesive substance; or (xi) affixed to a base using any other affixing means, or any combination of affixing means.

A signature of a witness, who observed the creating of at least one preferred-personality-created indicium as an augmentation affixed to a base, may be created and incorporated as a part of a statement affixed to the base.

A witness may so create and incorporate a witness signature by writing on a surface of the base. Such a witness may be a notary public, and the wording in a _ 55 statement may identify such a witness as being a notary public if said witness is a notary public. Even if the witness affixing a witness signature as a part of such a statement is a notary public, the respective statement does not qualify as notarial confirmation text as the term "notarial confirmation text" is used in this application.

A statement functions as a textual authentication component in the body of tangible material comprising an improved collectible article. Another textual authentication component of the method of the present invention is notarial confirmation text. Notarial confirmation text includes wording that at least certifies that a witness signature was affixed, in the presence of a notary public, by a witness to a statement incorporated as an augmentation on a base. The wording of notarial confirmation text may further include information confirming the presence of both the witness and the notary public at the creation of at least one preferred-personality-created indicium. The wording of notarial confirmation text may encompass additional data supporting the authenticity of at least one preferred-personality-created indicium on a base.
For example, the wording of notarial confirmation text may include data relating to the registration of the notary public as a duly qualified notary public in a specified state (or province) and/or may include data certifying that the involved notary public did personally observe a preferred personality create an indicium on a base.

The method of the present invention creates notarial confirmation text as an intrinsic part of the body of tangible material comprising an improved collectible article. Notarial confirmation text may be created and incorporated as an augmentation affixed to a base by any means that results in the notarial confirmation text becoming a part of the embodiment. For example, notarial confirmation text may be: (i) imprinted directly on a base; (ii) silk-screen printed directly on a base;
(iii) rubber-stamped directly on a base; (iv) photo-offset printed directly on a base; (v) branded on a base;
(vi) embossed on a base; (vii) handwritten on a base;
(viii) heat-stamped on a base; (ix) embroidered on a base; (x) created on a substantially flat unit of material, such as a piece of paper or cloth, separate from a base and affixed onto the base using an adhesive substance; or (xi) affixed to a base using any other affixing means, or any combination of affixing means.

Notarial confirmation text further includes a signature of a notary public who observed a witness create and incorporate a witness signature as a part of a statement ~13793`7 57 affixed to the respective base. A notary public signature may be created and incorporated as a part of notarial confirmation text by the respective notary public writing his or her signature on a surface of a base.

The method of the present invention allows affixing intrinsic augmentations to a base as either parts of a textual authentication component or as distinct augmentations. Among these augmentations so allowed are:
(i) an imprinted print-lettered name of a preferred personality, (ii) an imprinted print-lettered of a witness to the creation of a preferred-personality-created indicium on a base, (iii) a signature of a witness to the creation of a preferred-personality-created indicium on a base, and (iv) an imprinted and substantially indelible numerical indicium.

The method of the present invention further allows affixing the following intrinsic augmentations to a base:
(i) a pictorial image of a preferred personality in the form of a photograph, painting or the like imprinted or otherwise affixed to the base; (ii) a hologram adhered to the base; or (iii) a facsimile autograph of a preferred personality imprinted on the base; and (iv) a facsimile fingerprint of a preferred personality imprinted on the base.

A pictorial image of a preferred personality may be in the form of a photograph taken on the respective date and at the respective geographic location where a preferred personality created and affixed a respective preferred-personality-created indicium on a base. A
pictorial image may show the preferred personality creating and affixing the respective indicium.

The above-described intrinsic augmentations may serve as: (i) intrinsic collectible improvement augmentation means for improving the attractiveness of an article to collectors, and/or (ii) intrinsic authentication augmentation means for authenticating a preferred-personality-created indicium.

The method of the present invention allows the development of a body of tangible material from a less preferred embodiment through a moderately preferred embodiment to a more preferred embodiment.

A "less preferred embodiment" of the present invention is generally defined as consisting of: (i) an item of sporting equipment that is a base, to which only one or very few augmentations are affixed to the base of the embodiment, and (ii) the respective quantity and quality of augmentations affixed to the base are the minima required to be so affixed to qualify the embodiment 21 37~37 for inclusion within the scope of the present invention.

A first example of a generally less preferred embodiment of the present invention is an embodiment consisting of a base having affixed thereto only an autographic indicium and an unsigned statement giving only three key data components (the name of the preferred personality who affixed the autographic indicium, the date of the affixing of the autographic indicium, and the geographic location of the affixing of the autographic indicium) (not shown). By additionally affixing a signature of a witness as a part of the statement on the base, this embodiment may be improved and transformed into a moderately preferred embodiment. Such a moderately preferred embodiment is shown in FIG. 14, which has the following augmentations affixed to its base (base 1400):
one preferred-personality-created indicium (autographic indicium 1430), a statement having wording that includes the name of the preferred personality who affixed said indicium, the date of the affixing of said indicium, and the geographic location of the affixing of said indicium (statement 1450 including preferred-personality name 1452, indicium-affixing date 1454, and indicium-affixing geographic location 1456), and a signature of a witness who observed the preferred-personality create said indicium (witness signature 1460). This moderately preferred embodiment lacks notarial confirmation text, but 2137937 `

the embodiment could have been upgraded to a more preferred embodiment by additionally affixing notarial confirmation text as a second textual authentication component.

A second example of a generally less preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG. lo.
This embodiment consists of a base (base looO), an autographic indicium affixed as an augmentation to the base (autographic indicium 1030, affixed to base 1000), and a statement, bearing a witness signature, affixed to the base (statement 1050, bearing witness signature 1060, affixed to base 1000). If the geographic location of the affixing of autographic indicium 1030 had been included in statement 1030, this embodiment would have qualified as a moderately preferred embodiment. The embodiment could have been improved to a more preferred embodiment by additionally affixing notarial confirmation text as a second textual authentication component to base 1000.

A third example of a generally less preferred embodiment of the present invention is an embodiment consisting of a base and a fingerprint indicium as the only augmentation affixed thereto (not shown). This embodiment may be improved and transformed into a moderately preferred embodiment by additionally affixing the following to the base: a statement that includes wording to authenticate the genuineness of the fingerprint indicium and ~137937 _ that includes a signature of a witness who observed the involved preferred personality create the fingerprint indicium. This moderately preferred embodiment may be upgraded to a more preferred embodiment by additionally affixing notarial confirmation text as a second textual authentication component to the base. Such a more preferred embodiment is illustrated in FIG. 15, which has the following augmentations affixed to its base (base 1500): one preferred-personality-created indicium (fingerprint indicium 1540), a statement having wording that authenticates the genuineness of said indicium as an augmentation created by a preferred personality (statement 1550), a signature of a witness who observed the preferred personality create said indicium (witness signature 1560), and notarial confirmation text that includes wording to certify the involved witness affirmed the truth of the contents of the statement (notarial confirmation text 1570, which bears notary public signature 1580).

A moderately preferred embodiment is shown in FIGS. 3A, 3B, & 3C, and has the following affixed to its base (base 300): two preferred-personality-created indicia (autographic indicium 330 and fingerprint indicium 340), a statement having wording that includes the name of the preferred personality who affixed one indicium, the date of the affixing of said indicium, and the geographic location of the affixing of said indicium (statement 350 including preferred-personality name 352 as the name of the person who affixed autographic indicium 330, and statement 350 further including indicium-affixing date 354 and indicium-affixing geographic location 356), and a signature of a witness to the affixing of said indicium (witness signature 360). This moderately preferred embodiment could have been improved to a more preferred embodiment by additionally affixing notarial confirmation text to base 300. Further possible improvement of the embodiment could have been accomplished by expanding the wording of statement 350 to include information authenticating the affixing of a second preferred-personality-created indicium (fingerprint indicium 340).

A "moderately preferred embodiment" of the present invention is generally defined as: (i) having all of the characteristics of a less preferred embodiment; (ii) having at least one significant augmentation additionally affixed to the base above the respective number of augmentations in the less preferred embodiment; and (iii) having an insufficient quantity and quality of augmentations affixed to the base to qualify the embodiment as a more preferred embodiment. A moderately preferred embodiment generally will lack notarial confirmation text certifying that a witness signed a statement affixed on the base in the presence of a ~137937 notary public. The affixing of such notarial confirmation text affixed to the base is generally a threshold requirement needed for an embodiment to qualify as a more preferred embodiment.

Examples of moderately preferred embodiments of the present invention are shown in: FIGS. 3A, 3B, & 3C; FIGS.
4A, 4B, & 4C; FIG. 6; FIG. 13; FIG. 14; FIGS. 17A & 17B; and FIGS. l9A & l9B.

The embodiment of FIGS. 3A, 3B, & 3C, has: (i) an item of sporting equipment as base 300, to which is affixed fingerprint indicium 340; (ii) autographic indicium 330, statement 350 (bearing preferred-personality name 3g2, indicium-affixing date 354, and indicium-affixing geographic location 356), and witness signature 360, as a part of statement 350, additionally affixed to base 300;
and (iii) no notarial confirmation text affixed to base 300. Therefore, this embodiment is a moderately preferred embodiment of the present invention.

The embodiment of FIGS. 4A, 4B, & 4C, has: (i) an item of sporting equipment as base 400, to which is affixed fingerprint indicium 440; (ii) statement 450, bearing witness signature 460, additionally affixed to base 400; and (iii) no notarial confirmation text affixed to base 400. Therefore, this embodiment is a moderately preferred embodiment of the present invention.

The embodiment of FIG. 6 has: (i) an item of sporting equipment as base 600, to which is affixed fingerprint indicium 640; (ii) autographic indicium 630 and statement 650, bearing witness signature 660, additionally affixed to base 600; and (iii) no notarial confirmation text affixed to base 600. Therefore, this embodiment is a moderately preferred embodiment of the present invention.

The embodiment of FIG. 13 has: (i) an item of sporting equipment as base 1300, to which is affixed fingerprint indicium 1340; (ii) autographic indicium 1330 and statement 1350, bearing witness signature 1360, additionally affixed to base 1300; and (iii) no notarial confirmation text affixed to base 1300. Therefore, this embodiment is a moderately preferred embodiment of the present invention.

The embodiment of FIG. 14 has: (i) an item of sporting equipment as base 1400, to which are affixed autographic indicium 1430 and statement 1450 (including preferred-personality name 1452, indicium-affixing date 1454, and indicium-affixing geographic location 1456);
(ii) witness signature 1460 additionally affixed, as a part of statement 1450, to base 1400; and (iii) no notarial confirmation text affixed to base 1400. Therefore, this embodiment is a moderately preferred embodiment of the present invention.

The embodiment of FIGS. 17A & 17B has: (i) an item of sporting equipment as base 1700, to which is affixed fingerprint indicium 1740; (ii) autographic indicium 1730 and statement 1750 additionally affixed to base 1760; and (iii) no notarial confirmation text affixed to base 1760.
Therefore, this embodiment is a moderately preferred embodiment of the present invention.

The embodiment of FIGS. l9A & l9B has: (i) an item of sporting equipment as base l90o, to which is affixed fingerprint indicium 1940; (ii) statement 1950 additionally affixed to base 1900; and (iii) no notarial confirmation text affixed to base 1760. Therefore, this embodiment is a moderately preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Generally, a "more preferred embodiment" of the present invention minimally comprises: (i) an item of sport equipment that is a base, to which augmentations are affixed; (ii) at least one of said augmentations being a preferred-personality-created indicium; (iii) one of said augmentations being a statement having wording to authenticate the genuineness of said at least one indicium as a product created by and incorporated into the embodiment by the involved preferred personality; (iv) a signature of a witness, who observed said preferred personality create said at least one indicium, affixed as a part of the statement to the base; (v) one of said augmentations being notarial confirmation text having wording to certify the witness affirmed the truth of the contents of the statement;
and (vi) a signature of a notary public affixed as a part of the notarial confirmation text to the base.

Examples of more preferred embodiments of the present invention are illustrated in: FIGS. lA, lB, & lC; FIGS. 2A, 2B, & 2C; FIG. 5; FIG. 7; FIG. 8; FIG. 9; FIG. 11; FIG. 12;
FIG. 15; FIGS. 16A & 16B; and FIGS. 18A & 18B.

The embodiment shown in FIGS. lA, lB, & lC, meets or exceeds each of the minimum criteria necessary to qualify as a more preferred embodiment of the present invention by having: (i) an item of sporting equipment as base 100, to which augmentations are affixed; (ii) autographic indicium 130 and fingerprint indicium 140 as two of said augmentations affixed to base 100; (iii) statement 150 as one of said augmentations affixed to base lOo; (iv) witness signature 160 affixed as a part of statement 150;
(v) notarial confirmation text 170 as one of said augmentations affixed to base 100; and (vi) notary public signature 180 affixed as a part of notarial confirmation text 170.

The embodiment shown in FIGS. 2A, 2B, & 2C, meets or exceeds each of the minimum criteria necessary to qualify as a more preferred embodiment of the present invention by having: (i) an item of sporting equipment as base 200, to which augmentations are affixed; (ii) autographic indicium 230 as one of said augmentations affixed to base 200; (iii) statement 250 as one of said augmentations affixed to base 200; (iv) witness signature 260 affixed as a part of statement 250; (v) notarial confirmation text 270 affixed as one of said augmentations to base 200; and (vi) notary public signature 280 affixed as a part of notarial confirmation text 270.

The embodiment shown in FIG. 5 meets or exceeds each of the minimum criteria necessary to qualify as a more preferred embodiment of the present invention by having:
(i) an item of sporting equipment as base 500, to which augmentations are affixed; (ii) autographic indicium 530 and fingerprint indicium 540 as two of said augmentations affixed to base 500; (iii) statement 550 as one of said augmentations affixed to base 500; (iv) witness signature 560 affixed as a part of statement 550; (v) notarial confirmation text 570 as one of said augmentations affixed to base 500; and (vi) notary public signature 580 affixed as a part of notarial confirmation text 570.

The embodiment shown in FIG. 7 meets or exceeds each of the minimum criteria necessary to qualify as a more preferred embodiment of the present invention by having:
(i) an item of sporting equipment as base 700, to which augmentations are affixed; (ii) autographic indicium 730 as one of said augmentations affixed to base 700;
(iii) statement 750 as one of said augmentations affixed to base 700; (iv) witness signature 760 affixed as a part of statement 750; (v) notarial confirmation text 770 as one of said augmentations affixed to base 700; and (vi) notary public signature 780 affixed as a part of notarial confirmation text 770.

The embodiment shown in FIG. 8 meets or exceeds each of the minimum criteria necessary to qualify as a more preferred embodiment of the present invention by having:
(i) an item of sporting equipment as base 800, to which augmentations are affixed; (ii) autographic indicium 830 and fingerprint indicium 840 as two of said augmentations affixed to base 800; (iii) statement 850 as one of said augmentations affixed to base 800; (iv) witness signature 860 affixed as a part of statement 850; (v) notarial confirmation text 870 as one of said augmentations affixed to base 800; (vi) notary public signature 880 affixed as a part of notarial confirmation text 870; (vii) ~379~7 69 print-lettered name 891 as one of said augmentations affixed to base 800; and (viii) pictorial image 893 as one of said augmentations affixed to base 800.

The embodiment shown in FIG. 9 meets or exceeds each of the minimum criteria necessary to qualify as a more preferred embodiment of the present invention by having:
(i) an item of sporting equipment as base 90o, to which augmentations are affixed; (ii) autographic indicium 930 as one of said augmentations affixed to base soo;
(iii) statement 950 as one of said augmentations affixed to base 900; (iv) witness signature 960 affixed as a part of statement 950; (v) notarial confirmation text 970 as one of said augmentations affixed to base soo; (vi) notary public signature 980 affixed as a part of notarial confirmation text 970; and (vii) numerical indicium 995 as one of said augmentations affixed to base 900.

The embodiment shown in FIG. 11 meets or exceeds each of the minimum criteria necessary to qualify as a more preferred embodiment of the present invention by having:
(i) an item of sporting equipment as base 1100, to which augmentations are affixed; (ii) autographic indicium 1130 and fingerprint indicium 1140 as two of said augmentations affixed to base 1100; (iii) statement 1150 as one of said augmentations affixed to base 1100; (iv) witness signature 1160 affixed as a part of statement 1150; (v) notarial confirmation text 1170 as one of said augmentations affixed to base 1100; and (vi) notary public signature 1180 affixed as a part of notarial confirmation text 1170.

The embodiment shown in FIG. 12 meets or exceeds each of the minimum criteria necessary to quality as a more preferred embodiment of the present invention by having:
ti) an item of sporting equipment as base 1200, to which augmentations are affixed; (ii) autographic indicium 1230 and fingerprint indicium 1240 as two of said augmentations affixed to base 1200; (iii) statement 1250 as one of said augmentations affixed to base 1200;
(iv) witness signature 1260 affixed as a part of statement 1250; (v) notarial confirmation text 1270 as one of said augmentations affixed to base 1200; and (vi) notary public signature 1280 affixed as a part of notarial confirmation text 1270.

The embodiment shown in FIG. 15 meets or exceeds each of the minimum criteria necessary to qualify as a more preferred embodiment of the present invention by having:
(i) an item of sporting equipment as base 1500, to which augmentations are affixed; (ii) fingerprint indicium 1540 as one of said augmentations affixed to base 1500;
(iii) statement 1550 as one of said augmentations affixed to base 1500; (iv) witness signature 1560 affixed as a part of statement 1550; (v) notarial confirmation text 1570 as one of said augmentations affixed to base 1500; and (vi) notary public signature 1580 affixed as a part of notarial confirmation text 1570.

The embodiment shown in FIGS. 16A & 16B meets or exceeds each of the minimum criteria necessary to qualify as a more preferred embodiment of the present invention by having: (i) an item of sporting equipment as base 1600, to which augmentations are affixed; (ii) autographic indicium 1630 and fingerprint indicium 1640 as two of said augmentations affixed to base 1600; (iii) statement 1650 as one of said augmentations affixed to base 1600;
(iv) witness signature 1660 affixed as a part of statement 1650; (v) notarial confirmation text 1670 as one of said augmentations affixed to base 1600; and (vi) notary public signature 1680 affixed as a part of notarial confirmation text 1670.

The embodiment shown in FIGS. 18A & 18B meets or exceeds each of the minimum criteria necessary to qualify as a more preferred embodiment of the present invention by having: (i) an item of sporting equipment as base 1800, to which augmentations are affixed; (ii) autographic indicium 1830 as one of said augmentations affixed to base 1800;
(iii) statement 1850 as one of said augmentations affixed to base 1800; (iv) witness signature 1860 affixed as a part of statement 1850; (v) notarial confirmation text 1870 as one ,_ of said augmentations affixed to base 1800; and (vi) notary public signature 1880 affixed as a part of notarial confirmation text 1870.

The present invention may be seen as encompassing the method for creating less preferred embodiments, transforming these less preferred embodiments into moderately preferred embodiments, and transforming these moderately preferred embodiments into more preferred embodiments. And the present invention may be further seen as encompassing the bodies of tangible material comprising all less preferred embodiments, all moderately preferred embodiments, and all more preferred embodiments, as may be created by this method.

The method of the present invention provides pathways for the transformation of two different less preferred embodiments into identical moderately preferred embodiments and into identical more preferred embodiments. For example:
A less preferred embodiment consisting only of a base with a fingerprint indicium affixed thereto may be transformed into a moderately preferred embodiment by additionally affixing an autographic indicium and a statement bearing a witness signature to a base. A
different less preferred embodiment consisting of only a base with an autographic indicium and statement affixed thereto may be transformed into an identical moderately preferred embodiment by additionally affixing a fingerprint indicium to the base and by adding a witness signature to the statement. Furthermore, the resulting two identical moderately preferred embodiments may be transformed into identical more preferred embodiments by additionally affixing notarial confirmation text to each embodiment.

Thus, the method of the present invention provides pathways and relationships unifying all possible embodiments. The capacity of the method of the present invention includes the creating of a multidimensional continuum of embodiments having different combinations of items of sporting equipment as bases and different combinations of augmentations affixed to the bases.
This multidimensional continuum of embodiments extends far beyond the embodiments illustrated and the embodiments directly described and discussed in this application.

2137g37 74 ADVANTAGES OF THE lNV~.~lON

From the description above, a number of advantages become evident for the present invention, including:

(a) providing intrinsic (integral) and comprehensive means for authenticating the genuineness of a preferred-personality-created indicium (an autographic or fingerprint indicium) on an item of sporting equipment by affixing thereto one or more textual-authentication-component augmentations;

(b) providing intrinsic authentication means for bringing the authentication of a preferred-personality-created indicium under laws relating to perjury and notarization through the affixing of a notary-public-signed witness-statement or notarial confirmation text to the respective item of sporting equipment;

(c) providing intrinsic authentication means for identifying a person or persons responsible for certifying the authenticity of a preferred-personality-created indicium through the affixing of a witness name or a notary-public name to the respective item of sporting equipment;

,...

(d) providing intrinsic authentication means that are readable and understandable and not in the form of a numbered hologram which must be correlated with extrinsic (nonintegral) authentication means for comprehensive authentication;

(e) providing intrinsic authentication means that furnish a collector viewing an autographed item of sporting equipment with intrinsic augmentations including a print-lettered name of the preferred personality who affixed the autograph, the date of the affixing of the autograph, and a name of the geographic location of the affixing of the autograph;

(f) providing intrinsic authentication means that function both to authenticate one or more preferred-personality-created indicia on an item of sporting equipment and to improve the attractiveness of the item as a collectible article to collectors;

(g) providing a second major kind of preferred-personality-created indicium as a preferred-personality-created intrinsic collectible improvement augmentation means for improving the attractiveness of an item of sporting equipment as a collectible article to collectors;

(h) providing a method for producting an improved collectible article comprising both the authentic autograph and the second major kind of preferred-personality-created indicium (the fingerprint indicium) as preferred-personality-created intrinsic collectible improvement augmentation means;

(i) providing collectors with articles bearing both preferred-personality-created indicia and authentication augmentations functioning intrinsically and synergistically as mutually supportive intrinsic collectible improvement augmentation means and as intrinsic authentication augmentation means; and (j) providing collectors with a wide variety of improved collectible articles encompassing a variety of intrinsic collectible improvement augmentations previously not available.

CONCLUSION, RAMIFICATIONS, AND SCOPE OF THE lNv~ ION

Thus, the present invention makes available to collectors an unprecedented array of advancements in the art of intentional improvement of the collectible attractiveness, collectible value, and collectible desirability of memorabilia articles incorporating bases comprised of items of sporting equipment.

The present invention provides collectors with a new and wide variety of improved collectible articles having a diversity of combinations of intrinsic collectible improvement augmentations and intrinsic authentication augmentations.

Improved collectible articles of the present invention are superior in their collectible attractiveness, their intrinsic authentication means, and their intrinsic trustworthiness.

The present invention finally gives collectors an opportunity to own autographed items bearing authentication augmentation means so sufficiently intrinsic and comprehensive as to prevent collectors from facing the problems of relying on the "good faith" of manufacturers and sellers in a marketplace where suspicion and distrust justifiably abound.

The present invention brings persons involved in authenticating autographs under laws pertaining to fraud, notarization, perjury and oaths more strict and more encompassing than the laws covering autographs prepared under methods of background art.

_ 78 The present invention includes many complexities in the production process that may be expected to cause autograph-counterfeiters much greater difficulties, if not total frustration, in their fraudulent efforts.
The criminal and civil penalties facing an autograph-counterfeiter are likely to further discourage attempts to create fraudulent facsimiles of the articles of the present invention. The anticipated substantial restriction of autograph counterfeiting to background art is further reason to predict collector recognition of the present invention as the highest state of the art.

While the above description of the present invention contains many specificities, these should not be considered as limitations on the scope of the invention but rather as exemplifications of some of the embodiments thereof. Many other variations are possible. Thus, the scope of the present invention should be determined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents, rather than merely by the examples given.

Claims (105)

1. In a method of producing an improved collectible article, the steps comprising:
(a) using an item of sporting equipment as a base of a unified body of tangible material;
(b) placing a transferable substance on a finger of a preferred personality; and (c) transferring said transferable substance to a surface of said base by touching said finger to said base so that said transferable substance becomes a part of said unified body of tangible material and creates a fingerprint indicium in the form of an image of a fingerprint pattern of said preferred personality on said surface of said base; said transferable substance being transferred to create and affix said fingerprint indicium as a part of said unified body of tangible material and as a preferred-personality-created intrinsic collectible improvement augmentation means for improving the attractiveness of said unified body of tangible material as a collectible article to collectors.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising the step of: incorporating, as a part of said unified body of tangible material, a statement including wording that certifies said preferred personality did create said fingerprint indicium; said statement being incorporated as an intrinsic authentication augmentation means for authenticating said fingerprint indicium and as an intrinsic collectible improvement augmentation means for improving the attractiveness of said unified body of tangible material as a collectible article to collectors.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising the steps of:
(a) performing the creating of said fingerprint indicium by said preferred personality performing the transferring of said transferable substance to said base in the presence of a witness; and (b) incorporating, as a part of said unified body of tangible material, a statement including wording that certifies said preferred personality did create said fingerprint indicium in the presence of said witness;
said statement being incorporated as an intrinsic authentication augmentation means for authenticating said fingerprint indicium and as an intrinsic collectible improvement augmentation means for improving the attractiveness of said unified body of tangible material as a collectible article to collectors.

4. The method as claimed in claim 3, wherein said witness is a notary public.

5. The method as claimed in claim 3, further comprising the step of: including a signature of said witness as a part of said statement.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising the steps of:
(a) performing the creating of said fingerprint indicium by said preferred personality in the presence of a witness;
(b) incorporating, as a part of said unified body of tangible material, a statement including wording that certifies said preferred personality did create said fingerprint indicium in the presence of said witness;
(c) affixing, in the presence of a notary public, a signature of said witness to said base as a part of said statement by said witness writing on a surface of said base;

(d) incorporating, as a part of said unified body of tangible material, notarial confirmation text including wording that certifies said witness did affix a signature of said witness to said base in the presence of said notary public; and (e) affixing a signature of said notary public as a part of said notarial confirmation text by said notary public writing on a surface of said base;
(f) said statement and said notarial confirmation text being incorporated as parts of said unified body of tangible material as intrinsic authentication augmentation means for authenticating said fingerprint indicium and as intrinsic collectible improvement augmentation means for improving the attractiveness of said unified body of tangible material as a collectible article to collectors.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising the steps of:
(a) performing the creating of said fingerprint indicium by said preferred personality in the presence of a witness and in the presence of a notary public;
(b) incorporating, as a part of said unified body of tangible material, a statement including wording that certifies said preferred personality did create said fingerprint indicium in the presence of said witness;
(c) affixing to said base, in the presence of said notary public, a signature of said witness as a part of said statement by said witness writing on a surface of said base;
(d) incorporating, as a part of said unified body of tangible material, notarial confirmation text including wording that certifies said preferred personality did create said fingerprint indicium in the presence of said notary public and that certifies said witness did create a signature of said witness as a part of said statement in the presence of said notary public; and (e) affixing a signature of said notary public as a part of said notarial confirmation text by said notary public writing on a surface of said base;
(f) said statement and said notarial confirmation text being incorporated as parts of said unified body of tangible material as intrinsic authentication augmentation means for authenticating said fingerprint indicium and as intrinsic collectible improvement augmentation means for improving the attractiveness of said unified body of tangible material as a collectible article to collectors.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising the step of: affixing a name of said preferred personality in print lettering on a surface of said base so as to incorporate said name of said preferred personality as a part of said unified body of tangible material; said name of said preferred personality being affixed as an intrinsic collectible improvement augmentation means for improving the attractiveness of said unified body of tangible material as a collectible article to collectors.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising the step of: incorporating a pictorial image of said preferred personality as a part of said unified body of tangible material; said pictorial image being affixed as an intrinsic collectible improvement augmentation means for improving the attractiveness of said unified body of tangible material as a collectible article to collectors.

10. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising the step of: affixing a substantially indelible numerical indicium to a surface of said base so as to incorporate said numerical indicium as a part of said unified body of tangible material.

11. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising the steps of:
(a) selecting, for use as said base, an item from the group of items of sporting equipment consisting of: (i) a baseball, (ii) a football, (iii) a basketball, (iv) a soccer ball, (v) a hockey puck, (vi) a tennis ball, (vii) a golf ball, (viii) a rubber ball, (ix) a baseball bat, (x) a hockey stick, (xi) a tennis racket, (xii) a golf club, (xiii) a baseball cap, (xiv) a baseball batting helmet, (xv) a baseball batting glove, (xvi) a baseball mitt, (xvii) a baseball jersey, (xviii) a baseball uniform, (xix) a football jersey, (xx) a football uniform, (xxi) a football helmet, (xxii) a basketball jersey, (xxiii) a basketball uniform, (xxiv) a soccer uniform, (xxv) a hockey jersey, (xvi) a hockey uniform, (xxvii) a hockey helmet, (xxviii) a tennis shirt, (xxix) a golf shirt, (xxx) a boxing glove, (xxxi) a pair of boxing trunks, (xxxii) a commemorative baseball, (xxxiii) a commemorative football, (xxxiv) a commemorative baseball bat, (xxxv) a commemorative item designed in the form of an item generally used in playing a sport, (xxxvi) a white-panelled football, (xxxvii) a white-panelled basketball, (xxxviii) a hockey puck with a lightly colored surface for affixing an autographic indicium, (xxxix) an imitation sports jersey, (xl) an item of facsimile sports clothing, (xli) an item designed for use by children in the playing of a sport, and (xlii) an item designed for hobbyists as a model of an item generally used in the playing of a sport; and (b) incorporating, as at least one part of said unified body of tangible material, at least one augmentation selected from the group of augmentations consisting of: (i) a textual authentication component, (ii) a signature, (iii) an autograph, and (iv) an additional indicium of a preferred personality.

12. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising the step of: creating an autograph of said preferred personality by said preferred personality writing on a surface of said base so as to form said autograph as an autographic indicium as a part of said unified body of tangible material; said autographic indicium being created and formed as a preferred-personality-created intrinsic collectible improvement augmentation means for improving the attractiveness of said unified body of tangible material as a collectible article to collectors.

13. The method as claimed in claim 12, further comprising the step of: incorporating, as a part of said unified body of tangible material, a statement including wording that corroborates the authenticity of at least one indicium of the pair of preferred-personality-created indicia consisting of said fingerprint indicium and said autographic indicium; said statement being incorporated as an intrinsic authentication augmentation means for authenticating at least one indicium of said pair of preferred-personality-created indicia and as an intrinsic collectible improvement augmentation means for improving the attractiveness of said unified body of tangible material as a collectible article to collectors.

14. The method as claimed in claim 12, further comprising the steps of:
(a) performing, in the presence of a witness, the creating of at least one indicium of the pair of preferred-personality-created indicia consisting of said fingerprint indicium and said autographic indicium; and (b) incorporating, as a part of said unified body of tangible material, a statement having wording that includes mention of the presence of said witness at the creating of at least one indicium of said pair of preferred-personality-created indicia; said statement being incorporated as an intrinsic authentication augmentation means for authenticating at least one indicium of said pair of preferred-personality-created indicia and as an intrinsic collectible improvement augmentation means for improving the attractiveness of said unified body of tangible material as a collectible article to collectors.

15. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein said witness is a notary public.

16. The method as claimed in claim 14, further comprising the step of: including a signature of said witness in said statement by said witness writing on a surface of said base.

17. The method as claimed in claim 16, further comprising the steps of:
(a) performing the writing of said signature of said witness in the presence of a notary public;
(b) incorporating, as a part of said unified body of tangible material, notarial confirmation text having wording that certifies said witness did affix said signature of said witness to said base in the presence of said notary public; and (c) including a signature of said notary public in said notarial confirmation text by said notary public writing on a surface of said base;
(d) said notarial confirmation text being incorporated as an intrinsic authentication augmentation means for authenticating at least one indicium of said pair of preferred-personality-created indicia and as an intrinsic collectible improvement augmentation means for improving the attractiveness of said unified body of tangible material as a collectible article to collectors.

18. The method as claimed in claim 12, further comprising the steps of:
(a) performing, in the presence of a witness, the creating of at least one indicium of the pair of preferred-personality-created indicia consisting of said fingerprint indicium and said autographic indicium;
(b) performing, in the presence of a notary public, the creating of at least one indicium of said pair of preferred-personality-created indicia;

(c) incorporating, as a part of said unified body of tangible material, a statement having wording that certifies the authenticity of at least one indicium of said pair of preferred-personality-created indicia and that certifies the presence of said witness at the creating of said at least one indicium;
(d) affixing to said base, in the presence of said notary public, a signature of said witness as a part of said statement by said witness writing on a surface of said base;
(e) incorporating, as a part of said unified body of tangible material, notarial confirmation text having wording that certifies said preferred personality did create at least one indicium of said pair of preferred-personality-created indicia in the presence of said notary public and that certifies said signature of said witness was affixed to said base in the presence of said notary public; and (f) affixing to said base a signature of said notary public to said notarial confirmation text by said notary public writing on a surface of said base so as to form said signature of said notary public;
(g) said statement and said notarial confirmation text being incorporated as parts of said unified body of tangible material as intrinsic authentication augmentation means for authenticating at least one indicium of said pair of preferred-personality-created indicia and as intrinsic collectible improvement augmentation means for improving the attractiveness of said unified body of tangible material as a collectible article to collectors.

19. The method as claimed in claim 12, further comprising the steps of:
(a) selecting, for use as said base, an item from the group of items of sporting equipment consisting of: (i) a baseball, (ii) a football, (iii) a basketball, (iv) a soccer ball, (v) a hockey puck, (vi) a tennis ball, (vii) a golf ball, (viii) a rubber ball, (ix) a baseball bat, (x) a hockey stick, (xi) a tennis racket, (xii) a golf club, (xiii) a baseball cap, (xiv) a baseball batting helmet, (xv) a baseball batting glove, (xvi) a baseball mitt, (xvii) a baseball jersey, (xviii) a baseball uniform, (xix) a football jersey, (xx) a football uniform, (xxi) a football helmet, (xxii) a basketball jersey, (xxiii) a basketball uniform, (xxiv) a soccer uniform, (xxv) a hockey jersey, (xvi) a hockey uniform, (xxvii) a hockey helmet, (xxviii) a tennis shirt, (xxix) a golf shirt, (xxx) a boxing glove, (xxxi) a pair of boxing trunks, (xxxii) a commemorative baseball, (xxxiii) a commemorative football, (xxxiv) a commemorative baseball bat, (xxxv) a commemorative item designed in the form of an item generally used in playing a sport, (xxxvi) a white-panelled football, (xxxvii) a white-panelled basketball, (xxxviii) a hockey puck with a lightly colored surface for affixing an autographic indicium, (xxxix) an imitation sports jersey, (xl) an item of facsimile sports clothing, (xli) an item designed for use by children in the playing of a sport, and (xlii) an item designed for hobbyists as a model of an item generally used in the playing of a sport; and (b) incorporating, as at least one part of said unified body of tangible material, at least one augmentation selected from the group of augmentations consisting of: (i) a name of said preferred personality in print lettering, (ii) a textual authentication component, (iii) a signature, (iv) a pictorial image of said preferred personality, (v) a numerical indicium, and (vi) an additional indicium of a preferred personality.

20. In a method of producing an improved collectible article, the steps comprising:
(a) using an item of sporting equipment as a base of a unified body of tangible material;
(b) creating an autographic indicium in the form of an autograph of a preferred personality as a part of said unified body of tangible material by said preferred personality writing on a surface of said base in the presence of a witness;
said autographic indicium being created as a part of said unified body of tangible material and as a preferred-personality-created intrinsic collectible improvement augmentation means for improving the attractiveness of said unified body of tangible material as a collectible article to collectors;
(c) affixing a statement on a surface of said base and including, in said statement, wording that supports the authenticity of said autographic indicium; and (d) including in the wording of said statement: (i) the name of said preferred personality, (ii) information on the presence of said witness at the creation of said autographic indicium. (iii) the date of the creation of said autographic indicium, and (iv) a name of the geographic location where said autographic indicium was created;
(e) said statement being incorporated as an intrinsic authentication augmentation means for authenticating said autographic indicium and as an intrinsic collectible improvement augmentation means for improving the attractiveness of said unified body of tangible material as a collectible article to collectors.

21. The method as claimed in claim 20, further comprising the step of: affixing a signature of said witness to said base as a part of said statement.

22. The method as claimed in claim 21, wherein said witness is a notary public.

23. The method as claimed in claim 20, further comprising the steps of:
(a) affixing to said base, in the presence of a notary public, a signature of said witness as a part of said statement by said witness writing on a surface of said base;
(b) incorporating, as part of said unified body of tangible material, notarial confirmation text including wording that certifies said witness did affix said signature of said witness to said base in the presence of said notary public; and (c) affixing to said base a signature of said notary public as a part of said notarial confirmation text by said notary public writing on a surface of said base;

(d) said notarial confirmation text being incorporated as an intrinsic authentication augmentation means for authenticating said autographic indicium and as an intrinsic collectible improvement augmentation means for improving the attractiveness of said unified body of tangible material as a collectible article to collectors.

24. The method as claimed in claim 20, further comprising the steps of:
(a) performing the creating of said autographic indicium by said preferred personality in the presence of a notary public;
(b) affixing to said base, in the presence of said notary public, a signature of said witness as a part of said statement;
(c) incorporating, as a part of said unified body of tangible material, notarial confirmation text including wording that certifies said preferred personality did create said autographic indicium in the presence of said notary public and that certifies said witness did affix a signature of said witness in the presence of said notary public; and (d) affixing to said base a signature of said notary public as a part of said notarial confirmation text;

(e) said notarial confirmation text being incorporated material as an intrinsic authentication augmentation means for authenticating said autographic indicium and as an intrinsic collectible improvement augmentation means for improving the attractiveness of said unified body of tangible material as a collectible article to collectors.

25. The method as claimed in claim 20, further comprising the step of: affixing a substantially indelible numerical indicium to a surface of said base so as to incorporate said numerical indicium as a part of said unified body of tangible material.

26. The method as claimed in claim 20, further comprising the steps of:
(a) selecting, for use as said base, an item from the group of items of sporting equipment consisting of: (i) a baseball, (ii) a football, (iii) a basketball, (iv) a soccer ball, (v) a hockey puck, (vi) a tennis ball, (vii) a golf ball, (viii) a rubber ball, (ix) a baseball bat, (x) a hockey stick, (xi) a tennis racket, (xii) a golf club, (xiii) a baseball cap, (xiv) a baseball batting helmet, (xv) a baseball batting glove, (xvi) a baseball mitt, (xvii) a baseball jersey, (xviii) a baseball uniform, (xix) a football jersey, (xx) a football uniform, (xxi) a football helmet, (xxii) a basketball jersey, (xxiii) a basketball uniform, (xxiv) a soccer uniform, (xxv) a hockey jersey, (xvi) a hockey uniform, (xxvii) a hockey helmet, (xxviii) a tennis shirt, (xxix) a golf shirt, (xxx) a boxing glove, (xxxi) a pair of boxing trunks, (xxxii) a commemorative baseball, (xxxiii) a commemorative football, (xxxiv) a commemorative baseball bat, (xxxv) a commemorative item designed in the form of an item generally used in playing a sport, (xxxvi) a white-panelled football, (xxxvii) a white-panelled basketball, (xxxviii) a hockey puck with a lightly colored surface for affixing an autographic indicium, (xxxix) an imitation sports jersey, (xl) an item of facsimile sports clothing, (xli) an item designed for use by children in the playing of a sport, and (xlii) an item designed for hobbyists as a model of an item generally used in the playing of a sport; and (b) incorporating, as at least one part of said unified body of tangible material, at least one augmentation selected from the group of augmentations consisting of: (i) a signature of a witness to the creating of said autographic indicium by said preferred personality, (ii) notarial confirmation text, (iii) a signature of a notary public, (iv) a pictorial image of said preferred personality, (v) a substantially indelible image of a fingerprint, and (vi) an additional indicium of a preferred personality.

27. The method as claimed in claim 20, further comprising the step of: creating an image of a fingerprint pattern of said preferred personality as a part of said unified body of tangible material by placing a transferable substance on a finger of said preferred personality and transferring said transferable substance by said finger touching a surface of said base so as to create a fingerprint indicium in the form of said image of a fingerprint pattern of said preferred personality as a part of said unified body of tangible material; said fingerprint indicium being created as a preferred-personality-created intrinsic collectible improvement augmentation means for improving the attractiveness of said unified body of tangible material as a collectible article to collectors.

28. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said item of sporting equipment is a baseball.

29. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said item of sporting equipment is a hockey puck.

30. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein said item of sporting equipment is a baseball.

31. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein said item of sporting equipment is a hockey puck.

32. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein said item of sporting equipment is a baseball.

33. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein said item of sporting equipment is a hockey puck.

34. The method as claimed in claim 18, wherein said item of sporting equipment is a baseball.

35. The method as claimed in claim 18, wherein said item of sporting equipment is a hockey puck.

36. The method as claimed in claim 23, wherein said item of sporting equipment is a baseball.

37. The method as claimed in claim 23, wherein said item of sporting equipment is a basketball.

38. The method as claimed in claim 23, wherein said item of sporting equipment is a football.

39. The method as claimed in claim 23, wherein said item of sporting equipment is a hockey puck.

40. The method as claimed in claim 23, wherein said item of sporting equipment is a baseball bat.

41. The method as claimed in claim 23, wherein said item of sporting equipment is a hockey stick.

42. The product of the method as recited in claim 1, said product comprising said unified body of tangible material.

43. The product of the method as recited in claim 6, said product comprising said unified body of tangible material.

44. The product of the method as recited in claim 12, said product comprising said unified body of tangible material.

45. The product of the method as recited in claim 18, said product comprising said unified body of tangible material.

46. The product of the method as recited in claim 23, said product comprising said unified body of tangible material.

47. The product of the method as recited in claim 24, said product comprising said unified body of tangible material.

48. An improved collectible article comprising:
(a) a unified body of tangible material having a base, wherein said base is an item of sporting equipment; and (b) a preferred-personality-created intrinsic collectible improvement augmentation as a part of said unified body of tangible material, wherein said augmentation is a fingerprint indicium affixed to said base in the form of a substantially indelible image of a fingerprint pattern of a preferred personality.

49. The improved collectible article as claimed in claim 48, additionally comprising: a statement affixed to said base as a part of said unified body of tangible material, wherein said statement includes wording that corroborates the authenticity of said fingerprint indicium.

50. The improved collectible article as claimed in claim 49, wherein said statement includes a signature.

51. The improved collectible article as claimed in claim 50, wherein said signature is a signature of a notary public.

52. The improved collectible article as claimed in claim 50, wherein said signature is a signature of a witness to the affixing of said fingerprint indicium by said preferred personality to said base.

53. The improved collectible article as claimed in claim 52, wherein said witness is a notary public.

54. The improved collectible article as claimed in claim 48, additionally comprising: notarial confirmation text affixed to said base as a part of said unified body of tangible material, wherein said notarial confirmation text includes wording which confirms the signature of said witness was affixed to said base in the presence of a notary public, and wherein said notarial confirmation text includes a signature of said notary public.

55. The improved collectible article as claimed in claim 54, wherein said notarial confirmation statement includes wording which confirms said notary public observed said preferred personality affix said fingerprint indicium to said base.

56. The improved collectible article as claimed in claim 48, additionally comprising: a signature of a witness to the creating of said fingerprint indicium affixed to said base.

57. The improved collectible article as claimed in claim 48, additionally comprising: a signature of a notary public affixed to said base.

58. The improved collectible article as claimed in claim 48, additionally comprising: a name of said preferred personality in print lettering affixed to said base.

59. The improved collectible article as claimed in claim 48, additionally comprising: a numerical indicium.

60. The improved collectible article as claimed in claim 48, additionally comprising: a pictorial image of said preferred personality affixed to said base.

61. An improved collectible article comprising:
(a) a unified body of tangible material having a base, wherein said base is an item of sporting equipment;
(b) a preferred-personality-created intrinsic collectible improvement augmentation affixed to said base as a part of said unified body of tangible material, wherein said preferred-personality-created intrinsic collectible augmentation is an autograph created by a preferred personality; and (c) an intrinsic authentication augmentation affixed to said base as a part of said unified body of tangible material, wherein said intrinsic authentication is a statement including a name of said preferred personality, the date of the creating of said autograph, a name of a geographic location where said autograph was created, and a signature of a witness who observed the creating of said autograph.

62. The improved collectible article as claimed in claim 61, wherein said witness is a notary public, and wherein said statement includes wording which identifies said witness as being a notary public.

63. The improved collectible article as claimed in claim 61, additionally comprising: notarial confirmation text affixed to said base as a part of said unified body of tangible material, wherein said notarial confirmation text includes wording which confirms that the signature of said witness was affixed to said base in the presence of a notary public, and wherein said notarial confirmation text includes a signature of said notary public.

64. The improved collectible article as claimed in claim 63, wherein said notarial confirmation text includes wording which confirms said notary public observed said preferred personality affix said autograph to said base.

65. The improved collectible article as claimed in claim 61, additionally comprising: at least two augmentations selected from the group of augmentations consisting of: (i) notarial confirmation text including a signature of a notary public, (ii) a pictorial image of said preferred personality, and (iii) a fingerprint indicium of said preferred personality.

66. An improved collectible article comprising:
(a) a unified body of tangible material having a base, wherein said base is an item of sporting equipment; and (b) a pair of indicia consisting of a first indicium and a second indicium, said pair of indicia being preferred-personality-created intrinsic collectible improvement augmentations affixed to said base as parts of said unified body of tangible material, said first indicium being an image of a fingerprint pattern of a preferred personality, and said second indicium being an autograph of said preferred personality.

67. The improved collectible article as claimed in claim 66, additionally comprising: a statement affixed to said base as a part of said unified body of tangible material, wherein said statement includes wording which corroborates the authenticity of at least one indicium of said pair of indicia.

68. The improved collectible article as claimed in claim 67, wherein said statement includes wording which corroborates the authenticity of both indicia of said pair of indicia.

69. The improved collectible article as claimed in claim 67, additionally comprising: a statement affixed to said base as a part of said unified body of tangible material, wherein said statement includes wording which corroborates the authenticity of at least one indicium of said pair of indicia, and wherein said statement includes a signature of a witness in whose presence said preferred personality created said at least one indicium of said pair of indicia.

70. The improved collectible article as claimed in claim 69, additionally comprising: notarial confirmation text affixed to said base as part of said unified body of tangible material, wherein said notarial confirmation text includes wording which confirms that the signature of said witness was affixed in the presence of a notary public, and said notarial confirmation text including a signature of said notary public.

71. The improved collectible article as claimed in claim 70, wherein the wording of said statement certifies that said preferred personality created both said first indicium and said second indicium in the presence of said witness, and wherein the wording of notarial confirmation text certifies that said preferred personality created both said first indicium and said second indicium in the presence of said notary public.

72. The improved collectible article as claimed in claim 66, additionally comprising: a print-lettered name of said preferred personality affixed to said base as a part of said unified body of tangible material.

73. The improved collectible article as claimed in claim 66, additionally comprising: a pictorial image affixed to said base as a part of said unified body of tangible material, wherein said pictorial image is a photograph of said preferred personality on the date of the creation of at least one indicia of said pair of indicia and at the geographic location where said preferred personality created said at least one indicium.

74. The improved collectible article as claimed in claim 48, wherein said item of sporting equipment is a baseball.

75. The improved collectible article as claimed in claim 48, wherein said item of sporting equipment is a basketball.

76. The improved collectible article as claimed in claim 48, wherein said item of sporting equipment is a football.

77. The improved collectible article as claimed in claim 48, wherein said item of sporting equipment is a hockey puck.

78. The improved collectible article as claimed in claim 54, wherein said item of sporting equipment is a baseball.

79. The improved collectible article as claimed in claim 54, wherein said item of sporting equipment is a hockey puck.

80. The improved collectible article as claimed in claim 54, wherein said item of sporting equipment is a baseball bat.

81. The improved collectible article as claimed in claim 54, wherein said item of sporting equipment is a hockey stick.

82. The improved collectible article as claimed in claim 62, wherein said item of sporting equipment is a baseball.

83. The improved collectible article as claimed in claim 62, wherein said item of sporting equipment is a basketball.

84. The improved collectible article as claimed in claim 62, wherein said item of sporting equipment is a football.

85. The improved collectible article as claimed in claim 62, wherein said item of sporting equipment is a hockey puck.

86. The improved collectible article as claimed in claim 62, wherein said item of sporting equipment is a baseball bat.

87. The improved collectible article as claimed in claim 62, wherein said item of sporting equipment is a hockey stick.

88. The improved collectible article as claimed in claim 63, wherein said item of sporting equipment is a baseball.

89. The improved collectible article as claimed in claim 63, wherein said item of sporting equipment is a hockey puck.

90. The improved collectible article as claimed in claim 64, wherein said item of sporting equipment is a baseball.

91. The improved collectible article as claimed in claim 64, wherein said item of sporting equipment is a hockey puck.

92. The improved collectible article as claimed in claim 66, wherein said item of sporting equipment is a baseball.

93. The improved collectible article as claimed in claim 66, wherein said item of sporting equipment is a basketball.

94. The improved collectible article as claimed in claim 66, wherein said item of sporting equipment is a football.

95. The improved collectible article as claimed in claim 66, wherein said item of sporting equipment is a hockey puck.

96. The improved collectible article as claimed in claim 66, wherein said item of sporting equipment is a baseball bat.

97. The improved collectible article as claimed in claim 66, wherein said item of sporting equipment is a hockey stick.

98. The improved collectible article as claimed in claim 71, wherein said item of sporting equipment is a baseball.

99. The improved collectible article as claimed in claim 71, wherein said item of sporting equipment is a basketball.

100. The improved collectible article as claimed in claim 71, wherein said item of sporting equipment is a football.

101. The improved collectible article as claimed in claim 71, wherein said item of sporting equipment is a hockey puck.

102. The improved collectible article as claimed in claim 71, wherein said item of sporting equipment is a baseball bat.

103. The improved collectible article as claimed in claim 71, wherein said item of sporting equipment is a hockey stick.

104. The improved collectible article as claimed in claim 72, wherein said item of sporting equipment is a baseball.

105. The improved collectible article as claimed in claim 72, wherein said item of sporting equipment is a hockey puck.