General Forum

So today I finally picked up a fair number of cards (it took me some time to recover from purchasing the American Caramel card I got a bit back). And I was going through them, integrating them into my set. And, please try not to be too appalled, I "altered" a few in the following ways.

1) Where there was a gum stain on the front, I used an old t-shirt to rub hard on the surface until the stain was gone. I actually learned this from my local card shop years ago. It works very well with the card on a flat surface and appears to do no damage to the card at all.  I do this pretty frequently, actually, usually after buying a lot of old cards on eBay. 

2) Where there were two light pencil marks on a checklist, I gently erased the marks. This definitely improved the look of the card, but if you looked closely, you could see that there was once something there. Not done carefully, erasing definitely has the potential to erase ink or remove paper. 

These are really the only two things I can remember ever doing to a card. These cards are almost certainly staying in my collection pretty much forever, but I suppose if I ran into a better double someday, one could get replaced, go up for sale, and wind up in someone else's collection. 

But on this site I've read about people soaking cards (to get wrinkles out or something) and perhaps doing other tricks to improve the card. I'm not talking about trimming or other clearly unethical practices, but are there other thing people do to their cards? I ask mostly out of curiosity, rather than to get advice. I can't imagine ever soaking a card, for example. Also, say I was to sell or trade one of these cards, do people think I'm doing something bad? Is is somewhat akin to fixing a car after an accident but not revealing to the buyer that the car had ever been in an accident? Or is it just common sense to erase a pencil mark or rub off old gumstains? 

Just curious. I won't be offended by any answers, and doubt that anything said here would change my approach. 

Cheers. 

v3

I am fine with your "alterations". The only alterations I tend to make to cards is to get rid of fingerprints and other films on super-glossy or foil cards. I remember getting a bunch of 1995 Ultra Gold Medallion cards (NFL and NBA) and they all had some kind of film on them. I took a damp paper towel and lightly wiped them clean and then wiped them dry with a cleaning cloth. I've also done a similar thing for Chome and Finest cards to remove fingerprints. As long as you keep the corners and edges sharp, I don't see any problem with that. I would NEVER "soak" a card for any reason though! That will destroy the integrity of the fibers and the card will eventually fall apart.

I've never heard of the t-shirt idea though! I like that info. As for pencil marks, I am okay with what you did there too, but I've never been able to use that tactic. All the cards that I've acquired with writing on them was done with an inkpen and I know it would do more damage to try to remove that mark. So I just leave it alone.

Erased, or attempted to erase, some penciled comments on the front of a 1958 Topps Eddie LeBaron card that I ended up trading. I divulged it to my trading partner and he was okay with it. 

The only other thing I've tried to fix cards is to try to flatten a card a bowed card by placing it under a heavy book - it didn't work. 

I don't understand how wetting a card removes wrinkles, but doesn't cause bubbles or thickening of a card by absorption, unless we're not discussing drenching it. 

Getting an old cardboard card wet and putting pressure on it should actually help remove surface wrinkles. I think he's talking more about people putting a stack of cards in a bucket of water to make them easier to peel apart when the stack is stuck together. That supposedly works for some types of cards. I've never tried it and don't think I would ever try it, but only time will tell.

Fixing bowed cards takes a lot of time with the option you described and that's the ONLY option that can ever work. This is mostly a problem with Chrome and Finest cards, but not exclusive to them. The coating technology is a big part of what leads to the curvature. But you still have to be careful with them. I acquired some Fleer Tradition NBA glossy cards a few years ago that had severe curvature to them and I messed them up bad. I tried to curve them in the opposite way by hand and it cracked every bit of the glossy coating. Those cards are completely ruined now!

What I've used for more years than I can remember (the Right Guard is a hint).

Gum and wax stains: pantyhose. Tight around a finger and rub.  Many times more effective than a T-shirt.

Pencil marks: gum (art) eraser. Specifically designed for artists to erase pencil sketch marks without damaging the work surface.

Ink marks: a clear astringent.  Applied to a white cotton rag (T-shirt), the astringent cleans the ink and the alcohol causes quick evaporation of the liquid before it can cause damage. The original Right Guard deodorant worked fantastically. Sadly, they don't make it anymore.

Some say use panty hose to get the wax stains off the front.   I find any old piece of cloth does the trick as well.   Rub hard and fast, just make sure you have a solid hold on the card and watch the edges.   I feel this is okay as the wax stains were not there when the card was printed, only occurred after packaging.  Too bad there is no way to get it off the grey backs.     I heard about the panty hose method years ago too.  But as I single guy,  I had none on hand.   And when I went to work and asked  the ladies for their old panty hose, I got some strange looks.....from most, not all.

I don't have a problem with the wax removal.

If you have erased pencil marks and go to re-sell or trade the card, I think you must reveal that to the potential receiver of the card.

SIde note: I sold a 1978 Molitor/Trammell rookie on ebay. It had the customary ink smudge near the bottom. The person who bought it from me, took an eraser to it (mind you, this is original ink), and lightened it to a great extent (it actually looked like a white mark on the card!) and sold it as mint. (Never mentioned in their auction that it was altered.) I found that to be very unethical. (Yes, they did make quite a bit by doing this as I sold it as EX.)

I've put bricks of glossy 1990s cards that stuck together in the freezer.  I reported on that in the forums at the time. Left them in there about six months.  Results weren't fantastic.

Technically an alteration, I peel all old Finest cards. Not what you're talking about, but I've done two in the last week, and will say that they get harder to peel with age, but the protector did come off completely with no damage.  And obviously they look 1000x nicer this way.

I see no problem with what you did to your cards, V3.  They're in your permanent collection. Make them look as nice as you can.  its like restoring an old car, I guess.

It all sounds good to me.  My only must mentionables when selling are:

*Markings or leftover indentions from previous markings.

*Trimming that affects the original dimensions of the card; additional fraying that adds dimension to a card doesn't have to be there,

*Paperloss to any extent that's not apparent evident in the photographs,

Bowed cards....Pre-90's. I put them in box (800ct) in stacks of 25 facing in opposite directions (back to front). I fill the box so all the cards are tight. In about 30 days the bowing will be gone...or much less noticeable. I don't know if that will work for modern cards since I don't collect them.