Glue

[vintagebaseballcardguy]

How do you guys view dried glue residue on the reverse of Type 1 photos? I would add that the residue in no way impacts the front image. Is this a no no among collectors or just varying depending on what one can live with? I can still see the stamp on the reverse. This doesn't bother me as much as trimming would, but I wondered what the rule of thumb is?? Thanks!

[vintagebaseballcardguy]

I should add that I spoke with a local photography shop and showed them a scan of the photograph. They recommended not attempting to remove the residue as it might do more harm than good. They did not really think the residue was that big of a deal. The photo dates from the 1940s.

[sporteq]

It's pretty common to find unusual residue behind photos. To me, it wouldn't bother me at all. Most collectors can ID a photo as vintage regardless of stamps and captions.

Best of luck!

[thecatspajamas]

Leave it alone. The value is in the obverse image. Whatever is on the back primarily serves as validation/supporting evidence of the photo's age/provenance. Cleaning up stray glue on the back will not enhance its value or collectability.

[kevlewis]

Yeah dont worry about the glue. Like Al said there is always multiple residues you will find on photos. This hobby isnt like any others in the sense that a smudge, residue, crease or crack will totally de-value the item. All of these things prove the authenticity of the photo. These photos were handled and used by editors not thinking about how they would be worth something one day. The only residue I will remove at time (depending on the photo) is a editorial pencil or paint that they would use on the image to shade around or border what part of the image they were going to use in their publication. They sell this spray on ebay called Pec-12 which is a chemical that takes off marking on a photo without hurting the photo. It will pull off shading pencil, glue, paint and some pen markings. But everything is a personal preference in the eye of the beholder. I also dont like to trim my photos. I know qlot of people that do to clean up their photos but I like to show more of the authenticity to the buyer. But I do hate buying photos that are trimmed. Hahaha

[vintagebaseballcardguy]

Thanks for the feedback, everyone. Your answers are what I was hoping for. This board is a great resource. I enjoy reading your posts and seeing your purchases.

[drcy]

For news photos, the paper caption tag was affixed by glue. So if the caption has been removed glue remnants will remain. Meaning, whether or not you like it, the glue can be original to a photo.

[vintagebaseballcardguy]

Agreed. The photo I am talking about had been glued into a scrapbook of sorts. There was no damage or paper loss upon removal.