Soaking question

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Posted By: <b>Bill Todd</b><p><br />Has anyone here ever soaked an A&G (or other of similar thickness/construction)? I have a few non-sport with gunk stuck on the front, and I'm afraid that if I try to pick it off some of the ink/paper will come with it.<br /><br />I suppose a Plan B would be to use a moistened cotton swab. How does the litho'ed front hold up to moisture?<br /><br />Thanks,<br /><br />Bill

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Posted By: <b>barrysloate</b><p>I would be very careful, and start off with the least valuable of the bunch in case it doesn't work. It could end up taking off a little paper, depending what is on it.

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Posted By: <b>Dave G</b><p>...it depends what the gunk is.......if its congealed rubber band...forget it unless its got very brittle.<br /><br />If its paper adhesion, do as Barry suggests, try some non-expensive cards first to see if the colors are fast.<br /><br />I would warn against spot soaking - this inevitably leads to uneveness across the picture surface - and some of the A & G series are heavy in a dark glue or what ever was used to hold the cardboard layers together, and this leaches and stains. soaking the whole card is more preferable. But I'm sure others will contribute other ideas.<br /><br />As also I'm sure this will being out the righteous condeming the "demon soaking".

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Posted By: <b>Andy</b><p>Please forgive my ignorance here, but I have read a lot of posts that reference "soaking" cards and I don't know what this really means. Do you actually drop a card into a solution and let it get soaked? I've never done it and I keep thinking about a what happens to a book when it gets wet and it gets destroyed. Could someone please go into just a little detail as to what soaking is.<br /><br />Thank you in advance for not jumping all over me for my stupidity, I guess Leon's board etiquette post has given me posting strength.

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Posted By: <b>Bob</b><p><a href="http://www.network54.com/Forum/153652/message/1165685249/About+soaking+cards" target="_new" rel="nofollow">http://www.network54.com/Forum/153652/message/1165685249/About+soaking+cards</a>

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Posted By: <b>Andy</b><p>Thank you Bob. I remembered your post from not long ago but still don't think I fully understand. You used a dropper to put a drop of water on at a time. Is that how soaking is done in most cases, or are people actually sumberging cards in water when they want to soak the whole card?<br /><br />Let me also say that I don't intend to soak any cards. I'm too afraid to damage my cards. Plus I kind of like the look of cards that have been handled or put into scrapbooks.

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Posted By: <b>leon</b><p>I have done a few full soakings and they worked wonderfully. On other cards I use a cue tip and distilled water (actually I always use distilled water) and dab it a little. Sometimes I will rest the cue tip, partially wet, on the remnant, in order to soften it up. Be very, very gentle. Practice on very inexpensive cards first. I have messed a few cards up by rubbing too hard but never anything too valuable. Quite a few of The Trucker Boy find cards had remnants on the backs, most notably the T212-3 Weaver, that resides in an SGC30 holder below. This was soaked for about 10-15 minutes, as I remember, though it could have been plus or minus a few minutes. I was watching intently as it moistened in the water. There was about a half of a dime sized paper remnant that was squarely over the writing on the back. It came off pefectly and almost in one piece.....good luck...<br /><img src="http://www.network54.com/Realm/tmp/1169854978.JPG">" <br /><img src="http://www.network54.com/Realm/tmp/1169855006.JPG">" <br /><br />edited grammar

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Posted By: <b>Frank Wakefield</b><p>It is not rocket science.<br /><br />In the old days, a scrapbook page full of cards would be tossed in a bathtub full of water. The cards float off after a while. Then the cards are rinsed under the tap. Lay them out to dry. Maybe blotted with some paper under a stack of telephone books.<br /><br />Today, I usually run some water into a glass, and put the card in there, check on it in a few hours. It is important to know what cards soak and which cards don't.<br /><br />If it morally bothers you, don't soak. Realistically, LOTS of the T cards in collections today were soaked from scrapbook pages in the 40s, 50s, 60s, and 70s. Around the 70s the cards got a bit of value to them, and that's when some collectors would stress about putting paper in water. Before that soaking was common. Most of that old glue was water and flour. <br /><br />I'd suggest buying a T206 on eBay that is rather beaten up, and has lots of paper on the back. Buy him, then put him in a glass of water. Then you'll shed the anxieties associated with it.