Poll--- Do you smell your cards?
 

Just wondering how many of us like to smell a nice raw card as soon as you have it in hand? Just curious as I know I will at home but have never done it in public setting such as a card show at the local mall:)

Have never so much as sniffed a card. Something about sniffing things that other people have touched grosses me out.

By far the weirdest poll as of yet.

Ha I definitely do with old cards like T206 or N28s. That musty smell is usually a good indicator that it's authentic.

I do it just to check for smoke smell. Ironically, even on my T cards I don't want them to smell like cigarettes.

Still remember my first sniffing - a pack of 1967 Philly Gum with a Dan Reeves. Something about the fresh Topps cardboard with gum smell. In fact, I might have to buy a vintage pack, just for the reminder.

I'll confess to having a good bit of spare time on my hands, but have never thought to use it for sniffing cards, or much else for that matter.

Good Lord what next.

Yes, especially CJ's which are often bleached.

I'm a second-hand sniffer for about 60 years. Why would I stop now?

Maybe "have you ever made out with a card?"

Oh man, haha, quite a disturbing poll. Gotta admit though, I've given a "sniff" or two to a few cards. Weirdest smell I've come across was a raw 1933 Goudey Babe Ruth that I bought in the late 90's, smelled strongly of maple syrup....:p

I did that while opening packs as a kid in the 60's & 70's since the slab of gum gave it a nice smell & I was the only recipient.
But to sniff 50 year old cards (or older) now would be the equivalent of sniffing beat up dollar bills, and who would want to do that? :confused:

Scratch and sniff, if you dare
 

I admit to sniffing whenever anything about the card makes me question its authenticity or if I feel it has possibly been bleached. I have never sniffed a graded card...in my opinion (don't laugh) one of the reasons why I don't like graded cards. How can you sniff and feel up a card when it is wrapped in plastic?

Brian

How about what's your favorite T206 color? Or who's your favorite T206 player? Always room for innovation.

Which T206 player had the largest feet? Did they smell worse than the others?

Sometimes. Not all old cards have an odor but it is one indicator of age on an item, and chemical residue can often be detected if there is an issue of alterations.

Switch "women" for "cards in the prior sentence and insert dirty joke here...

Nothing like a good smelling century old piece of paper/cardboard.

Or the largest.......:cool:

Every chance i get!

Slightly OT, but I smell vintage paper items all the time...it can be the difference between something that is old or just reprinted/reproduced.

Jeff

Are you thinking about that time you slept with your card, but promised you wouldn't do anything?

no
 

a bit far down the priority list.

best,
barry

How do you bleach a card?

Gently

I work in exothermics and smell graphite quite a bit, but never a card.

Have we run out of stuff to talk about?

Why smell the graphite?

I am interested to learn more. People actually soak cards in bleach? How does that work without destroying the color?

...

Because sometimes you just have to stop and smell the graphite.

You can tell the quality of graphite from the smell. Its not something you can just pick up. I've been in the industry for 8 years and just recently have been able to figure it out.

I always thought smelling a card was a prerequisite to complete ownership--kind of like a stamp of approval.

I have smelled quite a few! Just for fun though.

I work with several geologists (rock lickers). They lick some types of rocks to help identify them.

At least I don't lick cards!

What if it smells bad? Does it ruin the moment?

Has anyone ever smelled other peoples cards?

Oh yes, the illusive scratch and sniff Ruth card! LOL

If they're not looking.

Question
 

Do you think it is good business to disclose the smell of your cards when selling them? If they smell bad do you say "Has a strong musty smell" for example? Or is this ok left unsaid?

Be very careful of paper cuts!

I don't like musty smell on my cards, so YES I do sometimes sniff large lots of card before I buy them. If musty cards were never water/flood damaged, it is likely they were stored for many years in a damp, wet environment. This can't be healthy long-term for cardboard.

It doesn't mean I sniff hundreds of cards. A box of 100 cards can smell of mold/mildew as soon as it is opened. If not, sniffing 1 card will usually suffice. A few musty cards can pollute an entire box.

I was recently at a show where a dealer had large lots of 50's-70's Topps cards. I didn't need to sniff his cards. I could smell them just from walking past his table.

Always smell a new issue
 

that is to say, I always smell the card that is the first I have ever owned of that issue...is that weird?:D:o

Leon, you can come clean on this. You mention that you like to collect type cards. Is this one your type? If it is, I have a few questions:

Was it your first?
Did you respect it after buying it?
AND - this is too easy
Did you use protection? If so; soft or stiff card sleeve (card condom)?

I definitely take a whiff of any ungraded card I acquire :)

Sincerely, Clayton

Now that would be interesting...cards that smell like their topic
 

Ruth probably smelled of tobaccy beer and hot dogs

I once had a card smell ME! I put it on consignment.

Nasal Research Unveiled
 

First of all I would like to thank the OP, dog dirt, for this thread. What is the next thing that comes to mind when you think of dog dirt?.............the smell. Exactly. And what is the most common detection device used to track these odors?...........the nose of a dog. Precisely. This background information has led me to the following ground breaking T206 research which I am gladly willing to share here, although it probably deserves a thread of its own.

A nose may be viewed from the front or from the side in profile or at any angle in between, but not from the rear. I believe that one of the endearing qualities of the T206 set, based on my research, is the fact that every single image on the cards in this set shows the players nose without exception. Even the catcher's masks seen in the set do not obstruct the view of the players' nose. Wow. My research though has discovered that one nose is only partially seen on the card being obscured so that less than half of the nose is seen.

The only moustache in the set is the claim to fame of Mr. Titus. We all know that.

Now the only partial nose in the set will heretofore be the claim to fame of this T206 card.

http://www.collectorfocus.com/images.../huggins-mouth

I am happy to share this groundbreaking discovery with Ted Z, T206resource & dog catchers everywhere. Have a good day. I must now rest.

frank...how many of those did u buy before posting this response?

The only real issue with this is that, from what I understand, the OP, Andrew, collects t205s not t206s. So you need to do the research again for the t205 set.