Soaking cards, redux

[birdman42]

I won one of the lots of the scrapbook V61s that went off on eBay Monday night. It arrived this afternoon. (Wow! Thanks, mintbid/Mike Schramm!) http://www.ebay.com/itm/221046166100...84.m1439.l2649

I've soaked tobacco and caramel cards successfully, but I've never soaked one with the glossy coating like these have. The seller said that he "steamed" one off, and it received a 3 from PSA, but I don't put much stock in the grading. What say the experts? Will the coating come off as part of the soaking?

Thanks,

Bill

[Leon]

If it were mine I would soak that sucker. Nothing fancy....some warm tap water in a bowl, dunk it and leave in there a few minutes, seeing if the back paper will float off. I have had great success soaking most cards. WARNING- I have never tried it with one of these types .....but I think it would do fine. Hopefully others have tried and will relay their experience(s).

[packs]

So you really just dunk them into the water and let them float around for a while? I've never soaked a card and feel like I'd have a heart attack doing that. When you take them out of the water do you just let them air dry? They don't wrinkle at all?

[John V]

Here's what I've done after soaking with no problems...
Put it between 2 white paper napkins or paper towels and lay between two very hard flat surfaces. I used two 12 inch granite tiles. After an hour or so, I replaced the wet paper with fresh napkins and "tiled" them again. After 3 days, the card will be dry and straight.
I'm sure others have performed this process in similar ways.

[HOF Auto Rookies]

Originally Posted by packs

So you really just dunk them into the water and let them float around for a while? I've never soaked a card and feel like I'd have a heart attack doing that. When you take them out of the water do you just let them air dry? They don't wrinkle at all?

+1, scares me to death lol

[Leon]

Originally Posted by packs

So you really just dunk them into the water and let them float around for a while? I've never soaked a card and feel like I'd have a heart attack doing that. When you take them out of the water do you just let them air dry? They don't wrinkle at all?

yeap...and nope they don't wrinkle but they will curl up. See the post about laying them flat with something on them. This is really very common sense stuff if you just think about. The first card I think I soaked was my 1911 Buck Weaver, T212 Obak.....it had about a dime sized piece of paper snugly attached to the back, from scrapbook removal. I soaked it, paper literally floated off and then I stuck it under something to flatten it from the slight water curl...then sent it in to be graded.

[packs]

I guess it is common sense that water would unstick glue. I just figured it would have a negative effect on the card.

[birdman42]

Thanks for the encouragement, guys. I think Messers. Goslin and Donohue are going swimming this weekend.

For those of you who have never tried soaking, some cards--most Ts and Es--soak just fine. Follow the directions above. Others are a disaster. I wouldn't soak anything post-war, and of course the real photo items like T200s and T222s are a definite no-no. Some you can soak, but very carefully, like the Allen & Ginters. (I've tried the various Birds series, and I assume the others would be similar.) The paper holds up pretty well, but it does get a little soft and you have to be careful about trying to use a Q-tip to remove scrapbook paper--you might end up removing a little of the surface of the card at the same time.

Bill

[FrankWakefield]

Just so you'll be less stressed about it, soak the worst of the bunch first, and get a feel for how that goes and what you're doing... It'll be just fine.

[atx840]

Double up some papertowel, place card tween two layers and use a heavy book. Replace paper after first hour, swap in a few more and leave overnight or until dry.

Crummy video of a test on a beater.
Video

[egbeachley]

Don't forget to dunk the entire card. If you let it float or only do one side (for whatever reason), some of the accumulated dirt and oil will slide over and leave a line.

[Exhibitman]

I blot the card initially with paper towel and then use sheets of plain white paper and a stack of old auction catalogs [see, there's a use for them] to flatten them.

I'd suggest you use distilled water or at least filtered water--some domestic water supplies can have rust or other particles in the home plumbing.

[Leon]

Originally Posted by Exhibitman

I blot the card initially with paper towel and then use sheets of plain white paper and a stack of old auction catalogs [see, there's a use for them] to flatten them.

I'd suggest you use distilled water or at least filtered water--some domestic water supplies can have rust or other particles in the home plumbing.

Good point on the water Adam. I think I actually use our Ozarka 100% Natural Spring water nowadays. We go through many gallons of it in this TX heat. Hey, it will only be over 100 degrees five times this week. We are having a cold spell!!

[wake.up.the.echoes]

I was planning on soaking a card out of an album for a while but I always worry that months after the fact the card will start to curl as a result of having been in water. Is this possible?

[atx840]

A year in and no issues for me, maybe if it was slabbed shortly after and some humidity was trapped you might see signs.

[FrankWakefield]

Yes if it gets wet again. No if you keep it dry.

After soaking, blot it to remove water. Then put it between paper or paper towels, stack some books on it, change the paper occasionally, it will dry flat and stay flat.

[peterose4hof]

Anyone had success soaking T211 Meccas? I have this one I was thinking of soaking...

[wake.up.the.echoes]

Thanks for the advice guys. I will try and provide some before and after photos up in this thread.

[Texxxx]

I have soaked many cards and the time spent in the water depends on the glue used. Some come off real quick and others take several hours. Wait until they fall apart easily or you will pull paper from the card also. Play with some that are low grade already first. I usually wash them real gently with wet cotton balls to make sure all the glue is wiped off. As far as what to press them in, I like taking two flat boards that are raw. Not sealed with anything like varnish or stain. Use paper towel on each side of the card and place between boards. Then heavy weight on top. I change the paper towel after 15-20 min.also. The wood will soak a lot of the water up also. I leave them for a couple of days to be sure all the water is gone. I learned not to get to impatient about taking them out.

[Leon]

My concern about soaking this one would be in making the heavy crease have more wear due to the water. On this card I would very gently rub warm water on the remnants with a Q-tip and leave it....let it soak for 10-20 minutes then start rubbing very very gently with the Q-tip. I think there is a 99% chance that stuff would peel off. I wouldn't let that whole card swim if it were mine.

Originally Posted by peterose4hof

Anyone had success soaking T211 Meccas? I have this one I was thinking of soaking...

[big80s]

Originally Posted by birdman42

I won one of the lots of the scrapbook V61s that went off on eBay Monday night. It arrived this afternoon. (Wow! Thanks, mintbid/Mike Schramm!) http://www.ebay.com/itm/221046166100...84.m1439.l2649

I've soaked tobacco and caramel cards successfully, but I've never soaked one with the glossy coating like these have. The seller said that he "steamed" one off, and it received a 3 from PSA, but I don't put much stock in the grading. What say the experts? Will the coating come off as part of the soaking?

Thanks,

Bill

Hi Bill,

I actually won two of the V61 lots from the same auction (Grover Alexander & Max Carey). I'm also currently in the process of soaking both lots. The tricky thing about the cards I won is that there are two cards stuck back to back with the scrap book page between them. It seems that the page ends up favoring one of the two cards, and so far, my pages have been favoring the HOF cards (good taste). Good luck!

Jeff

[philliesphan]

Does anyone know or have experience with soaking Zeenuts? I have a really nice Zeenut card that was entirely kept in an album. Although it is a blank back card, I would nonetheless prefer to remove the album backing if at all possible.

Any advice?

[FrankWakefield]

Zee-Nuts soak just fine... And Chris, that Hassan triple folder will soak wonderfully well. You'll post before and after scans that will make you proud!

[John V]

Bill,
Have you soaked the Goose?

[birdman42]

John,

I haven't taken Goose swimming yet. I have heard from Jeff (post above) who won a couple other lots from the same scrapbook. He tried soaking them for more than a day. He said the paper did eventually come off the backs just fine, but the fronts were ruined. That was my concern--what would happen to the glossy fronts on these V61s?

I haven't checked in with the seller yet. He said that he had steamed one off successfully and a TPG gave it a 3. If it was just a layer of paper on the back, rather than two cards stuck to the same sheet back-to-back, that would make a difference, I think.

I've had good experiences with cards that were just lithos, but now I'm not comfortable at all soaking these. I may just end up with a Siamese twin card in my collection. (Apologies to all my Thai friends.)

So to repeat my original question:

Has anyone had any experience soaking cards with glossy fronts? M101-4/5, V61, etc. The one person I've heard from says ix-nay on the oaking-say.

Here are some responses that won't be helpful. (Sorry if this comes across as snarky, but these have all been hashed out many times before.)

What!? How do you soak cards?
I'd never soak cards. It's an alteration.
I've soaked plenty of T206s, etc. with nary a problem.

Bill

[frankbmd]

I just posted this on the screw down thread, but thought it should be posted here as well.

I have a number of flat lucite screw down holders.

For display and storage over tightening the screws can be a problem.

If you're a card "soaker" there is no better way to dry the cards than between paper towels in a flat screw down holder. Changing the paper once or twice, I can get a card dry in several hours rather than several days using this technique without the need for weight.

[FrankWakefield]

My recollection is that I soaked a V61 and it came out just fine. I did not soak it for 3 days... more like a few hours.

Again, I'd start with the least/worst of them, do that one for a short period of time, and see what you think. I doubt that you soak any of them, I figure you'd have already done it if you were going to do it. I'd not soak one for a long time, I think that a long soak might degrade the front some.

[danmckee]

WOW! funny replies indeed.

normal cold tap water, soak over night or for 2 days

comes out great.

You should see my near E122 set I got from Luckey auctions out of the scrapbook!

[Bocabirdman]

Hey folks, I just won this 1912 Imperial C46. Take a look at the scans at the bottom of the listing. Will soaking work for me?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/1912-Imperia...item27c89e47c2

[danmckee]

yes, soak in tap water over night, damp dry and then roll the creases out. Put in between a paper towel or cloth and let dry completely

You will never know it was wet

dan

[Bocabirdman]

Dan...So did I do OK for $15?

Originally Posted by danmckee

yes, soak in tap water over night, damp dry and then roll the creases out. Put in between a paper towel or cloth and let dry completely

You will never know it was wet

dan

[GehrigFan]

Soooo... I searched for a thread on soaking V61's and came across this. No one seemed to really answer back in 2012 whether they had successfully soaked a V61 with the glossy front, so I thought I'd bring it up again. Any success? What did you do (how long, etc.)?

[brianp-beme]

Didn't see this thread when it was originally posted...thanks for the repost Gherigfan). Several years ago I won a scrapbook lot with V61 cards. I have soaked cards in the past, with a range of results from 'fantastic, sure glad I did it' to 'oh my, what have I done!' The V61 cards fell into the what have I done category. They were definitely my worst soaking experience. The glue used on my cards was especially resistant, the back scrapbook paper was not coming off easily, so I tried a variety of options, including warmer and hot water, and longer soak times. Both the longer and hotter water completely destroyed the glossy fronts on the card, some washing out and others hazing over until the player's images were barely discernable.

So if anyone does try to soak a glossy card like the V61, beware...even a short soak might cause front issues, and I would strongly advise against a longer soak.

Brian

[GehrigFan]

I've only soaked (2) strip cards myself, with not the best results, so it souncs like I better just enjoy my glue-backed V61!

[EYECOLLECTVINTAGE]

Bringing this back from the dead with a question.

Can you soak 1950's or 60's topps cards?

Also.... I have a jackie robinson that would grade a 7 but has ink on the back. I need it for my collection.

Is there a way to remove ink? HELP. Not looking to do anything shady, just want it for myself.

[nrm1977]

Can you soak cards to remove dirt/stains? I've never tried it but I do have a 1958 Topps Jim Brown that I've considered trying this method on to clean the card up. I've had the card for 20 years but, she'd look amazing with the dirt staining gone. I will have to post a picture of the card.

[lahmejoon]

In light of recent events, I would be surprised if anyone offered up any tips. I don't know how to do any of this and wouldn't want to even attempt it.

[Spike]

Soaking works best with one goal in mind: you have a card with water-soluble glue, paper, or gunk stuck to it that you want to remove for legibility or simple presentation (almost certainly not grading) reasons. Beyond that, you get into deep water (so to speak) over market value, etc., and a bunch of people have varied feelings about that.

When I've soaked cards ('30s-70s on typical card stock), it was apparent under an hour whether the glue/gunk was really water-soluble, because it would separate from the card on its own or somewhat easily peel away with a little pressure. But: go into it the soak knowing that, in many cases, removing glue will also take some card paper with it! I've soaked 50+ cards with questionable adhesive and had the glue come off "clean" maybe 5 times, turning a "1" into a "3." The rest of the time, you end up with a 2, or just a damp 1.

Once you've spent as much time as you want on the glue/gunk, you need to dry the card under pressure to avoid wrinkles. Put it in a thin, adsorbent cloth or paper towel and press between heavy books over a few days is what I usually do, checking a couple times per day for dryness. If you leave any dampness in the card when you take it out of the pressure, you can expect wrinkling when it dries further.