Has anybody soaked postcards from a scrapbook?
 

Just a quick question with the couple of soaking threads. Has anyone soaked postcards from a scrapbook? I am referring to postcards from the early thirties and I am sure it depends upon the type of stock they are printed on. Thoughts?

Sounds like a risky move. If they are scrapbooked they are likely postally used and the writing will most likely bleed. It's going to look worse than some glue remnants.

I also would not try soaking rppcs. Not a good chance on that either.

You could try steaming first just to see if you can get them loose or send them to an expert if it's a good money item.

If you know they are not written on and not a photo you can give it a shot with one you have no attachment to first?

If the scrapbook paper is soft, you may be able to remove postcards without soaking. Being careful and slow of course. There would be spots of paper on back, but you can worry about that then. A lot of scrapbook and album paper is soft and brittle.

They are 4 in one postcard players that were cut apart and I got 20 players dirt cheap. Wanted to get the residue off to determine if they are from 1929 or 1931. Have a grand total of $15.87 invested so would be considered an experiment. Bought a lot of 18 W572 cards from the same seller and they soaked fine. This is my first foray into soaking so didnt know is the postcards would do as well as the W572 cards. The player pictures are also in different colors so that could change whole equation.

I would just pick the one I liked least and give it a shot with that investment.

I think that will be the game plan and use cool water instead of warm water. Will see what I have when they arrive.

Kmac

I bought a big batch of postcards that had a lot from the teens and 20's. Some had been wet, and separated, so the stack had a bunch of fronts with backs that used to be on them.

So I'm thinking they won't soak well.

One thing I've done is to wet the paper of the page from the back and gradually rub the paper off the glue in layers so the item I'm removing doesn't get much water on it at all.

Steve B

Interesting about the backs and fronts separating. I know this comment is not related to baseball cards but she has 1921-1923 E 123 actor and actress cards where the backs had separated off of the fronts and we didn't quite know why. This would explain that mystery


Below are the lot of exhibit players from the Esco 4 in one postcards. The backs have what appear to be old news clipping and scrapbook page residue just like the W572 cards I recently bought.

You can add 1929 ESCO 4 in one postcards to the list of things that can be soaked to remove scrapbook residue. The cards are thicker than normal postcards and some of the reds and other colors will bleed a little with no overall damage to the cards. Had no issue with bubbling or card stock peeling up so overall another success. Now to decipher all the fine print on the back of the cards which had no writing on them at all.

I have had great luck cutting around the postcard or in some cases old football programs and then slowly using a wet Q-tip on the scrapbook paper till a corner comes free.

I then just slowly wet the next little bit of paper and work my way through the piece. Takes time but seems to work on many glues and of course paste from 1900up to the 1960's.

soaking cards
 

in the mid 70's i did some baseball card hotel buying trips. we would often get scrapbook or notebooks with cards pasted in them, especially for some reason the 1930's era cards was the most likely decade to find these.

back then we would dump them in luke warm bathtub and usually they would have a paste similiar to elmers glue which was water soluble. just had to be careful not to soak to long or the card edges started to spread apart.

then we would press the cards with a screen, like a window screen, to let air circulate and simultaneously hold flat.

often their was very little or no obvious damage. sometimes, for instance, with the 33 goudeys you would get a little missing spot where the best adhered part of the glue was or fi the glue was particuarly tough the letters would get so damp, to get enough loosening from the scrap book, and the letters under that spot would be what you would call wobbly.

trying one to test was always best policy as to how to proceed.
i never did exhibit cards. never had any ink runs.

many collectors of today have a lot of 1930's era cards that were soaked in the 70's.

sometimes you could tell as the card will be a bit less flexible, ie stiffer, due to the wet, then dry process.


hope this helps.
all the best,
jsq

Thanks for the work and updates.