[Archive]

Posted By: petecld

Hal,

"Do they just dip the whole card into something... or what?"

You can dip the item into a tank or there are spray forms available.

What causes paper to yellow and turn brittle are the natural acids in the paper. Treating an item slows the aging process. Cheaoer paper (newspapres) have a higher acid content and yellow faster. I think david mentioned in the past to leave a newspaper out in the sun a doy or two and see how much the paper changes. Deacidifying might brighten an item over all but it is not a cleaner. It doesn't treat stains, it just reacts to the acid in the paper. This process is used by libraries, museums, etc. and is well accepted.

The item isn't messed up and you probably would never know the difference if you saw a treated card. Unlike bleaching, this treatment doesn't emit a stong odor.
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PASJD,

I don't know if it is a process you want to try yourself.

"Sounds to me like stabilization might be a good substitute for people who don't take to slabs."

Yes, I feel it is. It is more commonly done to books, comic books, some prints, and newspapers anything on thin cheaper media but doing it to a Baseball card won't hurt it.