Opinions on bleaching

[tonyo]

Hi Everyone,

Has this card been bleached? Front looks more white than back.

How are cards normally bleached and what are some of the signs?

I used "search" (came across an interesting discussion on soaking from '08) also looked in "detecting card alterations" to no avail.

Thanks for your help!

Tony

[brianp-beme]

About 12-15 years ago I won an auction of a group of 100+ raw T206's from the company that our board member 'Noizebringer' Ryan has had such an issue with. I was informed by another board member, a West Coast dealer, that these cards had been bleached. As a non-expert on this matter, I just remember that the front borders, like your example, were blazing white, and that they smelled of bleach. If possible, smell the card (come on all you non-slab heads, smell your cards), and if it smells like bleach, it probably walks like a bleach.

Brian

[tonyo]

Thanks Brian,

I ran across the smell test in my search. Unfortunately this is one that don't have in hand at the moment.

I do, however, take a whiff of all the raw cards I receive in the mail! Not checking for bleach, just to see what they smell like!

Tony

[Robextend]

Originally Posted by tonyo

I do, however, take a whiff of all the raw cards I receive in the mail! Not checking for bleach, just to see what they smell like!

Wow, I thought I was the only nutjob that did that...glad to know I'm not alone.

[FUBAR]

im not a fan of bleaching, makes things look odd.

[D. Bergin]

Originally Posted by Robextend

Wow, I thought I was the only nutjob that did that...glad to know I'm not alone.

Make it three.

Cards, Photos, Programs.............I smell it all.

[HRBAKER]

This thread is sort of taking me back to the grade school days of the purple-inked mimeograph machine. Remember taking a whiff of those tests and quizzes? Disclaimer: I do not smell anything that I get.

[drc]

One of the world's experts on dating and authenticating ancient vases goes though all the scientific testing, but his last test is to lick the vase as he knows what they're supposed to taste like. He said his wife fears he will die of some ancient disease.

[tonyo]

Never had the urge to taste one of the cards.

I sorta helped derail my own thread here. Anyone think this card is bleached? Would anyone care?

[HRBAKER]

It's very possible unless it's a poor scan and yes I would care if I were to pay a non-bleached price for it.

[FUBAR]

it does look like it might be bleached

[Matt]

Odd to me that someone would attempt to bleach that card - it has a big crease, so even if it got the ink out, you're not really making out. Also, it's my understanding that bleaching doesn't make the card whiter then it was originally, so just because a card has a clean border, doesn't mean it was bleached - it might just be less circulated.

[tonyo]

Originally Posted by Matt

Odd to me that someone would attempt to bleach that card - it has a big crease, so even if it got the ink out, you're not really making out. Also, it's my understanding that bleaching doesn't make the card whiter then it was originally, so just because a card has a clean border, doesn't mean it was bleached - it might just be less circulated.

Those are good points and thanks. Seems though that the back would be just as white as the border if it were just uncirculated.

[Matt]

Originally Posted by tonyo

Those are good points and thanks. Seems though that the back would be just as white as the border if it were just uncirculated.

One of the T206 gurus should correct me if I'm wrong, but my understanding is that a T206 back was cream colored out of the package.

[ethicsprof]

i'm with Matt W.
arguments are cogent.


best,
barry

[tonyo]

Originally Posted by Matt

my understanding is that a T206 back was cream colored out of the package.

If confirmed by a guru, I will have learned 2 (more) things today. 1. Out of the package, T206 backs are cream colored while the borders are white (Thanks Matt), and 2. The definition of the word cogent is "appealing forcibly to the mind or reason" (Thanks Barry!)


T.O.

[Tsaiko]

Smelling and tasting your cards are very important, sure, but I can't stress strongly enough the importance of listening to your cards. Just the other day, I put a Bowerman up to my ear and I swear I could hear Fenway Park.

It smelled like rotten hot dogs, so I didn't taste it

[FUBAR]

you can chew on the card and if your teeth get whiter, then it was bleached!

[teetwoohsix]

It is nice to know other collectors also smell their cards (I only do this with T206's).......nothin' like the smell of a 100 year old tobacco card

I'm not an expert, and have never bleached a card, but I would tend to think that card isn't bleached. It may be possible the backside was more exposed to the "elements" than the front? Just a guess,,,,,,,nice card by the way.

And Jim--wow--I didn't realize Sammy looks like that now
What happened? Is that for real?

Clayton

[tonyo]

Originally Posted by FUBAR

you can chew on the card and if your teeth get whiter, then it was bleached!

Now that was clever (not to mention cogent)

[Section103]

Some of yall fall for that "hey man, smell my finger" trick, dont you!?

[FUBAR]

Clayton:

yes that is a real Sosa picture, he started bleaching his skin about 2 years ago.... he looks ridiculous! Its all over the net, look him up!

[FUBAR]

Originally Posted by Section103

Some of yall fall for that "hey man, smell my finger" trick, dont you!?

only if you're a female!

[fkw]

On T206 cards the front and back surface are completely different, the paper surface is different. The back surface is natural paper, the front has a very smooth glaze like white finish.

The only cards I have seen a good # bleached are the E145-1 and E145-2 CJs, back in the 80's there were alot of these pure white CJ at shows.

[FrankWakefield]

I agree with fkw about white finished surface on the fronts, and ever so slightly cream cardstock on the back, on the white border tobacco cards. And with what he said about the Cracker Jacks.

A worn T206 could be bleached... someone could have been testing or practicing with it. And smelling he card is a good easy test, although long term soaking with repeated water changes can dilute it.

So Tonyo, have you held that card, smelled it?

[bbcarddan]

I have the other version of Tinker and think it may have been bleached.The colors on mine just don`t seem right.Maybe they were bleached by the same person experimenting just to see the results before attempting it on more valuable cards.Now all we need to find are bleached Evers and Chance and we could have a new subset Tinker to Evers to Chance to Clorox!



"Did you know 14 out of 9 people don`t understand fractions"

[tonyo]

Originally Posted by FrankWakefield

I agree with fkw about white finished surface on the fronts, and ever so slightly cream cardstock on the back, on the white border tobacco cards. And with what he said about the Cracker Jacks.

A worn T206 could be bleached... someone could have been testing or practicing with it. And smelling he card is a good easy test, although long term soaking with repeated water changes can dilute it.

So Tonyo, have you held that card, smelled it?

I pulled the trigger and bought the card. I'm at the beach now but it should be waiting on me when I get home. I'll give it a good bleach smell test then.

May even chew on it for FUBAR then I might drop it in a pot to make some soup out of it

I appreciate all the advice and humor!

Tony

[asoriano]

In my opinion, I think it looks fine.

And I also smell my cards.

[WillowGrove]

Educational and pretty hysterical thread - good luck with your purchase.

And btw a few years back I actually swallowed a T206 Art Fletcher and got into 3 fist fights and 6 shouting matches in one day! Crazy.