A question for card soaker

[D. Broughman]

Have any of you card soakers soaked tickets? I have two 1925 Detroit Baseball tickets with paper on the back. Can the paper be soaked off like you do with cards. Thanks for any help. D.

[FrankWakefield]

Can you post a scan of the front and backs of the tickets?

[ibuysportsephemera]

I just soaked 18 1920's & 1930's ticket stubs that were glued to cardboard and into a scrapbook. They all soaked off fine. I used boiling hot water and fully immersed the ticket and paper in a bowl. I left them in for about 3 or 4 minutes. After the paper soaked off I put them between paper towels and put a heavy book on them. I changed the paper towels 3 or 4 times and after 2 or 3 days they dried out and look fine. Thanks to Scott from this board for the help.

Jeff

[sb1]

I would not using hot water, some inks or colored paper will run. Room temp water is fine, it may take a few more minutes but will not cause these potential problems. Think of it as doing laundry.

[ullmandds]

Agreed...I've never heard of using hot water...definitely room temp?!

[FrankWakefield]

+1 to what Scott and the good Dr said.

I almost always use room temperature water. If there's some ink (usually red) that's on there that I suspect is water soluble and might bleed, then I use cold water. I've used warm water a few times, while rinsing a card under the tap. Hot could be used, I reckon, but I'd not start with hot.

[smotan_02]

I think hot water is the way to go with tickets. Early tickets are often constructed like bank notes by pressing multiple sheets together. If they soak too long, then the ticket themselves will start to separate. Baseball tickets may be a little different, since the early once weren't that intricate or ornate (as compared to college football tickets). Also, these tickets were not colored like baseball cards.

I was lucky enough to work with Jeff on his scrapbook find and the hot water worked MUCH better than the room temp water and none of the color ran. Im going to pass along the thanks to board member KJJAVIC for the soaking lessons.

One thing for sure is to test it out on something else on the sheet first. If all you have is the tickets with paper on the back, then test it on the less condition ticket first.

[smotan_02]

I should clarify that KJJAVIC's advice to me was warm water.

I used warm water when I soak out tickets with amazing results. I even soaked out a christmas card with writing on the back (where the glue was). It soaked out just fine and the writing was still completely legible. It was originally sent to the scrapbook owner in 1942 after they attended a Yale football game together. I mailed the card and the Yale ticket stub to the original writer's son without visible evidence it was ever glued into a scrapbook.

Jeff and I used hot water with just as nice results.

[danmckee]

regular tap water cold is what to use. Tickets soak just as well as cards. Just remember to roll the creases out.

[ibuysportsephemera]

I also did not mention that I soaked off about 15 other single page and multiple page programs that were on thinner cardboard and regular paper. This was also successful. I am only speaking from this experience, but the only problems I had were when the water was not hot enough, the pages tore when being separated from the scrapbook. When left in long enough, I almost didn't have to do anything, they separated without any help from me. Just my 2¢. I agree with Scotty, practice on something that is not valuable first.

Jeff

[D. Broughman]

Sorry for the delay. Been with the Grandkids and haven't had time to get on line Thanks for all the help.

[FrankWakefield]

I'd soak one of them in room temperature water for about 30 minutes, then gently touch / rub the paper to see if it's loosening. If the ticket seems to be separating into layers I'd keep the soaking to a short period of time, ie not overnight. If the paper on the back isn't loosening at all from the stub, then you may have a nonpolar glue that isn't going to be water soluble. I think it will soak fine for half an hour or so. Still, I'd do one, not both at the same time. And if Dan's not using his spoon, maybe he'll loan it to you to smooth the stubs out as they dry.