To Soak or Not to Soak

[JollyRoger]

I've been thinking about cracking this slab and soaking. I've soaked t206s with positive results, but never a t213-2. I'm thinking that soaking t213s can cause that "washed out" look. I'd hate to degrade the front of the card (which is pretty nice) trying to clean up the back. Maybe the card was slabbed this way as this issue does not soak well...? Anyone have any experience soaking these? Thanks -marshall

[I Only Smoke 4 the Cards]

I am very pleased with how this card turned out. Notice the decreased creasing on the face and the noticeable reduction in the pink spots on the righthand border. However what made it most special is that I soaked the card with my wife. She is the one that "took the plunge" with the card.

The card was soaked for about 8 hours in distilled water. I microwaved the water to get it warm before my wife dunked the card. I also microwaved the water twice more while the card was in the container.

[Ease]

Good result Alex!

[atx840]

30 minute bath...might try again to see if more of the purple staining comes off.

[Runscott]

Originally Posted by JollyRoger

I've been thinking about cracking this slab and soaking. I've soaked t206s with positive results, but never a t213-2. I'm thinking that soaking t213s can cause that "washed out" look. I'd hate to degrade the front of the card (which is pretty nice) trying to clean up the back. Maybe the card was slabbed this way as this issue does not soak well...? Anyone have any experience soaking these? Thanks -marshall

Don't the 2's have a gloss over them? If so, I wouldn't soak without first getting a positive response from a type 2 collector.

By the way - I still have never seen the "washed out look" that so many non-soakers on this forum have referred to. Does anyone have a 'before and after' scan of a soaked card that became "washed out"?

Thought I would add - I completely understand anyone's qualms that soaking might cause a card to become washed out (I was afraid of the same result before I did it the first time). I still get nervous about soaking an example of a previously-unsoaked set for the first time. I soaked three horrendous-looking OBAKs the other day and they all came out looking great.