Newbie intro + a retread on soaking

[FrankWakefield]

If you're gonna soak them... For EACH card that has an autograph, get a Q-tip and some bits of paper towel. Then get the tiniest bit of dampness on the Q-tip and touch that to that part of the autograph that you could tolerate failure. Failure will be that the autograph ink is water soluble, and the ink will run, ruining the autograph and diminishing the value of the card. If it starts to run, blot blot blot with the paper towel bits. If the ink is oil based it shouldn't run, and that is an initial step in whether to soak. If later on you soak with hot hot water then the oil base ink is more likely to run... (so I'd not get hot water going).

I've not soaked a Batter Up. I think they're layered cards, and they'll separate if soaked for very long. I think I have soaked a few premiums. Just out of cautiousness, if you're all motivated to soak one, start with soaking the one you value least (that's not necessarily the one with the least monetary value).

If you do soak, be ready to blot dry with tea towels or paper towels, the let air dry a bit, then put the card between cardstock or blotting paper and stack up some books to sandwich your card so it'll dry flat.

I'd look for a piece of the paper with something other than a ball card glued to it, and try soaking that, first. If the glue isn't water soluble then soaking isn't going to help you much.

Get your stuff together before you soak, so you're ready for contingencies. Be patient. Good luck with it. If you soak any of the cards, then you should know that some folks consider that card altering and wrong.

[steve B]

I wouldn't soak them.

Some notebook inks can bleed into the card, leaving stains.

And many autographed ones will probably do the same and get blurry or worse.

If you MUST remove the autographed ones, instead of testing and soaking, I would try very limited water, maybe applied with a damp sponge from the back of the paper. Enough to get the paper and adhesive wet but not too much on the card itself.
It's a bit of a tedious process, and what's on the other side of the page will affect how or whether you can do it.

If there isn't much pate or glue, you could open the gap between the page and card and drip a couple drops in.
Which is still more tedious and a bit risky. as far as peels/creasing goes.

Since the notebook pages still look pretty good, they were probably decent quality paper that isn't having big acidity issues. So it's not damaging anything to leave them as they are.

[Joe Hunter]

I wouldn't soak them, either. I have used Steve's method mentioned above with pretty good results. You just have to be patient and take it slow.

[obcbobd]

I agree with what others have said, especially regarding autographs.

I you so try soaking some, or doing a test soak, I would use warm water not hot.

Good luck

Bob

[SD]

Cotton swabs, distilled water and a lot of time and patience.

[Leon]

Originally Posted by SD

Cotton swabs, distilled water and a lot of time and patience.

+1 and welcome to the forum!

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