Can I clean this?

[FrankWakefield]

I suggest you don't soak that card just yet. (And I seldom say that.)

First, what is it??? It looks like a 1939 Playball, but I don't recognize the player nor the card.

Whatever it is, buy from somewhere the least expensive most chewed up card of that set that you can find... take a picture of it, then soak that beater. Take documentation pics as you go along. See how it survives the soaking before you mess with this card. If the trial card soaks and then dries ok, then give it a try on the real card. If the trial card swells up, distorts, separates, and other kinds of powerfully mean nasty ugly stuff, then share that with us. That's why we need those step by step pics.

I don't recall soaking a 1939 Playball. My guess is they'll soak. But I myself would try on a beater first just t make sure.

What is that card?

[bnorth]

Originally Posted by FrankWakefield

I suggest you don't soak that card just yet. (And I seldom say that.)

First, what is it??? It looks like a 1939 Playball, but I don't recognize the player nor the card.

Whatever it is, buy from somewhere the least expensive most chewed up card of that set that you can find... take a picture of it, then soak that beater. Take documentation pics as you go along. See how it survives the soaking before you mess with this card. If the trial card soaks and then dries ok, then give it a try on the real card. If the trial card swells up, distorts, separates, and other kinds of powerfully mean nasty ugly stuff, then share that with us. That's why we need those step by step pics.

I don't recall soaking a 1939 Playball. My guess is they'll soak. But I myself would try on a beater first just t make sure.

What is that card?

1939 Playball #48 Lefty Gomez.

[nat]

Originally Posted by FrankWakefield

What is that card?

39 playball Vernon Gomez

[FrankWakefield]

Apologies to Yankee fans for not recognizing that lefty. (I do have his Zeenut card!)

I'd try to get a cheap 39 Playball beater and soak that first, unless someone here KNOWS firsthand that they'll soak ok. I think they would, but I'd wanna try on a beater first.

[Vintagedeputy]

Thank you to everyone for your input. Last night, I took a slightly damp sponge and tried to wipe it very gently to see if anything could be removed. I could tell that the card would swallow up any moisture it encountered so I used very, very little water. Nothing wiped off and after examining it further, I am not so sure that its not some kind of printing anomaly.

At this point, I'm just going to leave it as is and put it in my display case.

[Leon]

Originally Posted by Vintagedeputy

Thank you to everyone for your input. Last night, I took a slightly damp sponge and tried to wipe it very gently to see if anything could be removed. I could tell that the card would swallow up any moisture it encountered so I used very, very little water. Nothing wiped off and after examining it further, I am not so sure that its not some kind of printing anomaly.

At this point, I'm just going to leave it as is and put it in my display case.

Probably a smart move. To me, it looks like the card had some kind of moisture damage during it's 83 yr. history. And maybe that could produce some kind of residue damage to the paper, but certainly not sure. IF it's a printing anomaly it is a strange one.
Cool card...
.

[Vintagedeputy]

Originally Posted by Leon

Probably a smart move. To me, it looks like the card had some kind of moisture damage during it's 83 yr. history. And maybe that could produce some kind of residue damage to the paper, but certainly not sure. IF it's a printing anomaly it is a strange one.
Cool card...
.

Thank you, Leon.