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Posted By: Hankron

And to fulfill my contractual obligation to this board, I will offer an unprecidented 2nd Tip of the Day (I will, however, require a nap afterwords).

TIP OF THE DAY #2: "IT HAS TO BE A REPRINT, BECAUSE THE PAPER IS TOO WHITE"

Don't fret if the back of that $1,000 1903 Honus Wagner Photograph (Real photo) is snow white, while the backs of the 1930s photos you own are heavily toned.

Turn of the century photographic paper (photo paper is specialty paper, it's not like a writing or typing paper where anything goes) was made using special materials and chemicals. This paper was not only initiallly a bright, often snow, white, but it did not have a tendancy to tone or brown with age. Some years later, the paper formula changed. This later paper not only was initually an off white (not snow white like before), but naturally toned with age. This means that, counterintuitively, the paper on a turn of the century photograph will be expected to be brighter and whiter than, say, a 1930 Babe Ruth.

One last, helpful point. Turn of the century paper photographs (not including postcards)is REAL thin. It is noticeably thinner than anything from modern times, and is easily distinguished from paper even from the 1940s