A nice long soaking

[rp12367]

I destroyed a T212 last week, I had soaked a few beaters in the past. But this one lost half the ink on front... Any other issues/thoughts with T212's. Thx

[Exhibitman]

I once had a T212 that looked like it had been intentionally saturated with oil which had gotten quite dark over the ages I guess. I asked around with some conservators and one recommended a product called "Bestine"; said it would remove some of the oily residue but not all. I used it on the card and removed a great deal of the oil. Turned the card from trash to something that was suitable as a filler. It did not affect the printing at all but did leave the white of the card grayish. Now, given that the card was entirely a dark brown stain before, it was a great improvement, but I'd not do it on a nicer card without testing first.

[mdschulze]

I've got a t206 with old tape residue on the top and bottom. The card is stained but not sticky at all. Will soaking this card help remove the tape stain? Thanks for everyone's input... interesting thread!

[milkit1]

lets see more before and after photos!!!

[FrankWakefield]

Mike, can you post a "before" scan of the T206 with the tape ? Then I'll offer an answer.

[brob28]

Guys, thanks for the warnings on the 61 Topps card. You caught me in time, I'll "play" with something else. BTW - just curious if most on the forum would be upset if they bought a card and later found out it had been soaked? It seems most are not overly concerned with soaking, but we all might be just thinking from the perspective that we are soaking our own cards for our personal use.

[FrankWakefield]

Some folks would be outraged if they knowingly bought a soaked card, they perceive it to be altering the card. Many of the nice slabbed old cards have been soaked. Some of the righteous folks are in denial about that. They refuse to believe it, or just don't want to... To most, soaking (in water) isn't a problem. I think it's ok, I think a potential buyer who asks should be told the truth... In my view it is no big deal.

[mdschulze]

Originally Posted by FrankWakefield

Mike, can you post a "before" scan of the T206 with the tape ? Then I'll offer an answer.

Thanks Frank for reviewing!

[FrankWakefield]

I think if you soak that in water the discoloring will diminish very slightly. It won't hurt anything, give it an overnight try...


What would cause some of that old tape adhesive to dissolve and release a bit would be a non-polar solvent. Back up there 105 degrees is mentioned as the angle on the hydrogen atoms. I think 107 to 107.5 is closer to correct. 107 is what I'd recalled from years ago... Anyway, that angle puts water in as a polar solvent. Lighter fluid would be non-polar. It would dissolve that tape residue a bit, but not completely. It would also leave its own residue, and a smell. I don't advocate its use. Carbon tet, which was available when I was a kid, was a good non-polar solvent, too good... it isn't readily available now.