Monster T206 Desk

[murcerfan]

Time: It is not recommended that any art, especially thin cardboard stock be displayed for longer than three months a year to maintain quality.

I'm still kinda new to this...could you explain why time, in the absence of UV light, moisture and air born pollutants will ruin my cards?

... never realized those desiccant silica packs actively absorbed air-born pollution, I always thought they just absorbed water vapor and lowered humidity.

[steve B]

Time varies a bit depending on the exact material.

Basically, exposure to what's typically considered display, framed and hung, or set out in a cabinet- any environment that offers easy and comfortable viewing- exposes an object to light, variable heat and humidity, and sometimes airborne chemicals. Most of them we'd call pollution, but the natural stuff like oxygen can be bad too.

T206s are on a pretty decent cardstock, and generally printed with good ink. So the effects are less than for some other items. The light fading the inks would likely be the worst part of things, with the potential to stick to the glass being second. I've removed a couple printed things stuck to glass and it's a bit tedious.

Newsprint is especially poor, even in really good storage. It's very acidic and degrades readily, becoming browned and brittle especially along folds.

One of the difficult things for collectors is balancing preservation with practical concerns. All the things stated about proper archival storage are correct. As are the comments about never looking at your cards. There's some happy medium for most collectibles, most cards will be fine stored the way most of us store them. In a binder on a shelf -not my favorite, as I find the pages slump unless I store them flat- or in a good quality holder in a box isn't a big problem. Just don't expect them to stay nice if they're propped up on a table in a sunny spot.

Institutions have a tougher time, often dealing with multiple types of items of varying materials, AND the need to allow access for display and research. As collectors we usually only worry about how things will be preserved within our lifetime. Museums have to worry about keeping things stable potentially for centuries(Some of the european museums have been active in some form long enough)

Steve B

[timzcardz]

My suggestion . . .


As you acquire your cards, do a high resolution scan and print out an image on heavy stock. Then cut out and place under your glass for viewing pleasure, while the original is safely stored in a binder or other appropriate means. Heck, you can even rough up the edges of the copy as you feel appropriate.

You'll see "your" cards on a daily basis and when you want you'll pull out the originals and have full access to feel, smell, etc. You also won't hae to worry about that errant coffee spill that will find its way under the glass.

Very well said Steve, and you nailed it; I collect newspapers (Cascade Miner 1893 - 1912), which are notoriously brittle (usually fragments), and of poor quality, and strip cards which are not nearly the quality of T206's.

Dessicant packs work well as a dehumidifier which can be effective in limiting the growth of molds and mildew, especially in old Washington state newspapers.

I only have one T206 (Hunky Shaw) and had to look at it last night . Excellent quality, durable card. Really like the suggestions of scanning the card for display which would look great under glass on your desk. Best of luck on the monster!

[ls7plus]

All humor aside, a lot of good advice here. I'm just delighted to see someone just 30 years of age take such an interest in such a great pre-war set.

May your collecting always be rewarding,

Larry

[insidethewrapper]

Watch out for all the new lights on the market , I think they will be bad for collectables. The old lights will not be available much longer ( stock up ). Any experts on this subject ? New vs old light bulbs !!

I had some cards in a cabinet display with a light at a antique mall. They faded and an autograph is now barely visable.

[ruth-gehrig]

Hey Larry,
Yeah I guess I've always been a little older than I really am. When I was growing up I was into the modern baseball cards but lost interest in them pretty fast. I appreciate the old stuff more. The new modern product doesn't appeal to me in the least. Now I am(was) strickly into old baseball memorabilia(primarily baseball advertising) but really do like the T206 set. I can appreciate a marathon. I don't even care if it takes me 20 years to complete. I've also thought about piecing together the T3 Turkey Red set. It's a beautiful set that combines baseball and art. I still love the advertising I guess I'm just branching out a bit on these 2 sets!
Take care,
Michael