These cards smell bad

hammered

and I've been wanting to sub them, but I've been holding off cuz they reek so bad. Like a co*ktail of cigarette smoke (not mine) & mold.
My question is, will PSA hold this against them in the grade?
I'm afraid to spray them with febreze for fear I'll ruin them.
Anyone ever sent in cards with this issue?
Should I not bother? Thx in advance

Sean1125

Your washing machine will work.

hhmag70

Maybe trying spraying a mist of Febreeze near the cards but not onto them or maybe a spray a piece of cloth pretty good and store in a shoe box with the cards (but not touching) overnight.

Sean1125

Well the way frebreeze is basically it "neutralizes" it (or so they advertise)... So I figure it would have to be touching them, near them would just make the air around them smell better?

nearmint

Hmm, is a new "SM" qualifier in the offing?

I would just submit them. There's nothing in the standards about smell, and after they're encapsulated, smell will no longer be a problem.

Dpeck100

I suggest simply leaving them in a safe dry area and let them breath.

Leave them raw and after a few days I would think some of the odor will naturaly disapear.

Unless you have some discoloration from the nicotine you are most likely okay.

Indy78

I had the same problem (i.e., moldy smelling cards). I put the cards in a shoebox with a box of baking soda (the type you put in a refrigerator to remove food odor), and sealed the shoebox shut. After about a week, the moldy smell was gone.

nightcrawler

I had some cards stored in a filing cabinet drawer. When I dug them out after ten years I couldn't believe how bad they stunk??? It was unreal.

Turns out they didn't stink at all but actually smelled nice when I figured out what they smelled like. I found a bar of NHL soap in a box at the back of the drawer.

itzagoner

i purchased some '39 Play Balls from a guy last year, about a dozen or so and they showed up smelling like they were dunked in cigar smoke.....it was interesting to romanticize about the good ol' pre-war days, how guys in pinstripes suits with slicked back hair, armloads of dames and sporty sedans would sit around drinking and reminisce about the great game they just witnessed, puff puff.

i sent them back.

hammered

Thanks
I'll try the baking soda thing
Trying to get the smell cleared up so they can go in on the Dec special

72skywalker

What cards are they???

alifaxwa2

Sandwich them between dryer sheets for a few days. Works like a charm.

MooseDog

I can vouch for the fact that the suggestions made by Indy78 and alifaxwa2 usually work when dealing with books so should work for cardboard as well.

onebamafan

Sounds silly but place them near a small fan and let them air out a few days, it should help.

Nathaniel1960

Call in Dick Towle.

Sportsamerica

Shouldn't Tobacco cards smell like it? After all they were in the package with tobacco?

DeutscherGeist

This is why on ebay you should look for the disclaimer "from a pet free, smoke free home"

The nicotine could yellow the cards. No matter what you do, there will always be some forensic evidence. All cards will have trace elements of something unless they were in sterile climate controlled room all their life (even then, elements from the factory might exist).

I run into this problem from time to time. Air out the cards. Leave them sit raw someplace safe for a duration and you will see some improvement. Hopefully the nicotine was minimal so that yellowing will not be an issue.

Others that have suggested baking soda in close proximity within a sealed environment is also fine. The key here is the cards have to be raw. That would make them susceptible to damage, so be careful where you put them so the wife or kids (whichever applies) do not accidently come across them.

storm888

Baking soda will work fine; takes a week or more.

Some clothes-dryer strips will work, too. Some brands
have lonolin softners that will stain the cards, if they
are placed on them. Cut-up the strips and put them in
a cup; place the cup and the cards in a clean shoebox.