HELP! I need advice from the experts! stuck together 1960

BearcatMike

Hello all. I recently picked up this stack of 1960 cards and they are all stuck together. There appears to be around 40 or so cards in the stack and they all appear to be in the 500 series. Tommy Davis was the 1st card and he got ruined, the last card is Drysdale AS and the few cards that I can see in the stack all are in the 500 number series. Can I somehow get these apart without ruining them? Any advice would be GREATLY appreciated!

Mike

bobbyw8469

I am thinking to hold them over a boiling pot and see if the steam will loosen them up?

jeffcbay

Wow... that just hurts to look at... especially if there's a #563 Mantle AS in there. They're all probably fubar, but freezing them might help get them apart too. At this point, it probably doesn't matter. Keep us posted!

TonyC

It looks like the whole stack got wet, so the paper probably dried so as to stick the cards together. I don't think there is a way to salvage them.

Dialj

Ouch, someone call 911 !!!!

YogiBerraFan

There is no saving those. They have been damp and pressed together under pressure way too long.

123Slider

OUCH! I agree, no saving them. As for another idea, I might throw them back in the water for a while and see what happens.

Aric

You might try soaking the entire stack. Use the same process you would if you were soaking a single card to dry the cards if you are able to separate any. Good luck.

Sean1125

I have to agree with the few that actually answered your question instead of being negative Nancy's saying you are screwed.

I'd try each one suggested (they don't take that long....) to be honest, you could have several nice cards in there albeit be condition still some nice cards.

gonzer

Steaming does seem the most logical...or a very steady hand and a razor-sharp scalpel.

storm888

Prolly wrecked, but.....

I would soak them overnight in a pot of cool water.

RESIST the urge to "help" the water with your fingers. Let
the water do the separating; NOT your fingers.

If one night fails, leave them in the pot for up to three nights.
(Gently change the water each morning.) If three nights fails
to give you any separation, remove the stack and dry it in
sunlight; the hotter the better.

IF you get separation at any stage, a blotter book is the best
way to dry the cards.

This gadget

http://cgi.ebay.com/20-x-SAFE-STAMP-DRYING-PRESS-SPARE-BLOTTER-SHEETS-/350309689208?pt=UK_Stamps_Philatley&hash=item519015a778

is a good tool for drying and shaping. You can also buy a cheap
blotter book at your local stamp shop; sometimes EBAY has
them, too. Less than $5 for a book that will last years.

The press makes weights unnecessary, but phone books work, too.



There are some acetone tricks, but they should be used ONLY after
plain water fails. The acetone will get rid of any mold/fungus that is
acting as a glue and holding the cards together. A couple of minutes
followed by cold running water and another soak sometimes gets
results. (Acetone will hurt your cards, if it is not rinsed off quickly.)

The MAIN thing to remember when soaking stamps/cards/paper is:

DO NOT GET IMPATIENT. Keep your hands off the items and let the
water do its thing. If you start trying to "help" the process, you will
turn your items into ripped mush.

scmavl

Wrap them in cello and sell them for $1500.

Nascar360

This is why I love these boards! So much great information.

downtown

<< <i>Wrap them in cello and sell them for $1500. >>

FavreFan1971

Someone told me about soaking in Acetone (spelling) what benefit would that do compared to water?

stevek

Product for those Xmas rack packs.

storm888

I would not soak a single in acetone, unless it had goop on it. Other
folks disagree and use it routinely to get rid of creases/wrinkles. The
creases and wrinkles go away and the colors might even freshen up,
but the wrinkles/creases often return after a few months. (Plain water
and a spoon - followed by a strong stamp press - are better for
wrinkles/creases and the treatment may last a long time.)

Soaking a stuck stack in acetone will break down any mold/fungus
that is acting as a glue to keep the cards stuck together. The cards
should only stay in the acetone for a few minutes and then be rinsed
under a gentle faucet and placed back in the clean water pot.

A few drops of Clorox is a mistake on a stuck stack. Clorox is good
for disguising mold/fungus, but it does not remove it and it will eventually
turn brown again. (Spray some Clorox in a toilet bowl; without scrubbing
the bowl, the fungus does not go anywhere. It just loses its dark color
and soon turns dark again. Since you cannot "scrub" cards, acetone is
a good - scrub free - way to get rid of the goop that may be holding the
cards together.)





.

pclpads

Would make a nice starter log.

Mickey71

If you are going to do this....don't have the bucket of water and chemicals out for the dog to drink or the toddlers to drink. The reason I say this//// I heard of a dog dying from someone soaking cloth diapers in bleach in the toilet. Sounds crazy...but this whole cards ordeal is sounding crazy also.

Ironmanfan

I once bought a PlayBoy collection with the same problem



IMF

brianwintersfan

A stack of '52 Topps with a shot at a Mantle I say go for it. A ruined group of '60 Topps not worth all the bother.

BPorter26

<< <i> I once bought a PlayBoy collection with the same problem >>

hhmag70

<< <i>I have to agree with the few that actually answered your question instead of being negative Nancy's saying you are screwed.

I'd try each one suggested (they don't take that long....) to be honest, you could have several nice cards in there albeit be condition still some nice cards. >>




Then you could probably have a friend list them a "mint" on eBay for you.

jeffcbay

34 posts since March 2008... why do I feel like there will be no follow-up in this thread?

fkw

Only one thing will work, you must soak them, and that will take dropping the whole stack in a large bowl of warm water. check after 10 minutes and they should fall apart into individual cards. The lay flat and pat dry between paper towels, and press in a book..... make sure the towels dont dry and stick to the cards.

Success will depend on what stuck them together, if its something like soda or any other water soluble substance they should come part OK. If its something like a glue/sap it may not work at all.

jeffcbay

Even if he were to get them apart without any paper loss, would they ever grade more than a PSA 1?

storm888

<< <i>Even if he were to get them apart without any paper loss, would they ever grade more than a PSA 1? >>



/////////////


No way to know for sure until they have been rescued.

Mickey71

PSA 1. Levi's selling them bad boys for about $150 on the Mantle's. What are you waiting for....submerge away.

miconelegacy

April Fools

zep33

Ginsu

BearcatMike

Thanks for all the great info....I will probably try the acetone idea, sometime Wednesday. I will post results but they might not be pretty. Thanks again all!

storm888

Better try the water FIRST.


Also, don't be flexing the dry deck; that will result in lots of paper loss.

diamondman

<< <i>Better try the water FIRST.


Also, don't be flexing the dry deck; that will result in lots of paper loss. >>

BearcatMike

Thanks, I will try the water first. Results will be posted. Thanks to everyone for their input!

stevek

Maybe one of those deli meat slicers might do the trick - set the machine to slice each one thin for a stick of Topps baseball cards.

cpamike

<< <i>Maybe one of those deli meat slicers might do the trick - set the machine to slice each one thin for a stick of Topps baseball cards. >>



Steve, we are not making a Philly cheesesteak here.

Very interested to see the results of this endeavor. Good luck.

FavreFan1971

Good luck, looking forward to see if any big names show up in there for ya.

BearcatMike

UPDATE: After about 1 week of soaking and drying, here is what was left. In all, every card from 509 - 570 was in the stack. Most were totally ruined, here is the best of what I could salvage. Thanks again for all the advice, I guess it could have been a lot worse!

scmavl

Nice job! Hey, the Aaron doesn't look that bad.

TNP777

I"d be thrilled with '60 All-Stars in that condition. Well done!

jeffcbay

I bet you still find decent buyers for most of those. Nice job, and thanks for the update!

BearcatMike

Thanks guys...again all the help was greatly appreciated!

stevek

certainly worth the effort.