Options
T206 collection found, multiple Cobbs and E95 Wagner NEED HELP
Browns1981
Posts: 554 ✭✭✭✭✭
I acquired this set of tobacco cards today. Aside from the three loose cards, all the rest are glued to a backing board. What are my options for getting them off safely?
I am 99% sure these are all real, so this could be the score of a lifetime.
2
Comments
be patient and don't rush into anything
consider contacting these folks: https://www.graphicconservation.com/
you could try soaking them off by submersing a small group (or just one card) in water for a period of time, then carefully and patiently seeing if the glue is water soluble. Then you'd have to dry the soaked cards out. You'd have to do your own research on this but it has been discussed in many threads on the net54 forum.
Blow dryer might help soften the glue enough to get them off. I've done this to get labels off of old Sports Illustrated magazines without ruining the cover. Just have to go slow.
Browns1981…
How did you come upon the T206 collection? Congrats!
I would just add - if you want to try soaking? Distilled water might be recommended?
PS: I don't want this to sound like I'm advocating for this - based on what you're shown here? I would definitely learn towards "professional conservation."
Also, if ya want to know if they're real?
Hit them with a black light - if there's blue iridescent color - they're fake.
Also if you know what modern printing looks like under a 5 or 10X? Cards back then are mostly chromolithography I believe - so under mag instead of perfect concentric print dots - the ink looks more like irregular amoebas - you can really tell easily.
Best of luck and those Cobbs are sweet - even in that condition! 👍
PS - keep going back and forth on what I'm seeing - I think some are T206's and others are something like 1909 E95 Philadelphia Caramel - like the Honus Wagner. Some of the backs shown look like T206s?
Yard sale. Asked if they had cards and the guy brought these out. He was in his 70s or 80s and said they were his grandfathers. He had plenty of other collectors stuff around (cars and so on) that I felt comfortable buying.
Three (3) Cobbs? Wow, very nice!
https://kennerstartinglineup.blogspot.com/
Wow. I would not do the hairdryer or the goo b gone. The only thing I would do is water, as it won’t harm these cards.
Or send to some pros.
What a score!
HOF SIGNED FOOTBALL RCS
as mentioned. distilled water only. I am on Net54, and the guys there are very smart and anyone there can assist you in the process. its been discussed numerous times. I think it varies how long to soak and how to lay to let it dry.
If your able to release the green and red cobb, i like to pursue them and a few others for my raw card collection.
Having experience with Cuban cards for which being glued into a book is the norm, I'd go to a professional paper conservationist.
It's the singer not the song - Peter Townshend (1972)
Not even a minute do I buy the whole buh buh buh I'm a man-child japery - Me (2025)