[twalters1984]

I recently purchased an original 1964 Topps Mickey Mantle card that is an absolute beautiful baseball card (centered, strong corners, and nice edges) with one minor flaw - it has some tape on the back of the card. I am considering trying to remove the tape but before I try such a daring task, I have a few questions about the repercussions of doing so.

Even though a sports card may have strong corners, nice edges, and outstanding centering, I read that PSA does not grade cards with tape residue higher than a 3 and I believe I read somewhere that Beckett does not grade cards with tape residue higher than a 4. Is that correct?

If I were to successfully remove the tape from the card, would it be considered altered? Does Beckett, PSA, or other legitimate grading companies grade cards that have had tape residue removed whether successfully or unsuccessfully? I do not see how something can be considered altered if we just remove something that was not there in the first place?

I suppose a card would be considered altered if someone used chemicals to remove the tape? What about just applying heat like using a blow dryer? When somebody speaks of chemicals to improve the appeal of a card, that is considered card restoration and is frowned upon correct? Applying heat with a blow dryer would not be considered restoration though right?

Has anybody reading this post used any method before to remove tape and do you know if that method is considered acceptable to grading companies and/or the community? I have read various threads on the internet about this but I do not know what is considered frowned upon and I do not know what would work the best. Lots of these threads are over 10 years old and maybe there is a better way to remove tape now that is not frowned upon?

I have included some photos of this card at the bottom of the post. Does anybody know what sort of tape it is and/or if there are different methods to remove different types of tape?

What do you think the grade would be if I got this graded as-is with the tape residue on the back? What do you think the grade would be if I successfully removed the tape residue on the back?

I would appreciate any professional advise I get with this topic. After reviewing all the information everybody provides me with, I may attempt doing something with another Topps card of the same year that also has tape on it before attempting it on a valuable card such as a Mickey Mantle =)

Thanks in advance to those who contribute to this topic. Anyway, here is the card:

[coimbre 21]

There are some that consider removing tape or glue as an alteration but in my experience Beckett Grading will not consider it an altered card unless something additional has been done to try to hide marks or reconstruct any paper loss.

I know that the use of chemicals are a red flag to graders because the odor usually will stay with the card and I believe the addition of a chemical is considered an alteration. Maybe much like a spitball, adding a foreign substance to a card.

If you follow Andy Broome on twitter, you will get a great education in what he as a grader can spot as an alteration. https://twitter.com/broomewithaview?lang=en

From your photo, it appears that's more like glue and paper residue, not tape. Or is it masking tape?

If glue residue, I've encountered this personally quite a bit with Topps Venezuelans. If it's water soluble glue, it could come off with water but by no means would I soak the card. Even if you limited applying water to the paper residue spots only with a Q Tip and gently rub the residue off, it won't be completely clean or worse, you're more likely to damage/remove the print on the card. I know this because I tried on some lower end Venezuelans with the same problem. Bottom line is that you might gain a little bit in terms of appeal if you can manage to remove the residue/tape but your risks are much higher and either way you will never get a high grade on the card anyway, as nice as it is on the front. And it is nice.

[twalters1984]

Looks like the original seller described it as pieces of paper stuck to it instead of tape.

I found a webpage that describes the process of soaking a card like you had mentioned:
http://www.network54.com/Index/85540

The procedure looks like this on that website and I wonder if you did this exactly or did something a bit different? The procedure recommends soaking the entire card and not just the portion that needs attention.

I am wondering what card stock a 1964 Topps Mickey Mantle would have and how long that card stock should be soaked for? Is soaking as sports card in -distilled- water in order to remove glue and paper residue considered acceptable to the grading community or is it still a grey area?

I do not know whether I would try this process on an original Mickey Mantle baseball card. Like you said, it is very risky and that risk may outweigh the reward. However, the process does make me curious and I may try it on a vintage card of the same year that is not valuable.

Anyway, here is the procedure that I found (taken from the website above):

"1) Grab a flat bowl or lid that fits your card. Make sure it's deeper than your card and again, flat.

2) Diistilled water is preferred by most and can be purchased for a few bucks at most local markets. Contrary to some beliefs, in some areas tap water works fine as well. Whatever the choice, pour it into the container.

3) Now "the leap of faith." Put your card in the water in one fail swoop, making sure it's completely covered. Don't inch it in slowly or you run a slim chance of staining it. Hold the card down with a finger or cotton swab and let the cardboard soak up the water for a minute or so. The entire card must be immersed even if a small corner is all that needs attention, if not it may stain. It's all or nothing.

4) You can leave the card in for a few minutes or up to several hours depending on the cardstock. Just make sure it's saturated. (I soaked a card for three days and damaged it beyond repair, I have also soaked on for a week with no problems).

5) Carefully remove the card from the water. Since years of handling may have caused soiling the card, it may be perfectly normal for the water to look a little discolored or yellowed.

6) With a napkin standing by, put the card in between and push gently to dry up the excess water (pat-down stage).

7) At this point some will place the card in between the pages of a large book but it may lead to the card warping if not properly attended. Not only that but the book pages may warp as well. Another method is to try the following:

Put the card in between a different napkin or double folded paper towel and place this in between two smooth sided boards big enough to hold the card in a napkin. Put a 5lb weight or more on top. Since one gallon of water weighs about 8.35 lbs, you can use a filled gallon water container as your weight. Many put the card between the pages of a heavy book, this will at times warp the card. A very smooth 1" x 4" board works the best. If you cut them 8" long you can dry two cards at once. Stacked boards can dry as many as six at one time.

8) Let it sit for about an hour, then put the card in between a new napkin. Again, some prefer a double folded paper towel. Put it back between the boards and place the weight back on top.

9) Wait for a day and check the card. If the card is still a little damp, put it in a new napkin and give it some more time. At some point the card will dry, it should then be completely flat and look brighter and cleaner with vivid colors.

10) Taking the card out prematurely may lead to warping or bending. If that happens, just re-soak."

[the cardboard fan]

No way I would personally ever do that^ but let's see how some others comment regarding soaking a card.

[muz0]

I would just leave it be. Chances are you will ruin the card.

[Hofcollector]

^^^ no freaking way!^^^

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Water will/can damage nearly anything, hence the term "water damaged". The denser the object the better chance it has at surviving water damage so a baseball card has none. What that article is referring to it flattening a card but it is not telling you (because they probably don't know), is that you are altering the entire card and damaging it (uniformly) from top to bottom. I'd be willing to wager that the individual responsible for that article has never submitted any of those cards to be graded. As soon as cardboard is introduced to water it's structural integrity is compromised. Any grader can look through magnification and see that the cardboard has seen water. These things aren't sponges and won't return to their natural form.

[caiman]

At least PSA will give it a 3. SGC will grade any card even with a little wrap.paper stucked to the card a 2 , I know for experience. so the best you can do is leave it alone, I own several topps Venezuela 64 and they look great, but have some glue in backs, better to sale them than grade them with SGC, maybe PSA will give them better grades.