Wet trading cards?

Question

A customer of mine had a fire- thousands of trading cards are now wet or damp. Is there a way to save them? When we tried to separate and dry, they are curling pretty badly, but if we don't separate them, the dry stuck together. Any suggestions?

Answer 1

paper towel over them, and a heavy book on top

Answer 2

Refrigerate or even freeze any cards you can't deal with right away - keeps them from mildewing until you can dry them properly. (I heard of a case where a sprinkler system drenched a quiltshow, and a local business was kind enough to loan cooler space until 100+ quilts could be dried right - everything was saved.) If the customer was insured, the insurance company may be able to help or offer recommendations, too - it could save them some money.

I would dry the cards flat between layers of colorfast cloth or smooth toweling with books on top. Good luck - sounds like a real mess!

Answer 3

You could possibly try boiling a pot of water and hold the cards over the steam just enough so they'll come apart. I've seen that done with pages that have been glued together. I'm not sure if it will work in your case though.