Unsticking complete set cards - Advice?

RedSoxSoul · Feb 7, 2013

Instead of continuing to do what I always do and potentially destroy the sides of cards I was wondering if anyone had any ideas on how to loosen cards in a complete set that are all stuck together. Thanks!

sruchris · Feb 7, 2013

The only solution I've found to somewhat work is steam. Carefully separate the cards over a boiling pot of water. The steam will loosen the melted UV coating and help with separation. To no avail, I also tried storing the cards in the refrigerator, freezer and even heating them in a microwave for a few seconds.

I've found that 2001 Topps, mid-to-late 90s Ultra, almost all years of Stadium Club and 94-95 Select was especially sticky.

magicpapa · Feb 7, 2013

I've heard freezing them for awhile

tramers · Feb 7, 2013

i 've treated them like a new deck of cards .

predatorkj · Feb 7, 2013

magicpapa said:
I've heard freezing them for awhile

What about condensation after you take them out?

Casebusters · Feb 7, 2013

Ive had those brick of cards...
pick one up and the whole 300 cards come with it.

pootshwan · Feb 7, 2013

I've heard freezing them works. Through trial and error I've found a way that works for me, and it's kind of weird (forewarning), I turn the cards over (put your hand flat and push your fingers together) and slap the back of the outermost card. (Hit it hard) sounds absolutely ridiculous, I know, but it has worked for me. the impact separates them without any damage. Good luck.

George_Calfas · Feb 7, 2013

magicpapa said:
I've heard freezing them for awhile

This

PeteD · Feb 7, 2013

The gold/silver foil stamping and gloss are the major culprits. I never thought of steam...lost alot of cards.

jbrown · Feb 8, 2013

I had this happen with a 1997 Ultra platinum medallion set. The best way I found was to pull one cards apart at a time. Freezing didn't work, steam didn't work, heating in the sun didn't work, but one at a time left minimal to no damage.

predatorkj · Feb 8, 2013

So what do you guys do? Put these bastards in penny sleeves? I mean...that's about the only way to do it eh? Wouldn't cost a bunch but it blows the hell out of putting a set like stadium club in a normal little box as a set. You might as well put a few years in a three row or something I guess.

magicpapa · Feb 8, 2013

GOOD OLD UV COATING

jbhofmann · Feb 8, 2013

magazine pages sticking together > cards sticking together

just sayin'

RedSoxSoul · Feb 8, 2013

At least I know I'm not alone in this problem, thanks for all the suggestions. And I definitely agree jbh:lol:

alexs64 · Feb 8, 2013

jbhofmann said:
Sticky smart phone keyboards > magazine pages sticking together > cards sticking together

just sayin'

YEUP!

rsmath · Feb 9, 2013

predatorkj said:
So what do you guys do? Put these bastards in penny sleeves?

that's what I'm going to try -- put all my 1993 leaf cards in penny sleeves.

I'm working on 1993 Leaf right now and all the packs have cards cemented together - I assume the combo of UV coating getting sticky in heat and then hardening to the nearby cards plus the boxes probably were at the bottom of large stacks so they are compressed hard together.

The cards all stick together at the center (where the wrapper joint is) leading me to add the storage of the boxes was a major factor and not just exposure to hot temps over several summers of storage.

I'll try steam soon (and maybe freezing) after I spent the first two boxes just trying to carefully separate cards carefully one by one and living with those in my collection that didn't have front surface specks but might have had some specks on the back side.

RedSoxSoul · Feb 9, 2013

Yes, it's tedious work. My current problem is with a 93 Upper Deck set but the 2001 Topps Limited sets I've gone through have also had these problems. When I'm all settled from digging out of all this snow I'll try the steam and update in here. Unlike the hearty 01 Topps the 93 UD are very flimsy so any kind of force destroys the card. Already took out a harold reynolds, don't want that to happen to the Jeter.

rsmath · Feb 10, 2013

I did the steam thing Saturday evening and the steam worked fairly well on my 1993 leaf - of the 14 cards in the pack, only one has specks on it because it was bonded too hard to its nearby card and one other has obvious surface gloss loss in a small area. So 12 cards came out fine and 2 were damaged but those are pretty good odds when trying to open packs and build a set for the PC.

brian26 · Nov 6, 2016

I hate to bump such an old thread, but I opened a factory set from the early 2000s (Topps), and the cards were a brick. I've experienced this with some of the Score sets from the mid 90s, so I was aware of the issue. I've heard the 2001 Topps set is usually pretty bad.

Is there a definitive period to really keep an eye on stickiness/brick issue? We're talking '93 or '94 on the early side? And when does this generally end? Are the mid 2000 Topps sets ok?

One of the reasons I like Heritage is that this is never an issue (although I store most of my sets in binders anyway), but I'm curious which Topps factory sets this generally occurs.

Austin · Nov 6, 2016

brian26 said:
I hate to bump such an old thread, but I opened a factory set from the early 2000s (Topps), and the cards were a brick. I've experienced this with some of the Score sets from the mid 90s, so I was aware of the issue. I've heard the 2001 Topps set is usually pretty bad.

Is there a definitive period to really keep an eye on stickiness/brick issue? We're talking '93 or '94 on the early side? And when does this generally end? Are the mid 2000 Topps sets ok?

One of the reasons I like Heritage is that this is never an issue (although I store most of my sets in binders anyway), but I'm curious which Topps factory sets this generally occurs.

Basically, any glossy or UV coated cards from the '90s until present will do it. And not just sets, but cards in packs too.

I recently found an unopened wax (cello) box of '94 Topps cards at a thrift store. When I got home and opened them, most of the cards in the packs were fused together, and I damaged many of them separating them one by one.

Like you, I keep my sets in binders so I don't have the problem. But I would think there are tons of people on this board who have sets from the '90s and '00s in boxes with no idea that the cards are now stuck together.

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