Bent Cards

[erk419]

I've been going through a bunch of cards that I got free on craigslist awhile back. Tonight I was going through a box of 89 topps baseball and all the cards are bent in the same direction there not creased there just all bent. Whats the best way to correct this and will this lower there value any if there are no creases if I can get them staright again? I know none of the cards in this set are worth very much to start with. Also how should one store cards in set boxs to prevent this from happening in the future?

Thanks

[brandon711]

I dont think there is no way of correcting the cards and if u try u might actually crease them. They probably have sat in that position for years and i have seen older sets do this before some newer cards are like this too I have seen some chrome cards contort that way. I don't think it will hurt the value.

[DaClyde]

If cards are packed tightly, they don't bow like that. The differences in surface material between the front and back plus a moderately humid environment causes the curling. But if you're talking about 1989 Topps, the whole set is only worth $5-10. Seriously, they're worth less now than when they were originally issued. They're not really worth flattening. Build card houses or something out of them. Use them as filler for shipping other cards. Use them as bookmarks. Glue a bunch together and use them to level out a wobbly table or chair.

[erk419]

Thanks for your reply Brandon I didnt know if I could put them in pages of books for a while or plastic pages if this would correct it or not. I also found some chrome and finest etc that are like this to. So far any of value I've stuck in plastic cases. Ive also found any cards like finest etc that have the foil top don't like penny sleeves very much. I got some that must of been in penny sleeves for awhile and have gotten stuck in the sleeves. I found opening the sleeve and blowing in it releases the card. I've never seen anything on becketts grading scale that said anything about a bend thats wasnt a crease so thats why I was wondering about the value.

[erk419]

If cards are packed tightly, they don't bow like that. The differences in surface material between the front and back plus a moderately humid environment causes the curling. But if you're talking about 1989 Topps, the whole set is only worth $5-10. Seriously, they're worth less now than when they were originally issued. They're not really worth flattening. Build card houses or something out of them. Use them as filler for shipping other cards. Use them as bookmarks. Glue a bunch together and use them to level out a wobbly table or chair.

Thanks for you reply like I said I'm aware of the value I was more or less using them as an example incase I come across more in the future. The things is the box was packed tight it was completly full. Like you said they could have been stored in a humid place. I have others though that came from the same person some from 87 some from 81 and there not like this.

For future reference whats the best way to store cards in set boxes should I put pieces of cardboard or papers towels on each end would this help keep them straight so there forced to stay straight and not slightly lean which could cause them to curl .

[DaClyde]

Most likely the cards spent most of their life not packed quite so tightly. I've got tons of 1989 Topps jammed into 800-ct and 5000-ct boxes, and they're all straight. My stacks of Panini stickers are another story, though.

As to value, though, no I don't think the bowing makes any difference. Consider all those graded cards in slabs...since they're all being pressed flat by plastic, we have no idea whether they might be horribly bowed or not. Unless they're going to be left out loose, and not in pages or some kind of holder, no one would ever know the difference.

But, yes, your idea for storage is correct, try to find something to fill out the empty space in the boxes when you store them. But newer cards don't really suffer from this problem (aside from Chrome). Again, it's due entirely to the difference in makeup of the front and back of the card. Sportflics and old Kelloggs cards were very prone to warping, as are Chrome cards from today.

[erk419]

Most likely the cards spent most of their life not packed quite so tightly. I've got tons of 1989 Topps jammed into 800-ct and 5000-ct boxes, and they're all straight. My stacks of Panini stickers are another story, though.

As to value, though, no I don't think the bowing makes any difference. Consider all those graded cards in slabs...since they're all being pressed flat by plastic, we have no idea whether they might be horribly bowed or not. Unless they're going to be left out loose, and not in pages or some kind of holder, no one would ever know the difference.

But, yes, your idea for storage is correct, try to find something to fill out the empty space in the boxes when you store them. But newer cards don't really suffer from this problem (aside from Chrome). Again, it's due entirely to the difference in makeup of the front and back of the card. Sportflics and old Kelloggs cards were very prone to warping, as are Chrome cards from today.

Thanks a lot for your reply.