How to Treat Glossy Cards for an Autograph

Put your baseball cards in plastic sleeves for protection.

You run to the mailbox and find your favorite player has returned the card you sent to him to autograph. You open it. The ink from the permanent marker is smudged. It happens to glossy-coated baseball cards, but it doesn't have to. Treat the glossy cards before you ship them out; you and the player both will be happy: "When I see this card I cringe because there is a lot of gloss on every card and they are very tough to sign," said major-league pitcher Pat Neshek of one of the cards he's frequently asked to autograph.

Things You'll Need

• Baby powder
• White eraser

Instructions

1. Sprinkle baby powder on your finger and rub it on the card. Wipe the powder off with a clean, soft cloth. You will not see the powder, but it will have done its job of removing the gloss.

2. Rub the card gently with an eraser. Use a high-quality white eraser and drag it over the card in rows, from side to side. Don't lift the eraser or stop the erasing motion until you have rubbed the entire card. This is an alternate method; you don't need to use both the powder and eraser.

3. Shake the card to remove any leftover baby powder or eraser remnants.

Tips & Warnings

• Practice the method you choose on a baseball card that you do not value. You will want to know just how hard to rub the eraser or how much powder to use on a card you want a player to autograph.

References

• PSA Sports Authenticator: Collecting Autographed Baseball Cards
• SAE Sports Sigs: FAQ
• eteamz Nation: On The Road With Pat Neshek
• Chuck's TTM Autos: Autos TTM News & Tips
• "Autograph Magazine"; Tricks of the Trade: Prep Glossy Items for Signing; Louis Becerra; January 2010
• BaseballCardStores: How to Repair and Restore Baseball Cards

Resources

• Baseball-Reference.com: Pat Neshek