This post marks the birth of the Cardhound Vintage Youtube channel. Give it a follow! Might as well start by featuring a cool card, a 1932 Sanella Ruth that an owner wanted removed from the album.

Soaking cards out of albums isn’t for the weak-willed. There’s a lot to know to get it right, and of course not all adhesives are water soluble. But when it goes right, it’s really rewarding.

Here’s your daily moment of Zen watching the Sanella Ruth float off of an album page where it had lived for about 90 years:

I repeat: I’m not advocating trying this yourself, so experiment at your own risk! Album pages should be prepared for this process in a very specific way, and drying the cards flat is its own challenge. Further, even if soaking “works” it’s not always easy. And what is easy is to accidentally lose paper–especially on paper-thin cards like Sanellas and most Cuban cards (my passion).

If you have some commons to test with and lots of free time to research paper, period adhesives, and other technical info, and this looks like your idea of fun, have at it. I have honed my process via advice from card experts, conservation librarians, and art restoration folks.

I have removed thousands of cards from albums and scrapbooks. If you would like some guidance, or for a quote, contact me any time at matt@cardhoundvintage.com

And if you enjoy vintage content like this, please Join Cardhound!