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Posted By: warshawlaw

Some damage will make a card's stock look different. It is basic paper chemistry. The paper in cards is made of wood pulp. Wood pulp naturally contains acids. Over time, the acids in the wood pulp age and alter the feel and color of the paper. Certain environmental conditions (like sunlight, moisture, etc.) can exacerbate the deterioration of the paper. I have cards that feel very different than other cards from the same set because they've been affected by bad environmental conditions. I have some 1960's cards that are more age toned than my T206's. Why? The quality of board used and the way it is processed, plus the way it is handled and stored. Certain sets brown so badly that they don't even look or feel like they did when issued. I have a near set of 1946 boxing cards that was issued on a low-grade thin chipboard (like a strip card) and it ages very badly. The aging is the best way to separate the original cards from the later reprints of the set; they look and feel totally different. Ditto strip cards.