T206 Restoration

[steve B]

The other thing to consider is that some of the art that gets restored is unique. If you want that exact Rembrandt you've got to take it as it is restored or not.
Most restorations are more in the line of conservations. Stretchers made of wood that will cause further problems after a few hundred years, Coatings added as earlier preservation eforts removed, centureies of accumulated grime from the air removed, all of these don't affect the originality all that much, the bring the painting back closer to its original state.

Many of the prints that get restored are conserved as well, typically fragile advertising posters from the early 1900's. They're typically backed with linen to support the fragile paper. The cycling one I have is tissue paper thin, and If I didn't frame it I'd have considered getting the backing applied. It's done in a reversible fashion, with a special adhesive(I think a rice paste that's mostly inert) With the posters painting in some missing bits is accepted.

But T206s except for maybe a handful are readily had in a variety of grades.
I wouldn't think that restoring one would be accepted, as the restoration is seldom done for preservation, and is usually not easily reversible.

What I would like to see is acceptance of deacidification of some strip cards, and possibly some later cards as well. Some of mine are already brittle.

Steve B

Originally Posted by HOF Auto Rookies

That's a very intereting take on it. I wonder if it would ever be more acceptable in the hobby. IMO, I don't like it. I guess in me comparing cards to art is apples to oranges.

I wouldn't even know where to begin on any of the restoration techniques lol. Plus spending hundreds, or even thousands to restore a card may not be worth it, compared to art which could fetch tens of millions