My Card is splitting in two
General forum
Posted on May 30, 2022, 11:24 a.m. by 628loki
So I pulled a foil Japanese Altered Crux of Fate from the Strixhaven Mystical Archive about nine Month ago. I haven't used it. It has been sitting in a sleeve since I opened it. Today I noticed that it felt wierd and took it out of the sleeve to check on it. On the top left corner it has started to seperate into front and back. There is a bluish layer of I assume Paint on both sides from the inside. Now I don't have a clue wether it is fake or damgaged or whatever. Has anyone else ever encountered this?
Sounds like some water got inside the sleeve or something
May 30, 2022 2:03 p.m.
The blue strip is actually an anti-counterfeit measure, so the card is likely genuine.
I would take it to a card shop and ask them. Even if they can't do it themselves, they could point you in the right direction. I assume you want it to be restored to usable/sellable condition, without marks or obvious signs of modification, so I'm not going to recommend fixing it yourself. If you don't mind it potentially being listed as damaged, though, you could try running a glue stick along each side of the split and sealing it shut.
May 30, 2022 3:26 p.m.
TypicalTimmy says... #5
Many people call these cards "cardboard", but they aren't. They are "cardstock", and are multiple layers of paper-thin material held together with different adhesives. Old MTG cards used a yellow adhesive, that you can see through a sufficiently bright UV light. If, for example, you take a Black Lotus and hold it up to the light and it doesn't have an inner yellow core, it's fake.
Hasbro eventually switched to a blue adhesive, which is meant to be stronger and, as legendofa mentioned, is yet another anti-counterfeit measure.
As for the damage, known as peeling, it occurs when either the glue was insufficient during the production of the sheet the cards were cut from, or moisture causing the glue to weaken.
If you live in a humid area, like my state, moisture can work its way into your products and warp the cards all the same, as if left out in the open. Worse is when the product is "sealed", because then it can't "breathe". It'll curl all the same, but when it cools the moisture collects worse and can ruin cards.
I would strongly advise against the advice of legendofa with attempting to use a glue stick, because this will likely cause microclumping you are unaware of, which will result in the card feeling lumpy and fraying. The best thing you can do is get a gentle spray adhesive and spritz the card.
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Stay away from heavy duty ones. If you can find spray adhesive for fabric, this is the best kind. The more "delicate" the intended application, the better.
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And practice the sprays on some basic lands first to learn the pressure you are dealing with, in both the spray mechanism as well as the volume and velocity of the spray. this will also allow you to adjust settings on the bottle sprayer, if applicable. This will help you also assume angle and distance.
To prevent adhesive from moving onto the outer surfaces of the card, apply a generous amount of painters masking tape. Masking tape has a low adhesive viscosity so it will not ruin the paint of the card. Use this to cover the front and back surface of the card, so that any over-spray lands on your tape, and not the artwork.
Once you have sprayed once or twice with delicate spritz, lay the card down on either side you wish, on a hard, flat surface such as a coffee table. Using your finger, roll - (yes, roll) the corners back into alignment. If you simply press straight down, you may misalign the edges. Start at the center-closest point of the separation and work your way out toward the corner.
Once the corners are adhered to (keeping in mind to be aware of your masking tape, as well), place several heavy flat hardcover books on top. The more the better. While one will work, you want to go for even distribution of pressure. So if you have 3 or 4 heavy books, perfect.
Use non-textured covers. If you need to, use a softcover book at first, with heavier flat hardcover books on top. If you have a hardcover book with a raised or recessed texture, it won't be flat and thus your adhesive can pull and shift.
Let it sit for 48 hours. It doesn't need 48 hours, but the more time, the better.
Once you are done, remove the masking tape gently and inspect your corners for alignment. If you need to adjust, do not use scissors as they are harder to control and you can overshoot and create what is known as a "undercut" and damage the corner. The best thing is an X-ACTO knife, but a sanding block works even better. This is because you can not accidentally lose your grip and slice into the face of your card. With a sanding block, pressure is more controlled and you can polish the edges afterward to end the fraying.
- Match your alignment to basic lands to ensure the proper radial of the corner as well as edge alignment.
Card repair is a delicate process, but can be done with ease as long as you follow these steps and take your time to not rush anything.
- Source: I've worked in the printing industry before.
May 30, 2022 4:30 p.m. Edited.
Okay, so no glue stick.
Source: I haven't worked in the printing industry.
May 30, 2022 5:04 p.m.
TypicalTimmy says... #7
A glue stick will work fine, in the way you suggested; Gently edging the seam along the top of the adhesive. However, this is also a very limited application and is likely to split apart after minor play.
What many people attempt is to either generously apply the glue by raising one of the edges up, thinking "It's already separated so what's the big deal?", not realizing they are further separating the layers and crimping the material. Then, when adhered together, that is when you get the clumping.
Alternatively, they use a stick / pencil / Q-tip and attempt to wedge glue in the layers, which again leaves clumps and now foreign debris such as cotton and graphene.
That's why spray is best ^-^ all of the adhesive, none of the clumping or damage.
May 30, 2022 5:12 p.m.
Thank you so much for your feedback TypicalTimmy <3 !
I will definetly try the spray adhesive.
Goldberserkerdragon says... #2
Has the card been left in extreme weather conditions? A damp/moldy house can cause peeling.
May 30, 2022 1:14 p.m.