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Welcome to Card Conservation Wiki

Your comprehensive guide to trading card restoration and conservation founded by The Cardboard Alchemists for the sole purpose of open sourcing Trading Card Conservation Techniques.

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Getting Started

Safety First

Safety Guidelines

Before starting any conservation work, understand the risks and proper precautions.

Essential Equipment

Essential Tools

The right tools make all the difference. Build your conservation kit.

Starters Guide

Start Here

If you're new to card restoration, read the beginners guide.

Techniques

Conservation Techniques

Cleaning

Cleaning Techniques

Safe: Start here - the foundation of all conservation

Dry cleaning methods
Wet cleaning (when appropriate)
Stain removal basics
Surface debris removal

Pressing & Flattening

Pressing and Flattening

Caution: Requires patience and proper technique

Humidity treatment
Book press method
Professional pressing
When NOT to press

Surface Repair

Surface Repair

Scratch minimization
Scuff treatment
Holo restoration
When to stop

Edge & Corner Work

Edge and Corner Work

Edge whitening treatment
Corner repair techniques
Touch-up methods
Limitations and ethics

Card Types

Browse by Card Type

Trading Card Games

Magic: The Gathering (1993)
Pokemon TCG (1996)
Yu-Gi-Oh! (1999)
Weiss Schwarz (2008)
Cardfight!! Vanguard (2011)
Final Fantasy TCG (2016)
Dragon Ball Super (2017)
Flesh and Blood (2019)
Digimon (2020)
One Piece TCG (2022)
Disney Lorcana (2023)
Star Wars Unlimited (2024)

Sports Cards

By Sport

By Era

Vintage (Pre-1980)
Junk Wax Era (1987-1993)
Insert Era (1993-2005)
Ultra Modern (2017+)

By Manufacturer

Vintage & Non-Sports

Tobacco Era (1880s-1940s)

Gum Card Era (1930s-1970s)

Non-Sports

Special Card Types

Special Surface Cards

Autographed Cards

Ink preservation, authentication, grading

Relic & Patch Cards

Jersey, patch, bat, ball memorabilia

Grading Guide

Prep | Slab Care | Reholder

Damage Restoration

Water | Smoke | Mold | Sun

Storage & Protection

Preserve Your Collection

Sleeves & Holders

Long-Term Storage

Display Options

Grading & Authentication

Professional Services

Grading Companies

Grading Preparation

Authentication

Quick Reference

Safety Indicators Used in This Wiki
Safe: Green boxes indicate safe techniques for most cards Caution: Yellow boxes indicate techniques requiring care Unsafe: Red boxes indicate methods to avoid WARNING: Red bordered boxes indicate serious risks Tip: Blue boxes provide helpful tips