Best Practices for
Kurt's Card Care Products
Modern Era Cards
Please use the tips below when working on your modern era cards. If you have any concerns, please reach out before working on your card.
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card care tips.
Top Fixable Issues on Modern Era - Plastic, Prizm and Chrome
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Surfaces - Including finger prints, dirt, ink removal, and age spots that just happen over time.
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Bring a dull finish back to life
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Light edge and corner fixes
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Soaking to remove indents on the back of the card is an option - Must practice this because results will vary based on year and card condition
Top Permanent Issues on Modern Era - Plastic, Prizm and Chrome
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Scratches, print lines, dimples, separation or surface peeling. Bent corners - Plastic is not very forgiving
Top Fixable Issues on Modern Era Paper Cards - like Upper Deck, Topps, Hoops, and Donruss
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Surfaces - Including finger prints, dirt, ink removal, and age spots that just happen over time.
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Light edge and corner fixes
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Smaller dents, and dings
Top Permanent Issues on Modern Era Paper Cards
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Bent corners
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Creases
Modern Era Card Cleaning Do's and Don'ts
Polish Do's
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The Polish is perfect on these cards that have a shiny plastic front and back. Whether it’s '90s Fleer Metal or a Luka Prizm Rookie the polish will shine the surface and clean it at the same time.
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The polish is not a scratch remover but apply it to all surface issues. I find that there are two styles of surface issues on these types of cards. Some are scratched into the card and those are permanent. Others are superficial and right on top of the card and many of these can be cleaned off or reduced. It's always worth a shot, no matter what you see on these cards.
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Use clean applicators every new session and if you need to order more, I have Amazon links for the applicators here: Polish/Spray Applicators
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Keep the polish between 68-72 degrees for best performance.
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When applying polish to an applicator, do it softly, like spreading butter on bread. Do not smash it up and dig into it. Gentle.
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To keep it fresh keep it out of light and the lid on tight.
Polish Don'ts
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Do not use on autographs or serial numbers.
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Certain foil accents are easy to remove too. If polish ever dries on your card. Don’t try scratching it off. Just apply some more on top and it will remove all of it. This happens when you don’t remove it fast enough.
Spray Do's
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Use the spray before the polish to remove ink spots, stuck on stuff, heavy finger prints…whatever “stuff” happens to be on your card. Spray is great at getting the surface back to factory like by removing whatever happens to land on the card.
Spray Don'ts
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Do not spray directly on the card.
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Do not use on autographs or serial numbers.
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Certain foil accents are easy to remove too.
Card Tool Do's
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Use the tool to help get the edges and corners back in place. This works well in combination with humidity treatments. Use for indents on the back of cards such as “nail marks” .
Card Tool Don'ts
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If the front surface or corner of a modern card is bent its likely a permanent issue. Once the plastic bends it will usually stretch the plastic a bit. Hard to restore 100%. Don’t push hard and always use a penny sleeve in-between the surface of the tool and card for added protection.
Bottom Line: To AVOID any potential mistakes test everything on a base card before you go for the Mike Trout Refractor Rookie. Base cards from the same set are made of the same material and they will teach you how to successfully work on your best cards.
Kurt's Card Care Kit Overview
Paper and Vintage Cards
Please use the tips below when working on your vintage and paper cards. If you have any concerns, please reach out before working on your card.
Top Fixable Issues on Paper and Vintage Cards
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Surface cleaning and stain removal - Including wax, gum, pencil and non-permanent marker
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Edge and corner fixes
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Dents and dings
Top Permanent Issues on Paper and Vintage Cards
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Missing paint on corners, edges, and wrinkles
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Too many creases or wrinkles
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Permanent markers
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Ballpoint pen ink
Vintage and Paper Card Cleaning Do's and Don'ts
Polish Do's
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Many Paper cards have a protected clear coat on the front but not always on the back. If the front of the card needs the shine restored you can use the polish.
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Use clean applicators every new session and if you need to order more, I have Amazon links for the applicators here: Polish/Spray Applicators
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Keep the polish between 68-72 degrees for best performance.
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When applying polish to an applicator, do it softly, like spreading butter on bread. Do not smash it up and dig into it. Gentle.
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To keep it fresh keep it out of light and the lid on tight.
Polish Don'ts
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Do not use polish on unfinished cardboard. It will soak into he card and likely ruin it.
Spray Do's
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Use the spray to gently remove surface dirt/age spots. The spray works great at removing small dents and creases on paper cards. The spray can also be used lightly on edges and corners to get them back to their original shape. When using the spray to remove dents/creases keep it light. After dent or crease fixes I suggest letting the card rest between plexiglas discs available here: Plexi Glass Round
Spray Don'ts
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Do not spray directly on the card. Apply with an applicator.
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Do not scrub the surface with force. You will remove or break the paint. Just dab the trouble areas lightly and have patience. Some card fixes take 5 minutes. Some take 5 days.
Card Tool Do's
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Use the tool to help get the edges and corners back in place. This works well in combination with the spray or humidity treatments.
Card Tool Don'ts
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Do not press hard ever. Its not a force this its more of a repetition and patience. If you push hard you will remove paint or potentially indent the card.
Bottom Line: To AVOID any potential mistakes test everything on a base card before you go for the Mickey Mantle or Michael Jordan. Base cards from the same set are made of the same material and they will teach you how to successfully work on your best cards.
Trading Card Game Cards
Please use the tips below when working on your vintage and paper cards. If you have any concerns, please reach out before working on your card.
Top Fixable Issues on Paper and Vintage Cards
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Surface cleaning and stain removal - Including wax, gum, pencil and non-permanent marker
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Edge and corner fixes
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Dents and dings
Top Permanent Issues on Paper and Vintage Cards
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Missing paint on corners, edges, and wrinkles
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Too many creases or wrinkles
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Permanent markers
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Ballpoint pen ink
TCG Card Cleaning Do's and Don'ts
Polish Do's
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We have found that almost all Pokemon cards from 1996 to current (this includes but is not limited to Bandai, Carddass, Topsun and other different language cards.) you can use the Spray and Polish successfully.
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Use clean applicators every new session and if you need to order more, I have Amazon links for the applicators here: Polish/Spray Applicators
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Keep the polish between 68-72 degrees for best performance.
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When applying polish to an applicator, do it softly, like spreading butter on bread. Do not smash it up and dig into it. Gentle.
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To keep it fresh keep it out of light and the lid on tight.
Polish Don'ts
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We have found when it comes to the newer sets of Pokemon they have changed their top coating/layer to have a light powder coating of some sort on the top of it. (Such as some of if not all the amazing Japanese Promos.) We are talking about the Stary Holoing on the top of the card, the ones such as the Triple Beat Set of Pokemon (mainly the ex’s) also Scarlet & Violet. These cards you can use the spray on without any issues, but when it comes to the polish due to them having no protective layer on the top of this fine powder coating. The Polish tends to completely take this off leaving only what is covered by a clear coat behind. So these cards we'd recommend you stay away from when using the Polish. These are very beautiful cards so lets keep them that way.
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Certain foil accents are easy to remove too. If polish ever dries on your card. Don’t try scratching it off. Just apply some more on top and it will remove all of it. This happens when you don’t remove it fast enough.
Spray Do's
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Use the spray before the polish to remove residues, stuck on stuff, heavy finger prints…whatever “stuff” happens to be on your card. Spray is great at getting the surface back to factory like by removing whatever happens to land on the card. Pokemon cards from 1996 to current (this includes but is not limited to Bandai, Carddass, Topsun and other different language cards.) you can use the Spray successfully.
Spray Don'ts
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Do not spray directly on the card.
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Do not scrub the surface with force. You will remove or break the paint. Just gently wipe the trouble areas with spray applied to a cotton applicator. lightly and have patience.
Card Tool Do's
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Use the tool to help get the edges and corners back in place. This works well in combination with humidity treatments then resting between discs. Most TCG cards are thin and rigid. Sometimes just letting them rest between discs after humidity is the best option for lifted edges or corners.
Card Tool Don'ts
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Don’t push hard and always use a penny sleeve in-between the surface of the tool and card for added protection. The paint is easy to remove on TGC cards so take your time and do not use force. If you create friction you will move the paint.
Bottom Line: To AVOID any potential mistakes test everything on a base card before you go for the 1st Edition Charizard. Base cards from the same set are made of the same material and they will teach you how to successfully work on your best cards.
Do not use polish on Pokemon
Stary Holo surfaces or Pokemon 151 Reverse Holo Variants
Do not use polish on Pokemon
Vintage Wizards of the Coast Pokemon with the holo covering the entire card or holos with glossy finish.
