Council of Elrond

Does anyone know a safe way to flatten a warped card? I got a bunch of cards that somebody had stored loose in a plastic bag (Eru Ilúvatar alone knows why), and most of them were warped or bent (see pictures of an Angmarim [H] below).

Other than that, though, they are in good condition. Very little wear and tear on the edges, very few scuffs, no creases or tears.

I'm wondering if there is any way to "restore" these to good condition, and thought I'd poll the community. Thanks in advance for your suggestions!

I've had the same issue with some rare cards I received, and looked into ways of flattening them. I haven't actually gotten around to try this, but the consensus seems to be that pressing the damaged cards with heavy weights should do the trick. Or, if the damage is from moisture, storing the cards with silica packs. There are a lot of solutions offered online; add the word "magic" to your search and you'll find more results than you'd ever want (though many of these will be about foil, which have a different problem).

One thing I do if I get warped cards, is:

I double sleeve for starters. But I put the Pro-Fit (inside sleeve), the opposite way of the warping, and then I place them in my presser. It's an Ultra-pro deck "case." The plastic ones, that hold like 100 cards. I put decks of playing cards (sealed) on top of the cards and then put a long white box full of cards on top of the "pressing case" then let that sit over night.

Usually, if you have 30 "warped" cards it works nicely. After 24 hours I take the cards and put them regular cards sleeves, and then put them in the top cover (the lid) of the "pressing case" which is bigger than the bottom and accepts the sleeved cards. Then once again I put the sealed decks of playing cards on top of the sleeved cards, and put the same long white box on top and sit for another 24 hours.

Usually, then next day they're FLAT as a board. Also, try and press the cards with a few playing card deck with your hands and try to get all the air out from the sleeve, just press really hard using the playing card decks, and then put the "somewhat heavy" long white box on top.

Good Luck!!

Thanks for the suggestions!

I'm trying out sandwiching the cards (in sleeves) under a stack of thick textbooks with a ten-pound weight on top. All told, maybe 30 pounds of weight total. I figure I'll leave them under there for a few days -- we'll see if that makes a difference. It might not be enough pressure, though, in which case I may try the sandwich-pack method that rezwits recommends.

I'm also considering a solution using a card press or clamp, something like this:

https://www.amazon.com/Crystal-Card-Pre ... card+press

Though obviously I'd rather not pay $30 for this contraption! I may make one with some C-clamps and Plexiglas, though, if my book stack doesn't do the job.

Also, apparently mild heat will help flatten cards, though it's risky. I might experiment with an iron on low setting using some commons. Key things there are getting a flat, heat-proof surface against which to press the cards, and also having a layer of protection (like some sheets of plain paper) between those surfaces and the card itself.

That card press looks amazing THO!

New strategy. I made my own card press with some boards and a couple C-clamps. I read that mild heat can help the flattening as well, so I put the press on top of my router, which lets off a steady heat, but not too hot. I'm going to leave it there for 24 hours and then check the results.

And the survey says......

Well, 24 hours in my homemade press didn't produce any noticeable difference. Maybe a better material than particle board and 2 more c-clamps would yield better pressure balance. Right now, I've decided to just put them in the binder and see if pressure + time will do the trick.

Those little silica packets in things, the DO NOT EAT/DISCARD things... those remove moisture from the air. Slip one in near you cards. I am saving them from things now to put into my card boxes.

Also, a dehumidifier is something to consider, if you're in a super humid climate. I love mine. (wife thinks is removes moisture from her hands, but I digress.)

Finally, clamp 'em down as shown above. Big heavy books work, too.