Super Good Advice: Don't Wipe Autographs

Have you ever had one of those moments when you do something, immediately realize how stupid you are for doing that, and wish you could instantly go back in time just 10 seconds so you didn't do that stupid thing?

That's exactly how I felt when I ruined a perfectly good 2016 Panini National Treasures Jared Goff RPA #/99.  

I've been wanting one of these cards for a while.  I'm a little picky about the autographs because so many of his autographs on these cards are super streaky.  I patiently waited, looking around for the one card I liked which a decent non-streaky autograph.  Finally, I found one.  I bought it.

And upon receiving it, I promptly decided to inspect it before storing it away in my PC.  I did the usual examination.  I checked out its corners, edges, centering... and surface.  To my disgust, there was a fat greasy fingerprint right on the autograph.  I'm not sure if it was there before the card was signed or after, but it was right on the autograph and fairly noticeable under the right light.

Knowing that if this card was submitted to BGS for grading that the finger print would be visible, I decided to try and clean it off.  

I've been in the hobby for how long now?  Oh, about five years.  You'd think I'd know better.  I do.  I did.  But for some reason I decided to just ignore what I knew: don't wipe autographs.

I took a soft microfiber cloth and very gently wiped over the autograph to see if it could take off the greasy fingerprint.  To my pleasant surprise, it did, a little bit.  

The autograph wasn't affected.  

I decided to push my luck.  I gently wiped the card again.  More of the greasy fingerprint was removed, but there was still a big greasy fingerprint streak over the autograph.  

I checked the autograph again.  It was still there, not affected.

And at this point, I think this is where my brain shut off.  I was uncomfortably stooped over next to a desk light so I could see what I was doing, and sort of in a rush to go for a run.  It didn't stop to think, hey, maybe this is far enough.  Maybe if you keep wiping the autograph will come off.  

The National Treasures set features super high gloss cards.  I knew this.  I knew that the sharpie ink sits on the gloss, and does not absorb into the paper which makes it very susceptible to scratching and accidental removal by wiping the card surface with microfiber clothes.  But like I said, my brain sort of turned off for this moment.

I wiped again.  And without thinking, I wiped the card again.  

I checked the autograph, and to my horror, I saw that some of the ink had been wiped away.  It at this moment when I wished I could instantly jump back in time a mere 10 seconds before I made this very stupid decision -- but I couldn't.

I had just ruined a perfectly good autograph.  

What was once a perfect BGS 10 autograph Jared Goff National Treasures RPA, was now a BGS 9 autograph.  Ugh.  

So what have I learned here?  Well, nothing I didn't already know: don't wipe autographs.

You can get away with wiping down autographs on cards with no gloss where the autograph ink gets absorbed into the card stock.  I've done that successfully before.  But as for cards with super high gloss, DO NOT WIPE THE AUTOGRAPHS.  

I feel like a huge idiot for doing this when I know better.  

One other piece of advice I try to follow when I clean cards is TO NOT RUSH.  If you rush, you increase the chances of you dropping the card and dinging a corner or doing something stupid (like wiping the autograph even though you know you shouldn't).  Only clean cards when you're not in a rush.  Sit down.  Put on a bright light so you can see.  Get comfortable.  Take your time.  Move slowly.  Think about what you're doing before you do it, so you can consider whether there is a chance that you'll damage the card.  

Had I not been in a rush, my brain might have not been as distracted and shut off when it should have been telling me DON'T WIPE THE AUTOGRAPH.