UnSticky my cards

[WolfDeca]

Hi all,

Yesterday, I finally found one of my old decks. It was lost in one of the moving boxes, together with my boyfriend's old school books.

It seems the deck has suffered a bit from being packed away so long - the cards are quite a bit more sticky than they were before.

What can I do to remedy that?

 

[Grizabella]

Many here recommend fanning powder, which can be gotten at magic stores. It's very inexpensive. You can also order it online.

Although lots of people recommend against it, I like baby powder better. I've forgotten why they recommend against it, but maybe someone will tell us, now that I've mentioned it. I've tried both and followed directions on the fanning powder carefully, but wasn't at all impressed.

 

[BodhiSeed]

I've used baby powder on my sticky cards as well, with no problems. Just gently wiped them off after I powdered them.

Bodhran

 

[Abrac]

The remedy will depend on why they are sticking together. Some finishes are inclined to be sticky if they haven't been used for a long time. Once you shuffle them and start using them they should loosen up. If they are really really old there may not be anything you can do. Some finishes on older cards just stick and there really isn't much you can do about it. Sometimes a good cleaning will work wonders. If they have a fairly waterproof finish you can gently wipe them on both sides with a damp cloth or chamois. I've never used fanning powder but I tried baby powder and didn't like it. For starters it can be messy, then you have the scent to contend with, and it takes forever to get the cards clean again once you get powder on them. A lot more involved than you might think.

 

[willowfox]

Talcum/ baby powder has always been very easy to use and very good at removing that sticky, damp feeling. Just powder the cards and gently wipe clean.

 

[Annabelle]

A couple of years ago I bought a used deck on eBay and it arrived covered in baby powder (it was a vintage deck . . . looked as if the last person to use it had coated it in baby powder in the hopes of preventing the cards from sticking).

Well, the cards didn't stick to each other . . . but I had an awful time trying to get the baby powder off. It had absorbed moisture and was very "clingy," for lack of a better word. I had to wipe the front and back of each card with a damp cloth to get the powder off.

As for fanning powder - I have it, use it, and love it. It's cheap - look for it on eBay or on websites that sell supplies for stage magicians. Fanning powder has worked very well for me on decks with sticky finishes. Just put some fanning powder in a small plastic bag (like a freezer bag), then put in a few cards at a time, and shake gently to cover. Repeat until the entire deck is done.

Fanning powder is also known as zinc stearate, by the way. Here's a link to more information on Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zinc_stearate

 

[WolfDeca]

Thanks all!

I think I'll try shuffling the deck a lot this weekend, and hope they loosen up a bit. The local shops will be open again on Tuesday, and I hope one of the game vendors sells fanning powder. The only baby powder I can find around here has this sickeningly sweet baby powder scent, which is fine for babies and temporary tattoos, but not for tarot cards. I've got an old deck of playing cards hanging around here somewhere, so I'll sacrifice that one first.

 

[Sulis]

As Annabelle has said baby powder attracts moisture, that's it's main use so I would advise you NOT to bother with it.

Fanning powder has the opposite effect and is designed to stop cards from sticking.

It's fanning powder you want...

 

[BodhiSeed]

As Annabelle has said baby powder attracts moisture, that's it's main use so I would advise you NOT to bother with it.

Fanning powder has the opposite effect and is designed to stop cards from sticking.

It's fanning powder you want...

Wow, I've never even heard of "fanning powder"! Thanks to all who explained what is was and how to use it.

Bodhran