Removing Inscriptions/Stray Marks From Your Items

When collecting autographs in-person, you'll inevitably be confronted with occasions in which you'll get stray pen marks on your items, especially of the celebrity or athlete is getting mobbed by other collectors. I first started experimenting with removing these stray marks a couple of years ago on photos. I found that by gently rubbing a white eraser on the mark for a while, it would eventually rub completely off without damaging the photo itself. This works the same for photos signed in paint marker. One thing you will commonly find, though, especially on glossy photos, is that a lot of times the fibers in the tip of the marker will sometimes scratch the photo itself. So, even if you remove the ink from the photo, you still might have noticable scratches left over.

I have heard various other suggestions recently, ranging from rubbing the photo with acetone (nail polish remover), to using also hydrogen peroxide. I tested the acetone, which didn't work well for me and smelled horrible, and the hydrogen peroxide worked but was a little messy and smelly as well!

This discussion is aimed towards providiing tips to other collector for removing stray marks or inscriptions from various items, such as photos, sports equipment, etc.

Another item I would like to get input on is the ethics involved with removing inscriptions. If the item is for your personal collection, then I see no issues whatsoever. However, if the signed item is intended for re-sale, I personally think it should be disclosed that there was an inscription that was removed, etc. Let us know what you think!