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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!

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What would be the best way to clean up these inscriptions that got smeared? Its a full size batting helmet signed with paint pen.

Thanks
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I have a friend who just had that happen to him a couple of days ago when the SF Giants were in town playing the Padres. He said he got it off by using some rubbing alcohol and a soft cloth. It took a while, but it finally came off without doing any damage to the helmet. I also have another friend who swears that he, believe it or not, used peanut butter to get a signature off of a helmet before! I haven't tried that one out yet.
Thanks for the info. Ill have to be extra careful because Im not trying to remove the inscriptions, just trying to clean it up some. Those inscriptions cost $10 a piece lol.
As far as removing inscriptions, ahhhhhhhhhhh......., that sounds a bit like tampering with the integrity of why they signed. Lord knows I wanted to especially on my signed "Hotel California" and other Eagles items. I do not mind any of that band inscribing, but do I need all 4, 5, 6 and especially all 7 writing, "To Stephen"? It makes for such a cluster mess with all those names. ~~~~~ I know the current members of the band EAGLES are all about not signing for anyone that may remotelly profit from an autograph ( even if the chances are .0001% ), however they need to seriously get a grip: Having one of them sign the item to me is understandably acceptable but more than enough. All 4+ doing it, is totally overkill. I wish I could remove those other inscriptions.
Stephen Duncan
www.rockandrollcollection.com
Guys I used to be an in person collector almost everyday when something was going on in Atlanta but now my job has taken me away to more mail items. I used to be notorius for having stray marks on my helmets photos etc. I found that if you take a helmet or photo and tape it off like you are painting with small post it tabs and only let the part show that you want to removed, that way you do not accidently take off a part of the person autograph. You can use a white Magic Rub eraser it usually works great and I have experimented with GOO GONE also but I would always suggest testing on the back of the helmet before trying on the signature. It seems that some helmets that are made differently act different ways toward the GOO GONE and I do not want anyone messing up there autograph but it has worked for me on the SCHUTT Mini Helmets before. I Hope that someone gets something useful out of this. Thanks and Keep Graphin!!!!
I know this sounds tricky but if someone wants to personalize and you do not want it dedicated to you for some reason alot of time you can do research and if they were Rookie of the Year tell them to make it to ROY! LOL It sounds crazy but I have seen it work before. I dont feel that this is unethical however if you are tampering with a personalization then yes I do not agree with that at all. I am always weary of people who have things made to ALL because I have seen people get things made to AL and add the last L to make it say all. so that they can sell it! I do not agree with that I feel that is just as bad as a forger and if they will do that then there is no telling what else they will do! Just my thoughts I hope this does not offend anyone!!! Thanks and Keep Graphin!!!!!

where would you find all 7 Eagles together? no one has seen Bernie Leadon in years? And you will NOT get Glenn Frey or Henley to sign ANY Eagles album anymore...only solo items and they personalize..forget a photo with Frey ..and odds of Henley taking a photo are 1 in 1000 ...I had my arm around him at the R&R HOF walking down the hall and he said "You're lucky I let you pitch me--but sorry no photos you never know where they end up".  Frey wouldnt stop to talk ..refused to sign.

http://www.rockandrollcollection.com/catalog/index.php?act=viewProd...
I have been giving this subject some thought and remember the autograph as seen in the above attachment. Carl Gottlieb signed (lower left corner) "For Victor". I do not know who in the heck Victor is? I do not even know a person named Victor. Yet, he inscribed this LP, "To Victor". Does "Stephen" sound like "Victor"? If ever there was a case in my collection to rub off a name, this one is it. :-(
Stephen Duncan
www.rockandrollcollection.com
If this was a TTM success, then unfortunately things like this happen! Sometimes assistants or staff members will mishandle items. I've even had someone ghost sign an item for a celebrity and send it back to me with the celebrity's name misspelled! My personal thoughts on removing inscriptions is that there is nothing wrong with it if you're keeping it for your personal collection. If you plan to sell it, then I think there is a certain degree of disclosure required. Maybe not so much with just removing pesky stray marks, but definitely if there was a full inscription or personalization previously. Also, many times when you try to remove inscriptions or stray marks from photos, the marker used to sign it will have actually scratched the surface of the photo, especially on glossy photos. So, even when the ink is removed you can still see the scratching on the surface itself. In this case it would be hard to get away with not disclosing the previous existence of the inscription!

I have heard that using a Expo Dry board maker over the Sharpie mark and then whipeing it off with a tissue will work well on Glossy photos and things with that type of finish.

It RARELY works..you are tgaking a chance on permanently staining the photo... on freshly sighned items..rubbing alcohol and a cotton swab will remove inscriptions..others tell me use nail polish remover..havent tried that for inscriptions...

I have a unique story about "inscriptions"...On a particularly bad night...I had the displeasure of dropping off some albums with ROD STEWART's assistant (it is always the same guy--if you do in persons..you kNOW who I am talking about)...he took a few minutes and brought the albums back out to me signed...the autographs are 100% authentic..I SAW Rod in the lobby signing them...only he "ADDED ridiculous personalization names to my 3 albums...so no one would ever buy them. he wrote "To VLadimir" "To GUSTAVE" and to "Nikoli" ..who wants a ROD stewart album signed to GUSTAVE..I sold it for 15.00 The VINYL he signed was RARE..he ruined the covers..I told his assistant..."if he wanted to personalize...I could have given you MY name and my friends..why is he signing to GUSTAVE? And the guy said 'that's what he did-take it or leave it"> these were NON GLOSSY lp covers--you cant remove ink from a NON Glossy item...

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