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toploaders for or preservation of photobusta "posters" / lobby cards

I have gotten some older photobusta / fotobusta "lobby" cards signed, but am not sure what the best way to preserve these. I have no desire to frame as I have too many autographed items to frame everything, and I would prefer some way to economically and safely preserve these. I am considering buying many more and getting them signed as well, but the difficulty in preserving them may give me pause.

The size does vary and is irregular 26 x 18, 27 x 19, a little smaller, a little bigger. These are similar to lobby cards in that there often is a set of several of these. The paper quality is somewhat poor and flimsy often. I wonder if one would even be able to safely get them in a toploader if there was one that size.

Any other advice or tips from people who may have collected photobustas would be appreciated. These sometimes have nice art work or interesting variations not seen in other material associated with a film.

A toploader would be ideal, if they could survive being put inside, although I have not seen them in this size.

Thanks for any tips.

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Permalink Reply by James on June 10, 2019 at 2:27am

If you were going to put something that size in a top loader, you would need to be oh so careful, because the chances of tearing the poster are high, particularly if you decide to remove them from the top loader at a later date.

I made a big mistake once with an enormous top loader, and it nearly cost me BIG time. I oh-so-carefully put my 23 x 35 Prince signed poster in a giant top loader. I don’t know what I was thinking. I came close to tearing trying to get it in the top loader.

Then I was advised that possible PVC in the top loader I used might harm both the poster and the autograph. So I decided I had to remove the poster from the TL, and that was an even more harrowing experience. I think I was nearly on the verge of ripping my very rare Prince poster in two. I was sweating through this. Somehow I averted disaster, however.

Finally, I decided not to mess around, and I got it professionally framed by the talented owner of a local frame shop.

So I guess my advise would be to be careful in the handling of your posters, and be aware of any PVC in any top loaders you might use. What I did had to be one of the dumbest things I’ve ever done with my collectibles!

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Permalink Reply by B. Anderson on June 10, 2019 at 6:37am

I may have to try to find some acid free backing board and acid free sleeves. Finding the "right" size is an issue as well unfortunately. I personally do not have the desire to frame these and that is a high cost point for just one, and it requires space to hang it. I have space, but do not want tons of items hanging around, nor the packing disaster when I move. ;-)

I won't risk trying to get a toploader for photobusta posters.

Are all toploaders dangerous to autographs for smaller items? Does anyone have first hand experience with it? I use Ultra Pro toploaders for some 11 by 14 lobby cards that are signed. That is also how I received some expensive lobby cards signed from dealers.

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Permalink Reply by James on June 10, 2019 at 2:54pm

I actually do have some smaller items/autographs in top loaders, and they don’t seem to have been harmed in any way. I have a JFK in a top loader, and it’s been absolutely fine for the last 4 years. I’m not sure what brand they are though.

I just had too much money invested in the Prince posted to take any chances. There is one brand, unfortunately right now I can’t think of the name, that states that their PVC is completely safe, and that they use no plastizers at all.