34
My vintage bottle cap collection almost got ruined by a simple cleaning mistake
I've been picking up old soda bottle caps from flea markets for about a decade, focusing on local brands from the 70s and 80s. Last month, I found a perfect 'Faygo Redpop' cap from Detroit, but it had some sticky gunk on it. I figured a quick soak in warm water would do the trick. Big mistake. I left it for maybe 20 minutes, and when I came back, the paper liner inside had completely disintegrated into a pulpy mess, ruining the interior. I spent the next three evenings, probably six hours total, trying to carefully peel the wet paper out with tweezers without bending the metal. I finally got it all out, but the cap is just a shell now. It's a bummer because the graphic on top is still sharp. Has anyone else had a similar disaster trying to clean a specific part of their collection?
3 comments
Log in to join the discussion
Log In3 Comments
the_jessica2mo ago
My buddy had a similar heartbreak with old baseball cards. He found a slightly damp one in his grandpa's attic and thought a hairdryer on low would gently dry it out. The heat ended up warping the cardboard and the color bled, making the player's face look like a blurry ghost. He was crushed because it was a rookie card he'd been hunting for years. It really shows how these old paper bits just don't hold up to any kind of moisture or heat we think is safe.
3
dylanh522mo ago
Did he try anything else to save it, or was that the only fix he attempted?
3