matches in the archives

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Sometimes I find matches in the collections while processing them. This has become my method for dealing with them. I leave them in the sink overnight. Then I throw them out. Sometimes the matchbook covers are historically related to the collection. In that case, I first remove the staple attaching all the matches and keep the cover. Then I soak the matches. The New Yorker is outside my collecting scope, so this will soon be a sodden heap in a garbage can. I found that ripping out the matches and soaking them separately was too messy and time-consuming.

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