Have you ever decided to crack open a PSA slab? I just did my first!

[Hawaiian BamBam]

Hey guys,

I was wondering if anyone has ever cracked open a PSA slab (or JSA, SGC, etc.) I have debating it for a very long time and finally decided to do it tonight and i did it!(they are actually pretty easy to crack open). The reason I did it was I have some of the perez steel cards slabbed by PSA. they look really nice if you have a couple or few. but once you get more than that. they become too bulky and heavy. they are hard to view as you have to grab a stack of slabs and go through them(versus flipping threw a page of them in a binder) In slabs its hard to store them in binders because they are just too thick and you would need lots of binders to store them in, as a ultra pro page for them only holds two per page due to their size, and then when you do flip through the pages, the pages are really heavy to turn. then i put them in a box and once you start piling them in, the box because almost so heavy i cant lift it that easily! then i thought since I have some perez steeles that were authenticated before being slabbed (they still had the original sticker on the back of the card) why not crack them open and put them in a regular binder.that way they will be easier to store, easier to flip through and view them (in 4 per page) and i could put them all in one album instead of a couple boxes. so...tonight, I got a screwdriver and a set of pliers and cracked one open, to see how hard it would be to get them out of the slabs. I was wondering if anyone here has ever done the same thing or thought of doing the same thing? thanks

 

[porkchops]

I've picked up a couple of "slabbed" cards over the years and then broke them opened.
Always thought the whole grading thing was/is ............. well , lets just say "unnecessary."
Like you , I enjoy being able to view and enjoy my cards easily ......... penny sleeves , binders ,
top loaders and on occasion ,for something really special , a magnetic hard case is just fine .
Ken

 

[oldmarine0311]

seems like an unnecessary waste of money. guess if you want to get them slabbed and then break em open more power to ya i guess. but i have a few personal collections like my Pete Rose living legends auto collection mostly slabbed. I have them slabbed because i want them continually protected. and putting cards in three ring binders and pages has no to very little protection value. thats why i do it and will continue to get my items sent and slabbed at PSA and not in plastic pages.

dave

 

[mm1sub]

I have a 1993 SP graded Derek Jeter rookie that is graded and I would love to break it open. But I am scared to death to damage the card. I also have never been a fan graded cards but I will pick them up whenever I think I am getting a good deal. I have some for trade in the baseball for trade forum that I bought for a quarter each. Some were PSA 10's which tells you something about the grading trend and where it is going.

 

[t.rooster]

I feel the same way about slabbed cards, have a few that I acquired inexpensively through trades or buy outs, I want to do the same, so thanks for the encouragement....

 

[David K.]

u read my mind....I have almost a complete set of refractors of the finest ...the man insert serial #75...but one of them was purchased on ebay and its in a slap.....looks out of place with the other cards. Feel that breaking it open...but I'm afraid of damagjng the card. Best regards, David

 

[Jeffo65]

I have broken open a few PSA 8 cards that I purchased and then resubmitted the cards for grades. I have done this 14 times and 13 of the 14 have come back with a different grade. Grades received below.

All 14 cards were originally PSA 8s.

3 cards came back PSA 10s
9 cards came back PSA 9s
1 card came back PSA 8
1 card came back PSA 7

It was an interestIng test.

 

[Hawaiian BamBam]

thanks guys for your responses. i was a little afraid at first to do it too because i dont want to damage the card, but if you do it carefully, there shouldnt be any problems. it was much easier than i thought. i appreciate everyones comments. thanks

 

[Loyalty32]

First let me say I think is a great thread! This forum was at one time my favorite place to visit on the net. It has been dead for a while now. I hope with more threads like this we can change that.

Thanks
Craig

Hey guys,

I was wondering if anyone has ever cracked open a PSA slab (or JSA, SGC, etc.) I have debating it for a very long time and finally decided to do it tonight and i did it!(they are actually pretty easy to crack open). The reason I did it was I have some of the perez steel cards slabbed by PSA. they look really nice if you have a couple or few. but once you get more than that. they become too bulky and heavy. they are hard to view as you have to grab a stack of slabs and go through them(versus flipping threw a page of them in a binder) In slabs its hard to store them in binders because they are just too thick and you would need lots of binders to store them in, as a ultra pro page for them only holds two per page due to their size, and then when you do flip through the pages, the pages are really heavy to turn. then i put them in a box and once you start piling them in, the box because almost so heavy i cant lift it that easily! then i thought since I have some perez steeles that were authenticated before being slabbed (they still had the original sticker on the back of the card) why not crack them open and put them in a regular binder.that way they will be easier to store, easier to flip through and view them (in 4 per page) and i could put them all in one album instead of a couple boxes. so...tonight, I got a screwdriver and a set of pliers and cracked one open, to see how hard it would be to get them out of the slabs. I was wondering if anyone here has ever done the same thing or thought of doing the same thing? thanks

I don't follow the sales on these but couldn't you sell the graded copies and then buy ungraded copies much cheaper? Accomplishes your goal and puts extra money in your pocket for more.

I've picked up a couple of "slabbed" cards over the years and then broke them opened.
Always thought the whole grading thing was/is ............. well , lets just say "unnecessary."
Like you , I enjoy being able to view and enjoy my cards easily ......... penny sleeves , binders ,
top loaders and on occasion ,for something really special , a magnetic hard case is just fine .
Ken

I'd say grading is no more "unnecessary" than the cards themselves. Like a lot of things in life I guess. A lot of people look at adults who buy baseball cards and think that it's "unnecessary". The truth is, they just really don't understand the reasons why we do it. I think I felt the say way you do before I learned more about grading myself. All I can say is that I'm VERY glad I decided to look into it.

seems like an unnecessary waste of money. guess if you want to get them slabbed and then break em open more power to ya i guess. but i have a few personal collections like my Pete Rose living legends auto collection mostly slabbed. I have them slabbed because i want them continually protected. and putting cards in three ring binders and pages has no to very little protection value. thats why i do it and will continue to get my items sent and slabbed at PSA and not in plastic pages.

dave

Agreed!

I have a 1993 SP graded Derek Jeter rookie that is graded and I would love to break it open. But I am scared to death to damage the card. I also have never been a fan graded cards but I will pick them up whenever I think I am getting a good deal. I have some for trade in the baseball for trade forum that I bought for a quarter each. Some were PSA 10's which tells you something about the grading trend and where it is going.

Don't crack it! Unless you think it's under graded that is? I don't think I could disagree with you more on the grading trend. The truth is the game has changed. Baseball cards are no longer made to help sell bubble gum. You getting those cards at a quarter a piece was actually a good deal for you in my opinion. Some of the cards may have been "misses" for someone who was building those sets on the PSA Set Registry or just cards that meant something to them as a kid or something. Maybe even someone just starting in the grading part of the hobby trying to get an idea of what's what. The Green seems to sell from $2-$8 on eBay. Imagine if he'd had the career people thought he'd have? That card wouldn't have been a quarter! You should check out the PSA boards to see what I mean about the trending aspect.

I feel the same way about slabbed cards, have a few that I acquired inexpensively through trades or buy outs, I want to do the same, so thanks for the encouragement....

That's one of the great things about collecting. Something different for everyone! Youtube has some good "how to" videos on it.

u read my mind....I have almost a complete set of refractors of the finest ...the man insert serial #75...but one of them was purchased on ebay and its in a slap.....looks out of place with the other cards. Feel that breaking it open...but I'm afraid of damagjng the card. Best regards, David

There are couple of good videos on Youtube that can show you how to do it step by step. Maybe sell it and buy one ungraded though?

I have broken open a few PSA 8 cards that I purchased and then resubmitted the cards for grades. I have done this 14 times and 13 of the 14 have come back with a different grade. Grades received below.

All 14 cards were originally PSA 8s.

3 cards came back PSA 10s
9 cards came back PSA 9s
1 card came back PSA 8
1 card came back PSA 7

It was an interestIng test.

Those are GREAT results! You have a good eye. I've cracked out a few cards myself. I've had two go from 8's to 9's and one go from 7-8. Then one that stayed an 8. I didn't have the courage to crack a Clemente 1964 Topps PSA 8 that I thought could possibly bump to an 8.5. I've got a Boggs 83 Topps PSA 9 crack out on the way to PSA now that I think has a great shot at a 10.

Great thread and comments everyone!

Thanks
Craig

 

[mrmopar]

I don't really care for graded cards personally, but I see that enough people do in the buy/sell arena. They are bulky and if not cared for properly, can get scratched and damaged and that makes for a lame display piece. I guess it adds some piece of mind to those who may otherwise unknowingly buy a trimmed or altered card, but those expert graders are not infallible.

I have maybe 100 or so "encased" cards, many of which are autographs and not necessarily graded. I can't say I have ever bought one due to the grade itself aside from the Garvey cards I bought, trying to get 8s or better for all his Topps cards, but I couldn't see spending much more than raw prices for the 80s cards and have since given up on the project. I have 72-81. That and I couldn't ever get his RC PSA8 for "my" price and they have recently taken a trip to the north in pricing, most breaking $100 or more.

 

[Loyalty32]

Those 1971 Topps cards are tough to find in PSA 8 and above condition. Especially at a good price. Those black borders are a killer! You should pick that back up. I'd like to see that run of cards!

Thanks
Craig

 

[chaplain11]

I buy the slabbed because I trust that slightly more than a majority of sellers on ebay or TTM autos saying a card is autographed and I don't like having authentication stickers on the cards. Storage is not an issue for me, but as a few pointed out, when I am building a set I hate to have one or two cards out of place in different protective holders. I look at it as a lesser of two evils I suppose.

Dewayne

 

[Yankeeswin]

I rarely buy slabbed cards but I'm finding that in the condition I'm looking for, slabbed cards are often LESS than the unslabbed on ebay. When I buy cards for my 50's or 60's Yankees collection, PSA5-6 often sell for less. I guess people figure an ungraded card could theoretically come back a 7, but it could also come back a 4 or even 3 (some ebay dealers have no CLUE of how to grade. If you look at Beckett, they price ungraded in mid-grades HIGHER and not by a little.

Bought a 1952 Bowman Gil McDougald PSA5 for $8 shipped. Solid deal for a card that goes $15-20 in that condition unslabbed regularly. Saw a PSA6 1952 Berra go for $225 (books $480 ungraded, $400 graded). Why not?

I hate slabs and would break them out to put in albums as I like to see the team set all together. Is there a foolproof way to do this without damaging the card.

 

[budd2222]

I rarely buy slabbed cards but I'm finding that in the condition I'm looking for, slabbed cards are often LESS than the unslabbed on ebay. When I buy cards for my 50's or 60's Yankees collection, PSA5-6 often sell for less. I guess people figure an ungraded card could theoretically come back a 7, but it could also come back a 4 or even 3 (some ebay dealers have no CLUE of how to grade. If you look at Beckett, they price ungraded in mid-grades HIGHER and not by a little.

Bought a 1952 Bowman Gil McDougald PSA5 for $8 shipped. Solid deal for a card that goes $15-20 in that condition unslabbed regularly. Saw a PSA6 1952 Berra go for $225 (books $480 ungraded, $400 graded). Why not?

I hate slabs and would break them out to put in albums as I like to see the team set all together. Is there a foolproof way to do this without damaging the card.

I have busted open about six PSA cases with the butter knife method and have not damaged a card. I think there is to much paranoia in the hobby ie I will damage my cards if I break open a graded case. If I put my cards in photo bucket someone will find out where I live and break into my house. Just enjoy the hunt and the hobby.

 

[TideFanDan]

I have busted out two cards as they were for sets I was working on. I don't really like the graded cards as a rule. On ebay, it is nice to know that the card doesn't have some crease that the scan doesn't show. It is also nice to know that they can mail it to you without getting creased on the way.

I used a band saw at work to cut off all four sides. Then I opened them up no problem. 77 Topps Largent rookie and 80 Topps Rickey Henderson rookie.