How do I crack?

XanaduNow

So I picked up a 1910 T218 Jack Johnson GAI 3 a week or so ago. I have no minconceptions that it will cross-over to a PSA 3 or even a 2 ... I just got the card dirt cheap and want it in a PSA holder for my personal collection. How do I go about cracking the card out to submit it to PSA?

Or ... can I just send it in to PSA in the GAI holder and have them deal with getting it out?

Thanks

Arthur

KOBEcollector

Arthur, very funny that you made this post because today i was going to pose the same question but with BGS holders, not GAI.

Any help would be appreciated

Dave

storm888

If you need more info, search the word "crack" in the header
of this board. It is dangerous and safety glasses are necessary.
Also, there is a chance, though slim, that the card will be hurt.

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Important disclaimer:

If you try to break open a graded card slab, you could damage the card, damage other property, or seriously injure or kill yourself. If you think I'm kidding, I'm not.

I take no responsibility for anything that happens while you are trying to open a slab. Messing around with knives, pliers, and brittle plastic is obviously dangerous and risky, and it should be evident to you that anything can happen. If you are underage or not competent to take on these risks yourself, either don't open a slab, or find someone who is competent to assess and accept the risks, and is willing to help you.

It is also true that opening a slab is not always intelligent from a financial standpoint. Just because PSA graded a card once does not mean that they will grade it the second time (I have had a PSA-8 come back a BGS-7.5, and when I sent it back to PSA, it came back as "EVID TRIM". So if you remove a card from a slab, bear in mind that you may be hurting (or completely destroying) the value of the card.

PSA

There are two halves to a PSA slab -- the front half and the back half. These two halves are driven together by a process that I have never seen (I've heard that it uses sound waves), to create a tight seal. If you pick one up, you can feel the joint all the way around the outer edge.

Sometimes the seal is extremely tight, and sometimes it is not. You can slide a knife blade (a big one that won't break, like a hunting knife), into the joint and pry the two halves apart.

I have found that it is best to start in a corner and go all the way around, before trying to pop the two halves apart. You know you are making progress if you hear a crackling sound -- that is the sound of the seal breaking.

Try to avoid cracking the case itself. If you do this, you can still take care to break the seal the rest of the way around, but everything becomes harder and more risky.

I think it is a bad idea to try to get the card out before the two halves have popped apart.

Sometimes it is very easy to open a PSA slab and sometimes it is a terrible ordeal.

SGC

SGC slabs are constructed the same as PSA slabs, only there is a plastic insert that you have to be careful of. Make sure it doesn't slip around.

I've found that SGC slabs are usually easier to open than PSA slabs.

BGS

BGS slabs are not at all like PSA or SGC slabs. They work more like the top lid of a shoe box. You can try the knife blade technique if you like, but it's hard to get the knife into the joint, and it's quite likely that the knife will slip and stab whatever is underneath the slab. This is not usually a positive outcome.

You can use pliers to try to break the lip off all the way around. This is effective, but it should be noted that sharp bits of plastic will fly everywhere at high velocity, and you should take appropriate precautions.

BGS slabs are usually harder to open than PSA slabs, but sometimes you'll find one that opens pretty easily.

Once you get the card out, you'll find that it's in a little bag. You can use scissors to carefully cut around the edges and get the card out.

1989FleerBillRipkencollector

I cracked a GAI holder once. It was easy. I put the Flip in a vice or is it vise? I tightened it and it began to crack. I then popped the two halves apart with a flathead.

gregmo32

I would suggest sending it to PSA in the holder it is currently in. They will transfer it (unless it is deemed ungradeable) and be responsible for its preservation -and from my experience they are not influenced positively or negatively by another company's grade.

jradke4

I wouldnt crack if you are happy to take any grade PSA would give you. I know some of the other companies slab trimmed and altered cards. You can measure your self to see if its trimmed. Altered with be hard in to spot in the holder.

I feel that most people crack because they think that they can get a higher grade. Lets say for example (as happened to me) I cracked a BGS slabbed card graded 9.5. I sent it in and it came back a 10. If you send it in slabbed you have to state what the lowest grade you will take for the card. So here it would be a 9 or 10. If you say 10, they wont crack it unless they think that is what it will grade. So in my opinon and others as well, if you want the grade bumped you have to crack. If you just want it in a PSA slab and dont care what the grade is, then send it in in the current slab. It will protect the card during shipping.

XanaduNow

Thanks guys. I have no intention of cracking it as long as PSA will do it for me. Like I said earlier, I don't care what the card comes back as and I'm sure it will return in a 1 or a 2 holder. That's fine. I'm not trying to turn a profit I just want it in a PSA slab because the card will stay in my personal collection.

Thanks again,

Arthur