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Card vault or Pelican case question
KendallCat
Posts: 2,978 ✭✭✭✭✭
Was looking on Ebay at some storage/travel cases for my better cards and saw the Card Vault case on there(like I saw at the National) for $315. Do not remember it being near that much, and when I checked for similar cases I found the Pelican which looks like the exact same case - crush proof, waterproof, dustproof... for anywhere from $119-175 everywhere. Is it just a case(no pun intended) of a guy changing way too much and marketing the case as a baseball card case for newbies? All of the cases have the same foam that you can tear out in any type of configuration you want for storage, and typically these cases are used for high end cameras and lenses with durable outer shells and thick foam. Thank you in advance for the help.
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As you can see in that, and related, threads everyone has given these cases glowing feedback.
I believe most of the additional cost is due to David having precision custom interior molding done to perfectly accommodate various size holders.
But, yes, if you wanted to save some money you could certainly carve out the foam yourself as they are the same cases.
Snorto~
The eBay price ($315) is inflated to cover the extra costs of the channel + free shipping. The same case ordered directly is $250 + economy shipping (usually UPS Ground to most of the USA). The savings by ordering direct is usually on the order of $35-$40.
Our foam is custom cut to the specific size of the cards being stored. It is not the tear out foam (it was tried in the early design stage, but it just didn't fit the same and was very problematic just to get the foam inserts to match up correctly and still have the secure, protective fit. By using die-cut foam that is sized exactly to the task at hand it added cost, but the overall function was superior.
Hope that helps.
Dave
I just may pick up a few of your cases soon. I've been working on organizing my collection and considering a new storage approach for my PSA sets.
Snorto~
<< <i>Actually the Card Vault cases are noT based on the Pelican line. The Pelican cases had some issues with their inner dimensions which were resolved by switching to the SKB cases.
The eBay price ($315) is inflated to cover the extra costs of the channel + free shipping. The same case ordered directly is $250 + economy shipping (usually UPS Ground to most of the USA). The savings by ordering direct is usually on the order of $35-$40.
Our foam is custom cut to the specific size of the cards being stored. It is not the tear out foam (it was tried in the early design stage, but it just didn't fit the same and was very problematic just to get the foam inserts to match up correctly and still have the secure, protective fit. By using die-cut foam that is sized exactly to the task at hand it added cost, but the overall function was superior.
Hope that helps. >>
Thank you for the info and clarification. I have looked at various cases including Pelican, SKB... and all of the outer shells look like they function the same - main difference is the internal foam. Guess I am missing something since the Pelican and SKB cases are about $115-150 with foam, and you can buy a replacement foam insert for around $35. I have used cases where I adjusted the foam insert to fit single cards or a row of cards with no issues. These cases were originally used to protect cameras and such.
I understand the service provided by having someone else do the foam, but if I can buy a case from SKB and remove the foam as needed how would I justify spending 2x for the same item? Thank you again for all of the responses.
<< <i>I understand the service provided by having someone else do the foam, but if I can buy a case from SKB and remove the foam as needed how would I justify spending 2x for the same item? Thank you again for all of the responses. >>
Kendall, the foam that comes in the Pelican or SKB cases is not the same as what in these case from CardVault, frankly it's not even close. Off the shelf cases like your talking about come,with polyurethane foam that within the industry is referred to as temporary foam. The foam inside the cases from CardVault is a polyethylene cross link foam. It's a much higher grade material and as mentioned above its cut specifically to fit the slabs of BGS, PSA and SGC graded cards. You can certainly go out and buy a case and build your own. You will quickly find out why there is a difference in price and it's due to the foam inside the case. Best of Luck!
I collect: 80’s Rookies and 86 Fleer Basketball
Thank you for the details and information on the differences. Sounds as if the Card Vault inner components are worth the extra $$, and that is the main info I was looking for - was the cost increase justified for it. Appreciate the advice, and when it comes to protecting our precious slabs what is an extra $100