Graded card clamshell cases

[T205 GB]

Trying to locate the company that makes the PSA style clam shell case used for grading encapsulation of vintage and tobacco cards. For the life of me I can't find this and it erks me. Any one here have a point of contact or info for this.

[Peter_Spaeth]

Was it Ultra Pro?

[T205 GB]

Was it Ultra Pro?

I didn't think Ultra Pro or BCW make cases that get sealed with the sonic sealers.

[Bill77]

GMA grading sells holders.
http://gmagrading.com/grade-sports-cards-business/

[T205 GB]

GMA grading sells holders.
http://gmagrading.com/grade-sports-cards-business/

Thanks but I currently don't want to buy them. I am trying to get in contact with the manufacture to have cases made similar in design but with a new type of plastic resin.

[The-Cardfather]

Let me see if I understand this correctly, because for the life of me I know that I can't possibly be right.

I'm able to buy a supply of the same clam shell/case/holder that PSA uses from GMA. Obviously, I have to invest in all the related sealing equipment, as well.
Once I have my clam shells and equipment; I can crack open any legitimately graded PSA card from it's holder (let's say a 1965 Topps Clemente graded 8) use that legitimate PSA label in my new holder and insert a 1965 Topps Clemente that experience tells me would probably grade around a 6.5 or a 7 via PSA.
Now I can sell my 6.5 or 7 grade Clemente as a PSA 8, and resubmit the actual PSA 8 card to PSA where it will probably grade as an 8 again.

Somebody please tell me that I'm wrong! Please tell me that things aren't quite so easy for those unscrupulous sellers among us!

[swarmee]

The PSA cases are branded with a clear PSA in bottom right corner of the slab. They are not the same ones GMA sells. Also, the new PSA slabs are much more like Beckett slabs than older PSA slabs. But yes, scammers gonna scam.

[Peter_Spaeth]

I didn't think Ultra Pro or BCW make cases that get sealed with the sonic sealers.

May not be what you want but it's what they call it.

https://www.ultrapro.com/product_info.php?products_id=667&osCsid=edchuaq84g1u6qip6rnm6qms93

[T205 GB]

May not be what you want but it's what they call it.

https://www.ultrapro.com/product_info.php?products_id=667&osCsid=edchuaq84g1u6qip6rnm6qms93

Thanks Pete.

[T205 GB]

The PSA cases are branded with a clear PSA in bottom right corner of the slab. They are not the same ones GMA sells. Also, the new PSA slabs are much more like Beckett slabs than older PSA slabs. But yes, scammers gonna scam.

I might be mistaken but the old PSA slabs from back in the day are not branded. I thought they were generic clamshells.

[steve B]

What you might run up against is that most grading companies do a bit of their own design. Usually when you have parts injection molded you pay for the mold, and the molding company stores it as part of the deal. That's if you're making a lot of parts. If you're doing a smallish run, you get to store the mold, which will often only work on one sort of machine.

So while the manufacturer of the slab probably has the mold, they'd need permission from the mold owner to run any parts from it. And a short run will be pretty expensive.
Even once you find someone making a generic slab sort of holder - and I think I recall seeing some somewhere but can't find them- you'd still have to go through them.


What plastic are you thinking of? It might be possible to do it on a 3-D printer. Results vary depending on the printer and the sort of plastic, but it might be doable.

[T205 GB]

Let me see if I understand this correctly, because for the life of me I know that I can't possibly be right.

I'm able to buy a supply of the same clam shell/case/holder that PSA uses from GMA. Obviously, I have to invest in all the related sealing equipment, as well.
Once I have my clam shells and equipment; I can crack open any legitimately graded PSA card from it's holder (let's say a 1965 Topps Clemente graded 8) use that legitimate PSA label in my new holder and insert a 1965 Topps Clemente that experience tells me would probably grade around a 6.6 or a 7 via PSA.
Now I can sell my 6.5 or 7 grade Clemente as a PSA 8, and resubmit the actual PSA 8 card to PSA where it will probably grade as an 8 again.

Somebody please tell me that I'm wrong! Please tell me that things aren't quite so easy for those unscrupulous sellers among us!

Pretty much spot on unfortunately.

[T205 GB]

What you might run up against is that most grading companies do a bit of their own design. Usually when you have parts injection molded you pay for the mold, and the molding company stores it as part of the deal. That's if you're making a lot of parts. If you're doing a smallish run, you get to store the mold, which will often only work on one sort of machine.

So while the manufacturer of the slab probably has the mold, they'd need permission from the mold owner to run any parts from it. And a short run will be pretty expensive.
Even once you find someone making a generic slab sort of holder - and I think I recall seeing some somewhere but can't find them- you'd still have to go through them.


What plastic are you thinking of? It might be possible to do it on a 3-D printer. Results vary depending on the printer and the sort of plastic, but it might be doable.

The end result is to be able to run a large production number but as of now I just need about 20 shells made. The plastic is a type of lexan material use in the food industry. It is just now becoming available in film thicknesses and clear color. The plastics is virtually free of everything and is UV resistant also. There are some other neat benefits also. The mold I guess I can have it made here at my work if I need to. We do a lot of vacuum seal molding and other stuff like that for the food industry. I guess I just wanted to see what all I needed to do to have some made but it sounds like I might have to do it on my own.

[steve B]

The end result is to be able to run a large production number but as of now I just need about 20 shells made. The plastic is a type of lexan material use in the food industry. It is just now becoming available in film thicknesses and clear color. The plastics is virtually free of everything and is UV resistant also. There are some other neat benefits also. The mold I guess I can have it made here at my work if I need to. We do a lot of vacuum seal molding and other stuff like that for the food industry. I guess I just wanted to see what all I needed to do to have some made but it sounds like I might have to do it on my own.

They make some polycarbonate/Lexan for 3D printing, but from what I've read it's difficult to work with that process.

If they do their own molds there, a CNC machine will make a decent small mold pretty quickly.
I haven't tried forming it into a mold, but I've done some machining and bending. I have a few ideas how I'd do something thin like a slab, but I'd have to experiment a bit. Heat control is the key, too much and the stuff gets bubbles, and develops internal stresses.

[T205 GB]

They make some polycarbonate/Lexan for 3D printing, but from what I've read it's difficult to work with that process.

If they do their own molds there, a CNC machine will make a decent small mold pretty quickly.
I haven't tried forming it into a mold, but I've done some machining and bending. I have a few ideas how I'd do something thin like a slab, but I'd have to experiment a bit. Heat control is the key, too much and the stuff gets bubbles, and develops internal stresses.

I think I might go with heat and press forming. Same bottom die for all my needs and only the top die changes pending size. The dies for the top of the shell will remain constant pending slab sizes needed.

[steve B]

I think I might go with heat and press forming. Same bottom die for all my needs and only the top die changes pending size. The dies for the top of the shell will remain constant pending slab sizes needed.

I was thinking that's the way to go.

I got a nice manual heated platen press from the makerspace. They didn't understand it or what they could do with it and were getting rid of it. Unfortunately, their first step was to remove the housing from the base that held all the controls and guage and throw them away. :mad::mad::mad::mad::mad:

So I have the press and heaters, but no control circuit. Parts aren't all that easy to find.