Posted By:
effeA while back there was a discussion regarding liberating graded cards from their holders, so I figured I share my experience.
While PSA and SGC holders have been relatively easy for me to open, the GAI holder with it's inset back was a different story. What I ended up doing was to literally cut the top of the holder off. Using a Dremel tool with a diamond cutting blade(like these... http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=19164&item=5941873 274&rd=1
the top sliced off quite easily (not quite like cutting warm butter, but close). From this point it was as simple as wedging a butter knife in between the layers and prying it apart. If I remember correctly someone was describing how they were actually breaking the holder with a pliers, with pieces flying everywhere. This process is much cleaner than that. I'd still recommend using safety glasses and securing the holder in a vise before cutting.