Anyone know how to remove a card from a graded slab?

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Posted By: dethan33

Hello,

I am not a big fan of grading but tend to only buy graded tobacco cards for the piece of mind that the card is authentic.

Does anyone know how to remove a card from a graded slab? Obviously, I'm not going to do anything that would put the condition of the card at risk. Which leaves out my only thought of a hammer and flat head.

Any experience or advice in doing this would be of great help.

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Posted By: barrysloate

I've used a screwdriver and if you look at the seam between the two halves there should be a point where you can carefully split them. I would start with moderate force and increase it until the two begin to separate. I don't recommend using a stick of dynamite or other incendiary devices.

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Posted By: sagard

I've had great luck with PSA holders. Take a tin snips and snip a corner. Then a small flat head into that corner and twist and pry.

I haven't done this on a SGC card, but the holder looks similar.

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Posted By: Bob Pomilla

See if this is of any help to you.

http://www.seanet.com/~brucemo/card_articles/deslab.htm

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Posted By: Gilbert Maines

PSA & SGC slabs are sonically sealed. If you use mechanical means to overcome this seal (such as prying, etc.) in addition to injury from flying shards (a distant relative of hanging chads) of plastic, you are at the risk of a sonic implosion; which under the right circumstances could become the focal point for a black hole - right in your hands! We all know the result of creating one of those.

Fortunately however, slabs open by themselves once you remove the sound which holds the halves together. Try wrapping the slab with sound absorbing material, and continue doing so until all of the sound is absorbed. Then just lift the halves apart.

Please note: everything above this line is BS.
Edited to add: PSA & SGC are easy. I pry and twist with a nail file.
BVG reportedly requires guts, but is simple. I have not tried it, but the prescribed method is to whack a screwdriver pointed at the label area with a hammer. I've hacksawed off the top and pried the halfs apart easily.
GAI I have not tackled.

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Posted By: Anonymous

I've removed many cards from slabs without any problems. I use a pair of channel locks and a flat head screwdriver. First, I stand over top of a trash can and angle the top of holder slightly downwards and just below the top level of the can. Next, I take the channel locks and firmly grasp one of the top corners of the holder, turn my head to the side, and twist the channel locks firmly in an upwards direction to break off the corner. I repeat the same procedure to break off the opposite corner on the top side of the holder. Some shards of plastic will fly through the air so that is why you should turn your head to the side. I try to break off enough of the corners so that the label is partly exposed. Finally, I take a flat head screwdriver and gently pry around the edges to separate the two halves of the holder. For PSA cards, be careful as the card is usually just sitting on top of that plastic sleeve and the card can slide around. I've only found a few cards sealed inside the sleeve. For SGC cards, be careful that the black plastic insert doesn't slide around and ding the edges of the card. As I said, I've done this a number of times on SGC and PSA graded cards and have never damaged a card.

Hope this helps.


Eric

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Posted By: warshawlaw

PSA and SGC are easy; just pry around the seams with a small flathead screwdriver and they come apart like pistachios.

GAI nearly took my eye out with flying shards last time. Wear goggles. I use a pliers to crack off the edges then a screwdriver to pry the halves apart.

Haven't tried Beckett yet; they look scary.