Know it has been covered before but, best method to crack holders?

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Posted By: Addie_Joss

I'm sorry, I'm sorry, but I need to know. What is the best method to crack a PSA or SGC holder? I want to re-submit but I don't want the other to know what the original grade was.

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Posted By: Paul S

...I am wondering if this might not be a good topic for the permanent section under Detecting Cards and Alterations. After all, many here agree that you have to crack it out to examine it properly.

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Posted By: Addie_Joss

Oh wait I see what you're saying. Yea a little FAQ would be awesome.

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Posted By: Frank Wakefield

After trying it lots of ways with various tools, eg hack saws, vices...

Lay the slab down on a hard surface, concrete is good.

Place blade of a large flat blade screwdriver just inside the ridge of the edge, and tap it with a hammer. Patience is good. I almost bent a card where I was in a hurry to get it out, and pried open the front and back after I'd cracked open a side. Don't pry. Keep tapping around the edge until it comes apart. Then you can lift out the card.

I finally started saving the little SGC and PSA slips... I've not sent anything in to them letting them know about the liberated card. But who knows, one day I might become a slabhead and wish I'd kept 'em.

Patience.

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Posted By: Chris Mc

I just liberated a Jennings Colgan from a Sgc holder in 10 seconds. Take a pair of tin snips/hand snips, cut the top two corners and put a flat blade screwdriver in the lip and make a clockwise turn or counter clockwise turn and the case will seperate quite easily. Wear safety goggles or protect your eyes in some way because the corners fly like bullets.

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Posted By: Paul S

See, the subsequent posts you are already getting would make a nice compilation. People would get the several holdering company versions (to name two) and the various methods employed by others. (I'm still waiting for Steve (fdladder) to post an image of a stick of TNT!)

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Posted By: Frank Wakefield

Now you see.... I did what Chris says for a while. But one near miss as the screwdriver turned convinced me to never do that again.

No matter how careful you are, potentially that screwdriver can rotate again, and you have a potential for card damage. Busting 'em out as I described above avoids that slight risk.

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Posted By: Addie_Joss

You guys have any horror stories or advice on what to avoid besides trying to pry?

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Posted By: Steve

Remember your eye protection.

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Posted By: Paul S

You surprised me again!

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Posted By: Ed McCollum

PSA need only be cut along the top, below the tag. They pop right open after that. SGCs take a second cut along one side or the other. I always cut along the top first to save the tag. Total time ... less than 10 sec.

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Posted By: Keyway

I have written this before but will tell it again. Go to youe local Home Depot, Lowes or hardware store and buy a plastic cutting blade for your utility knife. Run it above the card on the edge 3 or 4 times and you will be able to open the case without damage to the card.

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Posted By: ItsOnlyGil

These holders are all sonically sealed. Just leave the slab in a sound proof chamber overnight and the halfs will lift apart.







edited for typo, then again to add smiley.

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Posted By: doug goodman

From all of the major grading houses, and my favorite method, which has yet to damage a card, is a regular kitchen knife. I now have a "dedicated" knife because the lovely wife would prefer that I find another method.

Doug

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Posted By: Mark L

So what method do you folks use on a GAI holder? Is there something better than a hatchet?

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Posted By: Elm

Hand it to OJ Simpson.