R312 Holder

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Posted By: jbrcards

This is my first post, anywhere, anytime, so please forgive any breaches of protocol. They're unintentional.

I mainly collect 50's-60's graded cards, but several years ago I bought a nice 1936 R312 Dimaggio at an antique book show. None of the grading companies could slab a card of that size at the time (it's about 4" x 5 1/2"), but I sent it to GAI and received a pre-grade of NM-MT 8 with the card sealed inside a lucite screw-down holder.

Last year I heard that the technology had improved to the point where GAI could slab the card, so I submitted it for permanent grading. It came back with a permanent grade, but in a thin, flimsy plastic holder roughly the size of a poster. I don't remember the exact dimensions, but it was in the neighborhood of 18" x 24". It was ridiculously huge and offered no protection whatsoever for the card.

I sent it back to GAI. They were professional and courteous and restored the card to its original lucite holder and pre-grade. They also threw in some free grades for my hassle.

I haven't seen any graded R312s offered for sale, but some of the auction houses are beginning to carry GAI graded cabinet cards in this same type of bizarre, huge holder.

I was wondering whether anyone else had experience with these kinds of holders, and what they thought about them.

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Posted By: leon

First of all welcome to the board and thanks for posting. Don't worry you'll be fine. We aren't as bad as some of these threads make us out to be. As for the GAI big, flimsy, plastic holders, I don't like them. I am not really enamored with GAI at all but that's a different thread. To me the big flimsy holders remind me of trying to open my 8yr old's Barbie doll packages for her. They sort of look the same except without the 1000 wires holding all of the pieces in. I will say that at least GAI does perform a service in doing this kind of grading. Just a service I don't care for though. PSA, and I think in the near future SGC, will grade oversized items.....regards

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Posted By: Hal Lewis

Ditto.

I love the fact that GAI will grade and authenticate and seal these items...

but I hate the big flimsy plastic holders.

How hard could it be to make the same hard lucite slabs... but just a tiny bit bigger?? Just charge me extra because they are bigger and I will be fine.

I can't wait until one of the Big 3 grading companies comes up with HARD slabs for oversized items.

PS - I'm sure GAI is saving money on these since the flimsy slabs cannot cost them more than a penny to make.

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Posted By: Elliot

PSA already slabs T3's in a holder the same as their regular holder, just much bigger. I think they charge $35 for this service, and I imagine that they would also slab similiar sized items to T3's. IMO, a much nicer holder than what GAI uses. One could only hope that SGC comes out with a similiar larger holder, as with the gasket a number of items that are too big for the regular holder, but smaller than T3's can be slabbed, and still look good.

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Posted By: Hal Lewis

Unfortunately, despite begging and pleading, PSA will NOT slab things in the T3 holders that are not EXACTLY the right size. They don't want the cards moving in the holders and getting damaged.

This emilinates my cabinet cards.

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Posted By: Nick

If PSA thinks there is enough demand for holders large enough for R312s, Butterfinger Premiums, National Chicle Premiums, and other cards too large for their Tall Boy holder but not T3 size (Butterfinger Premiums are a bit larger than T3s IIRC), they may create a suitable holder.