How would you handle slab condition issues?

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Posted By: John V

On a recent eBay purchase, the card's SGC holder had a number of minor scratches and rub marks. Clearly the worst slab I've ever seen. In looking back, the flaws are visible on the eBay listing, but I focused on the card and not the slab.
So, does the experienced card seller have an obligation to point out the poor condition of the slab? It's too bad for me? Do you consult with the seller?

What would you do?
John

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Posted By: Peter_Spaeth

Get the card reslabbed, put it down to experience, and move on.

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Posted By: leon

I would just do what Peter said. It's a $5 issue so wouldn't let it get to me. I will trade anyone on the board one of my top 50 issues for a $5 one.

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Posted By: Frank Wakefield

How "I" would do it is with a hammer... card shouldn't be in the slab in the first place.

Leon and Peter are right, if it's a $5 problem it only remains a problem because you choose to not spend the $5 to rectify the matter.

My method of 'handling' it costs $5 less than theirs...

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Posted By: Jim Rivera

I would not consider that an issue

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Posted By: Jeff Mohler

If the slab is cracked or heavily scratched, I think the seller should disclose it in the listing. I personally view the slab as a kind of frame for the card and anything that distracts from the card's presentation should be disclosed.

However, I don't think you should contact the seller over it. I guess I think it isn't worth the time and aggravation.

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Posted By: Marty Ogelvie

I think you have two options;

reslab it or free it forever!

There is nothing worse than a scratched up case so I understand your displeasure... but its an easy fix!

marty

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Posted By: Tony Andrea

I'd rather have a scratched holder than one with all that sticky gunk on it when sellers use stickers
for pricing. God I hate that. Oh, to answer the question, no a scratched holder doesn't bother me.

Tony A.

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Posted By: Red

If the condition of the holder is important to you then ask the seller for a description of the holder before bidding on the card. Most sellers will he happy to give you a detailed description in order to prevent a problem, but you will likely scare a few and they'll just block you. The best thing to do is to reduce each bid you place by the cost of the reholder. That way it won't matter what the holder looks like. If the holder comes in nice shape then you're ahead of the deal.

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Posted By: Al

You said the slab had minor scrathes and rub marks. Try this before sending it back to PSA. Get two paper towels, bunch one up in a ball and spray an edge with WD-40 and rub the slab vigorously for 10 seconds or so. Wipe immediately with the clean towel and see if the slab has been recovered well enough for you to live with whatever else is left. The WD-40 will surely take off any and all glue residue and most, if not all rub marks and many scratches.

I don't have to say DO NOT spray the slab directly, do I?

One caveat, if you have the older version slab where the white lettering exists on the back of the slab with the PSA logo, the WD-40 WILL take off the white print. Easy to avoid by taping over that area when working on back of the slab stuff.

Short of the above, send it in for $5, easy enough fix, you just have to live without the card for a while.

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Posted By: peter ullman

sheesh! it's not enough we're concerned about the grade of the card...whether it's overgraded, undergraded...incorrectly labeled...now we have to be concerned about the holder. Maybe cards should be encapsulated twice...once to grade the card...and then again to grade the holder!!!

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Posted By: JimB

Tony,
There is a product called Goo Gone that works wonders on that sticky sticker stuff.
JimB

As for the slab, I would just get it reslabbed. It is not worth the hassle of trying to get somebody else to deal with it for $5.

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Posted By: Rob

I echo the last statement. Goo-Gone is excellent for getting rid of any sticker residue...and yes I do not like when sellers do that. Why can't they place the price sticker on a graded card protector?

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Posted By: Doug

I can sympathize since I'm pretty picky about scratched up holders myself. The $5 to get it reholdered isn't a big deal, but when you add in the cost of shipping and/or insurance both ways it can get pretty expensive depending on the value of the card.

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Posted By: Anonymous

Since it was evident in the scan the scratched holder was presumably factored into the other bidders (or prospective other bidders) decisions that enabled you to win the item a that price. How much more would you have paid for a nicer holder?
Reholdering is at least a $5 proposition -- $5 for the actual reholdering and some amount for postage and insurance (plus a hassle which has no precise dollar value).

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Posted By: James Gallo

I guess I am in the minority but this would bother me assuming it wasn't shown in the auciton. I am paying for the card and the holder.

If you buy a card you don't want the paint all scratched up and I don't want the holder all scratched up on my cards either.

Whenever I get cards graded they go right into sleeves so that I don't scratch them up or finger print them.

That being said it probably isn't worth the hassle of asking the seller for anything but you could point it out to them nicely.

James G

Looking for 1915 Cracker Jacks and 1909-11 American Caramel E90-1.

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Posted By: Tony Andrea

Jim B,
Thanks for the Goo Gone idea. Will give it a shot next time around.

Al (Tedballgame) - Thanks for the idea as well but there's no way in hell i'm putting WD40 on
any slab I own. That stuff is toxic on plastic brother.

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Posted By: Al

Why on earth would I recommend WD-40 to solve a surface problem if I haven't used it many, many times myself with great success? Perhaps you missed the part about "wipe immediately". I own about 700 slabbed cards and have used WD-40 over and over to remove glue, marks and even a few minor scratches. I suppose if you left the stuff on there overnight it might eat into something, but that's why you have a clean wipe nearby to remove the stuff. My slabs clean up like new from PSA. I have never had a problem using WD-40...BUT, to each his own, I was just trying to pass on a technique that I've found to be very efficient in rejuvenating slabs.

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Posted By: Doug

Hopefully nobody gets Goo Gone and Goof Off mixed up. I didn't have any Goo Gone handy so I tried some Goof Off that I had on hand (it says on the bottle it removes glue/adhesives) to get a sticker off a holder and it ate up the surface of the plastic. Luckily the card survived unharmed. Just a warning so nobody tries it!

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Posted By: Tony Andrea

I'm happy to hear that WD40 has worked for you so successfully in the past. I think that's terrific. That being said though, it still ain't touching my slabs. You said it best. "To each his own"......