Posted By:
Kevin Saucier<"Oh, and the slabs do protect the cards pretty damn well (excluding the psa condem slabs).">
In reality the condoms, although very ugly, are great at protecting cards.
Look very closely with at a loupe at a PSA graded card that has been in a holder for a couple years. Those cards have pushed in edges and loss of tone from the edge rails. Some would not get the same grade if resubmitted just for that reason. Worse yet, because the rails remove toning, it would look trimmed to some graders.
I hate to say it but if you collect graded cards, card condoms are your friend 
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Kevin Saucier