Removing Card From Graded Case

[bradmar48]

I building a 1952 Topps set and have purchase several graded cards in the 4 to 6 range. For my on personal enjoyment I'd like to remove some of them from their case and put them with the other cards in sheets. What is a easy and safe way to remove the cards without possibly damaging them? If it makes any difference some are PSA, some SGC, some Beckett and a few KSA. Also some of the SGC say they are form the Rothman Collection. Would these cards have an extra premium and need to be left in their case? A collector friend says he has used a hacksaw to remove some. I want to be safe no sorry.


This is actually my second 1952 Topps set. I purchased the first one in 1973 for $525 and sold it in 1987 for $15,000 for college money for one of my kids. It was actually 4 cards short of a set missing 3 high numbers and card #253. The Mantle was probably a 5.

Keith

[brob28]

Bradmar,

If you have a dremmel power tool they work awesome for removeal. Use the cutting wheel attachment it works great and the wheel is only abouty 1 inch round so you can control it easily. it makes a very thin cut too. I use it to cut around the card and lift the cut portion of the case off. Easy and safe!

Sorry to hear about the sale in 1987, but you gotta do what you gotta do!

[vintagetoppsguy]

If you don't have a dremmel, you can use a pair of pliers to snap off one of the corners of the slab (I usually cut the top right) and then slide a thin piece of metal (like a knife blade) between the two plastic halves.

I, too, am building a '52 Topps set and I buy graded cards when I can find them cheap enough and crack them out as well.

I've found SGC cards to be the easiest, followed by PSA. BGS/BVG are tougher so be careful.

[steve B]

I'd probably keep the Rothman collection ones in the slabs, more for the tie to a known collection than any premium.

I haven't checked 52s in some time, all mine are raw- most of them very raw.
If the 5-6s carry some premium I'd crack those out last. The others, crack away.

Steve B

[campyfan39]

Lay it on cement. Take a hammer and smash the top. Pry open with fingers and it beaks in two.
Sounds crude but I have done it dozens of times with no problems.

[vintagetoppsguy]

Originally Posted by steve B

I'd probably keep the Rothman collection ones in the slabs, more for the tie to a known collection than any premium.

Steve, I've cracked several '52 Topps Rothman SGC 60's that I've purchased on eBay lately. Who was Rothman and why would you leave them in the slabs?

I've also seen the same pedegree on several other SGC slabs lately.

[hangman62]

I also purchased a 1952T set ..way back in the early 70s..pays about $1000,.sold it in 1987...and used the money for a 1 year "all access" pass to Studio 54 in NY.

keep on dancin

[steve B]

Originally Posted by vintagetoppsguy

Steve, I've cracked several '52 Topps Rothman SGC 60's that I've purchased on eBay lately. Who was Rothman and why would you leave them in the slabs?

I've also seen the same pedegree on several other SGC slabs lately.

I don't know who Rothman was/is, but aren't the personalized slabs only for special collections?

All I could find online was the place that's selling the collection.
http://www.vintagecollectables.net/page.php?page_id=44
At any rate, it's probably not something that would draw a big premium if any. I'm coming to like the connection to other collections. Probably no big deal cracking out, just me being a bit ecccentric---Or maybe crazy. I don't have enough money to be eccentric.

Steve B

[mjmj1966]

I gotta ask this question. I buy all graded and pay a premium over the raw version as I'm sure everyone does. Does it bother you for example to take a graded card that you paid say $30 for out of the slab and now its worth say $15? I have wanted to bust mine out for sometime and have been told to keep them in the slab and buy a raw version. There are cards I want that I can't seem to find graded so I wanted to make everything raw. Any advice?

[ALR-bishop]

It's all just a hobby for me and being able to display my sets and having easy access to them are my most important goals. I buy ungraded if possible...and bought or put together most of my sets years ago. If I have to buy a graded card ,I usually will not pay the premium for a 9 or 10 if I know I will be busting it out.

Have I ever lost money in the process, probably, but I will probably never know and my heirs won't care

[Volod]

Originally Posted by mjmj1966

I gotta ask this question. I buy all graded and pay a premium over the raw version as I'm sure everyone does. Does it bother you for example to take a graded card that you paid say $30 for out of the slab and now its worth say $15? I have wanted to bust mine out for sometime and have been told to keep them in the slab and buy a raw version. There are cards I want that I can't seem to find graded so I wanted to make everything raw. Any advice?

Yeah, it does annoy me to pay a premium for slabbed cards and even more to sacrifice that money to get the things out of the plastic. I would never buy the graded cards, except that I wanted to complete some scarce sets and the only way I could do that was to buy the slabs. But, to me, the cards are more aesthetically appealing in raw form, or perhaps a thin mylar sleeve. In a slab, it's almost as if you're really collecting the big, clunky pieces of plastic for their monetary value, instead of cards for their emotional impact.

[ALR-bishop]

Steve...that would seem to work fine, but take a little longer if you are impatient...like me

Al

[bradmar48]

I decided this morning to remove the cards from their graded cases. I first tried the Dremel tool using a plastic saw blade. My opinion is it's not the way to do it. The saw blade gets very hot and melts the plastic causing the two pieces of the case to melt together. I damaged this card trying to remove it.

Using a hacksaw and sawing off the top left corner and then using a small chisel
to crack open the case worked perfectly on both PSA and KSA cases.

Keith

[zliebowitz]

Campyfan39- I had some graded cards that I've wanted out of their cases for a while, didn't know how to do it. Used the hammer method, and it worked perfectly every time. Thanks a lot.