Slab damage?

[irv]

Originally Posted by jchcollins

I decided before I read your post Bill. And the verdict is...well, turns out a BVG slab isn't that much harder to open than PSA after all:

The lip that extends further out to cover up what are essentially two thicker slabs pushed together is the tricky part. Neither PSA or SGC has anything like that. But once you use wire cutters to get a corner of that lip off, the rest works pretty much the same with a flathead screwdriver, except you have to pry up the rest of that much thicker and more resistant lip around the edge. I'll give Beckett credit, theirs is the most difficult slab bar none - but I still got it open.

Below is a picture of the card in question now. I'm much happier.

-John

I have heard that numerous times as well, which is one of the reasons I am leaning towards them to grade my cards.

Question, however. In order to remove your card like you did, would it be impossible not to damage the slab in order to do so?

I have read about PSA being fairly easy to crack and the only noticeable, but not always, is the frosting you get when you do so.

[jchcollins]

Originally Posted by irv

Question, however. In order to remove your card like you did, would it be impossible not to damage the slab in order to do so?

Yeah it totally destroys the slab when I bust cards out - Beckett in particular. I can occasionally get a PSA case open with "only" frosting the edges, but usually it cracks and splinters in other places too. I'm sure there are others who can liberate a card without doing as much damage to the slab as I do, but my purpose is never to save the slab so I'm probably less careful with that on the whole except when it gets close to the card.

The BVG slab I cracked last night wound up in about 6 pieces...

[irv]

Originally Posted by jchcollins

Yeah it totally destroys the slab when I bust cards out - Beckett in particular. I can occasionally get a PSA case open with "only" frosting the edges, but usually it cracks and splinters in other places too. I'm sure there are others who can liberate a card without doing as much damage to the slab as I do, but my purpose is never to save the slab so I'm probably less careful with that on the whole except when it gets close to the card.

The BVG slab I cracked last night wound up in about 6 pieces...

Thanks for the info.

[deeg23]

I know I broke out a Jerry West RC in a PSA slab to get it autographed and it was incredibly easy without damaging the slab! Just used a mini flathead screwdriver and it popped right open. I was surprised and very pleased as I put it right back in the slab and I can't even notice I popped it open (: Going to be trying it on some BVG slabs tonight though for the first time so hoping it's not TOO difficult! haha

[irv]

Originally Posted by deeg23

I know I broke out a Jerry West RC in a PSA slab to get it autographed and it was incredibly easy without damaging the slab! Just used a mini flathead screwdriver and it popped right open. I was surprised and very pleased as I put it right back in the slab and I can't even notice I popped it open (: Going to be trying it on some BVG slabs tonight though for the first time so hoping it's not TOO difficult! haha

Looking forward to hearing/seeing the results.

[glynparson]

The newer PSA slabs are far more difficult to pop open than the old slabs. BVG/BGS still the hardest to crack open but they also have the least amount of collectors and the lowest resale (On vintage cards).

[jchcollins]

Originally Posted by glynparson

The newer PSA slabs are far more difficult to pop open than the old slabs.

Just in my experience, I would have to disagree. I've busted a few of the new (with hologram) slabs, and well more than a few of the older ones. They all seem the same to me. Snip off a corner with a pair of players or some other tool. Then gently work a flathead screwdriver around the rest of the case to break the seal. At first I thought that the newer slabs had some kind of different technology within the recessed area...but I don't think they do.



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[jchcollins]

Originally Posted by glynparson

BVG/BGS still the hardest to crack open but they also have the least amount of collectors and the lowest resale (On vintage cards).

This has always been a bit of a mystery to me. As far as the quality of the physical product, I have always thought Beckett did the best job. The slabs are thicker and sturdier, and yes - busting one open is somewhat akin to breaking into Ft. Knox. Then there is the inner sleeve that really does do a good job - cards in BVG slabs don't slide around in the holder like you see even frequently with PSA. Why Beckett don't have a better following is beyond me. Maybe just because PSA was first to market and had more big name cards graded earlier? Possibly. Beckett did do at least one stupid thing with that BCCG or whatever their lower-tier service is. That's designed to give a card in worse condition a higher numerical grade just so people have an easier time getting 8's and above. Then in the fine print it insinuates "oh, well this is a different club with a different scale." This many years on I think people can see that for the scam it is. But with regular Beckett grading and BVG, I really do think the quality is there. I don't collect enough pure graded to speak to any personal problems with their grading standards - be they high or low - per se. I've got a few BVG cards in my collection right now and I agree with their grades.