Breaking cards out of slabs?

[ALR-bishop]

I have a fairly large collection almost all of which is ungraded. I almost always break cards out if I buy them graded and have done so for years. But I am an impatient person. I use a bolt cutter then a irrigation screw driver. No issues but might not be for the faint of heart

[NiceDocter]

I was breaking into a cold sweat just reading this thread….. too nerve wracking for me LOL

[Snowman]

Yikes! You guys are giving me a heart attack with these cracking slab videos.

I've cracked thousands of slabs. This is how I do it. I crack an SGC and a PSA slab in this video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WlBkTYF05UI

[perezfan]

And what was so different about it, vs. the other two?

[Snowman]

Originally Posted by perezfan

And what was so different about it, vs. the other two?

Well, I didn't jab a screwdriver and fumble it all the way up and down each edge, millimeter by millimeter for one lol. That's a sure way to wreck a card at some point. Also, you guys were wrestling with separating the top from the bottom. I'm watching it going up and down, up and down, about to pull my hair out. You're going to get shards of broken plastic wedged under the top of the slab and it's going to indent the surface. But damage issues aside, it's also just much faster.

[Zach Wheat]

I have cracked out numerous cards from most of the grading companies. I use a miter saw, securing the card with clamps etc. BVG cases are the hardest cases to crack. With other methods mentioned above, I was always concerned with a portion of the case tearing or marring the surface of the card. A miter saw allows you to completely cut the sides off, separating the front and back.

[perezfan]

Originally Posted by Snowman

Well, I didn't jab a screwdriver and fumble it all the way up and down each edge, millimeter by millimeter for one lol. That's a sure way to wreck a card at some point. Also, you guys were wrestling with separating the top from the bottom. I'm watching it going up and down, up and down, about to pull my hair out. You're going to get shards of broken plastic wedged under the top of the slab and it's going to indent the surface. But damage issues aside, it's also just much faster.

Nope, never happened. Hundreds cracked out with no issues whatsoever.

[Snowman]

Originally Posted by perezfan

Nope, never happened. Hundreds cracked out with no issues whatsoever.

You must be cracking a lot of T206s then. Because if you try this same approach with cards that have less space inside the slab like a 1952 Topps, you'll eventually damage one. That screwdriver will slip as you try to navigate its way around the edges of the slab. Once you free open the top, you should be able to just pry the entire slab apart with your hands without needing to run the screwdriver all the way around the perimeter. Also, clipping off both of the top corners, as opposed to just the one, will greatly reduce the likelihood of the slab splitting as you pull it apart.

[obcbobd]

Originally Posted by Snowman

Yikes! You guys are giving me a heart attack with these cracking slab videos.

I've cracked thousands of slabs. This is how I do it. I crack an SGC and a PSA slab in this video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WlBkTYF05UI

I've done 100 or so without issue, using pliers and flathead screwdriver around all side. Your way is much better. Thanks!