Slab cracking

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Posted By: ms4epg1

I was wondering what's the easiest way to crack a slab without damaging the card? I was going to bid for some low-grade stuff I can afford, but I'd rather have them in my own display holders than the slabs. I don't intend to resell the cards.

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Posted By: Julie

(where the label is) right between the two halves, and when you get 1/4th or 1/8" in, turn the knife sideways, and you will be greeted by a gratifying "crrackk!"

GAI and Beckett are much harder because of the "nesting" factor. Check "search posts,"--someone found a machine that does it for you. I just take a needle-nose plyers and
attach it all the way around, about 1/4 inch in, and crack the plastic off. It does tend to fly accross the room....

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Posted By: ms4epg1

Excellent! Slab shrapnel! Thanx for the How To...!

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Posted By: Julie

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Posted By: Mike P.

Has a nice site with a lot of info/research including slab cracking:
http://www.seanet.com/~brucemo/card_articles/deslab.htm

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Posted By: PASJD

Unless PSA has changed the seal there is an easier process than Julie's. Once you break the seal anywhere, the label area is best, if you take a thin screwdriver you can usually just start sliding it between the two halves of the rest of the slab and prying it open a little and a time and within a minute or two it will come easily undone, it may even peel once you get partway there. No shrapnel.

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Posted By: Glenn

I've only done it once myself, so I can't guarantee how safe it is, but it was fun as hell. I laid the slab down on a flat, solid surface (my bathroom floor actually), smashed one of the corners with a hammer, slipped a screwdriver in there and pried it open.

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Posted By: Julie

A friend of mine just gives the whole thing as tap with a giant sledgehammer!

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Posted By: Jason

I prefer a sawzall! (reciprocating saw)

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Posted By: William Brumbach

Perhaps GAI slabs have gotten better since they started. I cracked open a small group of them back in 2002 and they were very easy to open, a simple gentle but firm diagonal twist back and forth and two cracks later the two pieces separated cleanly. With more effort and deviance these could have been resealed in my opinion.

PSA holders always seem to explode on me with lots of plastic shrapnel flying around. Only did one SGC holder back in 2001 and remember it being difficult as well. Never did a Beckett slab.

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Posted By: Gilbert Maines

I only have experience with SGC and PSA slabs, but there is nothing to fear in trying to open these up (unless you choose to use extreme force - when a nail file will suffice).

I use a method like Julie's: get in the groove and twist. Much of the seal is then open and you can gently pry the rest by hand.

Good luck.

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Posted By: eric p.

i prefer a miter saw (chop saw).