We used to just call that laminated
 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1909-T206-Ha...item19cebbf918

Now, I don't doubt that Dad would do that. My Dad always used to have important stuff laminated at the office of the company he worked for. But does anyone have any idea what that would do to the value of a card ... any card? 50%? 10%

It looks like it could very well just be shrink wrap as mentioned. You can even see the heat closure at the bottom (though hard to tell through the card sleeve). If it is then there is no damage done to the card. As a teen I had access to shrink wrap all the time and would shrink wrap anything and everything when I had the chance.

Eventually it all came back out without any issue.

lamination, lol
 

One time at the early Willow Grove shows, a guy asked Ted Taylor & Bob Schmier about laminating their cards. The response by them was that it was paramount to setting their cards on fire!
I still laugh when I recall this incident!
Bill Hedin

If it's laminated, it's ruined for anything other than a purely aesthetic piece. I wouldn't think it has any value that relates to the card that it once was.

I think the value of a laminated card is all relative to the card, itself. For the above pictured card, yes - little value at all (like Jay notes). An riginal Wagner laminated - I bet it still sells for $75k+.

Doesn't look laminated. I think it is shring wrapped or saran rap around the card.

Think about this....
 

Isn't this really what third-party graders do?

Now I understand slabs can be cracked and the cards aren't altered in the slabbing process. But for all intents and purposes once a card is slabbed it will be forever entombed.

A wholesale dealer told me that a collector had a house fire that melted all his graded cards into one lucite thing. The cards themselves were okay, but they would always be connected together.

The same dealer had for sale a 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle eternally glued with a pin to the bottom of a glass ashtray. You could see Mickey but only through the ashtray. He auctioned it and it sold pretty well, just because it was a affordable 52T Mantle.

I assume the problem with laminated is some don't want it and some might want it but are wary of it ('What will it look like in 10 years?') which lowers demand. If it's an inexpensive item, I might buy it. We've all bought cards with major back damage or ink stains. It's kind of on that order. In fact, I'd prefer laminated to ink stains on front.

"This Spectacular Harry Steinfeldt card is part of my Fathers collection. He started collecting in early 1900's. I will be posting more of Dad's cards. This card is over 100 years old. Priceless!!"

If his dad started collecting in the early 1900s, let's say at 8 years old we will put his birth at 1901. Then married later and had a kid at let's say 30 in 1931. This dude will have his 82nd birthday this year.

I'm impressed my dad is 67 and couldn't figure Ebay for the life of him.

Lamination will eventually turn yellow and will turn the paper yellow. Plastic will break down and crack, etc. If it is a slab, that's fine. It falls apart and the paper remains. If you laminate, it bonds to the paper and once the lamination disintegrates, so goes the paper.

Anyway, who's really thinking lamination is a good idea for cards. I feel stupid even typing a response. I guess I'm just bored.

I have 2 cards that are laminated and this one is not. Not sure if it's shrink but it does have some home made wrapping on it.

One thing with a laminated card is that you don't need to get it graded for protection, it is well protected with the lamination.

Lee