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What other tools do you all use in examining a card inside a slab...
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Once you get a card, a trick I use to look for those hidden wrinkles is to use a flashlight in a very dark room. With the lights off, hold the flashlight perpendicular to the edge of the card, so the light shines across the surface of the card. This will cast shadows behind any wrinkles, making them much more easy to see. I shine the flashlight across each edge, looking at both the front and back of the card.
Often times when I am buying a card I can only afford a mid-grade example (eg. PSA 3 to PSA 5, SGC 50, etc.). My main focus is centering and image quality/colors, but I also try to avoid creases and surface wrinkles when I can. Typically I will email a seller asking about any creases or wrinkles before I place a snipe for an eBay card. If the card has a wrinkle that's not evident in the scan, it's good to know about it so you can either adjust your bid or wait for another example.
It's up to you to determine what you like to see with a card's condition, and to collect what
you like. Wrinkles or small creases don't bother me on a VG (3) graded card. With VG-EX (4) cards I look for even wear on the corners but no creases/wrinkles. When I can afford a "high-grade" EX (5) card
, I look for cards that might otherwise look NM+, but might have a small, unobtrusive wrinkle on the back. I personally find great value in those types of cards, because with my deteriorating eyesight (42 now), those PSA 5's look like near mint cards to me.
