Am I the first to crack an SCD case?

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Posted By: runscott

They are very tricky - I tried without success to insert a small flat-head screwdriver along the side where I normally go in, ending up just drilling an ugly hole in the side of the case. The Achilles heel is located at the bottom where the plastic was originally broken loose (from a tree?). Then it's simple - just work carefully around the edges as you would with an SGC or PSA case.

Real pleasure to see the card up close - still smells like an old attic!

(I only cracked one)

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Posted By: john

where you rank these cases as how hard they are to crack?also how many different companies have you cracked holders from now? If there was a card cracker(georgia pun intended) hall of fame,i would nominate you first

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Posted By: runscott

SCD is the toughest, then the old SGC's, then PSA. The new SGC's are a snap.

I don't usually crack out cards any more - my logic is that they will usually sell better in the case, even if under-graded slightly, and if I'm keeping it for my personal collection it's good protection and the SGCs and SCDs look very nice.

I cracked the SCD Powers because I have another very nice one and I wanted to compare the surfaces closely. I thought maybe the "pack fresh" thing would make a difference, but they both had almost the same exact surface appearance.

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Posted By: David

You're cracked all right, Scott .... Oops, sorry, misread the question

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Posted By: Julie Vognar

SGC is easy; PSA is harder. Those are the only ones I've cracked, except for one CSA, which I don't even
remember.
I use a thin steak knife, and start sawing between the two halves up at the top, above the printed verdict. SGC invariably comes in two whole; PSA cracks all over the place, and I'm lucky I haven't ruined a card yet.

Mark Macrae uses a sledge hammer! At first I thought he was joking, but he wasn't.

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Posted By: runscott

try the "screwdriver technique" (copyright not applied for). Also, I agree about SGC being the easiest - it's the really old SGC's that are tough.

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Posted By: TBob

but so far not a single SCD, so you may have the honor. I have cracked half a set of E97s and over half of a set of E94s, almost all SGC with a few PSAs, so I hope no one is putting too much faith in their pop reports for caramel cards.

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Posted By: TBob

The screwdriver technique is the one I have found to be the best. On tough slabs I have found that a needle-nosed pliers with a little twisting motion at the top can open a little space for the screwdriver to fit nicely in to and complete the task.

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Posted By: Bill Cornell

I've easily liberated cards from PSA, CSA, CTA, FGS, PGS, and PRO, but tonight I (almost) met my match going up against my first BVG tomb - couldn't find the @#$@$! seam! Shards went flying after my silver hammer came down upon his head (resemblance to the right half of Texas is a bonus), but Erskine Mayer has emerged in all his beauty.

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Posted By: Brian C Daniels

just use a band saw! No case can resist one......zip and four seconds later you have your card!

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Posted By: jverri01

Scott -
All 4 of the cards I bought encapsulated I "set free".

How I do it (and to ALL other graded cards I set free):

capsule held in upright position on solid surface. Regular screwdriver inserted in to "gulley" along top border. Lightly tap screwdriver w/a hammer. This merely breaks the seal. You then push the screwdriver further in to the wedge and turn scredriver head so point is vertical, not gorizontal. This "lifts" the 2 pieces from one another. You can work around the entire edge this way, and never even come close to touching the card itself. If done properly, the plastic isn't even cracked - you simply pull the two idependent pieces from one another by "disengaging" the adhesive.

In the past, I was more haphazard about it: saw, bolt cutter, etc. Then, one day - I completely wrecked the border of a card in a PRO 8 holder (I find PRO holders to be the toughest to crack, followed by SGC. I find PSA easy to break). Granted, the card was probably trimmed - but, trimmed AND damaged? (OK - I can see it coming: many people will follow-up this post and say trimmed IS damage...I agree...want to cut that one off at the pass...)

Anyway, my two point five cents.

James

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Posted By: Eric

I've cracked several holders from both PSA and SGC. It's quite simple: take a pair of pliers or channel locks; grasp a top corner and snap the edge off. About 1 or 2 inches should come off. Do the same to an adjacent corner. Then take a flat head screw driver and gently pry the holder open around the edges.

The card is now safely returned to it's naked state!

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Posted By: runscott

posts don't seem to be working

[turtleguy64]

I've cracked open some PSA holders because the grade I received was totally out of whack ,re-submited the cards and got the right grade.I lean the card holder flat on the floor up against a solid cement wall like in a garage.Top of holder closest to me.Screwdriver placed in center of top of holder,tap screwdriver carefully with same size ballpin hammer used by Andy Dufrene in Shawshank Redemption,good sturdy tap while holding screwdriver in place.Sweet sound of plastic cracking.Use screwdriver to pry off front of holder as you hold bottom of holder down with one hand.Card can be exhumed.Usually undamaged.

[sox1903wschamp]

I'm right there with you Turtleguy, PSA crackouts are easy and by the way, this thread was rescued from the deep depths of Mr. Archive. Just about 8 years

[JP]

That beats bbsports record set yesterday of a bump...his was only four years.

I've always used only one method to open all cases, a vice. Put the edge above the label in sideways (label facing right or left, not up and down) and then crank until the entire top cracks and separates. Then pull apart the two halves.

[toppcat]

Has anyone noticed SGC cases are harder to crack these days. I have used a jeweler's screwdriver and a pair of needlenose pliers for a long time with great success splitting the front from the back with little effort but now the cases are breaking into large shards.

[toppcat]

Has anyone noticed SGC cases are harder to crack these days? I have used a jeweler's screwdriver and a pair of needlenose pliers for a long time with great success splitting the front from the back with little effort but now the cases are breaking into large shards.