To slab or unslab...

[SpastikMooss]

I have my PC collection in a binder, for the most part. I like being able to see the cards in a 9 x 9 format all in one place - it's awesome.

Only cards not in said binder are Uncirculated cards in slabs with the Topps seal. I know it would kill the value of the card if I break it out, but I don't really care about reselling so that's fine. My bigger worry, especially with lower numbered cards, is that I'm forever altering the card if I break it out. Much like getting a printing plate or 1/1 signed completely changes that card, unslabbing an uncirculated card, to me, feels like making it a different card - not the one the company put out and certainly not the one on the checklist.

So my question is - if you were in my spot and you broke the uncirculated cards out to put them in a binder, would you still consider those cards the needed cards or would the slab breaking change the cards? Second question - if I ever did resell and the slab was gone how much would that lower the price you would pay?

Final question out of curiosity - do people ever get uncirculated cards graded? Can you slab a slab?

[boxbust421]

I would leave it slabbed and maybe think of a different way to display them somehow so you could still see the slabbed stuff but keep it in it's natural form in the case. Maybe 9x9 cabinets with glass or plexiglass. Something along the lines of that. Just my .02

[SpastikMooss]

Originally Posted by boxbust421

I would leave it slabbed and maybe think of a different way to display them somehow so you could still see the slabbed stuff but keep it in it's natural form in the case. Maybe 9x9 cabinets with glass or plexiglass. Something along the lines of that. Just my .02

Appreciated, thanks much! Any other thoughts?

[Aagien]

Originally Posted by boxbust421

I would leave it slabbed and maybe think of a different way to display them somehow so you could still see the slabbed stuff but keep it in it's natural form in the case. Maybe 9x9 cabinets with glass or plexiglass. Something along the lines of that. Just my .02

my thoughts as well

[SpastikMooss]

Any thoughts this morning?

[ssbledsoe]

I would leave them slabbed. I have a Wes Welker Bowman Gold "Uncorculated" that has a loose sticker. I find it to be an eyesore and have thought about moving it, but generally speaking no one is interested in it.
To answer your other question, you absolutely can grade uncirculated cards. I have owned and seem several 2004 Bowman Chrome Wes Welker Uncirculated cards slabbed by BGS and PSA. They simply break the card out of the uncirculated slab and grade it like normal.

[SpastikMooss]

Originally Posted by ssbledsoe

I would leave them slabbed. I have a Wes Welker Bowman Gold "Uncirculated" that has a loose sticker. I find it to be an eyesore and have thought about moving it, but generally speaking no one is interested in it.
To answer your other question, you absolutely can grade uncirculated cards. I have owned and seem several 2004 Bowman Chrome Wes Welker Uncirculated cards slabbed by BGS and PSA. They simply break the card out of the uncirculated slab and grade it like normal.

Good to know about the first part. See I don't think anyone would be interested in my Seneca uncirculated cards one way or another haha.

Thanks for your help on the second part! See that's the weird thing to me though - if you graded it wouldn't it no longer be the uncirculated version anymore? Since it's not in the original case?

[ifish73]

Just use 4 pocket pages for the cards that are slabbed. There are many configurations of pages to accommodate most size cards or holders.

[ssbledsoe]

Originally Posted by SpastikMooss

Good to know about the first part. See I don't think anyone would be interested in my Seneca uncirculated cards one way or another haha.

Thanks for your help on the second part! See that's the weird thing to me though - if you graded it wouldn't it no longer be the uncirculated version anymore? Since it's not in the original case?

Well, collecting Drew Bledsoe doesn't exactly give me room to say, "Seneca who?"
The point of the uncirculated holder is to be tamper-proof, which I think BGS and PSA holders provide. So, no, I don't think it makes the card no longer the "uncirculated version".
I'm not sure I want to jump into the grading debate. However, I will say that I like the idea of the BGS holder for protecting my PC. If I had the money, or if I simply stopped buying other cards, I would choose to submit the majority of my Bledsoe PC to BGS. I don't think the BGS holder is matched by anything else with regards to protection. Ultimately I couldn't care less about the numbers on the top of the slab, as I know that many of my PC cards are NM-MT at best. But alas, I choose to spend money on cards of my favorite current Patriots.

[SpastikMooss]

More great replies!

Originally Posted by ifish73

Just use 4 pocket pages for the cards that are slabbed. There are many configurations of pages to accommodate most size cards or holders.

I thought about this, but I have the cards in order alphabetically and by year (lol). It looks nice because it groups like cards together, so all the parallels are in a row, plates, etc. The slabs would thus not be in order with the other cards if I put them in the book this way.

Originally Posted by ssbledsoe

Well, collecting Drew Bledsoe doesn't exactly give me room to say, "Seneca who?"
The point of the uncirculated holder is to be tamper-proof, which I think BGS and PSA holders provide. So, no, I don't think it makes the card no longer the "uncirculated version".
I'm not sure I want to jump into the grading debate. However, I will say that I like the idea of the BGS holder for protecting my PC. If I had the money, or if I simply stopped buying other cards, I would choose to submit the majority of my Bledsoe PC to BGS. I don't think the BGS holder is matched by anything else with regards to protection. Ultimately I couldn't care less about the numbers on the top of the slab, as I know that many of my PC cards are NM-MT at best. But alas, I choose to spend money on cards of my favorite current Patriots.

Haha poor Drew. But I like your POV and seen what you mean here.

[MarinoHOF]

I love to look at my PC too haha....I have some glass top showcases I keep them in.
I honestly wouldnt grade your uncirculated cards or any other cards for that matter.

I think Magnetics offer better protection...especially for displayed cards as they protect against UV damage and fading and the Beckett holders do not.
If you did have your heart set on slabbing your cards....You can do that yourself! Just pick up the slabs that are available to us.

[SpastikMooss]

Originally Posted by MarinoHOF

I love to look at my PC too haha....I have some glass top showcases I keep them in.
I honestly wouldnt grade your uncirculated cards or any other cards for that matter.

I think Magnetics offer better protection...especially for displayed cards as they protect against UV damage and fading and the Beckett holders do not.
If you did have your heart set on slabbing your cards....You can do that yourself! Just pick up the slabs that are available to us.

Well my issue was just that these cards came slabbed. Not super slabbed - Topps company uncirculated slabbed, with the Topps sticker to show no tampering and click sides to the case. I like to put my cards in a binder so I'd rather them not slabbed...but the slab is part of the card IMHO so what to do, what to do.

After chatting here and elsewhere...I broke them all free. I figured if I ever get remorseful I can throw them back in the slabs (although like bledsoe said, the stickers are never the same). For now I'm psyched I did though - it's the first time the 6 cards I have have been touched by human hands in 9 years. Isn't that weird? Plus the slab hid some of the colors and fractoriness of the cards so they look way nicer free.

[MarinoHOF]

Yea I only own one ,maybe 2 of those uncirculated. Glad you are happy with your decision to break them out! I'm guessing they are some Senecas eh?

[SpastikMooss]

Originally Posted by MarinoHOF

Yea I only own one ,maybe 2 of those uncirculated. Glad you are happy with your decision to break them out! I'm guessing they are some Senecas eh?

Haha yeah, every single one. Bowman Red Refractor /235, Bowman Blue Refractor/235, a Finest Xfractor Auto /50, Pristine Xfractor Jersey /25, Topps Chrome Gold Xfractor /101, and Topps Pristine Refractor /499. The Bowmans and the Finest Auto look especially nice broken out - I feel like being enslabbed kills a bit of the shine on them. Especially the Bowman borders - I never realized the Blue and Red had blue and red tinted borders but once I broke the card out and tilted it around it really catches the light!