Sorry if some of you saw this in my collection post, but I’ve now realised this is where I should be posting this kind of content.
So the big question, do I open and grade this card?? What would it grade potentially.
I personally feel it would grade highly as I can see no damage or indentations, however it may struggle with a 10 as the centering is very slightly off. If anyone has experience grading this card some advice would be greatly appreciated. It is worth noting I am after a 9 (10 obviously being the preference), however I am concerned it may devalue the card as current listings are more than double what I originally payed for it. As another note, the plastic has a clean but prominent crease at the top where the previous owner had folded the top to fit in a glass case.
hmm, I was reading and I thought that you could grade it as a pack until I read the last sentence of it having a crease across the pack.
I think the centering is 10 worthy, and as for other damages you can spot those better because you have got the card in hand.
As for grading it, japanese cards tend to grade more easily as well, so it would be a matter of if you like the card to be graded or not!
If you want to, do. If you don’t want to, don’t. It might be a bit generic, but it is the answer I will give you.
Good luck!
Thank you very much for the advice. Really appreciate you taking the time to help and will bear that in mind. I was aware PSA encase the packaging, but didn’t realise they grade it as well.
My personal issue with those sealed Japanese promos is their long flappy packaging. Makes it pretty hard to protect and display properly.
However, for such a significant card, it might be worth it to find a custom solution like a picture frame or a glass case of some sort. Because as was already said, finding a sealed mint copy is probably harder already than finding a PSA graded one. To me the seal adds extra value and a sense of ‘immaculateness’.
Regardless of the potential grade I would get it graded.
It’s just a standard wrapper so nothing too collectible IMO.
Super nice card tho that would be perfect in a graded collection.
Once it’s graded the condition is essentially locked in place. That wrap leaves it open to curving and handling wear.
Sometimes sealed cards can have dents/creases. “Better to open the seal and confirm the mintyness than leave it closed and leave any doubt remaining”, or something. Personally I would always grade more valuable cards simply because I don’t like handling them loose; I’m always worried about damaging them. If your card does have a crease (it doesn’t look like it does) then obviously that changes the equation.
I’ve opened over 10 of these and they can had subtle indents. I even purchased a couple from a japanese seller and they sent photos from every angle, and it still had a subtle indent when opened.
Thank you everyone for your great responses, it has been excellent help in finalizing my decision. I had been on the fence about deciding to open it for months. Ultimately I have decided to get it graded. I can see no indentations and I was amazed how much the card popped when removed from the plastic, which had become slightly clouded with dirt. I aim to send it off for grading in the next few months and I’ll update my collection thread when it returns!
