A bit new to collecting, so apologies in advance for any dumb questions…
I recently dug out an old collection (from ~2000 to 2004) I kept in a binder. These are mainly Japanese cards (some English) that I kept in 9-card trading pages, with holos also kept in Ultra Pro deck protectors. I have removed the holos, put them in fresh, looser fitting penny sleeves, and then into Card Saver Is (waiting for when I can get them graded).
I took a close look at the cards under an LED light and couldn’t see any holo scratches. However, I am a little concerned that the old deck protectors got a little dusty, and I might’ve scratched the holos when removing them. Is a magnifying lamp absolutely required to inspect for scratches? And must I take the cards out of their penny sleeves + Card Savers (I’d rather not, lest I accidentally damage them…) to best inspect for scratches? Or can I inspect them as is in the Card Savers?
Hello, my method might seem a bit relaxed while I would scrutinise more throughly if their of high value.
If you took a magnifying glass to PSA 10’s you’d be horrified. I’d say don’t sweat it. If you have stored them the way you said which sounds better than most and after a quick analysis and the right protection, submit and see.
The more you touch and faff with your cards, the more you increase the risk of scratching them. Currently their already in card savers, even if you found a scratch now it’s not like you can remove it so it’s ultimately time wasted.
Deep scratches are much more of a concern than minor/feint scratches that can only be seen under intense scrutiny. It’s almost inevitable that a holo will get some type of minor scratch even out of a pack. I would say that to the naked eye all of my PSA 10s I can’t see any type of scratch but it’s possible that something is there if I looked super hard with the right tools. It’s when it becomes most noticeable that the card gets knocked down a grade or 2. It’s all about eye appeal and how distracting it is.
The biggest thing would be to lower your expectations. If the rest of the card is perfect, plan to get a PSA 8 or 9 so you won’t be as disappointed.
It can be very difficult to see fine surface wear on cards through a sleeve and even moreso through a card saver, as you’ll be seeing light reflecting off the smooth outer sleeve rather than any smaller bumps and scratches on the card itself. It may also be worth noting that surface damage on the back of the card is pretty common and more difficult to see than holo scratching. If you’re aiming for high grades on the cards, I would recommend taking a look at the raw, unsleeved cards before spending a bunch of money to potentially be disappointed.
I’d inspect the cards raw, plastic makes it difficult to inspect surface. I would get light and magnification, such as a magnifying lamp. I wouldn’t go too crazy with magnification though. Under a loupe you could find imperfections on anything.
Buy a 5x-15x loupe on eBay (a cheap one) for $0.99 and take a good look at all surfaces, corners, edges, etc. As other have said though, you’ll need to understand the level of holo scratching that grading companies find acceptable to properly assess your card.
Get new sleeves, inspect card outside of sleeves. The naked eye and a bright light are fine for me with good vision that is. If you really want to inspect well use all angles, holding the card right side up, sideways, and upside down. Sometimes it takes just the right angle to see a faint scratch.