Trading Card Glossary › Grading & Authentication
Cracking
Also known as: crack out, cracking a slab
Cracking (or "cracking the slab") refers to the process of opening a graded card's plastic holder to retrieve the raw card inside. Collectors crack slabs to resubmit cards for a higher grade, to submit to a different grading company (called "crossgrading"), or simply to sell the card as a raw card. A cracked card loses its certified grade and must be regraded if the collector wants a slabbed version again. Cracking a low-grade slab to resubmit is often called "upgrading."
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