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Reholdering Sports Cards: What Are Crack-Outs and When Should You Use Them?
If you've spent time around sports card collectors, you've probably heard terms like reholdering and crack-outs.
Both involve removing or replacing a graded card's holder, but they're done for very different reasons.
Collectors may reholder a card because the slab is damaged or outdated, while others crack cards out to resubmit them for a higher grade or to have them signed at an autograph signing.
In this guide, we'll explain how reholdering sports cards works, what crack-outs are, and why both can affect sports card population reports.
What Is Reholdering?
Reholdering is when a grading company removes your card from its existing holder and places it into a brand-new slab.
Collectors commonly reholder cards when:
- The slab is scratched or damaged.
- They prefer the company's newest holder design.
- The label is worn or damaged.
- They want their collection to have a consistent appearance.
The card itself stays the same—the holder and label are simply replaced.
Can Your Card Be Regraded During Reholdering?
This is something many collectors overlook.
When you submit a card for reholdering, there is always a possibility that the grading company could determine the card no longer matches its original grade.
While this doesn't happen often, it is something to consider—especially for valuable cards.
If you own a high-end card with a desirable grade, you may decide that keeping it in its original holder is the safer option.
For lower-value cards, reholdering may be worth the cosmetic improvement.
What Is a Crack-Out?
A crack-out is exactly what it sounds like.
The collector physically removes the card from its graded holder.
Collectors usually crack out cards because they plan to:
- Resubmit the card for a higher grade.
- Submit it to another grading company.
- Have the card autographed.
- Display it outside the slab.
Once the slab is opened, it cannot simply be put back together.
How Do Collectors Crack Out a Card?
Unlike reholdering, grading companies such as PSA do not crack cards out for you.
Collectors perform this process themselves.
A common method is:
- Use pliers to break one corner of the slab.
- Insert a flathead screwdriver into the opening.
- Carefully separate the two halves of the holder.
- Remove the card without damaging it.
Extreme care should always be taken during this process because one mistake can permanently damage the card.
How Reholdering and Crack-Outs Affect Population Reports
Both reholdering and crack-outs help explain why sports card population reports are not always perfectly accurate.
For example:
A collector may:
- Crack out a PSA 9.
- Resubmit it.
- Receive a PSA 10.
Unless the original certification is removed from the database, the population report may count both submissions even though only one physical card exists.
The same issue can occur when collectors repeatedly crack out valuable cards in hopes of receiving a higher grade.
This is one reason population reports should be viewed as helpful research tools—not exact counts.
Should You Reholder Your Sports Cards?
It depends on your goals.
Reholdering may make sense if:
- Your slab is damaged.
- You want the newest holder style.
- You're preserving a valuable collection.
It may not make sense if:
- You own an expensive card with a highly desirable grade.
- You're concerned about any possibility of the grade being reviewed.
- The current holder is already in excellent condition.
Should You Crack Out Your Sports Cards?
Crack-outs are generally performed by experienced collectors.
Before cracking a card out, ask yourself:
- Am I trying to improve the grade?
- Am I getting the card signed?
- Am I submitting it to another grading company?
- Is the potential reward worth the risk?
Once the holder is opened, there's no going back.
Final Thoughts
Reholdering sports cards and crack-outs are both common practices among collectors, but they serve very different purposes.
Reholdering replaces an old or damaged holder while keeping the card protected.
Crack-outs permanently remove the card from its slab so it can be resubmitted, signed, or transferred to another grading company.
Understanding both processes will help you make better decisions about protecting your collection—and understand why population reports are never perfectly accurate.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is reholdering sports cards?
Reholdering is when a grading company places your graded card into a brand-new slab without changing the card itself.
Why do collectors crack out sports cards?
Collectors crack out cards to resubmit them for grading, switch grading companies, or have the card autographed.
Can PSA crack my card out for me?
No. If you want a card removed from its holder, you must do it yourself.
Can reholdering change my card's grade?
While uncommon, it's possible the grading company could determine the card no longer matches its original grade.
Why do crack-outs affect population reports?
When cards are cracked out and resubmitted, the same physical card may be counted multiple times in a grading company's population report.
Related Guides
- What Is Sports Card Grading?
- Which Sports Card Grading Company Should You Use?
- Sports Card Population Reports Explained
- Should You Grade Your Sports Cards?
- Sports Card Grading Scale Explained
- Sports Card Autograph Grades Explained
- What Is Sports Card Authentication?
- Sports Card Grading Terms Every Collector Should Know
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