Need some input on whether or not to open some cut cards I have coming.

I've been trying to get the mintiest figures I can for my loose collection. I recently purchased 2 cut cards with yellow and cracked bubbles. They're nothing super rare or anything-Hoth Stormtrooper and removable limbs C3PO.

Do you guys think it's sacrilege to remove these fgures from their bubble, even though the bubbles are'nt mint, to put in my loose collection, or is this a perfectly acceptable thing to do.

I have no intention of ever having them U graded, I just want the best condition figures I can get for my collection.

Let me have it. Thoughts and criticisms welcome!

Cracked & yellow bubbled cut cards- I'd probably open them. Tough call. I've always worked on the theory it doesn't guarantee they are mint. The backs of the figures could be worn or paint chips can occur within a bubble. You're not going to know till you bust them out As long as you're not buying a carton of MOCs to open to get a high grade I think it's OK.

Like Aussie said, you have to inspect them thoroughly and then keep your fingers crossed that there's no paint loss to the back before you open them for minty figures. I've seen figures beaten to hell inside sealed bubbles. A good example of paint loss inside the bubbles is the bespin guards. Their gold seems to almost shake off during time.

But all in all, if its not a rare figure, I'd say go for it buddy!! Bust 'em open. I have several minty figures taken from cut cards and beaters. My major rule on beater moc is bubble lifting. If its got bubble lifting and beater card, the integrity of a sealed piece is gone for me. Cut cards for me are meant to be opened for pristine loose figures unless rare of course.

Baggies are different for me. I learned my lesson on opening baggies. I believe that hurts baggie collectors as much as opening C8+ MOC hurts MOC collectors. I've opened a C3po removable limbs baggie for my minty example and that one doesn't really bother me because they are everywhere and kinda crappy looking figure as well. But, I won't open another baggie for the rest of my days.

Its hard to justify searching a year for a minty loose figure that goes for double what you can buy a cut card or beater moc for.

Just be careful the figure is in the condition you want. I know I opened a DSC beater that had some paint loss on his ass, but overall in nice condition.

Well for common figures in bad shap cut cards, i would say just open those if you want them in your loose collection.

But like the others allready stated, cut card figures does not garantee you minty figures, the can be yellowed slightly (like the hoth trooper) without you even seeing it through the yellowed bubble, or can have paintloss to the back (the 3PO) or even the hoth troopers cape can have taken colour from the cardback wich you might not be able to remove.

Anyway what i have learned is better to buy minty loose figures (wich can be inspected all around) then buy a cut card.
Price would be approx. the same, but then you have the garantee it's mint.

Having pulled figures from beater/cut cards before and to be honest, i have replaced 1/3 off them by minty'er examples.

Also the beater/cut cards are getting scarcer with the U-grader folks, so somehow i like the support Mike's idea of save the beater MOC and haven't pulled a single figure from a card since.

Anyway, i think you can find any regular figure from the kenner line in loose mint shape for a decent price if you just wait around and keep your eyes open (or talk to the right people.. )

Cheers, Dennis.

Open them,

Its for your personal collection then do what you want with them.

At the end of the day, they are already cut and your not profiteering from it.

Interesting Topic!

I am strongly against the U Grade and the opening of MOC's and baggies so that people can attained a sticker with the letter U.

However i never had a problem with people opening cut cards as i saw it not as a MOC anymore until i read some of the posts in the recent purchases thread about the Lili Ledy Cut Cards.

I have to admit some peoples arguments really made me think differently.

The LL Removable Hood Jawa Cut card that Merlin had was awesome and like wise Jasons LL Cut Cards looked fantastic in a picture he put up recently.

So when it comes to uber rare cut cards i don't think opening is the best option and displayed properly these things can look great.

Going back to more common figures on cut cards i think as the lads have highlighted you have zero guarantee to receive a minty figure and in many cases you don't and some of the reasons why are highlighted in the above comments.

If its truly minty figures you want i know a number of awesome sellers who deal in C9.5 figures if your interested let me know and ill put you in touch

This ties back to an item im waiting on i have recently purchased a Vader MOC its in C6 - C7 Condition has a yellow bubble with a crack in it. I believe its a 77 back with the alternative pointing picture what i really like about the card is it has the anakin offer sticker placed directly on top of vaders face so its almost the man behind the helmet effect.

I had picked the item up as a beater MOC as i figured i could open it for a minty example but the more i have thought about it the more im leaning towards keep the figure MOC. It hasn't arrived yet so ill know more when i have it in my hands i guess.

Jay

Nicely put Jay... and I agree with Mike - Save the Beater!!!

The MOC variation (cut or battered) might be a really difficult to track down for someone's character focus and there's already a ton of mint loose figures out there... you just need to bide you time.

Brad

Just prop up the cut card on a small easel and display it as-is! Why not? It's great to showcase the loose figures but having one or two in the plastic is pretty neat, especially to people outside the SW universe. I think it makes a loose collection look even better. You can pick up a little easel or stand for a buck or two at most.

Keep it sealed and display it proudly. If it doesnt grow on you, you can always open it but you can't un-ring the bell.

I agree with a lot that has been said by others.

Esecially if it is a rare figure I would leave it alone.

I am on the "Preservationist" side if things. There are far fewer on card than loose in the world.

Could you post a pic of these so we can see what choice it is you are grappling with.

I think in the case of common *cut* MOC with *cracked* and/or *lifting* bubbles you should have very little reservations. Something like that would not display well in my opinion. You could also see if anyone wants to trade loose figures for your cut cards before going through with it just to give someone else a shot at them.

Circling back around on the Ledy cut card topic. I actually had no idea people collected cut cards like that and if I had to do it all over again, I probably would have tried to work out a trade with Jason instead of getting them all u-graded because I think that is turning out to be a great looking run. Unfortunately, neither one of us knew they were going to stay on the cut cards at the time. : (

In the end, do what your gut is telling you is right. If it feels weird to you and if you have any hesitation (sounds like you do), then wait it out until you are sure. Once it is done there is no turning back!

-chris

Thanks for the responses everyone. Seems to be lots of differing opinions on this.

Just for the record, I wouldn't even consider opening some rare item such as the mentioned LLs etc.. or a MOC or even a full beater card for that matter. I'm just not sure how much I like the idea of displaying yellow/cracked bubble cut-cards. I was thinking more like the figures would be better appreciated out in the open in good condition rather than behind a yellow tinged barrier. But I also understand the other side as well.

I think I'll take John's advice for now and display them and see if they grow on me first. If not then maybe I'll open them. I just get frustrated with trying to find loose figures in the shape I want. I guess part of it is impatience on my part, but I bought several figs off ebay that looked good until I received them-very frustrating. I've had good luck buying here on the forum but a lot of the loose figures I want aren't available when I want them.

Thanks for all the advice guys, I do appreciate it. That's why I joined here, to get as much info and different points of view before making decisions like this.

Brad

Quote :

If its truly minty figures you want i know a number of awesome sellers who deal in C9.5 figures if your interested let me know and ill put you in touch

If I could find some sellers of great quality loose figures that would be awesome. I would definitely prefer going that route!!

If a minty Nikto or C9 4-LOM is on your list. pm me dude.

ctscanman68 wrote:

Quote :

If its truly minty figures you want i know a number of awesome sellers who deal in C9.5 figures if your interested let me know and ill put you in touch

If I could find some sellers of great quality loose figures that would be awesome. I would definitely prefer going that route!!

Brad do you have a list of figures that your looking for in C9 - C9+ condition buddy?

If you do PM me

Cheers Jay

I think the last time i opened a cardback figure was when i was seven.

I was a kid. I think we all tore open a carded figure when we were kid's and played the hell out of them at one time or another.

Man i miss the good ol day's

I remeber playing with my figure's and those little match box car's.Good times.

Dan.

You own it....you can do what ya want with it.

I know lots of collectors hate me for this opinion, but you payed for it, its yours and you can probably do what ever ya want with it.

I personally have problems with:

1. u-garding. because there is no sense to me to free a figure for casing it again. The only one who has certain interests in u-garding is the profitmakers from afa.

2. opening cards for resealing rare figures in them. Or any other cheating you can do with that.


A cutcard mostly is bought from collectors to open them IMO. I personally opened cards, baggies and cutcards. Also some rare pieces you would beat me for. BUT....a loose collector also is interested in having figures with correct accessoiries or in minty condition. As long as some examples are cheaper then the loose ones, or I want that figure with correct accesoiries I will unpack it....

I give some examples:

- There was a time MOC glasslites (i.e. c-3po) and toptoys MOCs were cheaper and more often dealed then their loose equivalents. For the TOPTOYs the next problem was: they were nearly impossible to get loose with correct accesoiries.
So solution for me and many others was clear: buy cheap TOPTOYS mocs and open them....I think some time ago lots of these were opened.

- For yoda I like buying cutcards and open them. There are tons of accesoirs variants on this....so for research I probably had to open them.

The main problem in past few years IMO was, that lots of loose collectors were cheated with wrong accesoirs, wepaons etc. and there was no true and good reference site. Additionaly the MOC collectors had no interest in supporting the loose collectors with giving input and proves for coos and wepaons, etc. This also goes for the mexican sellers, that mostly till today, wont help with identifying true ledy wepaons. They all go for: found it it Mexico, so it must be Lili Ledy. Especially on Ledy I was cheated so many times. I even bought repro wepaons as ledy wepaons and both sellers first said: impossible, there are no repros here in mexico...ridiculous

So, the only chance for the loose collectors was to open some baggies, MOCS and cutcards and it is still for some reasons and figures.


just my 2 cents

Wolff