How to open a carded toy without damaging the card

[GoktimusPrime]

I thought that this might come in handy for some members who may be relatively new to toy collecting. :)

What you will need
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y227/goktimusprime/Transformers/How%20to%20open%20a%20carded%20toy/howtoopencardedtoy01_zpsebmdoaoz.jpg
* A sharp blade, such as a hobby knife or box cutter.
* Cutters, such as tin snips or a pair of scissors.

Removing the blister
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y227/goktimusprime/Transformers/How%20to%20open%20a%20carded%20toy/howtoopencardedtoy02_zpstzpfwkhk.jpg
* Make an incision in the blister, a few millimetres above the card (A)
* Cut along the bottom edge of the blister all the way around (B, C)
* Remove blister (D)

Removing the toy
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y227/goktimusprime/Transformers/How%20to%20open%20a%20carded%20toy/howtoopencardedtoy03_zpsmmehe3r3.jpg
Use snips or scissors to cut any ties holding the toy down.

[CoRDS]

top tip for combiner wars figures. the bottom right corner of the plastic has a hole you can fit the end of the blade into for the perfect cut

[Krayt]

I'd always snip ties from the back so the toy isn't marked.... But now hasbro did away with plastic coated metal, I just use the knife to slice the toys as well as the bubble

[Sharky]

for cards with pack in comics like the tankor in the image I would slice at the top of the book rather then the bubble and either repeat that process around the comic or remove the comic then follow the steps gokky points out, one mis-step with the knife at the top of the bubble and you have sliced the first few pages of the comic

[DELTAprime]

Or you can do what I do for all the Hasbro toys I don't care about the packaging of... Cut the tape and rip it open.

I take care with Takara Tomy packaging and keep everything, but that's just cause it's cool and foreign.

[GoktimusPrime]

for cards with pack in comics like the tankor in the image I would slice at the top of the book rather then the bubble and either repeat that process around the comic or remove the comic then follow the steps gokky points out, one mis-step with the knife at the top of the bubble and you have sliced the first few pages of the comic
Heh, yes. I did that in the photos, but didn't describe it in text. But you're absolutely right -- if there's a pack-in comic, slice a few mm above the actual comic. :D It also leaves enough of the lower portion of the blister to hold the comic in place for vertical display. :)

[griffin]

Heh, yes. I did that in the photos, but didn't describe it in text. But you're absolutely right -- if there's a pack-in comic, slice a few mm above the actual comic. :D It also leaves enough of the lower portion of the blister to hold the comic in place for vertical display. :)

No, he means cut the entire plastic off from the top of where the comic is when standing up the card. This is where I cut it as well, because as Sharky says, if you are cutting just the extruding bubble (which is the middle of the comic), and if the knife catches on the plastic and suddenly frees itself, you are likely to cut into the comic.
I cut along the top of the plastic portion, slide out the comic and then cut the rest off. I'd never cut mine the way they are described in those photos... it's just too risky for the comic, and the toy, and more hassle trying to cut into a rounded surface of the bubble.

[GoktimusPrime]

Oh I see. I've never shredded any of the comics, but I can see the merit of that method if you want to eliminate the risk. :)

[UltraMarginal]

interesting, I use a pocket knife with a comparatively broad very sharp blade. I start at the bottom corner at the spine of the comic and cut as close to the card as I can. I remove the entire bubble with the blade sliding behind the comic the entire way around.
this removes a maximum amount of plastic and starting from behind the spine means there is very little chance of hooking a page and cutting into the comic.

I then use the scissors in the pocket knife for ties.

different strokes for different folks:D

[5FDP]

I just wait about 20-30 years until the glue dries and the tape turns yellow. It lifts off by itself then :p

[GoktimusPrime]

I intentionally leave some plastic so that it can hold the comic in place. The cards themselves are quite dull to me since they lack individual card art on the front, so I just leave the comics there. :o I've already read them all long before I get the toy anyway. The only one that I felt compelled to remove and read (and then put back) was Trailcutter's, because I was curious to see and compare some of the changes that they'd made. But otherwise, I just read my original IDW issues from the comic book store -- the pack-in comics are just for display. :)

[Raider]

Am I the only one who leave the bubble still connected? I try and keep the bubble in place so that it I ever want to put the bot back into the bubble its not an issue. I use a pocketknife and slide around the bubble other then on one edge which flaps open and I can remove the bot.

[DELTAprime]

Am I the only one who leave the bubble still connected? I try and keep the bubble in place so that it I ever want to put the bot back into the bubble its not an issue. I use a pocketknife and slide around the bubble other then on one edge which flaps open and I can remove the bot.

I do that for TT products except you just need to cut the tape as they don't use glue. I am considering throwing the bubbles tho, taking up to much space.

[GoktimusPrime]

Yeah, I don't have the space to keep bubbles. They're just holding air. I chuck the bubbles out in the recycling bin and file the cards away. I typically flatten boxes, but even that's taking up too much space now and I'm just chucking out most boxes.

[UltraMarginal]

I use them as packing if I'm shipping stuff, they are designed to be low weight high strength packing, great for filling awkward spaces in a shipping box.

[Raider]

Yeah I don't even flatten boxes! I pack my boxes in bigger boxes and store them under the house. There are a lot of boxes under the house now! I can't accurately count them but I do know I'm running out of space fast haha.

[DELTAprime]

I spent the evening getting rid of the bubble from carded figures. I also found I had some TT TFTM, ROTF and DOTM boxes and card that I don't normally keep because it's not very Japanese. Getting rid of all that has emptied 2 large tubs and 3 large BBTS boxes. Thanks for making this thread and giving me the push I need to do that Gok. After I get all that in the recycling I'll tackle the bubble from boxed figures. Takara Legends is already taking up to much space with it's boxes, lol.