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The documented break

A documented break is a sealed box or case opened on continuous, timestamped video by an independent third party, with every card sleeved the moment it is pulled and its condition recorded as observed. The shop sells the cards with a record a buyer can watch; the record follows any hit into grading.

Flat fee per box or case, quoted in advance

Who it is for

Built for the people who need the answer in writing

  • Card shops and sealed-product retailers who want their singles to carry proof
  • Collectors who bring their own box and want the same record

Why not just film it yourself?

Because a shop filming its own product is not independent. The practice holds no interest in the cards, applies a written condition standard, is the same appraiser who pre-grades and sees the returns, carries insured custody, and produces a record in a format buyers and grading companies recognise.

Where it happens

At your premises or an agreed venue in the Yuma area. The practice has no storefront.

How it works

From first message to signed report

  1. Step 0: Engagement

    You tell us the product, the count and the dates. We reply with a written scope and quote, and an engagement letter. Nothing is opened before that is signed.

  2. Step 1: Intake and sealed-state verification

    Each box or case is logged into custody, weighed against reference, and its seal and shrink pattern photographed. Anything that does not look factory-sealed is flagged before it is opened.

  3. Step 2: Controlled opening, recorded

    The product is opened on continuous, timestamped video with the seal and the packs in frame. The recording is never paused or cut.

    RecordedRetention and consent policy
  4. Step 3: Condition documentation

    Every hit, and any card you ask for, is sleeved the moment it is pulled and its condition recorded as observed at that time — centering, surface, corners and edges — with photographs.

    Recorded
  5. Step 4: Protection and secure storage

    Documented cards go into new sleeves and holders and into locked storage under the custody log until they are returned or shipped.

  6. Step 5: Pre-grade and submission

    If you want hits graded, we give a pre-grade opinion and submit through the hub with the grading fee prepaid by you. Optional.

    OptionalThe grading submission hub
  7. Step 6: Return reconciliation

    When slabs come back they are photographed and the grades logged against the pre-grade opinion. Any damage or dispute is compared with the Step 3 record.

  8. Step 7: Delivery and retention

    You receive the video link, the hit log, the condition sheets and the pack-fresh certificates. Records are kept under the retention and consent policy.

    Retention and consent policy

The full picture: how it works

Fees

Flat or hourly, quoted before work begins

D. Documented-break pipeline
ServiceUnitFeeNotes
Documented break — booster boxper boxCustom quoteFlat feeRecorded opening, immediate sleeving, hit log
Documented break — caseper caseCustom quoteFlat feeVolume tier for shops
Per-card condition documentation (hits)per cardCustom quoteFlat feeTimestamped photo set and condition notes
Pack-fresh certificateper cardCustom quoteFlat feeVideo link and documentation sheet the shop sells with the card
Collector-owned box (bring your own)per boxCustom quoteFlat feeSame record as a shop break

Flat fees per box or per case for shops, and per box for collectors who bring their own product.

Full price list and how quotes work →

Questions

Does this guarantee the cards will grade well?

No. Condition is recorded as observed at the recorded time. The record protects you in a dispute; it does not predict a grade.

Who owns the cards?

Always you. The practice never buys, sells, brokers or consigns cards.

How long is the video kept?

Per the retention and consent policy, which is linked from every recording-related page.

Can my customers watch the video?

Yes. The pack-fresh certificate links to it.

More questions answered

Get in touch

Ready when you are

Message with what you have and what it is for. A written scope and quote follow by email before any work.

Book a documented break (opens Instagram)or open @breakcheckbarragan90 (opens Instagram)

Opening line: “Hi — I run a shop and would like to book a documented break for N boxes.

What to send