Ever feel like an archaeologist opening an old screwdown?

[daeve]

Bought this as part of a big Bonds lot in '21 or early '22 and hadn't messed with them since purchase - cracked open a screwdown that seems like it was shut once 23 years ago, have dealt with crooked or stuck screw before but never just a very sealed case.

I seriously don't think this card has interacted with oxygen in that long, screw came out fine but the case was stuck somehow, took a blade cutter that I had to wedge in there to finally get it loose to safely open.

Unfortunately the card has some surface lines that look like from the printing process, but the color looks brand new, I wonder if it will last a bit longer without having been touching sleeve/air for [what I presume] was 2+ decades.

This thread is partly an excuse to post my first pic here, but also if you have any decades old screwdown opening experience I'd like to hear it. Has anyone kept one going? I was tempted as it seems the corners and/or surface weren't being pressed, but I got curious to see the surface.

[SHowley2003]

Wow. Does the case have an indent for the card? It looks like one of the old screw downs that were simply two pieces of flat acrylic that sandwiched the card into them with a screw. I’m shocked there wasn’t any surface damage from the case.

Great looking card!

[daeve]

Wow. Does the case have an indent for the card? It looks like one of the old screw downs that were simply two pieces of flat acrylic that sandwiched the card into them with a screw. I’m shocked there wasn’t any surface damage from the case.

Great looking card!

It did, it must've just fit perfectly because it was hard for me to tell even looking at it up close. Either way, yeah I can find no damage from pressure or the screwdown, just print lines on the surface.