How to Photograph Cards and Slabs to Sell (and Clean Off Tape Gunk)

MV Guides · Selling

Good photos sell cards. Buyers can't hold your card, so the photos are all they have to go on. You don't need special gear, just a phone, one lamp and a plain background.

Getting the light right

• Daylight is best. A window with indirect light, not direct sun, gives true colours.
• At night, use one bright lamp off to the side and above, not straight overhead. If you see a white glare stripe on the card or slab, move the lamp or tilt the card slightly until it's gone.
• No flash. It bounces straight off slabs and toploaders and hides the card.

Taking the shot

• Use a plain, dark background: a black t-shirt, towel or desk mat.
• Hold the phone flat and straight above the card so it isn't skewed, and fill most of the frame with it.
• Tap the screen on the label or the card to focus. Rest your elbows on the table if the light is dim.
• Take the front, the back, a close-up of the label (grade and cert number readable, plus subgrades on a BGS slab) and one angled shot of a slab showing its edges.
• Show any flaws honestly. A clear photo of a soft corner prevents a dispute later.

Cleaning tape gunk off a slab

Old tape leaves sticky residue that looks terrible in photos. Start with the gentlest method and only move on if you need to.

1. A plain white eraser rubbed over the residue. This works surprisingly well and is often all you need.
2. Roll it off with your thumb, pressing firmly in small circles until the glue balls up.
3. Dab it with fresh sticky tape a few times. The old glue sticks to the new tape.
4. A drop of cooking oil on a paper towel for stubborn spots. Let it sit a minute, wipe, then clean the oil off with a drop of dish soap on a damp cloth and dry it.
5. A hair dryer on low for 10 to 20 seconds softens old glue so it rolls off easier.

Never use

• Acetone or nail polish remover. It fogs and cracks slab plastic permanently.
• Scourers, the rough side of a sponge, or a blade. They scratch the case.
• Lots of liquid near the edges. Put any liquid on the cloth, never straight on the slab, so nothing seeps under the label or onto the card.

Finish with a soft cloth or microfibre to remove fingerprints, then take your photos.

Checked November 2026.