thinker123: What does “karg” mean? I am also not sure what you mean by “not nice” especially with tefillin. I have had my tefillin checked a number of times since my bar-mitzvah, including the retzuos, and was never told that they were pasul or not mehudar. 3 or 4 years ago I noticed that the retzuos of my shel rosh was cracking and was told to replace them. I was told that my retzuos of the shel yad were kosher and just needed “blackening”. As for my tallis, i have replaced both my weekday and shabbos tallis twice since getting married.
Joseph: The sofer kept the retzuos so I do not know what he actually did with them but I would think they are shaimos. I still have the old talleisim.