I don’t know how you unopened guys do it

Bearkat21

I got these from my wife two hours ago and they are just screaming at me to open them.

jeffv96masters

Unopened left in my house ( not my climate controlled storage) stands about the same life expectancy as a warm cinnamon bun

DeutscherGeist

They are more valuable unopened!

Protect them in a plastic sleeve and enjoy the artwork of the packaging. You can also display images of the cards which are now widely available on the internet.

krisd3279

Just for some extra incentive to not open them here is a picture of what you are likely to find in there. They contain gum and they are from the late 70's. The likelihood that the gum has not destroyed several or all of the cards in there is about the same as winning the powerball.

Bearkat21

@krisd3279 said:
Just for some extra incentive to not open them here is a picture of what you are likely to find in there. They contain gum and they are from the late 70's. The likelihood that the gum has not destroyed several or all of the cards in there is about the same as winning the powerball.

This does help. Thanks

Bearkat21

@DeutscherGeist said:
They are more valuable unopened!

Protect them in a plastic sleeve and enjoy the artwork of the packaging. You can also display images of the cards which are now widely available on the internet.

I hear that. But at the same time, something in my head is telling me this C-3P0 card is in there

olb31

I used to be just like you. No way I could buy unopened and keep it unopened. But I have. The trick is to buy a lot of raw cards and submit them to PSA and then you don't think about it.

stevek

I have many unopened packs that I've accumulated over the years which were simply included in large lots of assorted cards and memorabilia that I bought. The packs certainly aren't worth much, and not hardly even worth opening.

If i was ever fortunate enough to obtain a vintage unopened pack that i truly desire, it would definitely be busted within a half hour of acquisition.

DeutscherGeist

Maybe its better to buy a PSA graded C-3PO than hoping to find one in a pack. Also, there is risk that the gum damaged the card.
I collect Superman cards of the late Christopher Reeve. It's the same era as Star Wars. I keep the packs sealed and the wax boxes untouched. It looks good the way they are. Opening a pack will only set me up for disappointment because it's hard to get MINT cards from this era of Topps. As a child, my mother used to buy me packs of Superman cards, but today, I do not have a single card left from that time. I did not know much about cards, completing a set and much less putting them in an album to appreciate. As a child, I had my opportunity with raw cards, and now as an adult, unopened packs is the new way to appreciate it. That is one way to reconcile it.

Also, it would be curious to know how much the whole Star Wars set costs in raw form. Maybe it would be inexpensive to get the entire set that way and put them in an album to enjoy for many years to come and beyond.

Pacman70

@Bearkat21 said:
I got these from my wife two hours ago and they are just screaming at me to open them.

I started collecting unopened packs 32 years ago with 4 unopened 1988 Topps cello packs that were left in the box I bought after I completed this set (which I still have). I felt the same way you did in the beginning and opened some 1980s wax packs in the early 90s, succumbing to the overwhelming temptation. What helped me alot is only buying unopened packs from which I already have the complete sets (which both date back to 1968). The way I look at is that there are no cards in these packs that I dont already own, so why open them? I did this for years until I came to a point where I could buy ANY pack and not be tempted to open it, whether I had the set or not. Also, chances are greater than not that the cards you get from these packs will probably be less valuable than the unopened pack itself. When you are a diehard unopened guy like myself, you WANT others to open rare unopened packs that you have too as that just become that much rarer and, hence, more valuable.

Bearkat21

Well they have survived 3 days which is longer than I thought.

Bearkat21

@DeutscherGeist said:
Maybe its better to buy a PSA graded C-3PO than hoping to find one in a pack. Also, there is risk that the gum damaged the card.
I collect Superman cards of the late Christopher Reeve. It's the same era as Star Wars. I keep the packs sealed and the wax boxes untouched. It looks good the way they are. Opening a pack will only set me up for disappointment because it's hard to get MINT cards from this era of Topps. As a child, my mother used to buy me packs of Superman cards, but today, I do not have a single card left from that time. I did not know much about cards, completing a set and much less putting them in an album to appreciate. As a child, I had my opportunity with raw cards, and now as an adult, unopened packs is the new way to appreciate it. That is one way to reconcile it.

Also, it would be curious to know how much the whole Star Wars set costs in raw form. Maybe it would be inexpensive to get the entire set that way and put them in an album to enjoy for many years to come and beyond.

The C3PO error graded is out of my price range. I'm building a raw set, but the cards are pretty condition sensitive. Buying a raw set would run about $250-$400 or more and I'd guess many of those are fair to poor. I bought a lot of 200 a few years ago, and put about 25 into my set. I got lucky at a card show a couple of years ago. They had a mixed box of these, already in top loaders, 25 cents each. Picked out about 50 cards I liked on condition. I'm probably halfway there right now, maybe a little less.

gemint

Out of sight, out of mind. I also rely on watching pack break fail videos on Youtube when I get the itch. 1975 mini pack breaks are good tonic for offsetting the desire to rip.

DeutscherGeist

Bearkat21,

That was some sound advice from Pacman70! I just want to add that you could realistically get lucky at a card show and meet a dealer that simply wants to get rid of their non-sports cards. This is not uncommon. Be patient. You will get there. It is going to take longer to complete the set, but it is a work in progress. The packs can be opened anytime, but Pacman70 also made it clear that they are more valuable sealed. Even when you have the set completed, it is nice to have sealed wax packs of the set because it is part of the set, the variation that is sealed.

I am not sure if you do this, but I am in the process taking my handwritten notes, invoices and emails regarding the cards I collected over the years and making a spreadsheet of my collection. I am leaving a column called "Notes" so I can fill in some nice details or story about how the card or item was acquired. Those packs were given to you by your wife to brighten your day on a day in July, so that is something you can note if you keep records that way.