Home› Trading Cards & Memorabilia Forum

Unopened packs/boxes 101

thehallmarkthehallmark Posts: 1,332 ✭✭✭
in Trading Cards & Memorabilia Forum

I am feeling compelled more and more towards collecting unopened product - lately looking hard at rack and cello packs specifically. Just starting to track pack prices. Can you help describe what traits you look for in ungraded packs to ensure they are legit?

Here's what I think I've learned so far. Would appreciate a sanity check on these as well...

  • Loose rack packs are REALLY hard to trust, since you can basically shift the deck to see every card inside. So the most lucrative legit vintage racks are all gone or slabbed (wrapped).

  • Xmas racks are dubious and should not be expected to yield any life changing gems.

  • Most racks were packed in such a way where some cards cannot show up in certain segments. Is there a guide out there for this anywhere online, by brand/year?

  • Cellos are not hard to open and reseal, so seller reputation is paramount here. Any particular sellers to avoid or to support?

  • Best to just steer clear of packs graded by companies other than PSA.

Would love any other guidance/tips you guys can provide. It's tough to shop for this stuff online, with pictures that only tell part of the story.

thanks,
D

Comments

  • gomezadams2gomezadams2 Posts: 56 ✭✭

    I'll add the novice info I know to help and answer the bullets you posted in order

    1 This only matters if you are going to rip the pack. Most people collect racks with stars or fav player on top so loose isnt a big deal. However these can be sliced open and resealed, so buyer beware

    2 Christmas / Holiday packs are just resealed packs like the ever growing "mystery" packs out there

    3 Yes, but if you do your research you will quickly learn. There is no written guide or book, just forum posts from ancient rippers of long ago.

    4 Correct on ALL packs, esp. wax. I don't know all the sellers but try to avoid Ebay unless you know for sure the seller is legit.

    5 For the most part true. Even though there are really early psa graded packs that have since been proven bad. I think the GAI SILVER labels are supposed to be fine.

    hope this helps a little

  • flatfoot816flatfoot816 Posts: 2,194 ✭✭✭

    greetings! welcome to the most amazing part of colelction--IMO. There are a few guys on here that can tell you real good stuff about sequencing--grote15--cpamike--jmoran--to name the few and IMO the best.

    1. I would never buy a rack that is not BBCE authenticated. Too much risk as they have been opened and resealed. Most times to put a HOF player on top--rather than search for a key card.

    2. NEVER buy a Christmas or Holiday rack unless as a novelty. They are all after marrket products of actual Topps cards. They were never produced by Topps directly and will generally yield ExMT cards--and no stars.

    3. See # 1. grote15 -- cpamike and jmoran are def not ancient--lol TIm-Mike and John

    4. as a general rule if you buy PSA packs you will be OK--or raw from a trusted source--BBCE or guys on these boards

    5. there was a guy who was able to get about 200 vintage packs thru PSA as genuine -- which were not--in the early late 90s/2000s. No one is sure how many are still out there. Since that time both PSA and BBCE have tightned their authentication standards--some say a little too far--but PSA packs are pretty reliable. I cannot remember the GAI packs that were generally regarded as good but they are the early version--starting with code #s 101

    there is also a facebook group or 2 devoted to vintage unopend packs--a great bunch of guys

    happy collecting!

  • mcolney1mcolney1 Posts: 981 ✭✭✭

    Shout Out! for BBCE. Steve is the best. I've both purchased and sold from/to him for 15+ years and done many a CU rip. He is an expert authenticator, honest, and his integrity is unmatched in our hobby. Caveat Emptor buying anywhere else.

    Collecting Topps, Philadelphia and Kellogg's from 1964-1989
Sign In or Register to comment.