have you ever opened a PSA of GAI graded wax pack?

Mrcardsniper

I was just wondering... Has anybody out there opened a graded wax pack. What was the condition of the cards inside verses the grade of the pack. I understand that grading of a pack does not reflect the condition of the cards inside. Errors like Off/center, printing errors might exsist on the cards. Also how about a vending box of cards that has been graded... What has been the condition of these...Has the vending box been searched before it was graded. I dont know how someone could tell if the box was searched. Any info or thoughts would be helpful. Thanks Paul

Bosox1976

The grade is for the packaging (wrapper, box, etc.) The cards inside don't play a factor in the grade. Although if the corners are rough on a graded pack, the corners of the cards inside are likely affected. I've cracked a few, but only if buying a pack that is a 5 or a 6 have the cards been significantly nicer than the grade. Buying a 7 or 8 has always yielded cards in that range, and a 9 or 9.5 has yielded me 8's generally.

Vending is a whole other story - rarely have I ever gotten consistently high grades (9's) from vending. More like 7's & 8's, with many o/c.

miami3

Both are real crapshoots as the the real value of the unopened pack/vending box is the dream of finding perfect cards inside....which rarely happens.

Sometimes you are better off going to a casino and putting 100 bucks on red and see what happens.

mikeschmidt

Mainly the cards were in decent enough shape in the packs I've opened (1970s OPC baseball). Obviously there the big question is a) rough cuts and b) centering - much of which was all over the place. So although the cards were largely in very nice shape, perhaps a corner ding or two -- the centering issues can be a BEAST

flatfoot816

same story here...have opened some '60s football and '70s baseball with varying results. I also opened a '54 Bowman FB pack, with 7s. Genrally, I do not open my packs--I'll leave that for my kids when I am long gone

Tap4black

Buddy of mine and I bought 2 boxes of 1975 GAI graded Topps Minis back in April and decided to open them for singles a short time later. After the first couple packs of nothing but cards with worn corners AND all the packages having the wrong size gum we stopped. Hand delivered the opened box and the sealed box to GAI at the Chicago show in June where they admitted the packs were resealed and should not have been graded. Was promised a refund yet it took them over 4 months to the point I had to threaten legal action before the check arrived.

Here is a big FK YOU to the lack of professionalism and common courtesy displayed by Mr Steve Rocchi of GAI in getting this matter taken care of in a timely manner. Needless to say I will never use or recommend your service to anyone and the submission form you sent with the refund check went straight into the crapper.

joemaggio

I've opened about 15 1972 Topps Baseball GAI-graded packs in the past 3 months. I got 10 of them from the same dealer and all were true unsearched packs (I pulled a Rose and a Ryan). Out of the other 5, three had been searched and resealed. I e-mailed all three eBay dealers and none of them even replied, making me believe that they knew about it all along.

I hope PSA does a better job, as I have no confidence in GAI.

ldferg

opened some 86f basketball gai, no problems. opened a 72t football gai, it was searched. i sent it to gai, they agreed and offered me a free pack grading voucher. they said this was a one time deal.

RonBurgundy

WRT searched and resealed packs, I think there are far more of these out there than anyone wants to admit, and I think it is tremendously difficult for any grading service to catch all of them. I have some 1980 packs that I know have been resealed, and the job that the evil Ebay seller did on them was tremendous. I opened up 3 packs that had an incredible seal on them, only to find only Reds, Padres, and Brewers commons.

In my opinion, pack grading should be taken with a grain of salt, and buyer beware to anyone buying older unopened packs from less than reputable sources.



Stay classy,


Ron

Fuzz

A number of years ago, I bought a very desirable pack from one of the guys who later turned out to be a GAI grader. This was obviously well before GAI was established and PSA was a mere pup. The price was extra right so I picked it up. I paid less than the going rate for the wrapper and had bought it with intent to open. I suspected it was a reseal based on prior dealings with this person.
Sure enough, when it arrived it was laughable. It was a whole piece of gum vintage 1979 based on the dimensions. Thumb print in the wax, etc. I opened it and there was a single card (as expected) with heavily rounded corners and multiple deep creases though the card. The wrapper showed no effects of corner wear or being foled and the gum was whole. Clearly this was fake. He knew it and I knewit. If you hire a person with this kind of ethics, you probably shouldn't be surprised by what you get.
But in defense of the rest these guys, there are a few resealing artists that are incredible. Knowing for sure I believe to be impossible. I hope that PSA does not suffer in their reputation from making this choice to authenticate packs. I believe that some mistakes will be unaviodable. This was a driving force many years ago why I gave up packs and switched to wrappers and boxes. Best of luck.
Fuzz

RedHeart54

Has anyone opened any 1979 OPC GAI hockey packs?

Kurtman9

I've opened the following graded packs:

1961 Topps BB GAI 9 cello pack - 14 cards were in the pack - only about 1/2 were gradable (the other 1/2 had corner dings and/or oc) - 2 of those sent to PSA got 9s, the rest were 8s
1962 Topps BB GAI 7.5 wax pack - turned out to be a reseal job - rec'd refund from Ryan Rutter; GAI refused to do anything
1961 Topps BB GAI 9 cello pack (12 cards) - only a few were gradable - most were oc - no nines due to print lines and centering; got 8s on the 3 or 4 sent to PSA

In addition, I opened an ungraded 1960 Topps BB wax pack - 6 mint cards but 5 were oc. Also 1970 BB wax - most oc; and 72 BB wax - same corner dinged on all cards in pack.

I think most will agree that the vast majority of the time opening these packs is not a good economic decision. However, I must say it was blast doing so.

gaspipe26

Opened 71 cellos they were stuffed with the 3rd series checklist , both of them. They were GAI graded
.

jmoran19

I assume those were the infamous 1971 grocery cellos.

For early 70's packs, I've opened a 1970 4th series, 1970 6th series, 1971 1st series rack (two Roses), 1971 4th series, 1971 high series and a 1972 series 4 packs. Each pack has yeilded at least one psa 9 card including a 1970 Pete Rose. The 2 1971 Rose's grade PSA 8 and PSA 9 OC. John.

Mrcardsniper

Sounds like a few problems with GAI grading on wax. What about vending boxes? Has anybody opened these?

ejguru

I've opened about a dozen 1967 cellos, most of them GAI graded. I've been fortunate to pull a GM 10 and several 9's. I'd say of the 4 to 5 ungraded/unauthenticated packs I've bought and opened, one or two were reseal cheat jobs--yet they still yielded mostly PSA 8's. Would only go authenticated from here on in.

Mrcardsniper

What was the give away to the cello's that they were opened before?

Pittfan

I love when the crooks reseal the packs with super glue.

Griffins

The '71 Cello's were bogus- they never existed at the time and never should have been graded. That, more than anything else, probably cost GAI their pack grading business.
Xmas rack repacks aren't much different.

fsjeter

<< <i>The '71 Cello's were bogus- they never existed at the time and never should have been graded. That, more than anything else, probably cost GAI their pack grading business.
Xmas rack repacks aren't much different. >>



I'm not sure what you are referring to. They didn't exist for the '71 set or they didn't exist for a period of years during that time? I don't know about the '71's, but I know the '70 Topps set was issued in 33 card cello's as well as wax.

Scott

fsjeter

BTW,

As far as the original question, I purchase packs/vending to open them so I don't buy graded packs. I see that medium as more for the pack collector. I can bring myself to pay the huge premium for the graded packs. Unfortunately, the ungraded vintage material is becoming extinct.

Scott

Griffins

Sorry, I meant that '71 GROCERY cellos were bogus and never should have been graded. There certainly are legit '71 (and other year) cellos- I remember buying them in our local toy store back then.

flatfoot816

as most know, the grocery cellos that are fake have only 12 cards in them. At first, GAI was holdering them and labeling them as "grocery cello". When people started to say--hey, those are fake--GAI stopped labeling them. Generally, you do not want to buy a cello pack from '71, '72 or '73 that has less than 27-33 cards. Topps did make smaller cellos in the late '60s, so those cellos do have less cards than the jumbo cellos of the '70s..

jmoran19

Here are some legit 70 and 71 cellos. The boxes were too big to fit the holder

ejguru

I couldn't detect it until I openend the pack and saw corner wear on the cards and stains that could not have come from any card factory...

Mrcardsniper

What was the first year for a cello pack? My oldest cello pack I have seen so far has been a 1967 with Al Kaline on top.

mikeschmidt

1955 Bowman had cello packs.

TheCARDKid

How about these babies....

(Saved from a Mr Mint auction a few years ago)

TurbosHockey

In response to if anyone has opened any 1979 GAI OPC Hockey. I have. I have purchased many GAI 8.5 and 9.5 packs, well 9 to be exact and sent in the best ones. Here are the results. I woud say that it is more cost effextive if you are going to get this set graded to buy pregraded on ebay or lots. The success rate was not worth the parice of the packs paid. With that said. I had a hell of time doing it, just hoping for a gretzky but no luck. Maybe when I have some more spare cash I will try my luck again.

1 06597314 1979 O-PEE-CHEE 138 CAM CONNOR N/A 8
2 06597315 1979 O-PEE-CHEE 126 WAYNE THOMAS N/A 8
3 06597316 1979 O-PEE-CHEE 60 GUY CHOUINARD N/A 7
4 06597317 1979 O-PEE-CHEE 63 DALE McCOURT N/A 8
5 06597318 1979 O-PEE-CHEE 181 BOB LORIMER N/A 7
6 06597319 1979 O-PEE-CHEE 260 CAPITALS TEAM N/A Not Holdered, Did not meet Minimum Size Requirements
7 06597320 1979 O-PEE-CHEE 290 WAYNE BIANCHIN N/A 8
8 06597321 1979 O-PEE-CHEE 289 PIERRE BOUCHARD N/A 7
9 06597322 1979 O-PEE-CHEE 387 DAVE HUNTER N/A Not Holdered, Did not meet Minimum Size Requirements
10 06597323 1979 O-PEE-CHEE 391 BOB STEPHENSON N/A Not Holdered, Did not meet Minimum Size Requirements
11 06597324 1979 O-PEE-CHEE 212 J.P. BORDELEAU N/A 8
12 06597325 1979 O-PEE-CHEE 355 AL HAMILTON N/A 8
13 06597326 1979 O-PEE-CHEE 239 REAL CLOUTIER N/A 8
14 06597327 1979 O-PEE-CHEE 244 FLAMES TEAM N/A Not Holdered, Did not meet Minimum Size Requirements
15 06597328 1979 O-PEE-CHEE 229 JACK VALIQUETTE N/A 7
16 06597329 1979 O-PEE-CHEE 330 RICK HAMPTON N/A 8
17 06597330 1979 O-PEE-CHEE 11 GREG SMITH N/A 7
18 06597331 1979 O-PEE-CHEE 147 PETER MARSH N/A Not Holdered, Did not meet Minimum Size Requirements
19 06597332 1979 O-PEE-CHEE 291 GARRY LARIVIERE N/A 8
20 06597333 1979 O-PEE-CHEE 377 TERRY RICHARDSON N/A 7
21 06597334 1979 O-PEE-CHEE 265 GORDIE ROBERTS N/A 7
22 06597335 1979 O-PEE-CHEE 285 GORD SMITH N/A 7
23 06597336 1979 O-PEE-CHEE 270 BOB MANNO N/A 8
24 06597337 1979 O-PEE-CHEE 89 DEREK SMITH N/A 8
25 06597338 1979 O-PEE-CHEE 78 RON GRSCHNER N/A 8
26 06597339 1979 O-PEE-CHEE 107 ANDRE LACROIX N/A 7ST
27 06597340 1979 O-PEE-CHEE 363 DAVE DEBOL N/A 7
28 06597341 1979 O-PEE-CHEE 87 MIKE KASZYCKI N/A 8
29 06597342 1979 O-PEE-CHEE 146 JOHN TONELLI N/A 8
30 06597343 1979 O-PEE-CHEE 386 BARRY MELROSE N/A 9
31 06597344 1979 O-PEE-CHEE 31 MIKE MURPHY N/A 7
32 06597345 1979 O-PEE-CHEE 308 CURT BRACKENBURY N/A 8
33 06597346 1979 O-PEE-CHEE 127 IVAN BOLDIREV N/A 8
34 06597347 1979 O-PEE-CHEE 42 DON MALONEY N/A 7ST
35 06597348 1979 O-PEE-CHEE 139 GEORGE FERGUSON N/A 7
36 06597349 1979 O-PEE-CHEE 249 RED WINGS TEAM N/A 7ST
37 06597350 1979 O-PEE-CHEE 280 DARRYL EDESTRAND N/A 7
38 06597351 1979 O-PEE-CHEE 385 REY COMEAU N/A 7
39 06597352 1979 O-PEE-CHEE 358 GARY INNESS N/A 8
40 06597353 1979 O-PEE-CHEE 140 BILL BARBER N/A 7
41 06597354 1979 O-PEE-CHEE 215 BERNIE FEDERKO N/A 8
42 06597355 1979 O-PEE-CHEE 315 BRETT CALLIGHEN N/A 8
43 06597356 1979 O-PEE-CHEE 321 DAVE INKPEN N/A 8
44 06597357 1979 O-PEE-CHEE 94 DENIS HERRON N/A 6
45 06597358 1979 O-PEE-CHEE 213 REED LARSON N/A 8
46 06597359 1979 O-PEE-CHEE 52 GARY SARGENT N/A 7
47 06597360 1979 O-PEE-CHEE 217 BOB NYSTROM N/A 8
48 06597361 1979 O-PEE-CHEE 312 BILL LESUK N/A 7
49 06597362 1979 O-PEE-CHEE 190 WILF PAIEMENT N/A 7
50 06597363 1979 O-PEE-CHEE 168 DON MURDOCH N/A 8

Date Received: 11/30/2006
Date of Grades Posted: 12/05/2006
Date Shipped: 12/05/2006