1980's rack packs - resealable?

Aric

Well, i'm already itching to bust some more wax. I am not going to play the eBay gamble with wax packs but was thinking I may be a little safer with rack packs. What is the consensus? Are these resealable if you have the right equipment in the way that wax is. I don't want specifics that may help some scum resealer.

OAKESY25

bbce blog... buy here anyway

bighurt2000

Don't know about the resealing issue but I know that 85 Topps Baseball dealers know whats
in the racks buy looking at the players on the top and bottom think some of the other Topps
Baseball in the 80's are the same way.

James

summerof68

Bighurt2000 is referring to what is known by the old-timers as "sequencing". All cards are cut, stacked and placed in their wax, cello or rack cover in the same, exact order or "sequence". Consequently a knowledgeable person will open (let's say a '78 topps baseball rack pack) and write down the stacking order of each card in each stack. He will then open enough '78 racks until he knows the exact order that every card in the set is stacked.

Now that he knows this he can simply look at the top and bottom cards on any '78 bb rack pack and know exactly what cards are contained in that rack without having to open the rack!

This is true for '75 cello packs, '71 rack packs or any cello or rack pack from any sport where the top and bottom cards are visible.

Consequently it is not rare for people to buy a factory sealed '78 topps bb rack case or let's say a '77 bb cello box and use their written down "sequence" list to take out and keep the particular racks or cellos that contain the "money cards" and throw the rest of the packs on ebay.

Sadly enough many people actually sell the sequencing orders to others.

I hate to say it but knowledge means money in this hobby and "sequencing" is a tool used by many to make a profit.

It's something that sellers don't want buyers to know but I chose my Josey Wales icon for a reason--I tell it like it is!

jswieton

If you buy from BBCE the odds of getting a rack box that is picked through (sequence picking) is much lower than if you buy from eBay. Most of his boxes from the 80's have come from a case they have opened. His prices are pretty cheap too. If you are going to buy a box off of eBay I would stick to the years that are factory shrink wrapped. However, I don't think the manufactures started to do this until the 90's.

DrJ

<< <i>If you buy from BBCE the odds of getting a rack box that is picked through (sequence picking) is much lower than if you buy from eBay. Most of his boxes from the 80's have come from a case they have opened. His prices are pretty cheap too. If you are going to buy a box off of eBay I would stick to the years that are factory shrink wrapped. However, I don't think the manufactures started to do this until the 90's. >>



Well our 1980 cello rip from BBCE was picked over to the max. We had homemade Cello boxes and ended up with (1) Henderson and (12) Gaylord Perry from 3 boxes. Unless it is a fresh Cello box directly from a case, I would pass even from BBCE.

J

daddymc

<< <i>

<< <i>If you buy from BBCE the odds of getting a rack box that is picked through (sequence picking) is much lower than if you buy from eBay. Most of his boxes from the 80's have come from a case they have opened. His prices are pretty cheap too. If you are going to buy a box off of eBay I would stick to the years that are factory shrink wrapped. However, I don't think the manufactures started to do this until the 90's. >>



Well our 1980 cello rip from BBCE was picked over to the max. We had homemade Cello boxes and ended up with (1) Henderson and (12) Gaylord Perry from 3 boxes. Unless it is a fresh Cello box directly from a case, I would pass even from BBCE.

J >>



You're referring to the 1980 cello box right? Wasn't it fully disclosed that the box was a collector made box with stars showing? That was the reason I passed on that rip. In any case, someone still pulled a Henderson if I remember correctly.

lsutigers1973

<< <i>You're referring to the 1980 cello box right? Wasn't it fully disclosed that the box was a collector made box with stars showing? That was the reason I passed on that rip. In any case, someone still pulled a Henderson if I remember correctly. >>



I also passed on that rip because I had already emailed Steve about the boxes. I also warned others that there was little chance of pulling a Henderson rookie.

As far as the other 80's stuff, sequencing has always been a problem and not just with rack and cello. If you can see through the wrapper on a wax pack (front or back), you can also pick up the sequence. I believe the 1986 Fleer basketball rip from BBCE was proof that they are the only ones to be trusted when it comes to unopened material. With Steve's knowledge, he could have easily picked out the 4 packs that had the Jordan rookies.

1989FleerBillRipkencollector

<< <i>

Sadly enough many people actually sell the sequencing orders to others.
>>



I remember when you could buy these in Beckett's classifieds to find the FF back in 1989. I remember feeling 'cheated' when I saw these ads.

lsutigers1973

<< <i>I remember when you could buy these in Beckett's classifieds to find the FF back in 1989. I remember feeling 'cheated' when I saw these ads. >>



I remember that too. I also remember blowing every penny I had taken with me to an out of town card show in 1990 on a wax case and got ZERO Ripkens and only 1 Griffey.

Aric

Doesn't the sequencing usually go for only say 4-5 cards and then start with a new sequence?

lsutigers1973

<< <i>Doesn't the sequencing usually go for only say 4-5 cards and then start with a new sequence? >>



No. There are a few sets from the 80's and early 90's (mainly Topps) that went in sequences from 2-5 cards but most were full runs that only varied from racks to cellos. 1990-92 Topps for example ran in 2 card sequences.

summerof68

As Isutigers1973 mentions wax packs are also subject to "sequencing" just as are cellos and racks. I purposely didn't not mention wax just to keep things simpler for newer collectors who aren't familar with sequencing.

It is because of sequencing that I personally would never buy any of Fritsch's '75 bb & fb cello packs.

It has been told to me by many old-timers in the hobby that Larry Fritsch cards purchased all the unsold inventory of '75 Topps bb & fb cello packs directly from Topps in 1975. Additionally the story goes that Fritsch ONLY had to pay the shipping cost and actually obtained all the cases for free!

That being said you can be quite sure the Fritsch and his son have open hundreds upon hundreds of these cellos over the years and consequently they know the sequencing order. So do you think they will ever throw a '75 bb cello on ebay or sell one from their store catalogue that contains a Brett or Yount rookie or Ryan or Aaron?--I won't spend the $79 to take a chance.

So just keep in mind that the more experienced a seller is of vintage material the more likely they know the sequencing orders of various years. There's nothing illegal about sequencing but with regard to whether it is ethically right or wrong it then becomes a matter of personal interpretation!

jmoran19

<< <i>Doesn't the sequencing usually go for only say 4-5 cards and then start with a new sequence? >>



For early 70's wax packs yes but I've seen raks where all 18 cards in one section were sequenced. John

HeritageAddict

I will say that I bought a 1985 3 box rack case from bbce the summer before last, and I honestly don't remember if the case was sealed or not. But I can tell you all 3 boxes had been sequenced, it was obvious that the sequencing happened back around 85 or so though because there were plenty of Clemens and McGwire cards, but not a single Dwight Gooden.

NickM

Baseball Cards Magazine printed the sequences for Topps one year in the late 80s ('87 or '88).
I carried around an index card with key sequences for months in my wallet.

Nick

grote15

In my experience, after opening a boatload of 70s wax and cello packs over the last couple of years, the sequencing is broken usually at least once in a wax or cello pack, usually in the middle of the pack.