Advice please: Submit packs to PSA or leave in boxes?

belz

I have a great deal of unopened football boxes...mainly bbce, but all very crisp and clean. As I prepare a huge submission (500 Cards) for PSA at the upcoming show in Rosemont, IL, I contemplate submitting packs for the first time. Doing a check on Ebay, a 1981 pack could go for 25 bucks, but in a PSA holder double that...seems worth the submission fee. I've heard horror stories about gum ripping through packs etc...so my question is: if front money is not an issue, what would you rather have or do with your boxes? keep them as is, or submit to PSA? Funny thing is Steve Hart is ultimately evaluating it all, but that's somewhat besides the point...anyway, would love to hear opinions from any novices or experienced players like Grote etc....Belz

elsnorto

<< <i>I have a great deal of unopened football boxes...mainly bbce, but all very crisp and clean. As I prepare a huge submission (500 Cards) for PSA at the upcoming show in Rosemont, IL, I contemplate submitting packs for the first time. Doing a check on Ebay, a 1981 pack could go for 25 bucks, but in a PSA holder double that...seems worth the submission fee. I've heard horror stories about gum ripping through packs etc...so my question is: if front money is not an issue, what would you rather have or do with your boxes? keep them as is, or submit to PSA? Funny thing is Steve Hart is ultimately evaluating it all, but that's somewhat besides the point...anyway, would love to hear opinions from any novices or experienced players like Grote etc....Belz >>



You may want to check out this thread with regards to PSA's new pack policy.

As this change alone may severely limit how many packs can be submitted for grading, your thesis for breaking the box may not hold. It is also possible the packs which can be submitted for grading may not yield high grades that yield the return you stated above, especially after grading/shipping (and potentially eBay/Paypal) fees. I picked up a PSA 8 graded 1981 Topps FB pack recently for $32 delivered, for example.

Conceptually, breaking the box and grading the packs is the way to maximize returns, but you are predicating that on some assumptions that may not hold true. Perhaps the way to go is to open the box, inspect the packs, and try to make a more informed decision as a result. I believe you can pay BBCE to re-inspect & reseal the box if the packs aren't grading candidates.

I personally value the box more as a whole than the sum of its parts, but you and the market as a whole may disagree.

Snorto~

jmaciu

Great post, Snorto. Unless you are certain that the gum is fused to the top card of the pack, it is not worthwhile to submit the packs for grading. OPC baseball wax packs from 1972 and 1979 typically have the gum fused, as it was a more sugary type than some of the other issues. I am unsure about Topps football issues, so hopefully a football expert will chime in here. But, it would seem risky to bust open a sealed BBCE box for pack grading if you don't have a pretty good idea that packs will have fused gum.

cpamike

<< <i>Great post, Snorto. Unless you are certain that the gum is fused to the top card of the pack, it is not worthwhile to submit the packs for grading. OPC baseball wax packs from 1972 and 1979 typically have the gum fused, as it was a more sugary type than some of the other issues. I am unsure about Topps football issues, so hopefully a football expert will chime in here. But, it would seem risky to bust open a sealed BBCE box for pack grading if you don't have a pretty good idea that packs will have fused gum. >>



+1

Unfortunately, this is the case with pack grading now. While I don't collect football unopened, I place a premium on a full box as opposed to individual packs as Scott said. While it is true that you will realize a premium for a graded pack over a raw pack, I would value the packs in a full box to be worth more than individual raw packs and even more so in a box shrinkwrapped by BBCE. Just my 2 cents.

belz

Now that's what a forum like this is all about...great stuff guys, thanks, really appreciate it. Will check out that link as well.

slum22

As an unopened collector I absolutely vote for keeping a BBCE box sealed vs. grading out the packs. I think the unopened box is worth more than the sum of its parts (even if the parts are graded).

grote15

In light of PSA's new pack grading policy, I would definitely NOT break up a full box of wax packs, as most if not all packs will be returned to you if the box was stored properly and gum is loose in the pack. For a cello, if there's a star on top, you might want to send in a pack like that because of the premium on the value, but no way would I send in any wax packs unless the gum is a) fused to top card and b) not broken. And even then, I wouldn't break up a full box to do it.

esquiresports

I believe, for baseball at least, that there is short-term money to be made grading 1981-85. I am in need of some basic packs from 1981-83 and can't believe what some of these PSA 8 and 9 packs command. In the long-term, current prices won't hold, but there is a current opportunity.

The PSA policy of not grading packs with loose or broken gum isn't a significant issue to me, in and of itself. PSA won't charge you grading fees on those, so your only loss is shipping. However, pre-1975, I believe the box is worth MORE (before grading costs) on average than a box worth of graded packs. For 1975-, the potential return isn't enough for me to get packs graded. I would still sell the box.

I would only consider grading wax packs from this era with visible stars.

grote15

Scott is correct in that you don't get charged for packs not holdered but you are risking damage to the packs in transit when you get them back. If gum was intact, it will likely be broken when the pack comes back as they are fragile to begin with. Also, breaking up an intact box diminishes its overall value once you break it up by cherrypicking packs. Yes, you can replace those packs but the box is no longer fully original and intact once you do.

belz

I've been collecting unopened football boxes now for awhile and have amassed a large and fun to look at display...the fact is I'm always trying to improve the collection and potential resale down the road...so based on the advice I've received here and in that other link, clearly leaving the boxes whole and in tact is the way to go for now. My 1975 topps cello from a sealed case display from bbce would be the only option, but even in that, it's so pristine, I'm not messing with it. Just add to it !!! Thanks again all.