Wax Pack Experts: Help Is Needed!

psychump

Probably raising the price by letting this cat out of the bag but I need a pack of this year for my master set. Is it legit as far as you can tell? No returns. Thanks in advance.

1963 Topps Baseball Wax Pack

Stingray

Not familiar with older packs, but is that how the folds on the back were done back then?? Just does not look right to me.

cardsfan73

I think the description in the listing tells you all you need to know. They use the same generic listing for every pack, every pack has broken gum, states not the original owner, no refunds. The folds do not look right either. Not a wax pack expert but a lot of red flags to me.

PaulMaul

For 1-cent packs, I believe there should be consistency to the way the folds overlap on the back of the pack. Difficult to describe, but let me try to explain:

Look at these scans:



Viewing the front of the pack in landscape mode, you would flip the pack about its bottom edge to get the back scan.



Viewing the back as it now appears, the lower flap should be superimposed over the upper flap, as is the case here.

I believe, though I have no absolute proof of it, that the flaps should always be aligned this way on a legit pack as a result of the wrapping process.

The 1963 pack you're asking about appears to have those folds reversed. As a result I would avoid it. But I want to be clear that this is the result of my observations and research only, I have no idea whether anyone else agrees or can offer counterexamples that are known to be legitimate.

BaltimoreYankee

I'm going to go with 'not a chance'. If anyone had all those packs and they were legit, they would more than make up the grading/shipping fees by having them authenticated.

psychump

I guess if it looks to good to be true, it is.

cardsfan73

They covered the not being graded by stating the gum is broke in every pack they have listed. PSA won't grade packs with broken gum. Like I said a lot of red flags.

Mapleleaf

The no returns, no refunds is a not true. Anything can be returned on ebay.
In this case though, I would save the hassle if you are expecting an unopened pack.
The seller even tells you to "bid accordingly" which I would take to mean pay only what a wrapper plus some commons is worth to you as a display piece.

cardsfan73

I understand the ebay/paypal buyer protection. But the no refunds/as is along with all the other things tell me they know it's bad and will make it as big of an ordeal for you to get a refund as they can.

mikelowell25

One cent packs are the easiest ones to fabricate ie create; all you need is a single card from the particular year (it doesnt even have to be mint assuming the person whose hands the "pack" ends up in isnt going to open the "pack"!), a nice nm-mt wrapper that doesn't show any signs of handling, and a broken stick of gum which makes it hard to tell exactly what size the stick of gum was when it was intact and before it was broken. Anyone with a half a brain can take all three of these ingredients and mix them together (without the use of a mixer, blender or bowl) and voila! You have a "pack". (But not until you've taken some glue stick and glued one--or both--of the end flaps/folds to the pack itself). Regarding the one in the ebay listing, that the gum is broken is red flag numero uno; even if it was unbroken and in one single piece but loose and free-floating in the pack I would still be leery; the only time I would buy a raw one cent pack is unless I knew for sure the gum was still in one piece and stuck to the lone card inside and even then not until I closely examined the two end folds and the entire wrapper itself to make sure I didnt see fold lines where there shouldnt be any ie you should only see fold lines around the card and not in odd places like the middle of the wrapper. I would only buy ungraded one cent packs on ebay if I knew the seller and they were trustworthy and reliable; its best to buy these types of packs in person where you can examine them and stick to buying only graded ones on ebay and even then you still cant be 100% sure as we all know that bad packs have gotten by even the shrewdest eyes and made their way into holders.

Edited to add: and even a one cent pack with the gum intact in one piece and stuck to the card could easily be a bogus pack because all someone has to do to achieve this effect is to glue an intact stick of gum to the card!