resealing non sport cards

72skywalker · March 29, 2015 11:54PM

I know that this should go in the non sports thread but I think it will get more eyes on it here. I bought a 1978 Elvis wax box with all 36 packs for cheap at a flea market. The pack wrappers look tight but some packs have gum and some don't. I opened one pack to make sure that there were Elvis cards and they were and they were very sharp and clean. Why would somone open non sport cards where one card has no extra value over another. I understand opening sports cards to get that big rookie or some movie cards have errors worth money but why Elvis cards. Was fat Elvis worth more that young skinny Elvis?

WhiteTornado · March 30, 2015 1:03AM

Just guesses on my part. Maybe a non-collector somehow acquired the box, opened a couple of packs to see what they looked like. Then later decided to just "put it all back" and resell. Or maybe someone acquired a nearly-full box and figured it would sell better if the box was "full", so they made it so with additional cards/packs/wrappers they were able to acquire.

LarkinCollector · March 30, 2015 1:19AM

Based on our prior Star Wars wax resealing member, perhaps they were looking for 10s only and decided that wax box didn't qualify.

mtcards · March 30, 2015 1:53AM

I know the grading era has presented an opportunity for non sports cards to attain value in higher grades, but with Elvis and boxes, even on the high side at $50, the cards really dont have enough value to even reseal.

72skywalker · March 30, 2015 2:28AM

<< I know the grading era has presented an opportunity for non sports cards to attain value in higher grades, but with Elvis and boxes, even on the high side at $50, the cards really dont have enough value to even reseal. >>

That is what I thought. The box has all 36 packs and it only cost $20. so I will either keep in because it looks nice on the shelf or open the packs and compllete the set.

gregmo32 · March 30, 2015 2:38AM

There was a time where forward-thinking collectors, who had bought these items to hold for the long term, made the decision to open and remove the gum from the packs in order to prevent them from damaging the cardboard years down the road. In some ways, it was a wise move. Of course, the difficulty is in knowing if cards were removed at the same time as the gum.

AwfulBits · March 30, 2015 3:13AM

I see two possible options

1 - Back in the day someone (A dealer) could have opened multiple boxes, made sets then resealed the leftovers back into packs.

2 - As was already stated, someone removed the gun to try to save the cards from gum stains.

Stooge · March 30, 2015 3:43AM

I bought a box of 1978 Battlestar Galactica that was very clean, but I noticed that some packs had no gum, some had 1-2 less cards. I couldn't remember who I bought it from because I had had the box for years. I decided to rip the entire box, and ironically I subbed a few cards and received PSA 10's, like a half dozen or more, which is great for a box like that. Topps really cut them badly.

I have no idea why someone would go the trouble of searching such a box. They searched it, but not very good.

Good luck with your Elvis box!

MULLINS5 · March 30, 2015 4:01AM

When I was about 8 to 10 years old, I would reseal packs and sell them to the neighborhood kids and classmates.

Some others did it, too, and we were all just having fun. I imagine there are some boxes or packs out there like this.

As I got older, in my teens, I put the cards back in their wrappers and the wrappers back in the boxes. That's how I stored them.

My grandfather used to own a gas station during the late 40s-70s. My dad caught him, several times, opening jars of Mayonnaise, getting a little dab for his sandwich, closing the jar, and putting it back on the shelf for sale. Never did he open the baseball cards to reseal. Just Mayo.

72skywalker · March 30, 2015 4:41AM

<< When I was about 8 to 10 years old, I would reseal packs and sell them to the neighborhood kids and classmates.

Some others did it, too, and we were all just having fun. I imagine there are some boxes or packs out there like this.

As I got older, in my teens, I put the cards back in their wrappers and the wrappers back in the boxes. That's how I stored them.

My grandfather used to own a gas station during the late 40s-70s. My dad caught him, several times, opening jars of Mayonnaise, getting a little dab for his sandwich, closing the jar, and putting it back on the shelf for sale. Never did he open the baseball cards to reseal. Just Mayo. >>

As long as he did not use the cards to get the mayo out of the jar he is OK.

FirstBeard · March 30, 2015 4:43AM

Those are the Elvis cards that were made by Donruss, right? I have a few packs and you are correct, the wrapping is VERY inconsistent and loose. Donruss had very bad quality control back then, so I think it is entirely plausible that some packs got more/fewer cards, and some inadvertently didn't have the gum added. Just a thought...

72skywalker · March 30, 2015 5:05AM

<< Those are the Elvis cards that were made by Donruss, right? I have a few packs and you are correct, the wrapping is VERY inconsistent and loose. Donruss had very bad quality control back then, so I think it is entirely plausible that some packs got more/fewer cards, and some inadvertently didn't have the gum added. Just a thought... >>

They were the Donruss cards. I know Donruss had horrible quality control then and into the 80's so that probably is the reason. I just could not see someone resealing these cards. They are not a high dollar item and I bought it because the box looks cool on the shelf and i am starting to get intot he 1970's non sport cards just to expand my collection and when i see stacks of different movie, TV or other non sport boxes together i like it.

Thank you...Thank you very much (in my best Elvis impression)

magellan · March 30, 2015 5:17AM

<< 

<< When I was about 8 to 10 years old, I would reseal packs and sell them to the neighborhood kids and classmates.

Some others did it, too, and we were all just having fun. I imagine there are some boxes or packs out there like this.

As I got older, in my teens, I put the cards back in their wrappers and the wrappers back in the boxes. That's how I stored them.

My grandfather used to own a gas station during the late 40s-70s. My dad caught him, several times, opening jars of Mayonnaise, getting a little dab for his sandwich, closing the jar, and putting it back on the shelf for sale. Never did he open the baseball cards to reseal. Just Mayo. >>

As long as he did not use the cards to get the mayo out of the jar he is OK. >>

+1

MULLINS5 · March 30, 2015 5:40AM

I think I saw some boxes of those at my local antique mall a few days ago. . . . they had a ton of "junk wax" baseball/basketball for not so junk prices.

Can't recall what they were asking for the Elvis boxes.

FirstBeard · March 30, 2015 6:44AM

<< 

<< I bought it because the box looks cool on the shelf and i am starting to get intot he 1970's non sport cards just to expand my collection and when i see stacks of different movie, TV or other non sport boxes together i like it. >>

I am working on a similar project, but I am just going after a single pack of each release. Trying to go from 1960 - 1989. The 70s era is incredible - it seems like every tv show had a card series. Some of it is plain hilarious. Like you said - not high value stuff compared to sports, but really cool looking when displayed.

grote15 · March 30, 2015 7:18AM

I remember a 1977 topps baseball wax box I had a few years ago in which about 10-12 packs didn't have gum, either. I was very skeptical at first, and decided to open a few packs to see if they were legit or not~all of the packs followed standard collation for a 1977 wax pack and I pulled many stars and several razor sharp commons that graded PSA 10, so the packs were definitely authentic, just sans gum. It's definitely a red flag, but you have to look at the other evidence, because that one flag is not sufficient to discount the packs as resealed.

Stooge · March 30, 2015 8:17AM

<< Those are the Elvis cards that were made by Donruss, right? I have a few packs and you are correct, the wrapping is VERY inconsistent and loose. Donruss had very bad quality control back then, so I think it is entirely plausible that some packs got more/fewer cards, and some inadvertently didn't have the gum added. Just a thought... >>

I rip 1982 Donruss M*A*S*H packs and they are the worst. Several packs have 4-5-6 cards, some even 7. Some with Gum, some w/o. Horrible printing process if you ask me. In my Homemade set I've made 22 PSA 10's out of 66 in the set. That is out of almost 700 packs ripped.

hammered · March 30, 2015 8:48AM

Can't speak for Elvis cards but I do know some baseball packs don't have gum as mentioned above, totally legit packs.
I also recall as a kid in the 70s, opening packs and on occasion finding no gum, and feeling ripped off.

yankeeno7 · March 31, 2015 1:58AM

<< Can't speak for Elvis cards but I do know some baseball packs don't have gum as mentioned above, totally legit packs.
I also recall as a kid in the 70s, opening packs and on occasion finding no gum, and feeling ripped off. >>

Did you buy the packs from an 8 -10 year old kid?

resealing non sport cards

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