Confronted a pack searcher yesterday

bigfische · July 26, 2007 3:33AM

I was at Target getting some golf balls and stopped by there little wall of cards. i noticed a guy (roughly27-30) really manhandling the packs trying to feel the gu/autos in some single packs. I just watched him for a little bit right next to him and he didnt care, kept right on mashing away.

I said, "You know a little kid could buy that pack and hope to get a game used card."

He looked at me, looked down and said "I know" ashamed sounding.

He didnt stop though so i said something stupid like, it must be nice to not have morals and he didnt respond. I found a manager and asked him why he didnt make him stop. His reply was that he was not hurting the packs. I told hi people buy those for the cards insidem, not the packs and he shrugged his shoulders and didnt care. I was pissed.

digicat · July 26, 2007 3:43AM

After buying a few packs full of cards with scuff-marks, I decided that ALL loose packs at Target and WalMart have already been searched multiple times.

So, technically they are damaging the product, but I don't think the typical Target/Walmart worker knows or cares.

chb · July 26, 2007 4:56AM

Good for you fische! As the saying goes: The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.

lickablebean · July 26, 2007 5:06AM

I confront those guys all the time and I get the same response from the workers. Target/Wal-Mart Suck! Bad business and for the kids (Even if the kids are 35 years old)

Guru · July 26, 2007 5:31AM

I've only had one experience with this that went well. I told a security guard at Target what the guy was doing. Apparently he was a collector too. He escorted the guy out. The town that I live in is very small and so I don't really see this happening too much. When I lived in Louisville this happened all the time. I even told an old guy I thought it was pathetic that he was doing that. He looked at me and told me to blow myself. So I stared him right in the eyes and told him I'd kick is a**. I probably would've got my butt kicked because he was much bigger than me, but it pissed me off so much that I didn't really care. All I could think about was all the times I bought packs not finding anything and being pissed because of it. It was like it all culminated into one episode of aggression right then and there.
I went home later and told my wife. She said she was proud of me. That day I felt like more of a man than I had in a long time. The End.

*True story though.

WinPitcher · July 26, 2007 5:56AM

I only buy unopened / sealed boxes from places like that.

Steve

rube26105 · July 26, 2007 5:58AM

when you find em doing that, take the packs theve already are going to buy and say thank you,lol-god if somebody told me to f-off doing that i would beat em half to death right in the store-thell let you ot of jail eventually lol-which is why my wife goes nowhere with me lol!
randy
p.s-very true steve,anything out of the box has already been seached a half dozen time by the time you get there more than likely-my sister works at the walmart here right in fornt of the card stand at the bank, and ive asked here if people stand there for a long time and finger packs, she told me all the time night and day lol
randy

kingraider75 · July 26, 2007 7:32AM

just buy a hobby box, better bang for your money anyways.

CubsFan41 · July 26, 2007 8:00AM

I haven't bought loose packs in years because of these jags. Sealed is the only thing I buy.

Leiascards · July 26, 2007 9:38AM

The packs Wal-Mart and Target get never actually belong to the store the only ones they actually pay for are the ones that get scanned. Walk in about inventory time and you will see what I mean they are marked DNI(Do not Inventory.) Many items like this at Wal-Mart are scan through items like this. So it is doubtful Wal-Mart or Target will ever do anything about it, they have no incentive to care..

That security guard at Target could have lost his job over that had his supervisors gotten wind of it.

F1ferrari · July 26, 2007 9:57AM

No to hijack this thread, but the DNI tags on the cards marking the items that the store doesn't own? How does that work? Do the distributors for the cards 'lease' the shelf space?

My ex worked the jewlery counter in a Wal-Mart while she was going to school, and she told me that the jewlery and the shoe departments aren't owned by Wal-Mart, they lease the floorspace to the companies that provide the merchandise, and Wal-Mart just handled the staffing of the departments and the sales.

Back on topic, I won't search packs, but I have looked through a few rack packs just to see what's on top or bottom.

alnavman · July 26, 2007 10:03AM

Another thing that bothered me when I did shows was when they would be fumbling thru a rack box looking for stars on top......then they'd get mad when you asked them what they were doing......they don't want the dealer to search the packs but they go right ahead and do it themselves....

lostdart58 · July 26, 2007 10:48AM

I do not buy the modern crap.

When I was a kid growing up in NY and went to the store to buy rack packs and cellos, did I not look through them all looking for a star card or Yankee card on top or bottom...........

Is this not the same thing?

When you go to the grocery store and buy melons and they are $.79 each...do you not look through the entire pile looking for the largest one?...and squeeze them all..

I know it is not exactly the same.......

I do not buy the modern crap.........from what I read here it is expensive. I think I might be squeezing and looking for the largest melon myself...

...just my two cents to all you holier then thou types.

( I anticipate winning alot more friends with this post)

I do not mean crap in a derogatory way.........I bought all my crap way back when....

Leiascards · July 26, 2007 11:01AM

I am not sure how it works with the sports cards, but when I worked for a Flowers Bakery routeman. We never had to be counted in or out just checked for other stuff. Basically we placed the merchandise on the floor, we were responsible for stocking it and keeping the upkeep. Only stuff Wal-Mart paid for was what actually got scanned any damages or stolen we did not get anything for. I am not sure if there is a lease in place or anything like that

muchuckwagon · July 26, 2007 11:08AM

In the past, there were a fair share of posts by people who confronted "pack searchers" on Beckett....and to hear their stories, they were always the tough guy yelling at the evil pack searcher. Around the same time, I was in a Target and on the bottom shelf was a mixed box of all different baseball and football packs from various years....orphans.

I had to kneel down to sort through the box...in the mix were a handful of baseball packs left over from a few years ago that I wanted. At the same time, some 14 -16 year old brat proceeds to hurl insults in my direction. I realize, he thinks I am pack searching....I am not....I only wanted the baseball packs from the mixed box.

What this kid failed to realize was we were nearly eye to eye....but remember, I had to kneel down since the cards were on the bottom shelf. You should have seen the look on his face when I stood up and he realized I was 6'7 and a foot or more taller than him.

I looked at him and asked..."What?" No response. I asked..."Are you here school shopping with your mommy?" No response...so I asked again. He replied, with a little mouse like voice..."yes". Just as I finished saying...."Tell your mommy you need some new underwear, my guess is you just stained that pair."....he turned around ran away....not walked, ran.

Let me say that, I think pack searching is wrong....but in every story I read on a message board, the poster is always a brave hero. Strange?!?!?

rube26105 · July 26, 2007 11:51AM

yeah ,lol most kids that age are mostly brats anymore thats for sure, back when i was that age you got you azz beat at school, then when you got home ,a double whammy,cant touch em now so they think they can get away with anything-most are nothing but a bunch of wothless punks anymore ,little bit of draft into the military take that out of em real quick!!!6'7 wow, you definately wouldnt have made a tunnel rat lol-
randy

jmbkb4 · July 26, 2007 11:56AM

Once, when I was searching through packs at my local Target store, I actually kicked a kid in the face when he reached for a pack that I hadn't gotten to yet.

*true story

rube26105 · July 26, 2007 12:24PM

we dont have any targets around here, ive never been to one, are they about like wal-mart? is that a barry bonds* asterick there on that story jmbk lol
randy

pandrews · July 26, 2007 12:28PM

i once saw joestalin try to strangle a pack searcher with a 6' extension cord from aisle 8..

rube26105 · July 26, 2007 12:32PM

ho chi minh would skin you alive if you looked at his cards,and saddam would have you thew in the pallet shredder...wonder what fildel castro does, they have baseball in cuba anyways lol
randy

jmbkb4 · July 26, 2007 12:43PM

<< we dont have any targets around here, ive never been to one, are they about like wal-mart? is that a barry bonds* asterick there on that story jmbk lol
randy >>

*nope, completely true!

rube26105 · July 26, 2007 12:45PM

lol-cool, sound like me on one of my post traumatic stress disorder leave me alone days lol- wife stays in house, i stay in garage with cards and military stuff lol
randy

chaz43 · July 26, 2007 12:46PM

<< i once saw joestalin try to strangle a pack searcher with a 6' extension cord from aisle 8.. >>

lol !!! PANDREWS...... your getting funnier in your old age. chaz

chb · July 26, 2007 1:23PM

lostdart58:

<< When I was a kid growing up in NY and went to the store to buy rack packs and cellos, did I not look through them all looking for a star card or Yankee card on top or bottom...........Is this not the same thing?
>>

No, it is not. Sorry you don't understand that.

<< ...just my two cents to all you holier then thou types. >>

Actually, it should be holier THAN thou

muchuckwagon:

<< Let me say that, I think pack searching is wrong....but in every story I read on a message board, the poster is always a brave hero. Strange?!?!? >>

Strange how you contradict yourself in one short sentence.

A good analogy: I'm a big reader, love books. I go to the library sales often to try to pick up some good reading material but am blocked in every aisle by online booksellers with their palm pilots/scanners/whatever the hell they are called that they use to price the books in order to decide whether they're worth buying. They have AISLES full of these books stacked up, no one can browse or get around them.

Lord of the Flies is great fiction, not so great reality.

jmbkb4 · July 26, 2007 3:02PM

why don't you just steal the packs? i do that.

then i can avoid kids with facial fractures and "surprised" looks from parents.

joestalin · July 26, 2007 3:33PM

You have never seen the Joestalin way of dealing with packscum?

I keep a nice little searcher kit in my car. It contains these:

1) Set of latex gloves
2) Tube of super glue
3) A container of 12 of the crappiest GU cards I have.

Once I spot the offending scum, I wait for him in the parking lot. I tail him to the next stop, which is usually the Kmart or walmart across the street. I then
go into action and glue the 12 GU cards to the passenger side of his car. Usually it will be days before he notices. The next one Ill try to get up on utube
or something

JS

jmbkb4 · July 26, 2007 3:38PM

SIMPLY.

AWESOME.

rube26105 · July 26, 2007 3:53PM

lol-that is beautiful!
the rube

rmoss · July 26, 2007 8:45PM

<< ho chi minh would skin you alive if you looked at his cards,and saddam would have you thew in the pallet shredder...wonder what fildel castro does, they have baseball in cuba anyways lol
randy >>

All the baseball cards in Cuba are pre 1959, just like the American cars they have.

digicat · July 27, 2007 1:35AM

A while back while at a KB Toy Store looking for a toy for my nephew's birthday, I saw a 40-50ish guy in the store standing by the cards, bending packs, shifting them around in his hand, and dropping them casually to the side. I moved a little closer to see what he was searching. Packs of Elvis cards. !?!?!?

gamehunter · July 27, 2007 2:48AM

I just don't see how it's possible anyway to determine which pack has an insert in it, unless you rough up the pack so much it opens a hole in it.

bigfische · July 27, 2007 3:30AM

<< In the past, there were a fair share of posts by people who confronted "pack searchers" on Beckett....and to hear their stories, they were always the tough guy yelling at the evil pack searcher. Around the same time, I was in a Target and on the bottom shelf was a mixed box of all different baseball and football packs from various years....orphans.

I had to kneel down to sort through the box...in the mix were a handful of baseball packs left over from a few years ago that I wanted. At the same time, some 14 -16 year old brat proceeds to hurl insults in my direction. I realize, he thinks I am pack searching....I am not....I only wanted the baseball packs from the mixed box.

What this kid failed to realize was we were nearly eye to eye....but remember, I had to kneel down since the cards were on the bottom shelf. You should have seen the look on his face when I stood up and he realized I was 6'7 and a foot or more taller than him.

I looked at him and asked..."What?" No response. I asked..."Are you here school shopping with your mommy?" No response...so I asked again. He replied, with a little mouse like voice..."yes". Just as I finished saying...."Tell your mommy you need some new underwear, my guess is you just stained that pair."....he turned around ran away....not walked, ran.

Let me say that, I think pack searching is wrong....but in every story I read on a message board, the poster is always a brave hero. Strange?!?!? >>

Pot, id like you to meet my friend kettle.............................................................................tough guy.

bigfische · July 27, 2007 3:58AM

<< I do not buy the modern crap.

When I was a kid growing up in NY and went to the store to buy rack packs and cellos, did I not look through them all looking for a star card or Yankee card on top or bottom...........

Is this not the same thing?

When you go to the grocery store and buy melons and they are $.79 each...do you not look through the entire pile looking for the largest one?...and squeeze them all..

I know it is not exactly the same.......

I do not buy the modern crap.........from what I read here it is expensive. I think I might be squeezing and looking for the largest melon myself...

...just my two cents to all you holier then thou types.

( I anticipate winning alot more friends with this post)

I do not mean crap in a derogatory way.........I bought all my crap way back when....

>>

Why dont you go show your vintage stuff to the network54 crowd, i am sure they will be super impressed! That vintage stuff is impossible to find!

Tabe · July 27, 2007 7:24AM

<< I just don't see how it's possible anyway to determine which pack has an insert in it, unless you rough up the pack so much it opens a hole in it. >>

There a number of different ways. One technique involves sliding the cards in the pack back and forth. For certain brands that put their autographs right on the cards (no stickers), those autographs will slide easier than a normal card with regular printing on it. Another technique involves moving the top few cards up/down to get to the thick card in the middle and then feel for a serial #.

There are lots of other (non-destructive) ways.

I'll note here that I am not a pack searcher. I've tried out the above autograph technique on boxes I'm busting for myself but don't search packs in stores.

Tabe

rube26105 · July 27, 2007 11:52AM

the ones selling em one ebay as hot packs go by weight too on adigital scale, and they think its a secret lol, id have to open in, my luck it would be a $1,000 1/1 of babe ruth or something lol that i just sold to some schmuch for 25.00 lol,that would tick ya off, !
randy

AlmostPerfect · July 28, 2007 6:49AM

the ones selling em one ebay as hot packs go by weight too on adigital scale, and they think its a secret lol, id have to open in, my luck it would be a $1,000 1/1 of babe ruth or something lol that i just sold to some schmuch for 25.00 lol,that would tick ya off, !
randy

LOL

gamehunter · July 28, 2007 11:21AM

Wonder what the store would do if somebody brought a small digital scale right into the sportscard section?....lol

cardfan07 · July 28, 2007 1:06PM

One of the reasons that the card shop demise is sad for the hobby in general...at least in my experience. Not that there aren't/weren't a-holes in the card shop business..but I can't imagine a shop owner letting everyone finger the packs to find the auto card.
Even happier that I don't do modern stuff.

Leiascards · July 28, 2007 2:24PM

but I can't imagine a shop owner letting everyone finger the packs to find the auto card

No use most the shop owners round here have already done that for you.

cardfan07 · July 28, 2007 2:32PM

Alright, that might be true. The problem with my statement is that it doesnt take into account a shady dealer. All things being equal, a dealer wants all his customers to have the same shot. That way they keep coming back.

rube26105 · July 28, 2007 4:58PM

we used to have 5 or 6 cards shops around here as im right on the ohio river of wv/oh-all closed now, the massive production of garbage iin the late 80's-90s; shut em all down, i guess alot of people quit back then, i did-but came back now that they dont overproduce everything anymore!
rube

TNTonPMS · July 29, 2007 12:01AM

I have seen this too at the store, people feeling up the packs and I have even seen one guy with a little digital scale weighing the packs , so I asked the guy what he was weighing them for , He says that the cards with the memorabila inside weigh a little more ?

I though to myself a little while and waited for the guy to get done what he was doing , then I just bought the rest of what was left , when I got home I pulled 1 auto and 1 memorabila card , so I guess the guys system wasn't working that well that day .

I'm the kinda guy that likes to bet against the odds , I like the underdog , I like the 30 - 50 to 1 shots on the horses so it was just natural for me to take what he left basically betting the guy couldn't know which had the " Good cards " only because they have been inserting the solid white thick cardboard things in the packs .

It is cool you confronted the guy though, but that probably won't change the way the guy thinks , as for me I have always been a non confrontational kinda guy unless it is something of great importance , the feeling up and weighing of packs never really fit into that catagory for me .

Having said that, If I had a few "POPS" in me before going in there and seeing that . . . Anything could have happened and it usually does .

cohocorp · July 29, 2007 12:50AM

back in the day when i had a store, one regular customer came in and pulled out a scale and started to weigh packs. i asked him what he was doing and he sais he was searching for the inserts. i kicked him out instantly and banned him from coming back. that was the last time i ever saw him.

as far as seeing people searching packs in the mass retail stores like target, i have seen it once. what a pathetic existance for this guy to have to cheat to try to make a buck. however i did not confront him as my temper is way too short nowadays and i am way too extreme. the risk reward aspect wasnt worth it.

Confronted a pack searcher yesterday

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