Collecting Unopened Wax Advice

bigdog2003 · 10-23-2018, 07:48 AM

I have been thinking about changing the direction of my collecting and focusing on unopened packs, boxes and cases. I’m not talking about the latest releases, but stuff I remember opening as a kid. I can remember my dad bringing packs home on Friday’s if I had done everything I was supposed to that week. I can remember sitting down with him and opening packs of 1990 Donruss, 1991 Fleer, 1991 Topps, and many others. If it was a really good week, I might have gotten a pack of Upper Deck.

I think it would be fun to have unopened stuff that I remember opening as a kid, but I was wondering if anybody does this and can offer some advice before I start. I know that cases will start taking up a lot of room, but unopened boxes fit nicely on bookcases. I also know that there are places that specialize in selling late 80’s to early 90’s boxes and cases, but that shipping will add up fast. The prices on stuff from this period are really low, so I’m not looking at this as an investment, but something fun to have.

Does anybody have any pro’s and con’s that they would like to share? Or any tips to collecting unopened stuff?

Thanks

HadWayTooMuch · 10-23-2018, 08:27 AM

Buy BBCE pre 1986 if you want my 2 cents.

trmpetyjo · 10-23-2018, 08:28 AM

I know that some products are bricked out and will not be able to be opened without damage. Topps Stadium Club had that glossy shine on it and most of the cards are stuck to each other so bad. I have also heard that the super rare 1993 Upper Deck Sp (Derek Jeter) product is one that is almost impossible to open now without damage like that. I wouldn't want to persuade you from storing that stuff if you really want to but if I was going to grab some product to store that was cheap and had some potential for distant future value I would grab stuff that was newer. I would concentrate on product that had second or third year superstars. For example 2011 Trout product is expensive but his second and third year cards are going to increase in value too and some of that product is reasonable still.

blackbears86 · 10-23-2018, 09:01 AM

I agree with the above. If you really want to go back to your childhood, I'd go with 1989 upper deck (but only if bought at baseball card exchange)

2004-2005 products were considered the "peak" of 2000 baseball card collecting. I'd try my luck with some boxes from those years. (lot's of vintage HOF products were released)

Donovan · 10-23-2018, 09:15 AM

Put out ads locally first. Craigslist, offerup, Letgo and local facebook for sale groups. That will save you on shipping.

base set · 10-23-2018, 09:39 AM

If you have a box with cards printed on the bottom, you could occasionally display either side.

Grimster · 10-23-2018, 10:28 AM

Be careful as it can be a slippery slope. I thought "oh I'll just collect a little unopened from my childhood" as well. Fast forward a couple years and I have so many packs and boxes it is getting kind of ridiculous. haha.

Basic rule of thumb is - you need to trust the source you are buying from. Keeping things unopened makes it easier to have "resealed" or "fake" packs, especially if the seller thinks you won't be opening it to check the contents anyway. Typically if it is factory sealed (think 1993 topps and newer) or the "tamper-proof" stuff from early upper deck, you are probably ok. If it is non-factory sealed stuff (think 1990 as an example), you will want to make sure the source is legit. Of course, not many people buying, opening, and resealing 1990 Topps, but you get the idea.

eBay is good for factory sealed stuff. I typically only buy boxes from there that are factory sealed as packs sometime seem "too good to be true" with various stars and HOF'ers showing on top.

BBCE (Baseball Card Exchange) is probably the most respected and trusted unopened sportscard dealer out there. Thats your best bet for buying wax/cello/rack packs or boxes from the eras of non-factory sealed (typically 1992 and earlier, but that depends on the brand).

Lots of information out there. The Collector's Universe forums are also a good place to talk about unopened and people sell unopened stuff there all the time. You can't buy or sell unopened here on blowout because it is against their rules. But once you accumulate some you can totally show it off here!

Are you going to be collecting packs at all? Or just boxes?

bigdog2003 · 10-23-2018, 10:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Grimster

Be careful as it can be a slippery slope. I thought "oh I'll just collect a little unopened from my childhood" as well. Fast forward a couple years and I have so many packs and boxes it is getting kind of ridiculous. haha.

Basic rule of thumb is - you need to trust the source you are buying from. Keeping things unopened makes it easier to have "resealed" or "fake" packs, especially if the seller thinks you won't be opening it to check the contents anyway. Typically if it is factory sealed (think 1993 topps and newer) or the "tamper-proof" stuff from early upper deck, you are probably ok. If it is non-factory sealed stuff (think 1990 as an example), you will want to make sure the source is legit. Of course, not many people buying, opening, and resealing 1990 Topps, but you get the idea.

eBay is good for factory sealed stuff. I typically only buy boxes from there that are factory sealed as packs sometime seem "too good to be true" with various stars and HOF'ers showing on top.

BBCE (Baseball Card Exchange) is probably the most respected and trusted unopened sportscard dealer out there. Thats your best bet for buying wax/cello/rack packs or boxes from the eras of non-factory sealed (typically 1992 and earlier, but that depends on the brand).

Lots of information out there. The Collector's Universe forums are also a good place to talk about unopened and people sell unopened stuff there all the time. You can't buy or sell unopened here on blowout because it is against their rules. But once you accumulate some you can totally show it off here!

Are you going to be collecting packs at all? Or just boxes?

I have thought about packs as well.

bigdog2003 · 10-23-2018, 10:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Donovan

Put out ads locally first. Craigslist, offerup, Letgo and local facebook for sale groups. That will save you on shipping.

I have tried this before, but I always seem to get the people that want $50 for their box of 1990 Topps.

Grimster · 10-23-2018, 10:45 AM

I started off by doing a Topps pack run from my birth year to present. That was fun to chase down.

https://www.blowoutforums.com/showthread.php?t=754829

Im still updating that. I have also expanded the craziness to this :

https://forums.collectors.com/discus...80s-90s#latest

Just some food for thought.

bigdog2003 · 10-23-2018, 10:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Grimster

I started off by doing a Topps pack run from my birth year to present. That was fun to chase down.

https://www.blowoutforums.com/showthread.php?t=754829

Im still updating that. I have also expanded the craziness to this :

https://forums.collectors.com/discus...80s-90s#latest

Just some food for thought.

That is awesome! I remember opening 100's of packs of 1991 and 1992 Topps, maybe I will start there.

Donovan · 10-23-2018, 11:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigdog2003

I have tried this before, but I always seem to get the people that want $50 for their box of 1990 Topps.

Yep, there's always those types. But I'd buy the more expensive online and save the junk wax for a local buy. Eventually you'll find someone. Post buy prices to weed out the dreamers. I did this and on month two located a guy with 3 cases of 1991 Topps cheap. Then a guy called my and had a sea train full of cards. We couldn't agree on price though.

I've done the same with silver. Always get unrealistic people but when it does work, it's worth it.

I used to collect unopened wax. I would always get rarer packs in PSA holders. As someone stated earlier, they add up fast. I was buying everything. I would make a list of what you want and see if those will fit in your display area. After I had a ton of wax, put them in cases on the wall etc. I had too many to display. Ok, sell the less desirable. Who wants to buy 1 1988 Topps pack? Think I was the last guy to buy one. lol

djohn · 10-23-2018, 11:45 AM

I did this for a little while, but the amount of space the collection takes up grows quicker than you might expect. I started buying wax boxes, then got cello and rack boxes, next thing I know I was buying cases as some were super cheap. All of a sudden I had a room full of these case boxes and realized that it wasn't really fun to look at sealed cases. At least the wax boxes are cool to look at and reminisce about. Since then I have tried to only get unopened packs, as it's cheaper and takes up less room. Plus you can get the unopened packs graded which also helps with the occasional temptation to want to open them.

JWBlue · 10-23-2018, 03:11 PM

I only buy FASC (From a Sealed Case).

Sometimes collectors pack search, know sequencing of cards, or will stop opening a box when a major card is pulled. They then "Frankenstein" a box by taking unopened packs from multiple boxes and put them together to create one box. FASC prevents this. The small premium for FASC is worth it.

CoolG · 10-23-2018, 07:56 PM

^^^^^ haven't had this issue (single box purchases) 20 plus years buying wax
most of the larger dealers national or local don't even collect cards

bigdog2003 · 10-24-2018, 05:33 AM

Thank you for the advice so far, does anybody else have any to share?

JWBlue · 10-24-2018, 11:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CoolG

^^^^^ haven't had this issue (single box purchases) 20 plus years buying wax
most of the larger dealers national or local don't even collect cards

What are some larger dealers that don't collect?

AlexHunter · 10-24-2018, 12:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JWBlue

What are some larger dealers that don't collect?

....i just assumed that large dealers and distributors are simply owners of businesses that push tons of product daily. You dont have to be a fan or collector of what your job sells

bigdog2003 · 11-02-2018, 08:50 AM

I have a family member who said yesterday they have a bunch of sealed boxes from the early 90's at home. They said they will send me pictures today of what they have. I hope they have something I can pick up.

dani0100 · 11-02-2018, 12:21 PM

I've been collecting unopened stuff for a few years now. Started off just like OP, wanting to get some things that I remember from when I was a kid. I actually first started buying unopened stuff in around 2005, and picked up a lot of early to mid 80s stuff that has really appreciated in value since then. These days, I'm into value stuff, and variety, so I try to find deals on junk wax.

If you want to do "quality" stuff like early 80s or just high-priced stuff from any era, then definitely BBCE wrapped stuff is the way to go. You can get BBCE boxes off eBay for cheaper than BBCE.com, but BBCE is actually pretty competitively priced, except for shipping costs which is just actual shipping.

As far as junk wax goes, that's tricky. Buying off eBaby will almost never be worth it because of shipping. Even at card shows, a lot of dealers still seem to be stuck in the early 90s when boxes of anything were worth at least $15. The absolute best way to get good deals on wax is to find the right dealer who has lots of the stuff and might be interested in getting rid of a bunch all at once. It might even take several times of seeing them, but after hauling 100 pounds of junk wax to and from a show, they'll likely be pretty excited to move a bunch of it, even at a very low price.

At a show I want to a couple of months ago, there was a dealer that I work frequently with on newer wax, and he always has some junk for sale at really decent prices, like $4/box if you buy more than three boxes (this is stuff like 90 Score BB, 90 UD Baseball, 91 UD Hockey, 91 Fleer Ultra BB, and the usual suspects). After I was putting together a pile of stuff for a while, he just says, "if you buy it all, I'll do $2/box" and I said heck yeah. So, I think you can definitely find dealers who would be in a similar position and then just be ready to pounce.

Shipping on cases of junk was is very expensive -- about $35/case to most areas of the country. However, you might also find a local shop or dealer that has cases of junk that I'm sure they've had for decades. Same thing applies there -- offer an eBay price minus shipping, and you're likely to have a deal. Buy 5 cases, and give yourself a healthy discount.

I've never had any luck off of Craiglist or similar sites. Anyone motivated enough to post there things they have a goldmine and convincing them otherwise is not going to be fun for anyone.

MJFootball · 12-05-2019, 09:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigdog2003

I have a family member who said yesterday they have a bunch of sealed boxes from the early 90's at home. They said they will send me pictures today of what they have. I hope they have something I can pick up.

Just curious if you are still collecting this way and how it has progressed after a year!

bigdog2003 · 12-05-2019, 10:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MJFootball

Just curious if you are still collecting this way and how it has progressed after a year!

That family member never produced the boxes or any proof they had them. I have some sealed stuff, mostly retail blasters and hangers. I keep looking for stuff close to me to save on shipping, but few things get posted and when it does people are asking more than what online plus shipping would be. I also left the education field to enter the public recreation field over the last year so my time to search has decreased. Add in my ever expanding Boy Scout memorabilia selling, and I haven't added much wax. I may restart the search now. I want some 92 and 93 triple play. I loved that stuff as a kid, I have no clue why, but having boxes to remind me would be neat.

ThoseBackPages · 12-05-2019, 10:27 PM

can never go wrong holding wax!

WSCards5 · 12-05-2019, 10:37 PM

My sealed wax collection so far

Baseball
2011 Bowman Chrome Hanger Pack
2011 Bowman Hanger pack
2017 Bowman Hobby Box x2
2018 Bowman Hobby Box x2
2018 Bowman Blaster Box x8
2018 Bowman Draft Jumbo Box x2
2018 Heritage High # blaster x3
2018 Heritage High # Hanger Box
2018 Topps Update Hobby Box x3
2018 Topps Update Chrome Hangers x6
2019 Bowman Hobby Sealed Case
2019 Bowman Mega Boxes x14
2019 Topps Chrome Update Box
2019 Bowman Draft Jumbo Box x2

Basketball
2017-18 Prizm 18 pack Retail box x3
2019-20 Prizm 18 Pack Retail Box x3

MJFootball · 12-05-2019, 10:59 PM

Does anyone worry about the cards "Bricking" (sticking all together) long term when they stay in the packs for long-term holders?

10-23-2018, 07:48 AM	#1
bigdog2003 Member Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: Newberry, SC Posts: 6,464 jammons52 bigdog2003	Collecting Unopened Wax Advice I have been thinking about changing the direction of my collecting and focusing on unopened packs, boxes and cases. I’m not talking about the latest releases, but stuff I remember opening as a kid. I can remember my dad bringing packs home on Friday’s if I had done everything I was supposed to that week. I can remember sitting down with him and opening packs of 1990 Donruss, 1991 Fleer, 1991 Topps, and many others. If it was a really good week, I might have gotten a pack of Upper Deck. I think it would be fun to have unopened stuff that I remember opening as a kid, but I was wondering if anybody does this and can offer some advice before I start. I know that cases will start taking up a lot of room, but unopened boxes fit nicely on bookcases. I also know that there are places that specialize in selling late 80’s to early 90’s boxes and cases, but that shipping will add up fast. The prices on stuff from this period are really low, so I’m not looking at this as an investment, but something fun to have. Does anybody have any pro’s and con’s that they would like to share? Or any tips to collecting unopened stuff? Thanks __________________ Looking for Football: All South Carolina Gamecocks. Baseball: Carl Edwards Jr, Nick Ciuffo, Jackie Bradley Jr, SEARCHING FOR BILLY O'DELL PSA/SGC GRADED CARDS FOR THE PC

10-23-2018, 10:28 AM	#7
Grimster Member Join Date: Sep 2013 Location: Colorado Posts: 606 stealth6g72	Be careful as it can be a slippery slope. I thought "oh I'll just collect a little unopened from my childhood" as well. Fast forward a couple years and I have so many packs and boxes it is getting kind of ridiculous. haha. Basic rule of thumb is - you need to trust the source you are buying from. Keeping things unopened makes it easier to have "resealed" or "fake" packs, especially if the seller thinks you won't be opening it to check the contents anyway. Typically if it is factory sealed (think 1993 topps and newer) or the "tamper-proof" stuff from early upper deck, you are probably ok. If it is non-factory sealed stuff (think 1990 as an example), you will want to make sure the source is legit. Of course, not many people buying, opening, and resealing 1990 Topps, but you get the idea. eBay is good for factory sealed stuff. I typically only buy boxes from there that are factory sealed as packs sometime seem "too good to be true" with various stars and HOF'ers showing on top. BBCE (Baseball Card Exchange) is probably the most respected and trusted unopened sportscard dealer out there. Thats your best bet for buying wax/cello/rack packs or boxes from the eras of non-factory sealed (typically 1992 and earlier, but that depends on the brand). Lots of information out there. The Collector's Universe forums are also a good place to talk about unopened and people sell unopened stuff there all the time. You can't buy or sell unopened here on blowout because it is against their rules. But once you accumulate some you can totally show it off here! Are you going to be collecting packs at all? Or just boxes? __________________ Current Bo Jackson want list - https://tinyurl.com/ybhx4csb Current Nolan Ryan want list - https://tinyurl.com/yc8q3rv8

10-23-2018, 10:45 AM	#10
Grimster Member Join Date: Sep 2013 Location: Colorado Posts: 606 stealth6g72	I started off by doing a Topps pack run from my birth year to present. That was fun to chase down. https://www.blowoutforums.com/showthread.php?t=754829 Im still updating that. I have also expanded the craziness to this : https://forums.collectors.com/discus...80s-90s#latest Just some food for thought. __________________ Current Bo Jackson want list - https://tinyurl.com/ybhx4csb Current Nolan Ryan want list - https://tinyurl.com/yc8q3rv8

10-23-2018, 11:45 AM	#13
djohn Member Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Florida, USA Posts: 886 dj21	I did this for a little while, but the amount of space the collection takes up grows quicker than you might expect. I started buying wax boxes, then got cello and rack boxes, next thing I know I was buying cases as some were super cheap. All of a sudden I had a room full of these case boxes and realized that it wasn't really fun to look at sealed cases. At least the wax boxes are cool to look at and reminisce about. Since then I have tried to only get unopened packs, as it's cheaper and takes up less room. Plus you can get the unopened packs graded which also helps with the occasional temptation to want to open them. __________________ My wantlists can be found at https://sites.google.com/site/sportscardsite/

10-24-2018, 05:33 AM	#16
bigdog2003 Member Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: Newberry, SC Posts: 6,464 jammons52 bigdog2003	Thank you for the advice so far, does anybody else have any to share? __________________ Looking for Football: All South Carolina Gamecocks. Baseball: Carl Edwards Jr, Nick Ciuffo, Jackie Bradley Jr, SEARCHING FOR BILLY O'DELL PSA/SGC GRADED CARDS FOR THE PC

10-23-2018, 08:27 AM	#2
HadWayTooMuch Banned Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: I'm not in Kansas anymore... Posts: 8,209	Buy BBCE pre 1986 if you want my 2 cents.

10-23-2018, 08:28 AM	#3
trmpetyjo Member Join Date: Nov 2017 Posts: 1,554	I know that some products are bricked out and will not be able to be opened without damage. Topps Stadium Club had that glossy shine on it and most of the cards are stuck to each other so bad. I have also heard that the super rare 1993 Upper Deck Sp (Derek Jeter) product is one that is almost impossible to open now without damage like that. I wouldn't want to persuade you from storing that stuff if you really want to but if I was going to grab some product to store that was cheap and had some potential for distant future value I would grab stuff that was newer. I would concentrate on product that had second or third year superstars. For example 2011 Trout product is expensive but his second and third year cards are going to increase in value too and some of that product is reasonable still.

10-23-2018, 09:01 AM	#4
blackbears86 Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: maine Posts: 16,309 blackbears86	I agree with the above. If you really want to go back to your childhood, I'd go with 1989 upper deck (but only if bought at baseball card exchange) 2004-2005 products were considered the "peak" of 2000 baseball card collecting. I'd try my luck with some boxes from those years. (lot's of vintage HOF products were released)

10-23-2018, 09:15 AM	#5
Donovan Banned Join Date: Sep 2018 Location: CA. Posts: 67 ryans_rust	Put out ads locally first. Craigslist, offerup, Letgo and local facebook for sale groups. That will save you on shipping.

10-23-2018, 09:39 AM	#6
base set Member Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: NW Michigan Posts: 8,830	If you have a box with cards printed on the bottom, you could occasionally display either side.

10-23-2018, 03:11 PM	#14
JWBlue Member Join Date: Sep 2014 Location: Phoenix, AZ Posts: 7,978	I only buy FASC (From a Sealed Case). Sometimes collectors pack search, know sequencing of cards, or will stop opening a box when a major card is pulled. They then "Frankenstein" a box by taking unopened packs from multiple boxes and put them together to create one box. FASC prevents this. The small premium for FASC is worth it.

10-23-2018, 07:56 PM	#15
CoolG Member Join Date: Jul 2016 Posts: 2,033	^^^^^ haven't had this issue (single box purchases) 20 plus years buying wax most of the larger dealers national or local don't even collect cards

11-02-2018, 08:50 AM	#19
bigdog2003 Member Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: Newberry, SC Posts: 6,464 jammons52 bigdog2003	I have a family member who said yesterday they have a bunch of sealed boxes from the early 90's at home. They said they will send me pictures today of what they have. I hope they have something I can pick up. __________________ Looking for Football: All South Carolina Gamecocks. Baseball: Carl Edwards Jr, Nick Ciuffo, Jackie Bradley Jr, SEARCHING FOR BILLY O'DELL PSA/SGC GRADED CARDS FOR THE PC

11-02-2018, 12:21 PM	#20
dani0100 Member Join Date: Sep 2017 Location: Fargo, ND Posts: 599	I've been collecting unopened stuff for a few years now. Started off just like OP, wanting to get some things that I remember from when I was a kid. I actually first started buying unopened stuff in around 2005, and picked up a lot of early to mid 80s stuff that has really appreciated in value since then. These days, I'm into value stuff, and variety, so I try to find deals on junk wax. If you want to do "quality" stuff like early 80s or just high-priced stuff from any era, then definitely BBCE wrapped stuff is the way to go. You can get BBCE boxes off eBay for cheaper than BBCE.com, but BBCE is actually pretty competitively priced, except for shipping costs which is just actual shipping. As far as junk wax goes, that's tricky. Buying off eBaby will almost never be worth it because of shipping. Even at card shows, a lot of dealers still seem to be stuck in the early 90s when boxes of anything were worth at least $15. The absolute best way to get good deals on wax is to find the right dealer who has lots of the stuff and might be interested in getting rid of a bunch all at once. It might even take several times of seeing them, but after hauling 100 pounds of junk wax to and from a show, they'll likely be pretty excited to move a bunch of it, even at a very low price. At a show I want to a couple of months ago, there was a dealer that I work frequently with on newer wax, and he always has some junk for sale at really decent prices, like $4/box if you buy more than three boxes (this is stuff like 90 Score BB, 90 UD Baseball, 91 UD Hockey, 91 Fleer Ultra BB, and the usual suspects). After I was putting together a pile of stuff for a while, he just says, "if you buy it all, I'll do $2/box" and I said heck yeah. So, I think you can definitely find dealers who would be in a similar position and then just be ready to pounce. Shipping on cases of junk was is very expensive -- about $35/case to most areas of the country. However, you might also find a local shop or dealer that has cases of junk that I'm sure they've had for decades. Same thing applies there -- offer an eBay price minus shipping, and you're likely to have a deal. Buy 5 cases, and give yourself a healthy discount. I've never had any luck off of Craiglist or similar sites. Anyone motivated enough to post there things they have a goldmine and convincing them otherwise is not going to be fun for anyone.

12-05-2019, 10:27 PM	#23
ThoseBackPages Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Long Island Posts: 84,215 ThoseBackPages	can never go wrong holding wax! __________________ Pumpers Paradise #YouCryIBuy Four things that we cannot change each others minds about: Politics, Religion, Third Party Grading, and 2021 Bowman's Best Rookie Cards

12-05-2019, 10:37 PM	#24
WSCards5 Member Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Andover.KS Posts: 10,209 HoffpauirFan5	My sealed wax collection so far Baseball 2011 Bowman Chrome Hanger Pack 2011 Bowman Hanger pack 2017 Bowman Hobby Box x2 2018 Bowman Hobby Box x2 2018 Bowman Blaster Box x8 2018 Bowman Draft Jumbo Box x2 2018 Heritage High # blaster x3 2018 Heritage High # Hanger Box 2018 Topps Update Hobby Box x3 2018 Topps Update Chrome Hangers x6 2019 Bowman Hobby Sealed Case 2019 Bowman Mega Boxes x14 2019 Topps Chrome Update Box 2019 Bowman Draft Jumbo Box x2 Basketball 2017-18 Prizm 18 pack Retail box x3 2019-20 Prizm 18 Pack Retail Box x3 __________________ https://www.flickr.com/gp/152348734@N05/80r1gd Buying Top Bowman Chrome Autos & Unripped RIP Cards

12-05-2019, 10:59 PM	#25
MJFootball Member Join Date: Aug 2018 Posts: 418 HoustonTexansMJ	Does anyone worry about the cards "Bricking" (sticking all together) long term when they stay in the packs for long-term holders? __________________ Always up for trades, any sport, any team!!! Selling on COMC! Please check out my listings if you are ever interested in buying! Thank you!