General Forum

Pack searching has been going on since the 90’s (upper deck holograms) my mates and I used to do it when we bought a box so we all got a insert each, because of this upper deck was the one I didn’t buy packs of except the jumbos etc that came one insert per pack as you couldn’t be sure they hadn’t been searched, was a shame but when we could buy a box for a discout to buying single packs it was worth it

If that's a real article, the writer should be a shamed.  It was more about the guy's weight and appearance than it was the "morally ambiguous" practice of weighing packs.

Personally, I've done a lot of work with developmentally delayed people, so I spend a lot of time in stores like Target.  And when I get a chance, I always try to insult the guys (it's always guys) who are there cherry picking packs.  I usually use the line "Hey, why don't you leave a few good cards for kids so that we have a hobby to enjoy in ten or 15 more years, dick."

But people like that are usually pretty oblivious.

Even happens way up here in my Wal-Mart .... have caught the asswipes. No longer do they sell individual packs and all the rack packs are beside the tills now. The party is OVER. lol ...... I usually only buy sealed hobby boxes for that reason. Once in a blue moon I buy single packs or rack packs .............. like that time I pulled my Connor McDavid RC. =D

Wow I'm amazed this happens. Where I live (Europe) you can only get packs from a display on the counter or you need to ask an employee to get them for you.

I've been scammed once on Ebay by a British seller (with a spotless feedback rate it has to be said) whom I bought some 2016-17 NBA Hoops rack packs from. Turned out two of them had been opened previously and the foil was neatly glued back together. All the inserts and parallels had been replaced by worthless 80s baseball and football commons not even in mint condition. Confronted the seller with this and obviously he didn't know anything about it...

I guess that could happen in stores too. You buy some and bring them back because you bought the wrong packs for your friend's birthday or something.
 

There are many things wrong with the hobby. I know a LCS owner who search packs at Target and Wal-Mart, I've seen PSA Pete Rose graded 10 mint selling for $5.00 at our local Flee Market, another is my own LCS owner sells boxes of 80's and 90's for $5.00 but you go to the National and you will pay $30.00 bucks for the same boxes yes, there are many things wrong with the hobby. One Major issue is owners selling product to ridicules prices at D&AWorld a box of Topps Museum is selling for nearly $300.00 bucks when a couple years ago it sold in the $80.00 or low $100; this is part of the problem i guess us collectors should just open our own stores and make big profits but greed is running rampant in this hobby. I am a very low end collector based on my budget the other day I bought my first box of Topps Archive signatures and pulled a low end player the box cost my 50.00 + tax I will never, do this ever again. Yes, there are many things wrong with the hobby the problem is what will us collectors going to do about it and the window is very small I, tend to buy only at my local LSC I rather help him and his family than giving my money to someone like D&AWorld

Cards from the Attic wrote that article as a joke.  

I went to Wal-mart yesterday only to find out that someone had opened all the blaster boxes of Allen & Ginter and removed 1 pack from each.

Why?

It is a satire article by Cards From The Attic. he ended the article asking "Are you Sloppy Bob? Have you ever caught a pack searcher red handed?". But the point of the story is valid and this is the reason I no longer purchase individual packs or rack packs. If I purchase retailer it is only blasters, which I am sure someone has figured a way to search them too.

It is getting to the point where any pack/box that doesn't come directly from the card companies you have to wonder if someone went through it somewhere along the line.

Probably shoplifting. 

I actually had this same thing happen but from Dave and Adams. It was 16-17 Hoops as well. They had gotten rack packs from a store closeout of some kind and any rookies and inserts were replaced with 78 Topps baseball beat up commons. Dave and Adams of course replaced them when I told them. I've always had a great experience buying from them. I don't want this to come off in any way negative against them. It was only a couple of the loose rack packs I bought from them. 

I know a lot of people buy from them and resell. Sad, but your seller actually may have been oblivious to the issue.

I'm always hesitant to buy loose packs of any kind since that experience.