I’m looking to purchase an unlimited Base Set Box. I’ve been watching a few listings on eBay and there’s one I have a strong interest in purchasing. The seller has provided a timestamped photo with a printout of my inquiry and I’ve examined the box about a dozen times, comparing it to other boxes in YT videos from reputable sources and photos on other reputable listings.
The seller seems reputable based off of his reviews selling other high end vintage boxes, the account age is 20 years+ but the volume of his sales and feedback are super low. They currently have a few other vintage boxes listed on their profile. I’d rather pay extra for peace of mind from a highly reputable source but I’m on the fence here.
Hoping some folks more knowledgeable than myself could take a look and help verify authenticity.
Unfortunately nobody on e4 will tell you something is 100% authentic, because it’s never 100% possible to know. Not even the veterans like smpratte will accept money to provide authentication, because they don’t want to stake their reputation on it. These days the only way to be sure is if you buy a box directly from Pokémon. Look at the BBCE / Logan Paul debacle for example, a proclaimed expert getting absolutely hammered by a fake case. There are obviously warning signs and things that point towards fakery, but the problem is Team Rocket gets savvier over time, and in some cases it might be near-impossible to tell real from fake, if the reseal is that good.
I don’t see anything obvious that should be a concern. However, reseals have gotten pretty good. If you can ask about it’s origin, the further back you can confidently trace it, the better.
Thanks for your input! The seller claims to have gotten it directly from distribution when it first released for their store and they have a picture of the case in the listing. I just added it to my original imgur link. Not surprisingly, they don’t have any sort of invoice or other proof other than the case photo.
Would it make sense to ask for a timestamped photo of the case box if they have it as well? Other than that, I’m not sure how else I would trace it.
Sounds good, I’m asking for any sort of business documentation and will try to look it up online to verify. They said their last store closed in 2011, so could be a long shot that they kept any documents.
