Just joined the site as a result of the Pokemon article about Scott Pratte that was done by PSA, so forgive me if I manage to screw up my first attempt to create a new thread.
My daughter got into Pokemon in late 1999 and I ‘helped’ her in early 2000. She lost interest but I didn’t and I… um… stocked up as the Base Set series (not 1st Edition) cleared out to make way for Jungle or Fossil or whatever series it was that came after it. I watch eBay to keep up on what sealed Booster Boxes go for, but I’ve never seen a sealed case of 6 boxes go up for sale. Does anyone have any thoughts about the value of such a thing?
Great job on stocking up on base set as it was getting cleared, o how lucky are you that the pokemon tcg hobby is an internationally recognised serious hobby and base set booster box prices are looking very tasty.
Only a few months ago it wasn’t hard to snag a base set booster box for $1,000 or under (dacardworld even had them under 900 i believe as part of black friday sales) yet now they’re selling constantly at $1,600 a whopping 60% increase in value.
I’m not sure whether a case would command a premium, perhaps with base set it might. Using a conservative value of $1,600 (they can fetch higher that $1,600) multiplied by 6 boxes would suggest a value of $9,600.
I’m sure some more experienced sellers may give a more indicative value on a base set case. either way, you know it could be broken up and each box sold individually.
I agree with @1by1collector on the price assement. I would add that (in my opinion) the case seal itself wouldn’t cause it to command more value because the case should be opened before sale to confirm the contents. However, the fact the boxes are fresh from the case & mint are great for added value. There is large demand for case fresh boxes and so I would not be surprised if they were to sell for in excess of $2,000 each.
Additionally, I would recommend opening the case to ensure that there are no shadowless boxes inside, as the shadowless boxes can sell for ~$4,000-$5,000 each. The date on the side of the case may help to determine whether it was produced within the shadowless print run, but I don’t remember what the correct shadowless case dates are anymore. @garyis2000
If you stocked up as Base Set was ending its print run I highly doubt there would be any shadowless boxes in there. Also pretty sure that there can’t be shadowless and unlimited boxes in the same case.
I disagree with @jkanly, I wouldn’t touch the case as long as there is clearly visible identifying information on the outside that shows it’s a base set case. If there isn’t clear identifying information then the sealed case has somewhat lost its value as there’s no way to confirm its contents without breaking the seal, and people would be trusting your word that it contains base boxes when purchasing. A sealed case of those boxes is not something that pops up often at all and I’d definitely say it should command a premium above simply 6x the going rate for a base box.
Some of the more experienced members here (Gary, Scott) should probably have a better idea on values and such.
The case has a 3"x4" paper factory sticker on it with a bar code and contents language that have become pretty faded over the years. The sticker has no date, but it does have a lot number: 008217.
The only other thing on the box, besides the sticker and the red & white tape used to seal the box, is a set of 3/8" tall black numbers that say 902 8830. I have no idea what they mean.
Is there a tutorial somewhere on this site for posting photos?
With all due respect, I don’t believe the poster stated how he obtained his boxes, only that he obtained them near the Jungle & Fossil release. They may just as easily have been stock from a distributor with older stock. A $21,000 minimum case vs $9,600 case - seems like its worth a check, which is why I tagged Gary who may know about the case dates.
Also, there is nothing proprietary about the seal. So this case would have to be pretty convincing for me to spend $9,600+ for a cardboard box with labels on it.
Very true. However given the popularity of Base Set I’d think it unlikely that many stores were able to keep stock for long. IIRC some distributors didn’t even get the 1st edition print run at release cause demand was so high.
I would think a case would be fairly easy to authenticate, but given what OP has said about the faded label a sale might be difficult to facilitate. I still think some collectors out there would pay more for it than 6 box sales, but breaking it open is probably the best way to guarantee value.
That is really cool to still have a sealed case. I imagine there are very, VERY few of those left but it’s probably for a good reason. If the old school Wizards cases look like the ones we have today you have a rectangular brown box with some tape and a label. Anyone can print out labels and fake a box like that. It would probably be best to open the case and sell the booster boxes individually because it’s easier to concretely determine if it’s authentic, etc.
That being said, this is a difficult decision because I’d never want to bust a Base Set case even if I knew it was authentic. A buyer can’t really be sure (I’ve never seen a WotC case so I’m speaking in terms of what a case from a modern set would look like but I assume they’re similar).
This isn’t going well. I feel like I’ve been turned loose on an alien planet with no instruction book.
Could I email the photos to someone for posting?
Yeah, you couldn’t keep the stuff in stock. I know in Canada trying to re-stock was very limited. For a while it was a lot better not to sell packs but to open your packs and sell singles. The customer base also wasn’t the usual for comic and card stores it was kids and their parents for a lot of the demand.
I agree that anyone buying the case should want it opened to verify the contents. Talk about something easy to fake.
I think selling in a case has its risks of getting you scammed too. Imagine someone buying the case and filing a claim to dispute the contents. Sounds like a nightmare.
As many of you saw on my “1st Base 9 Box w/ Case)” auction. I opened only half the top flap of the case so I could confirm exactly what was inside but no boxes could be removed without damaging the case further.
Call it “Partially sealed but untampered with”. Video the “half opening”.
Breaking down is generally best as the 6 single boxes have more chance of being sold for more than 1 case.(I am no expert just an observation) Also the above sounds about right…selling the case and someone claiming all the money back saying it wasnt as described.Got to be very careful these days, people will scam you for 50gp on Runescape! ;p
It isn’t completed but I should have the bulk of the shadowless information included by the end of the weekend (I’d like to work on it sooner but other things get in the way). I hope this helps
I messaged you
