Should I Open Old Packs of Baseball Cards? The Pros and Cons to Consider
Many collectors have old packs of baseball cards sitting in their collections that they’ve held onto for decades. At some point, the question arises – should I open these packs? Opening older packs of cards from the 1950s, 60s, 70s, and 80s can seem very tempting. But there are several factors to weigh before ripping into those wrappers. In this article, we’ll explore some of the pros and cons of opening vintage baseball card packs to help you decide what is the best course of action.
Pro: Discovering Hidden Gems
One of the biggest appeals of opening old packs is the chance of finding a valuable card hidden inside. Cards from the vast majority of vintage packs are not worth much at all today. There is always the slim possibility of unearthing a true “gem” – like a rookie card of a Hall of Famer, rare error card, or short printed parallel. These types of hits could be worth thousands or even tens of thousands of dollars depending on the player and condition. The excitement and rush of potentially striking gold is a huge motivator for many collectors to open their vintage packs.
Con: Loss of Collectible Pack Value
If the packs are truly vintage and still sealed in their original packaging, their collectible value as unopened items often far exceeds the combined worth of the few random cards inside. Sealed 1950s and 1960s packs in particular can be extremely valuable to sealed pack collectors, sometimes selling for hundreds or even thousands of dollars depending on the brand, set, and level of packaging preservation. Once a pack is opened, its appeal as a sealed collectible is forever lost, even if the cards inside ended up being particularly valuable themselves. So there is inherent risk in sacrificing a pack’s sealed value for the gamble of its contents.
Pro: Satisfaction of Reveling History
For collectors who love the history and nostalgia of the hobby, opening old packs can provide a deeply fulfilling experience. Getting to admire vintage cardboard designs, advertisements, and production techniques only enhanced by decades of aging can make one feel more connected to how the original purchasers may have experienced the packs. Being able to view the cards in the order they were originally packaged also satisfies a desire to mimic the surprise and anticipation fans in earlier eras felt when ripping packs off the rack. This can make the risk of diminished monetary value worth it for the historical experience alone.
Con: Condition and Playability Factors
Cards from 50+ year old packs are highly unlikely to grade well no matter the centering or edges due to the inevitable aging effects of time like creasing, staining, fading, and so on. Even light play from their original owners could diminish a rare card’s value today. At the same time, 1958 Hank Aaron rookies almost certainly wouldn’t pass the condition standards to be considered “game-used” either. So opening packs severely limits preserving collector value based on condition grades or potential authenticated provenance that sealed packs maintain. This can offset any monetary benefit from discovering a key rookie within.
Pro: Personal Satisfaction and Enjoyment
At the end of the day, a collectible is meant to be enjoyed, not merely preserved as an investment. Opening vintage packs one has held for decades as a personal collection milestone could bring great enjoyment and satisfaction that offset any lessened dollar value proposition. Getting to directly handle cards that are significant pieces of history while sharing the experience with loved ones of the hobby can create special memories worth more than any single card’s price if individually slabbed and sold. Not every collectible decision needs to have a profit-driven motivation behind it for it to still feel worthwhile.
Con: Potential Damage from Improper Opening
There is real risk of damaging key cards irreparably if packs are not opened with extreme care and proper techniques. Adhesives can deteriorate and become extremely brittle, causing cards to crack or flake during removal if too much force is used. Aromatic solvents used back in the day like benzene make materials extra prone to disintegration as well. Without proper archival tools and cautious technique, a valuable mint rookie could be torn trying to remove it from the tightly adhered backing, forever compromising its condition and significantly decreasing its collector value. The stress of opening isn’t worth the gamble for some.
So in summary – while opening vintage packs can provide excitement, nostalgia and personal satisfaction, there are legitimate collectors’ arguments both for and against the practice. Ultimately the choice comes down to weighing preservation of pack and card condition/history against the thrill of discovery. Sealed items are safest investments long term, but opening allows unique experiences collecting can’t replace. Consult preservation experts if you decide to open, and consider both options equally valid depending on your personal priorities as a vintage baseball card collector. With care and moderation, both sealed and opened vintage items have their important place in the hobby.
In the end, there’s no universally right answer – it depends on one’s individual goals and risks they find acceptable within their own collection. with care and moderation, both sealed and opened packs have their place among collectors. The choice ultimately comes down to what provides the most enjoyment and satisfaction given each collector’s unique circumstances.
