Intriguing situation with a tampered booster box

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berkumps
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Intriguing situation with a tampered booster box

Post by berkumps » Thu Feb 24, 2011 5:19 am

So I've had this sealed box of Japanese 4th Edition WB lying around for 1-2 years now. I can trace its origins from an ebay sale to a member here, who then sold it to another member here, who then sold it to me. The box always looked a little funny, it was misshapen, as if some of the packs had slid around and made the box fatter in certain spots. Well, I always just assumed that's what it was, and it sat tucked away in my closet for some time. Tonight, I decided to list a bunch of items on ebay, and I pulled the box out. I had intended to list it also, to see if someone was willing to pay what I was going to ask for it, but everytime I thought about listing it, I'd get this strange feeling in my stomach. What if the box had been tampered with? What if there were crap boosters inside, and not JPN 4th WB?

Well, I noticed the outer plastic wrap appeared slightly stretched, so I thought to myself, that's funny, I wonder if I could slip a booster out? If I could, someone else could. So I tried, and lo n' behold, it worked! To my relief, it was a japanese 4th Ed booster! To my dismay, it was already OPEN! Ok, I tried to calm myself, maybe the pack is just really old, and the seal gave way? It's possible no? Well, however small the chance that the sealing on a wrapper fails, the chance is ZERO that the pack would have 14 cards! Missing the RARE! WTF!

Well, there's no way in hell I can sell this box sealed now, so I crack the outer wrap and take a look inside. Well, twiddly-dee, there's only 35 boosters! Awesome! What next?

Well, 4 of the boosters were opened, 2 of them were missing rares, the others missing assorted commons/uncommons (prolly bolt, d.rit, stp, hyppie, who knows). The remaining 31 boosters appear to be sealed and untampered, but jesus christ if I'm going to sell any of these now. Who knows if they've been searched or cherry picked. So now I'm stuck with 31 "sealed" Japanese 4th Ed wb boosters, and I fear opening them, not because if I do I won't make my money back on the box (which is almost certain), but because if they've been searched and resealed, I stand to lose ALOT of money.

Although I suppose I'll at least get a bunch of shite 4th WB commons and uncommons, so maybe I can help with some people's global set attempts.

$10 scryb sprites anyone? C'mon, help a brother out, I need to break even on this thing!

True story.

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Post by l0qii » Thu Feb 24, 2011 5:42 am

Pics or it didn't happen

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effai
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Re: Intriguing situation with a tampered booster box

Post by effai » Thu Feb 24, 2011 8:34 am

berkumps wrote:So I've had this sealed box of Japanese 4th Edition WB lying around for 1-2 years now. I can trace its origins from an ebay sale to a member here, who then sold it to another member here, who then sold it to me. The box always looked a little funny, it was misshapen, as if some of the packs had slid around and made the box fatter in certain spots. Well, I always just assumed that's what it was, and it sat tucked away in my closet for some time. Tonight, I decided to list a bunch of items on ebay, and I pulled the box out. I had intended to list it also, to see if someone was willing to pay what I was going to ask for it, but everytime I thought about listing it, I'd get this strange feeling in my stomach. What if the box had been tampered with? What if there were crap boosters inside, and not JPN 4th WB?

Well, I noticed the outer plastic wrap appeared slightly stretched, so I thought to myself, that's funny, I wonder if I could slip a booster out? If I could, someone else could. So I tried, and lo n' behold, it worked! To my relief, it was a japanese 4th Ed booster! To my dismay, it was already OPEN! Ok, I tried to calm myself, maybe the pack is just really old, and the seal gave way? It's possible no? Well, however small the chance that the sealing on a wrapper fails, the chance is ZERO that the pack would have 14 cards! Missing the RARE! WTF!

Well, there's no way in hell I can sell this box sealed now, so I crack the outer wrap and take a look inside. Well, twiddly-dee, there's only 35 boosters! Awesome! What next?

Well, 4 of the boosters were opened, 2 of them were missing rares, the others missing assorted commons/uncommons (prolly bolt, d.rit, stp, hyppie, who knows). The remaining 31 boosters appear to be sealed and untampered, but jesus christ if I'm going to sell any of these now. Who knows if they've been searched or cherry picked. So now I'm stuck with 31 "sealed" Japanese 4th Ed wb boosters, and I fear opening them, not because if I do I won't make my money back on the box (which is almost certain), but because if they've been searched and resealed, I stand to lose ALOT of money.

Although I suppose I'll at least get a bunch of shite 4th WB commons and uncommons, so maybe I can help with some people's global set attempts.

$10 scryb sprites anyone? C'mon, help a brother out, I need to break even on this thing!

True story.
Sorry for you, I hate being ripped off like this. Fortunately for me, I don't play in the same league, so I lose a little less money I think ;)

If you get any, I would be very (very) interested in a terror and in a holy armor (and a mahamoti djinn too, but I guess it'll be hard)

Thanks !

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wb japanese

Post by Default User » Thu Feb 24, 2011 1:13 pm

These situations suck. I could never understand why WotC approved the old shrink wrapping system, where the ends of boxes were left partially open. I also have some old boxes where the booster count most likely doesn't match, but I got them pretty cheaply because of it.

Anyeays if you decide to open the packs I can buy 4 Grizzly Bears and up to 4 Bolts and might be able to move four Hill Giants to another collector.

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Re: Intriguing situation with a tampered booster box

Post by axcel » Thu Feb 24, 2011 3:17 pm

berkumps wrote:$10 scryb sprites anyone?
Huh, are you serious with the price?I happen to need one...

This situation is very sad, but I hope there's still some treasure inside. I don't know how these old wrappers looked like, but is there any chance the previous owner (one of them) only pulled out several boosters, the ones closest to the opening?

Damn, I'm sorry for you...

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Post by berkumps » Thu Feb 24, 2011 4:22 pm

Don't worry axcel, the $10 scryb sprites was a joke.

It stands to reason that if one pack could be pulled out, all of them could. When I opened the box, many of the packs were standing vertically on there side, and not flat like originally packed. I suppose this could happen when the packs shifted around, but this doesn't explain why 1 pack was missing, and 4 were opened, all missing cards.

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Post by magic-belgium » Fri Feb 25, 2011 12:11 am

I happen to have given this box to Mark a few years ago, and I got it from a member here along with the complete set of Japanese 4th WB...

I must admit that if I hadn't sold this box (of which I had no use anymore) to berkumps, I would have been screwed myself...

Once bitten, twice shy.

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Post by hammr7 » Fri Feb 25, 2011 1:13 am

One reason why I rarely buy unopened material, and when I do, I buy to open, often immediately.

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Post by berkumps » Fri Feb 25, 2011 3:03 am

So I decided to open all of the packs, at least 10 appeared to have obvious tampering (as shown in the videos below). In the end I was missing 4 rares, and 5 uncommons, with a handful of commons short.

Pack opening:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ucGsZbVn9Yw

Resealed?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbsf8eyEGHI

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Post by magic-belgium » Fri Feb 25, 2011 10:16 am

Are there any cards in this set that are worth enough the while to do this ?

That is amazing...

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Post by dry cereal » Sat Feb 26, 2011 6:22 am

have a card list of what you opened?

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Post by pickle.69 » Sat Feb 26, 2011 8:00 am

I was the fist owner of the box as it seams, i bought it put it my closet and then later sold it together with the set.
when I got it though allways wonderd about the form of the box but allways thought it got a transport damage, and well as I am the unluckiest person in opening bosters and packs, i did not even for a second think about opening it.

But I am very sorry this seams to be a box from my origin.
I have no note of where I got it from but I think it was a ebay auction at the time.

WB 4th is a very rare set, but does not have any form of value.
I realy wonder who would do that kinda thing, maybe just a test for more expensive boxes?

Werid weird and Mark very sorry for you.
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