Hi all, I recently purchased this set of 3 base set booster packs from a local vendor. Im not the most experienced in this area - been examining them and noticing some inconsistencies.
The charizard pack seems to have a small gap in the top layers and irregularity in the crimp. The crimps seem smaller and less pronounced than the other packs. And the charizard pack also feels “tighter” than the other two. The flaps on the packs are sealed down too, so cannot fully lift it up.
Any help or insight would be appreciated! If one seems sketchy I would be nervous about the others as well…
First, I always recomend if you’re not comfortable with the authenticity, well… BUT I’M NOT here to preach, so I’ll just say, don’t be nervous. That horse has left the barn. SO to actually be helpful…
It’s a good sign if the flap is crimped to the top wrapper. Not a silver bullet, but a good sign.
Can you separate the two layers of wrapper above the crimp?
if not, are they glued together? If so, THAT would be bad.
It’s been so long since I looked at base packs, I’m not confident in my opinion based solely on appearance.
2 Likes
They seem fine to me. They are known as “thick font” unlimited Base. It should be the most common variant found.
5 Likes
Thanks so much for the insight! Yeah I trust the seller but with stuff this old you never know how many hands its passed, so think Im just tweaking a bit.
The layers above the crimp are together. The corners have little gaps in between the layers, but that seems normal when I look at modern packs.
2 Likes
They look fine, nice pickup👍
2 Likes
Good looking out friend, my anxiety thanks you 
This happens because the wrappers are a single sheet that gets folded, cut, and crimped.
I see the small indentation lines on the Venusaur pack which show it was sitting in a booster box.
You can weigh them as one last way to verify but they should be legit from what I see.
2 Likes
Very awesome information, I appreciate you sharing!
I see no glue residue. Positive sign!
@packyman , I hadn’t thought of the impressions, but that’s a good point.
I am not certain, but my guess is that factory fresh will not have them. Only 2 packs every box should not have them since they are at the top and don’t have a pack resting on them. I think it happens over years of sitting stacked but I could be wrong.
2 Likes
Would make sense to me, cant stop gravity. I didn’t even notice until you pointed it out!
It’s so sad that we live in a world where these questions need to be asked 
2 Likes
“Can I make a buck? How many”
And people buy them willy-nilly.
it’s very much the case with product stacked over long periods of time. you see it with sealed cards and the imprint is left on the card too. that’s why “pack fresh” means jack in terms of condition. not exactly appealing to the eye but this one in particular doesn’t seem too sus.