I know that modern Japanese sets have a very high print quality expectation, because they have just become so good at it. So our perception of ‘pack fresh’ is severely skewed towards ‘If it doesn’t get a PSA 10 then it’s junk’ attitude.
What it has skewed us from is that a card coming straight from a pack is in no way a guarantee of condition or print quality, because for a long while ‘pack fresh’ has generally meant that the card is going to at least be NM or better.
I felt compelled to make this topic because I found a Generations pack whilst sorting a box of things and opened it. Pulled a ‘pack fresh’ Flareon and it looks like this. I know that Generations is a set known for bad print quality, but if anything this illustrates how meaningless ‘pack fresh’ is as a catch all term for ‘Mint condition’
Many sellers have used the terms “pack fresh” because they do not want to grade the card they’re selling and then later get involved if the graded card comes back lower condition than expected.
Simply put, they do not want unnecessary future dispute.
For me if I encountered such seller, I would ask to meet up (and travel across the country to seller’s location) to examine the card in real life prior to committing to buy. Especially for cards I’m sending for grading.
I don’t see anything wrong with using the term pack fresh when the card is pack fresh. Obviously if the card is damaged from external causes that’s not fair to say. But when it is factory fresh? That’s accurate to say it in that case. It is important to denote this wasn’t made after market, because the surface is still clean.
If I had a listing with mily’s example I would have zero problem with saying “Pack fresh, came out of the pack this way. But obviously it’s a terrible factory cut, so consider the edge whitening.” I would say that but also say it obviously equates to a normal light play card considering the quality control, for those who need it to be said.
Why? Because it is very important to distinguish between wear and tear and a card that came that way from the factory. As a collector, I find “pack fresh” to be the a card that is in the same condition as it was left from the factory. Would I buy that particular example? No, because there are better cards that came from the factory. But it doesn’t make that not pack fresh. It’s just a bad pack fresh card. Whoever said anything about PSA 10? Who cares?
I second this and always believed that pack fresh meant that the card was pulled reshly from a pack, so in a very literal sense. I was really not aware that pack fresh was a term used for actual condition. I think the best thing would be to also have a look at the pictures and judge the condition.
I do not mind the ‘pack fresh’ descriptor when used correctly. I can see whitening in a listing photo. What I cannot easily see are surface issues. If a card is legitimately ‘pack fresh’, the surface is usually pretty solid.
What I would like to know is, does pack fresh have an expiry date?
If I bought fresh milk or fresh vegetables from a store I’d know it expiries in roughly 3 days. That also indicates when it was made/picked.
Pack Fresh for a card doesn’t tell me when that pack was opened or how long my card will stay fresh for. If I opened a pack, sleeved the card and stored it under my bed for 4 years is it pack fresh? Or would that terminology only last a week? Maybe a month?
Curious to know if anyone who uses the pack fresh term could enlighten me please.
I’m 100% with most other people here. “Pack fresh” is vague and unclear given the variation that can happen. Also…it smacks of sleezy marketing. I have cards that are pack fresh: but they were pulled 15 years ago, carefully stored, and then never touched since. When most people see “pack fresh”, they think literally - not that the card could be quite old, yet still be “pack fresh”.
If two listings have pics of a card and both show about the same condition I’m going pack fresh everytime. It’s a defining factor for obvious reasons. I can’t believe the majority would go for the non pack fresh card it wouldn’t make any sense.
