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Hey all,

I’m looking to complete a collection goal of mine but I really want second thoughts so I don’t impulsively act. I greatly appreciate any help here, I think the box shown is legit, but what do you guys think?

I have my thoughts but I don’t want to give anybody a biased impression on the box. Please see the images below, and feedback goes a long way!

Thanks!

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That Charizard seam looks unusual. Another few photos of the joins at the seam edges would be helpful. How is the provenance?

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Where is it from?

Ebay seller / gumtree / fb marketplace?

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I can request more photos from the seller. He purchased it from eBay. He said that the eBay photos looked weird but when it came in he claims it checked in. The weight was good and the seal looked good he said.

An Instagram seller, @se_Pokemon is selling it. He has a strong reputation on Instagram. He purchased it off of an eBay seller, he thought it looked funny in the photos before buying it too, but he says it looks legit in person.

I’m working on getting the additional photos and will update with them as soon as I can. Thanks!

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He reached back quick, here are the photos:

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828×1472 244 KB

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828×1472 237 KB

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Honestly, there are too many base set boxes floating around these days, so you might want to be a little more patient to get one in a better condition, from a more reputable seller.

If you buy this, you will forever have doubts about its authenticity in the back of your mind.

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@kinggr, the seam in photo #2 is a pretty major red flag. Looks like heat was applied to it at some point. Could’ve happened naturally, but I wouldn’t bet on it. The other seams look fine, though.

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Unless this is a really good price where you can buy it and crack it, Id give it a miss.

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Full transparency, its $23,500 trade, $3,000 cash. Not worried about getting scammed since it will likely be done in person, just want a second set of eyes on the authenticity.

Thank you all for your feedback, I will keep it in mind when reaching a verdict.

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Are you going to crack it on the spot? With so many of these things being resealed lately I’d be highly sus of buying one from anyone.

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If you are buying it to crack it open, do it.

If you are buying it to resell in the future, remember your future buyers are going to be wary of authenticity just as you are right now.

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Was going to be a stored in my collection, not opened or sold. But you are right in the case that I decide to sell it.

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Not worth the risk for $26k in value IMO

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If you could nail down the provenance, that would be my first step. Otherwise, a box frequently exchanging hands is… a lot less than ideal.

There’s really no definitive answer when it comes to these boxes’ wrappers. They were made in a factory at express speed. There are genuine wrapped just like the one in the photos, and some genuine copies that look even worse. There are some other tests I do personally, but circling around, the more important thing is provenance, at least to me.

Were there any other concerns you’d had?

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The concern I had was how loose the wrap was on the bottom of the box. It looks like it’s tight on the top, and a bit loose on the bottom as can be seen by the “wavy” pattern.

Rusty had told me that the logos look good, and I don’t disagree that the actual wrap looks original. It just looks to me like the original wrap was possibly reused. I can ask the seller for the eBay seller he bought it from. We should start a CarFax type of deal for these things now haha.

And once again, this is very helpful, much appreciated.

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I’ve opened hundreds of these and never saw one that looked like that.

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Looks fake honestly, I wouldn’t touch it.

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Char, I’m agreeing with most. Why would you want one that looks so iffy? I understand most don’t want trade, and that evidently is your opportunity to get it, but it just isn’t worth it. You want a nice, tight one. It is true that plenty of real ones look loose and have bad seams. But these days you don’t know. I’m with jkanly on provenance.

My sympathy for all those trying to get a box these days. So hard. Especially when trying to keep it sealed for collection.

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Hard pass for a sealed collection. Mine does not look like that for sure.

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I think I’ve reached a decision, thanks to everyone’s help. Thank you all!