Pack Searching For Integrity

If you’ve been a collector for any reasonable amount of time, you’ve heard the term “pack searcher.”  If you’re lucky, you’ve never seen one in action but if you buy at Wal-Mart, Target, K-Mart or any of the other general retailers where packs are available, you’ve no doubt been a victim of their shenanigans.  I say shenanigans, because technically, it’s not a criminal act but neither is adultery or flipping off a cop but everyone knows it’s wrong.  Am I comparing pack searching to adultery or giving a cop the finger?  That may seem like a stretch to some but yeah, I guess I put it somewhere in the middle of that scale.  It definitely falls under the category of “you should know better” as my granddaddy used to tell me.  I’ll try to explain why here but I’m sure this will be met with resistance from those that shall not be named.

In my experience on Twitter, Facebook and in real life, I would guess that pack searchers make up a small percentage of the hobby.  Of course, there may be some that are afraid to admit that they engage in such practices.  I can tell you that they make up zero percent of “collectors” because I don’t consider them a part of the collecting family that I’m in.  They may claim to be but we all have people who claim to be a part of our family that we deny.  The entire scheme is bad but what makes it even worse is the deflection and decree of innocence when confronted.  It’s amazing that anyone could not see the harm it does to the hobby or the moral dishonesty.

You may be asking what pack searching actually is because I do have people who read my blog for non card reasons.  Perhaps it’s my eloquence or charm, I don’t know.  As you are likely aware, the retailers above have small sections for card collectors where you can buy “retail” packs.   Retail boxes typically have less “hits” (autos/relics/plates/etc) but they are also cheaper to buy.  The act of pack searching is when an individual manhandles each of the packs to search out the packs that have the hits in them.   Most of the time, the hits aren’t even for them as they will go and list the packs on eBay as “hot packs” that are guaranteed to contain a hit.  So in essence, they are buying a $2.99 retail pack and flipping it on eBay for considerably more.   Those that do open typically will list the hit on eBay for sale to also recover the funds for the pack plus their net profit.You may be saying to yourself that this doesn’t sound all that bad.  Perhaps you’re thinking that there are just some savvy individuals who have found a loophole in the system to make a few extra bucks.   The first issue is that it is a loophole to begin with.  Loophole by definition is “an ambiguity or inadequacy in the law or a set of rules” which would lend itself to being against the intention of the rules.  Therein lies the first issue.  Card companies have been trying to combat this for years with different tamper proof pack designs, fake cardboard fillers in packs and hanger boxes.  But card companies aren’t able to stop this practice on their own.Card Companies are trying to innovate and provide collectors with new products such as prime relics, coins, cut signatures and the like.  But what that ultimately means is that packs that hold these cards are going to be of a little different size.  I personally don’t have a problem with a person picking a thick pack out of the box with the hopes that it’s a hit because it could always be a dummy card.  It’s the extremes that people go to that cross the line.   People bring in tiny scales to weigh each pack and will buy the ones that are out of place.  They will bring in magnets to try and uncover coin cards or plates.  The first question you should ask yourself when determining if what you’re doing is wrong is whether or not you have to take scales and magnets into the retailer to make sure you get the right ones.For those that are less experienced, or in some cases more familiar with the product, they will grope the pack like a prom date at midnight.   They slide the cards around in the packs, look through the cellophane and even bend the cards to see how flexible the packs are when compared to each other.   The obvious problem here is that the cards can become damaged during this process, ruining the pack for future purchase.   The other problem is you look like a weirdo in public but that doesn’t seem to bother some people.  I suppose that’s a personal choice.Another big part of this involves the reason people purchase retail to begin with.  Most times, if you have the resources and a local card shop, you are buying hobby and pack searching doesn’t fly at any reputable LCS.   However, the number of card shops has reduced tremendously over the years while retail stores have continued to pop up everywhere and thrive.  If you don’t have an LCS, odds are you are within close proximity to Target or Wal-Mart so retail may be your only geographical option.  Also, as mentioned above, retail packs are generally cheaper than hobby because the packs have much wider ratios of pulling hits.  So if it’s an off pay week or times have gotten slim, it’s easier to drop $2.99 per pack as opposed to $4.99 per pack.   Sometimes buying retail is strictly an economical decision and there’s nothing wrong with that.What this means is that a large part of the collecting world is dependent on retailers to provide packs for their hobby desires.  And buying retail packs deserves to be just as random and optimistic of an experience as buying hobby, even if your chances are lower that you’ll pull a hit.  A hit should be a surprise and a unique experience, not one that can be compromised by a magnet and a micrometer.  I don’t know how else to say it other than, it’s just not right.   I know that sounds like pops telling kids to turn down their music but I know that a vast majority of the collecting community feels this way or either I’ve been lied to for years.When a pack searcher learns the retail stores schedule of putting out product, they will arrive just when boxes hit the shelves, clean out the hits and leave the base packs for the general public.  A big part of the general public I am referring to includes children.   I know searchers think that is a copout for those of us against it but I have experienced it myself.   My daughter collects cards but she doesn’t get to spend $40 at the hobby shop.   She usually has $5-$10 to spend at Wal-Mart.  Every time we walk up to the aisle and I see the packs all turned over or totally out of sorts, I have to try and temper her expectations of pulling something nice because it’s likely gone. She likes autographs and patch cards as much as I do but I can’t afford two hobby shop addictions.Now we get to a real tough position of trying to figure out how to combat this issue.  Because as the searchers say, it’s not illegal whether I think it should be or not.  I personally think it is a form of stealing but one of my favorite sayings is, “we justify the things we like.”  Some people may be against sex on TV but they love “The Bachelor”, which is pretty much people making out with each other to get a guy or girl.  Some people may not like violence in video games but love horror movies.  We can all justify the things we like as not being that bad.  And that’s what happens with a pack searcher.  Because there isn’t a written law against it, then it’s ok to do.   I believe that if the intent of the card company is to go to great lengths to randomize their product with tamper proof packaging, dummy cards and blasters, then compromising that is in fact wrong.   Counting cards in a casino is not illegal but it’s highly frowned upon and will get you banned. Why? Because counting cards gives you an unfair advantage.

So what needs to happen?

• Card companies need to continue to experiment and innovate their packaging to combat this issue.  They have taken steps but there is more that can be done.   Perhaps there is a way to make all packs the same width and same weight?  Maybe there could be larger card stock dummies put on the top and bottom of the packs?  They have figured out a way to put a piece of a football helmet in a card so I believe this could be done.

• Stores could adopt internal policies to discourage pack searching.  This may not be high on their priority list but this could also be done.  Many stores have policies that aren’t necessarily related to whether something is legal or not but whether or not it’s good for their customers.  If a place can tell you that you can’t have a drink in the store, they can prohibit pack searching as a store policy.

• Buyers should stop purchasing hot packs off of eBay.  Buying hot packs may not be as condemned in the hobby as pack searching itself but it surely contributes to the searching itself.  It’s Econ 101 – Supply and Demand.

Well, that’s my piece on card searching.   I unequivocally think it’s wrong and it’s not what’s intended in the hobby.  I don’t feel this way because I can’t search packs.  It doesn’t take a genius to bend, weigh or measure packs.  It’s just not something I think is appropriate for people who value the hobby they are involved in.  I keep going back to this word but it is truly “compromising” the integrity of collecting.   And if you are one of those people who just thinks, “It’s just baseball/football cards, what integrity is involved” then you won’t really understand my point of view.  And it’s totally fine to disagree with me just as those who have disagreed with me before because you’re right, it’s not illegal.  People have argued over morals for thousands of years and that will continue so I guess that’s where this discussion lies for now.   People who do it will always find a way to justify it and the people who care about the hobby itself will always wonder why it continues.  Consider me in the latter camp.

J-Dub