For over 30 years, Baseball Card Exchange has been passionate about unopened vintage wax. Incredibly, boxes and packs from the 1950s are still in their original unsearched and unopened condition. Due to the scarcity of 1950s-'60s unopened wax and because unearthing these packs and wax boxes has become rare, we find a heightened demand for unopened products from the ''70s-'80s and even the '90s! What once was considered "junk wax" is now no slouch.
Over the past three years, we at BBCE have witnessed a growth in the unopened niche that we did not expect. During the pandemic, people were stuck at home, searching for things to do. To a degree, we were all searching for some level of comfort in those uncertain times. Adults who had collected cards in their childhood were pulling them out of the attic, closet, and basement while once again finding comfort in cardboard. Taking this trip into the nostalgia of their childhood drew many of these people back into the hobby! They didn't come alone either. They brought new collectors with them. Perhaps their kids, old friends, or even co-workers.
It's safe to say that the market has never been bigger regarding the unopened corner. It's common at BBCE to receive emails or phone calls inquiring about "vintage" unopened. They are not referring to 50's-70's unopened, but rather 80's-90's! Wait, what? We want to say that's not vintage! But is it not? 1983 Topps is now 40 years old!
What we define as vintage may be changing; the one thing that stays the same is unscrupulous people trying to capitalize on a market that has grown expeditiously over the past few years. These criminals are maliciously resealing packs and boxes at an alarming rate. The number of resealed packs and boxes we see at BBCE is staggering. Even worse is that these unethical practices are not just isolated to high-dollar boxes/packs; we have even seen products like 1988 Donruss resealed! Our mission at BBCE is to ensure that customers who buy a box in BBCE wrap can be confident that the packs inside have not been tampered with.
With the launch of our new website in January 2023, we have implemented new ways to submit your items for the BBCE authentication process. Below, we have outlined the process in 10 simple steps.
- We strongly recommend that you create an account on BBCE. Go to www.bbce.com and click the "My Account" link. Then click "Create Account" and follow the prompts. Creating an account will speed up the process and allow you to view the history of all of your authentication orders. ***You may submit authentication without an account.
- Go to bbce.com and click on the authentication link. (Below is the link)
https://bbcexchange.com/collections/authentication
- By using the search box on the left of the page (see pic below), find the products you want to submit. (***If you have an item not listed in our database, we will give instructions on step #9.)
- After finding the item you want to submit, click "Authenticate Yours" (see pic below).
- After you click "Authenticate Yours," the item will be added to your cart. If you have a quantity of more than one box of an item, you will be able to change the desired amount in your cart. (See pic below)
- Repeat the steps for each product you want to submit for authentication.
- After your selections, view your cart and double-check your quantity.
- Then click "Submit Authentication". The screen will automatically scroll down to an area where you will be prompted to "Complete Your Authentication." Fill in all necessary fields, and when finished, click "Submit Authentication" at the bottom of the fields.
- An email will automatically be sent to your email, and that will serve as your packing slip. Please print that and include it in the box that you are shipping. (***If you have an item not listed in our database, simply add the item and quantity by writing it on the packing slip. IF YOU ARE ONLY SUBMITTING ITEMS THAT ARE NOT LISTED IN OUR DATABASE, SIMPLY CREATE A PACKING SLIP WITH YOUR NAME, ADDRESS, PHONE NUMBER, EMAIL ADDRESS, ITEM, AND QUANTITY AND MAIL IT TO BBCE)
- Finally, ship your items to:
Baseball Card Exchange
Attn: Authentication Services
2412 US HWY 41
Schererville, IN 46375
Authentication Terms
- Baseball Card Exchange provides the service of authenticating unopened boxes. Full, unopened boxes of wax, cello, and rack packs can be authenticated.
- The charge for authentication will be 8% of the box's of BBCE's buy price (minimum amount will be $8, maximum cost will be $5,000 per item). The charge will be applied whether the unopened box is deemed "good" or "bad." If the box is considered "good," it will be wrapped in our shrink wrap with a sticker identifying the box.
- The charge will be 15% of the retail value for rush services, with a minimum of $15. Please write "RUSH" in bold letters outside the package.
- Rush services will be completed at a 2-3 business day turnaround. Rush times are subject to change and availability. Please get in touch with us for any questions.
- Customer is responsible for all shipping and handling charges
- Please include this submission form within the packaging.
- "From a Sealed Case" - Only boxes removed from a sealed case by us will be marked as "FASC."
- Customer assumes responsibility for all charges incurred to and from BBCE and any damage that may occur during the shipping process.
- Payment is expected within 14 days of completion of authentication. If the credit card on file is selected, we will charge the card once authentication is complete. We will then ship the items, and you will receive an email with the cost of authentication and tracking number.
- Customer agrees to all Terms & Conditions as outlined in the legal section.
