Mark Murphy was the unopened pack specialist before Steve Hart and the Baseball Card Exchange took over that part of the hobby. He released his Unopened Pack, Wrapper & Display Box Guide in 1996, after about ten years of dealing almost exclusively in the unopened space. He published the guide to share information with collectors, drawing on his recollections, notes, deals, and conversations with others active in the unopened market.
He later updated his guide with a second edition, which was printed and released in 2002. The guides feature incredible photographs of over 400 unopened boxes and packs produced by the major card manufacturers across the four major sports. After the introduction, he offers some advice, including a brief description of how to verify the legitimacy of wax packs. I wanted to share some of that information here.
He begins by explaining that his expertise comes from experience, noting that handling over a million packs helped him develop his knowledge. How did he handle so many packs? Whenever he bought an open case of cards, he would inspect every single one. Drawing from that experience, he advises collectors to buy only unopened material from trusted dealers with strong reputations who know how to properly inspect packs.
Mark then talks about the basics of pack inspection. First, he emphasized it’s about the corner folds. Each should be neatly preset.
Second, he checks the factory roller seal on the back of the pack. Card producers used a hot metal roller approximately 1.75 inches wide to seal the pack across the back, resulting in a dulled finish.
His experience comes into play with details like gum consistency, card count, miswraps, and more—that’s how he was able to spot many fakes. He shares a few examples, then discusses cello miswraps, noting that he had seen fakes that appeared factory-sealed but had incorrect cellophane sealing and feel.
The most valuable tool in his arsenal was having nearly every Topps baseball wax and cello pack from 1951 to 1989 in his own collection for comparison.
I’ve read a lot of stories about why Mark Murphy left the hobby, including that his warehouse burned down, and whether he knowingly released a large number of fake Christmas rack packs into the market. However, I really have no way of knowing what’s true and what isn’t. What I do know is that his advice on spotting fakes is reliable, and his guides are packed with great photos, insights, and tips for unopened sports card collectors. If you can find a copy, it’s definitely worth picking up.
Happy collecting!
I remember seeing his ads in either Baseball Card Magazine or Tuff Stuff. First time hearing about his warehouse burning down. Can’t begin to imagine the amount of cool unopened stuff he had stored there.