Why Card Collectors Should Be Concerned About The Scanning Of High-End Boxes

CT scans of sports card boxes are becoming a scourge in the hobby.

In the latest case, multiple scans appear to have been made of boxes of 2023-24 Topps Mercury, a set featuring Victor Wembanyama rookies and focusing on his autographs.

We are hearing that many 2023-24 Topps Mercury boxes are believed to have been scanned, Here is what that means.

How 2023-24 Topps Mercury Boxes were scanned?

In recent months, much talk has been about the dangers of CT scanners in the hobby. This is not a new phenomenon, but it has seen an increase in popularity.

The wonderful YouTube channel Sports Card Madness obtained impressive evidence on the matter. You can see what they did in the following video:

Watch the footage they bring of an actual CT scan of 2023-24 Topps Mercury Boxes starting at 0:43 in the video. The shadows of the cards reveal how low-numbered the cards in the box are. In the footage, you can see how someone using a CT scan can quickly identify an RPA.

It would pose little problem for an individual to find out which boxes have the RPAs and open them. Then, they can sell the boxes that do not feature them online for inflated prices.

Scanning companies

This method of scanning has become so common due to the availability of the service has widened. Nick Andrews from Sports Card Madness says, “They are scanning 18 hours a day, seven days a week. Nonstop. They are actually hiring people, and they are going global.”

I looked at some of the services available to scan sports card boxes. One company, Industrial Inspection + Consulting LLC, began advertising its services in the sports card field in July of this year.

Here is what they offer:

• Topps Five Star Hobby Case (8 boxes) – $550
• Topps Museum Collection Box – $225
• Topps Museum Collection Case 12 Box Case – $2100
• Topps Dynasty Box – $75
• Topps Dynasty Case (5-6 Box Variant) – $400
• Topps Sterling 2 Card Box – $150
• Topps Sterling Case (4 Boxes) – $400
• Topps Triple Threads (2 Boxes) – $175
• Topps Chrome Marvel Box – $75
• Topps Chrome Sapphire 23-24 – $125
• Topps Mercury Case – 8x Cards – $625
• Topps Mercury Case – 2nd Layer + Top Left Horizontal – $300
• Panini National Treasures Hobby Box – $150
• Panini National Treasures (4 boxes) – $400
• Panini Prizm Hobby Box – $225
• Panini Flawless Single Case – $400
• Panini Flawless Double Case – $650
• Panini Eminence Case – $475
• Panini Immaculate Collection Hobby Box – $150

Pokemon Cards?

Before you ask, yes, they also offer services for Pokémon.

• Loose Card Pack (~10 cards) – $75
• Bulk Loose Card Packs – $75 + $25/adt pack up to 6 per scan
• Pokemon Booster Box (36 Packs) – $400
• Pokemon Booster Box (36 Packs) Authentication – $225
• 1st Generation iPhone X-Ray Imaging – $250
• General CT Scan of Specific Product – $175

The prices are not cheap, but for the very expensive boxes, this is a good value. You can get four National Treasures boxes for $2,600, scan them for $400, and sell the dud boxes for full price while recouping on the big hits.

What is the process of scanning sports card boxes?

According to the Mayo Clinic,  a CT scan is a “computerized tomography scan, also called a CT scan, is a type of imaging that uses X-ray techniques to create detailed images of the body.

It then uses a computer to create cross-sectional images, also called slices, of the bones, blood vessels, and soft tissues inside the body. CT scan images show more detail than plain X-rays do.”

It is usually used to “diagnose disease or injury as well as to plan medical, surgical or radiation treatment.” But now, this once expensive and difficult-to-achieve technology is very common and is used privately by non-medical companies.

These scans essentially create multiple X-ray images and combine them to create a better picture of what is beneath the surface. They emit several radiation beams at once, as opposed to an X-ray, which only uses one.

The process of scanning a case of sports cards can be time-consuming. According to the Industrial Inspection + Consulting LLC website:

• A single briefcase of Flawless requires about an hour to scan and identify the cards.
• An Eminence case requires about three hours to CT scan and identify the cards. We can read the cards and text on the metal bars.
• A Transcendent case requires about two hours to image the single cards and uncut auto. The full card stacks at each end cannot be scanned within a reasonable timeframe.
• Products like Dynasty Baseball & UEFA, which contain 5-6 packs or cards, require 1 to 2 hours to scan and identify each card.

What are the ethics of scanning cards?

To be fair to the folks at Industrial Inspection + Consulting LLC, they have a disclaimer on ethics. Here is what it says:

We are aware of and working through the moral dilemma of CT scanning sealed collectibles. Our objective position is one of scientific ability and data-driven results. It is not our responsibility to determine the ethical positions and choices of others, and we do not accept responsibility for their actions.

1. We have brought awareness to the entire industry of the existence and capabilities of this technology; it is up to individuals to make informed decisions moving forward.
2. In light of information we have received from industry insiders, we believe companies are using this technology in secret to take advantage of the collectibles market.
3. We are making this technology accessible to everyone rather than just a minority.
4. We are working on policies to combat deceptive practices.”

Is this satisfactory? No. But as long as this practice is not illegal, people will do it. As you can see from the price list, plenty of money can be made this way.

Does it matter that 2023-24 Topps Mercury Boxes have been scanned?

Many of us have long relied on buying boxes of wax from eBay. When you don’t get sealed cases, there is always a chance that boxes and packs have been scanned in various ways.

This is nothing new. However, the prospect of CT scans allows for higher certainty from sellers that there is nothing perfect in the boxes. Therefore, the buyers in these cases (pardon the pun) are getting royally scammed.

At this point, no one could blame you for starting to feel scam fatigue. What is that? The sense that there are so many bad actors doing so many bad things that you tune out. That can lead people to either buy stuff anyway, regardless of the bad practices involved or eventually leave the hobby altogether.

But this is more than the usual scandal. It starts to raise questions about buying any high-end product on eBay and perhaps even from other more reputable sellers.

I fully agree with Sports Card Madness host Nick Andrews when he says, “If you are buying Topps Mercury or any other high-end wax right now from eBay or from a seller you don’t know, you’re a moron and its on you. I am telling you right now, the big cards have been found.”

Maybe I would not be calling you a moron because I am such a nice guy. But he ain’t wrong.

Why is the CT scanning of boxes a game changer

It is one thing for a lot of boxes to be scanned and people to buy junky boxes. That is bad enough. But it is even worse when everyone knows about it. These companies are now advertising openly. The prices are still pretty high for scanning. But they will likely go down.

Right now, only one company is openly promoting this service. Considering how popular it is, they will not be the last. As we know, competition makes prices go down. That is usually a great thing, but not in this case. It may not be standard practice yet, but it will soon be depressingly common. And everyone will know about it.

That means the price of wax will go down dramatically—at least if bought off eBay. Projecting this forward could boost the most trusted sellers and Fanatics’ direct product sales.

The rise of singles

Cards are now single and ready to mingle. There has been an unmistakable trend towards singles in the hobby recently. The main driver of that is prices.

On the one hand, we have inflated wax values, especially when compared to the often uninspiring content. On the other hand, we can see that many singles are significantly undervalued right now. I just took a look at how badly basketball cards have been doing recently. Singles in other sports are doing better but are still much cheaper than wax.

But the shenanigans surrounding wax have also affected its value. There have been several scandals surrounding suspected marked boxes reaching breakers. Many feel that regular collectors get the litter’s runt when they buy boxes. The addition of CT scans to the mix will make that problem far worse.

This is a severe problem. It will disproportionately affect people with limited funds who buy their wax off eBay, one hobby box at a time.

Most sellers will take advantage of this by buying cases, scanning the boxes, and selling off the individual hobby boxes without significant hits.

What can be done about scanned boxes?

The situation now is untenable. This disruptive technology will seriously damage the hobby. Right now, people are unhappy with the existence of this technology and service, but it is legal and readily available. If nothing is done, more will join the fray.

One obvious step would be to make this illegal. However, that would require legislation and enforcement. It might also make these efforts go underground. The CT scans were used on boxes before Industrial Inspection + Consulting LLC went public with this service and will continue regardless of what is done. There are also portable CT scanners that could be better but will do the job. Some people have them at home.

Another step would be to make the sports card boxes CT scan-proof. There are materials that a CT scan cannot see through. It would be up to the sports card companies to take the necessary precautions. However, they won’t do so unless the bottom line is affected.

A word on 2023-24 Topps Mercury

The main point of this article is the rise of CT scanning. That is because it is a problem we have seen before and will see with future releases as well. But the 2023-24 Topps Mercury product is problematic in and of itself.

First, it only features Wemby. That always makes the release less valuable in the long run, which is why the fact that these boxes are currently selling for $11,000 or so is utterly ridiculous.

Adding insult to injury, it has a stolen design as well.

As I wrote here in the past, “One Instagram user, spintronic, noticed some notable similarities between the Topps Mercury cards and some previous releases. Perhaps that is the reason the designs for this release are so attractive. They were taken from the last great designs. He highlighted Panini Preferred, a long-discontinued Panini product with some wonderful cards. But also more recent releases. However, perhaps the most embarrassing thing is the origin of the Mercury logo. It looks like the original Walkman logo from the 1980s, just upside down.”

The final word on the scanning of boxes

What was once a rare and secret method of scanning boxes has become openly advertised and increasingly common. The economics of selling sealed wax make using this service a good deal despite high prices; therefore, demand is said to be booming.

This is very bad news to those of us who buy single boxes, especially on eBay and from less trusted sources. However, considering that these services are legal and easily attainable, more reputable sellers may be using them, too. We don’t know.

If the trend of CT scans ends up hurting the bottom line of wax sales, which it certainly might, Fanatics and Panini might be tempted to do something about it, whether through lobbying for legislation or, more likely, using anti-CT scan materials.

In the meantime, this will be another blow to wax sales and increase the trend towards singles. But of course, if no one buys wax, where will the singles come from?