
The sale of tampered boxes is a plague on our hobby. The most high-profile story of all was, without a doubt, the sale of a fake box of Pokemon cards to YouTube star Paul Logan. If so, there is a bigger need than ever to verify and authenticate sealed boxes and cases. The Dave & Adam’s Fresh Program is a solution offered by one of the biggest third-party card sales companies. Read our Dave & Adam’s Fresh Program review for details and our candid evaluation.
One of the most troubling elements of the Paul Logan story was that a trusted source in the hobby had authenticated the box. Baseball Card Exchange is a veteran player with a good deal of experience in the authentication. The Schererville, Indiana company was undoubtedly the biggest sealed wax authenticator when the Logan story broke.
However, their reputation took a big hit from those events. Baseball Card Exchange owner Steve Hart was there in person when Logan opened the box, revealing that it contained nothing but worthless G.I Joe cards.
The incident shows that no matter how careful you are, buying sealed wax comes with significant risks.
The idea is simple. Dave & Adam’s is one of the biggest and most reliable third-party sports card providers on the web today. Together with the other parts of the big three, namely Steel City Collectibles and Blowout Cards, they dominate the industry.
Adam Martin, the Adam in Dave & Adams, explained the program: “Unopened boxes and cases have been a proven investment over the last several years. However, we have seen an increase in fraud in the unopened box and case market, some of which have been very public. With our program, any box or case you purchase from the Fresh program came from the factory to us and is 100% untampered with.”
Dave and Adam’s website touts the program with this marketing slogan: “If you are going to put a case away as an investment, then Factory Fresh is the way to go. These cases came straight to us from the manufacturer… its authenticity is FACT – Not Opinion.”
To me, the catchy slogan sounds like a dig at Baseball Card Exchange. Although, the market can undoubtedly accommodate both. This is doubly true, as the Dave & Adam’s Fresh Program does not cover older boxes.
Sadly, this hobby is filled with bad actors and negligent people. However, the reputation of Dave & Adam’s is a sterling one. They are known for shipping quickly and paying for wax sold to them swiftly and painlessly.
I really couldn’t find any significant complaints from customers about them and found countless raves. The closest thing to a persistent complaint is that they do not pack boxes with enough foam popcorn or bubble wrap.
They did have a brush with scandal back in 2016. Between January 1, 2013, and July 17, 2014, three company employees stole large products worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. The individuals involved found a loophole in the software, allowing them to acquire multiple boxes while only paying for one with their personal credit cards.
However, this scandal does not reflect poorly on the company, at least not in terms of its customer service. The judge who sentenced the three men to hard time wrote, “They built a successful business from nothing … and the three of you almost destroyed that success story.” However, the success story has continued nonetheless. Dave & Adam’s is undoubtedly a good and trustworthy company.
Case Fresh is a program exclusively for sealed wax boxes. The boxes taking part are guaranteed to come from entirely untampered factory-direct cases. The relevant card packages are placed in an acrylic case and closed with tamper-proof security stickers. The acrylic case used for display is also a handy gizmo for box display.
The sealed box is then given a second wrapping and fitted with a QR code security label. So what does the QR code do? First, it provides a link to a video showing the wrapping process for the specific item in question.
The boxes are taken out of a verified case from the manufacturer. They are immediately wrapped and placed in the acrylic case. One great advantage of this method is that you can be certain no one has hunted in the other hobby boxes for the case hit. However, as we have discussed in another article, this is always a risk when you buy a hobby box from an unverified source.
Dave & Adams also authenticate entire cases with the Fresh program. Like the boxes, the company wraps the case in their unique seal and provides a QR code security label. However, unlike the sealed wax boxes, cases are not fitted in an acrylic case.
The only cases that Dave & Adam’s will use in this program are those it has received directly from the manufacturer and is eligible for the program. Absolutely no other cases or boxes will be used for the Dave & Adam’s Fresh Program.
According to the company website: “Factory Fresh will include recent and new releases. See our website for an up-to-date list of the products we are currently offering.”
They will not use any boxes or cases purchased off the secondary market for the program. In addition, customers cannot send their cases and boxes to the Dave & Adam’s Fresh Program. That way, you can be assured that these boxes come directly from the manufacturer and no other actors have touched the wax in question.
Because they cannot be sure that older boxes came directly from the manufacturer, only recently obtained products are included in the Dave & Adam’s Fresh Program.
The upside of the Dave & Adam’s Fresh Program is that it reliably verifies that the box comes directly from the producer. The downside is that there is an extra cost involved. How much of a premium do Dave & Adam’s charge for this service? They don’t publish the exact number, so we made some comparisons to calculate for ourselves.
Product | Market Price | Fresh Program Price |
2022 Bowman Baseball Hobby 12-Box Case | $3,549 | $3,659.95 |
2021/22 Panini Court Kings Basketball Hobby 16-Box Case | $4,749 | $4,894.95 |
2021 Panini Prizm Football Hobby 12-Box Case | $16,900 | $18,489.95 |
There is certainly a significant markup for the Dave & Adam’s Fresh Program cases. It can be anywhere from 5%-15%.
Looking for a case of 2021-22 Court Kings? Check what they have on eBay.
There is a more considerable upside to getting a verified hobby box than a case. First, it is far easier to tamper with a single box than an entire case. Second, as we have mentioned, if the case hit has been snagged, you may be getting a hobby box with no chance of hitting, for example, a Kaboom!
Product | Market Price | Fresh Program Price |
2021 Topps Chrome Baseball Hobby Jumbo Box | $339.95 | $399.95 |
2021/22 Panini Crown Royale Basketball Hobby Box | $464.95 | $499.95 |
2021 Panini Prizm Football Hobby Box | $1,499.95 | $1,649.95 |
The markup here is similar to the cases. It is also somewhere between 5-15%. However, as mentioned, this method has a bigger upside when buying separate hobby boxes. Therefore, this seems like a better deal.
Grab a 2021 Topps Chrome Baseball Hobby Jumbo Box from eBay.
In the chaotic world of our hobby, there is a growing need for verification and authentication from trusted sources. The Dave & Adam’s Fresh Program is run by a trusted organization, using a highly transparent system. So there is a place for this service, and we should be glad it exists.
However, the company (rightfully) charges a premium for the service. It stands at a not-insignificant 5-15%. So, think carefully if your needs require this sort of verification. To me, this seems a bit superfluous for new and wrapped cases. It is probably overkilled for cheaper hobby boxes as well.
The best use for the Dave & Adam’s Fresh Program is probably expensive separate hobby boxes. If you are spending around $1,500 for a Prizm box, you want to be sure it gives you a fair chance of getting that big case hit.
The list of items included will almost certainly increase over time. You can catch it up to date here.
Here is what is currently available on the website.
2022 Bowman Baseball Hobby 12-Box Case – $3,659.95
2022 Bowman Baseball Hobby Jumbo 8-Box Case – $5,329.95
2021 Bowman Chrome Baseball Hobby 12-Box Case – $5,219.95
” Bowman Draft Baseball Hobby Jumbo 8-Box Case – $5,974.95
2021 Topps Chrome Baseball Hobby Jumbo Box – $399.95
2022 Topps Sterling Baseball Hobby 8-Box Case – $10,299.95
2021/22 Panini Court Kings Basketball Hobby 16-Box Case – $4,894.95
2021/22 Panini Crown Royale Basketball Hobby 16-Box Case – $7,309.95
” Panini Crown Royale Basketball Hobby Box – $499.95
” Panini Impeccable Basketball 1st Off The Line FOTL Hobby 3-Box Case –
$12,349.95
2021/22 Panini Impeccable Basketball Hobby 3-Box Case – $8,239.95
2021/22 Panini Origins Basketball Hobby 12-Box Case – $7,624.95
2020/21 Panini Contenders Optic Basketball Hobby Box – $629.95
2020/21 Panini Donruss Optic Basketball Hobby 12-Box Case – $8,549.95
” Panini Donruss Optic Choice Basketball Hobby 20-Box Case – $10,244.95
” Panini Flawless Basketball Hobby 2-Box Case – $38,499.95
2020/21 Panini National Treasures Basketball 1st Off The Line FOTL Hobby 4-Box Case – $55,499.95
” Panini National Treasures Basketball Hobby 4-Box Case – $27,999.95
2020/21 Panini Prizm Basketball Hobby 12-Box Case – $25,199.95
2020/21 Panini Prizm Basketball Retail 24-Pack 20-Box Case – $4,324.95
” Panini Prizm Choice Basketball Hobby Box – $1,099.95
2019/20 Panini Eminence Basketball Hobby Case – $40,499.95
2019/20 Panini Flawless Basketball Hobby 2-Box Case – $33,749.95
” Panini Immaculate Basketball Hobby 5-Box Case – $14,899.95
2019/20 Panini Prizm 1st Off The Line FOTL Basketball Hobby Box – $2,999.95
2019/20 Panini Prizm Basketball Hobby 12-Box Case – $25,499.95
2017/18 Panini Prizm Basketball Hobby Box – $2,049.95
2020/21 Panini Donruss Optic Choice Basketball Hobby 20-Box Case – $10,244.95
2021/22 Panini Origins Basketball Hobby 12-Box Case – $7,624.95
” Panini Crown Royale Basketball Hobby Box – $499.95
2021 Panini Clearly Donruss Football Hobby 16-Box Case – $5,384.95
2021 Panini Clearly Donruss Football Hobby Box – $379.95
” Contenders Football 1st Off The Line FOTL Hobby 12-Box Case – $8,859.95
2021 Panini Contenders Football Hobby 12-Box Case – $7,174.95
2021 Panini Encased Football 1st Off The Line FOTL Hobby 8-Box Case – $11,999.95
” Panini Encased Football Hobby 8-Box Case – $9,424.95
2021 Panini Limited Football 1st Off The Line FOTL Hobby 14-Box Case – $8,599.95
2021 Panini Limited Football Hobby 14-Box Case – $6,799.95
” Panini National Treasures Football 1st Off The Line FOTL Hobby 4-Box Case – $39,999.95
2021 Panini National Treasures Football Hobby 4-Box Case – $16,999.95
2021 Panini National Treasures Football Hobby Box – $4,199.95
” Panini Phoenix Football Hobby 16-Box Case – $8,599.95
2021 Panini Playbook Football Hobby 16-Box Case – $7,699.95
2021 Panini Prizm Football Hobby 12-Box Case – $18,489.95
” Panini Prizm Football Hobby Box – $1,649.95
2021 Panini XR Football Hobby 14-Box Case – $9,529.95
2021 Panini Zenith Football Hobby 12-Box Case – $6,439.95
” Panini Zenith Football Hobby Box – $574.95
2020 Panini Select Football Hobby 12-Box Case – $21,999.95
2021 Upper Deck Artifacts Golf Hobby 10-Box Case – $3,764.95
2021 Upper Deck SP Authentic Golf Hobby 8-Box Case – $3,659.95
2020/21 Upper Deck Black Diamond Hockey Hobby 10-Box Case – $5,099.95
2020/21 Upper Deck Black Diamond Hockey Hobby Box – $549.95
” Upper Deck O-Pee-Chee Platinum Hockey Hobby 16-Box Case – $3,079.95
2020/21 Upper Deck Premier Hockey Hobby 10-Box Case – $4,914.95 (2021-22 Upper Deck Premier Hockey can be found here).
” Upper Deck Stature Hockey Hobby 16-Box Case – $3,224.95
2020/21 Upper Deck Ultimate Collection Hockey Hobby 16-Box Case – $4,454.95
2019/20 Upper Deck Clear Cut Hockey Hobby 30-Box Case – $6,849.95
2019/20 Upper Deck SP Authentic Hockey Hobby 16-Box Case – $7,674.95
” Upper Deck The Cup Hockey Hobby 6-Box Case – $9,999.95
” Upper Deck The Cup Hockey Hobby Box – $1,729.95
2022 Panini Prizm UFC Hobby 12-Box Case – $9,864.95
Magic The Gathering
Streets of New Capenna Collector Booster 6-Box Case – $1379
Magic The Gathering Streets of New Capenna Set Booster 6-Box Case – $750
Sun & Moon: Burning Shadows Booster 6-Box Case – $2,489.95
Sun & Moon: Burning Shadows Booster Box – $449.95
” Ultra Prism Booster 6-Box Case – $2,489.95
Pokemon Sun & Moon: Ultra Prism Booster Box – $449.95
Sword & Shield: Astral Radiance Booster Box – $149.95
Sword & Shield: Brilliant Stars Booster 6-Box Case – $914.95
” Brilliant Stars Booster Box – $174.95
XY Evolutions Booster 6-Box Case – $5,149.95
Sword & Shield: Brilliant Stars Booster Box – $174.95
2021 Panini Immaculate Soccer Hobby 6-Box Case – $11,639.95
2022 Panini Prizm UFC Hobby 12-Box Case – $9,864.95
” Panini Prizm UFC Hobby Box – $799.95
2021 Upper Deck Goodwin Champions Hobby 16-Box Case – $3,244.95
2022 Panini Prizm WWE Wrestling Hobby 12-Box Case – $7,334.95
” Panini Prizm WWE Wrestling Hobby Box – $749.95
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