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Weighing Pokémon Card packs is a controversial topic.
On the one hand, it’s kinda cheating and takes the fun away.
On the other hand, some sealed Pokémon packs can be very expensive, so I understand wanting to make sure you’re getting value from your purchase.
Just quickly, if you’re not exactly sure what this practice is…
What is Weighing Pokémon Packs?
Weighing Pokémon Packs is the process of identifying packs that more than likely have a holographic card inside.
Holo cards are heavier than non holos, therefore the pack will be heavier.
What is the Problem With Weighing Pokémon Packs
Scammers
It’s very easy to find plenty of listings on eBay that claim packs are ‘heavy’.
When in fact, the seller has already extracted the heavy packs from a box and knows the ones they’re selling are ‘light’.
Although there are references online for how much a heavy pack should weigh for a particular set, there are always discrepancies.
Variations in stock, printing and even humidity can affect the weight of Pokémon cards, so there’s only one way to be sure of a heavy pack…
How to Be Sure a Pokémon Pack is ‘Heavy’
The only way you can truly know whether a pack is heavy or not is to weigh every pack from the same box.
This will give you a reference point.
For example, vintage booster boxes (like those from 1999 Base Set) have 36 packs inside and 12 holos.
To find the heavy packs, you’d simply weigh them all, and set aside the heaviest 12.
How Else To Protect Yourself
Of course, not everyone has a Base Set Booster Box lying around!
And if you insist on buying ‘heavy’ packs, you should only purchase from trusted sellers and those well-known in the community.
These are people with:
- 5* eBay feedback and hundreds of reviews
- Established Instagram accounts with thousands of followers
- References from other customers who are willing to endorse them
You should also message the seller before asking if the pack came from a box they’d opened – or if they’d bought it from another seller (which would be a red flag).
Ask for photographic evidence, and also if they have a spreadsheet listing all the pack weights, so you can see just how heavy the pack is you’re buying.
Also, you want to see the weight to at least two decimal places. There might be loads packs in a box that fall within a particular weight bracket. Two decimal places helps distinguish them.
Ultimately, if you’re insistent on buying vintage packs, that have a strong chance of a holo pull, you must do your due diligence first.
How Modern Pokémon Packs Have Overcome Weighing
With the inclusion of reverse holos, secret rares and trainer gallery cards, modern Pokémon packs have done a great job at disguising where the value is.
You could weigh a pack, think it’s light, but it could contain a highly valuable reverse holo Charizard inside! It’s no longer worth the risk right?!
Therefore if you’re going to look further into the world of pack weighing, be sure that you understand the set you’re buying and what the best chase cards actually are.
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