Seeing Stars: The Allure of “Star on Top” Sports Card Rack Packs

A rack pack is a unique sports card packaging format that is essentially nonexistent in today’s sports card industry. A rack-pack consists of a long strip of cellophane wrap divided into three compartments (sometimes referred to as “windows” or “panels”), with each compartment containing about as many cards as a typical wax pack. These packs were designed to be hung from one end on a peg board when displayed at shops.  Rack packs were produced for nearly every sport that had cards, with the earliest known examples of rack packs made for Topps baseball cards in the late 1960s.

Rack packs are unique because the clear packaging means that 3-6 of the cards contained in the pack are visible even before the product is opened, while regular packs typically have opaque packaging that conceals all the cards inside. Due to this visibility, rack packs with desirable stars and rookie cards on the top or bottom of the product have become extremely collectable, and in some cases, quite valuable as well. Some collectors buy these “star/rookie on top” rack packs to open, hoping that the visible card of choice is in great condition and will grade well.  Others choose to keep rack packs sealed, opting to collect, display, or sell them in their original condition.

Unfortunately, this unique clear packaging (and the value attached to some of the “star on top” rack packs) has also led to a great deal of fraud. Unscrupulous sellers realized that tampering with rack packs by opening them, inserting star cards into the top or bottom of the windows, and resealing them could be very lucrative. 

Thankfully, there are ways for collectors to protect themselves against this kind of fraud. While grading companies like PSA and SGC do not grade or encapsulate rack packs, BBCE (Baseball Card Exchange) is a trusted third party who will authenticate and “wrap” (encase in hard plastic and seal with cellophane) rack packs. The experts at BBCE are well-versed in tampering methods used on rack packs, and will not wrap a rack pack they aren’t confident is genuine. Buying a high-end rack pack can be risky (especially online when you can’t touch or closely examine it), but if it is wrapped and authenticated by BBCE, you can be much more confident that the item is legitimate. If you are dealing with a rack pack which isn’t BBCE authenticated but you can closely examine it in person, be wary of small slits, cuts, or seams (resealing spots) in the packaging that don’t seem to have occurred naturally, particularly above and below the card panels. In addition, learning about the collation of cards in rack packs (which cards should appear in which position in a rack pack) can also help a buyer make an informed decision. For example, in 1980 Topps baseball rack packs, the Rickey Henderson rookie card only occurs in the first panel (closest to the header/hanger slot).  Therefore, if you encounter a 1980 Topps rack that has Henderson visible on the top/or bottom of the third panel, or a Henderson in the first panel and a second Henderson visible in a different panel (in the same rack pack), you can be confident that you are dealing with a rack pack that has been tampered with.  Information about the specific card collation of rack packs (specifically Topps baseball) is available online if you are willing to do some digging. Lastly, be wary of any star on top rack pack that seems too good to be true, especially if it’s not BBCE wrapped. A 1975 Topps rack pack that has a visible George Brett rookie card on top of the first panel AND a Robin Yount rookie in the 2nd panel?  This seems unbelievable because it is - both Brett and Yount should only appear in the first panel in the 1975 Topps product.    

Overall, rack packs are an interesting artifact of our hobby. The increased visibility of the cards in the rack adds a layer of collectibility to these products, and rack packs can display quite well. This unique packaging can also lead to tampering and fraud, so it’s important to be informed and protect yourself using the methods discussed. If you have rack packs that you are interested in selling (particularly those with visible stars), please reach out to SMR Collectibles today. If you are in the market for star on top rack packs, visit our eBay stores!