What is a documented break?
In short: A sealed box or case opened on continuous, timestamped video by an independent third party, with every hit sleeved the moment it is pulled and its condition recorded as observed. The shop sells the cards with a record buyers can watch.
"Pack fresh" is one of the most repeated claims in the hobby and one of the hardest to prove. A documented break is how a shop proves it.
What happens
- Engagement. You tell me the product, the count and the dates. I reply with a written scope, a quote and an engagement letter. Nothing is opened before it is signed.
- Intake and verification. Each box or case is logged into custody, weighed against reference, and its seal and shrink pattern photographed. Anything that does not look factory-sealed is flagged before it is opened.
- Controlled opening. The product is opened on continuous, timestamped video with the seal and the packs in frame. The recording is never paused or cut.
- Condition documentation. Every hit is sleeved the moment it is pulled, and its condition recorded as observed: centering, surface, corners and edges, with photographs.
- Protection and storage. Documented cards go into new sleeves and holders, then locked storage under the custody log.
- Pre-grade and submission (optional). Hits can go through the submission hub, with grading fees prepaid by you.
- Return reconciliation. Slabs are photographed and the grades logged against the pre-grade opinion.
- Delivery. You receive the video link, the hit log, the condition sheets and the pack-fresh certificates.
The step-by-step detail is in what happens during a controlled opening.
What you get
- A video link per box, continuous and timestamped
- A hit log and a condition sheet for every documented card
- A pack-fresh certificate for each documented card: the video link plus the documentation sheet, which the shop sells with the card. See how certificate links work.
Why it is independent
A shop filming its own product is not independent. I hold no interest in the cards, I apply a written condition standard, I am the same appraiser who pre-grades and sees the returns, and custody is logged and insured. See why a shop would document a box opening.
What it does not do
It does not predict or promise grades. Condition is recorded as observed at the recorded time. The record protects you in a dispute; it does not tell you what a grading company will decide.
Who owns the cards
Always you. I never buy, sell, broker or consign cards. Recordings are kept under the retention and consent policy.