From Sealed to Revealed: The Debate Over CT Scanning in Trading Card Collecting

For decades, the trading card hobby was a game of chance and collectors lived and died by the "Odds Per Pack" statement and whether or not collectors were purchasing packs, boxes, or cases, neither buyers nor sellers knew exactly what treasures lay within the sealed packaging. It was a thrill that combined risk, reward, and nostalgia. But in recent years, technology has introduced a disruptive twist: the ability to see what’s inside without breaking the seal.
A 2000 Bowman Chrome Tom Brady rookie card as seen through the CT scanner. (Image by Industrial Inspection and Consulting)
A 2000 Bowman Chrome Tom Brady rookie card as seen through the CT scanner. (Image by Industrial Inspection and Consulting) / Image by Industrial Inspection and Consulting via The Athletic (New York Times) https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5987857/2024/12/12/trading-cards-sports-collectibles-scanners-ethics/

For decades, the trading card hobby was a game of chance and collectors lived and died by the "Odds Per Pack" statement and whether or not collectors were purchasing packs, boxes, or cases, neither buyers nor sellers knew exactly what treasures lay within the sealed packaging. It was a thrill that combined risk, reward, and nostalgia. But in recent years, technology has introduced a disruptive twist: the ability to see what’s inside without breaking the seal.

With that said, let's shift our focus to a company based in Norton Shores, Michigan called Industrial Inspection and Consulting (IIC), which is a mature start-up revolutionizing the trading card industry with advanced X-Ray and CT scan technology.

Originally focused on industrial X-Rays for medical and aerospace applications, IIC has found a lucrative niche in the collectibles market. For a fee, the company offers card dealers and collectors a sneak peek into sealed products, circumventing the mystery that has long defined the hobby, which raises questions around ethics and morals.

The Technology at Work

IIC has recently added a new specialization to its wide array of service offerings that includes the scanning of higher-end trading card products, such as those from Panini, Topps, and Upper Deck, and particularly those in densely packed configurations. For example, if we look at a 2023 Panini Flawless Football First Off The Line case. Each $15,000 case contains two boxes, and each box features six (6) autographs, two (2) memorabilia cards, one (1) gem card, and one (1) additional memorabilia or gem card.

For a scanning fee of $650 per case, collectors can find out whether a prized card lies inside before deciding to open or resell the sealed package. Using advanced CT scanning technology, the machines can penetrate the packaging without damaging it or affecting the product’s value. For collectors and dealers, this means they can identify high-value cards and make informed decisions about whether to keep, sell, or open their packs.

The math is straightforward. With high-stakes products like Flawless Football or National Treasures Basketball, which can contain single cards worth tens of thousands of dollars, paying a few hundred dollars for a scan is a small investment relative to the potential payoff. Dealers could also use this service to maximize their profits by leaving low-value packs sealed and selling them as “untouched,” while opening packs with high-value cards to capitalize immediately.

This transparency has attracted thousands of satisfied customers in the collectibles space, many of whom appreciate the ability to eliminate uncertainty in such a high-risk market.

The CT scanner loaded up with a Mega Box of 2023 Optic Football cards. (Photo: Craig Custance via The Athletic)
The CT scanner loaded up with a Mega Box of 2023 Optic Football cards. (Photo: Craig Custance via The Athletic) / The CT scanner loaded up with a Mega Box of 2023 Optic Football cards. (Photo: Craig Custance via The Athletic) | https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5987857/2024/12/12/trading-cards-sports-collectibles-scanners-ethics/

The Ethical Conundrum

The meteoric rise of scanning technologies such as IIC's CT capabilities isn’t going to come to the marketplace without stirring controversy and mountains of questions. For many collectors and hobbyists, the joy of trading cards lies in the element of surprise, the anticipation of what could be inside a sealed pack, sealed box, or even a sealed case. This new practice threatens to strip away that mystery, turning what was once a cherished pastime into a calculated, and almost clinical process.

Nick Andrews, co-host of the Sports Card Madness podcast, has been one of the more prevalent online commentators addressing the practice of CT scanning since IIC opened its doors to the trading card industry in late July. He’s been loudly expressing how this could be a significant concern within the hobby.

“I think ultimately they took the stance of Napster in a way, like they’re not committing fraud,” Andrews said. “What these people do with these CT scan(ned) cards is not their problem. You know, they’re not the shepherds or stewards of the hobby.”

Critics of the practice, such as Andrews, argue that it undermines the spirit of the hobby. When dealers leave packs with low-value cards sealed and resell them as "untouched," unsuspecting buyers may unwittingly purchase products with no real chance of containing a chase card. The practice also raises concerns about transparency, fairness, and whether scanned packs should be labeled to inform future buyers.

Conclusion

For better or worse, scanning technology is reshaping the trading card landscape. Supporters argue that it brings efficiency and transparency to a high-stakes market, particularly for high-end products where the cost of entry is prohibitively high. Opponents counter that it diminishes the excitement and sense of discovery that makes the hobby so special.

So what happens next? As the trading card industry enters this unchartered territory, these types of technologies will continue to advance, and the debate over their role in trading cards will only grow louder and louder. Will scanning services like IIC become a standard practice for high-end products? Or will the community push back, demanding that the hobby preserve its roots in mystery and chance?

The allure of capturing a high-valued card through thenon-evasiveness and efficiency of scanning technologies has certainly created a new frontier for collectors, dealers, and manufacturers alike.

Whether you see this as an innovation or an ethical dilemma, it’s impossible to ignore the impact companies like IIC are having on the hobby. For now, the decision rests in the hands of collectors, will they embrace the certainty of technology, or will they hold onto the thrill of the unknown? For me, it is and will always be the latter, but the rest of the hobby the future rests in their hands.


Published |Modified
Matt Schilling
MATT SCHILLING

Bio: Matt Schilling, a lifelong sportscard collector and a proud graduate of Towson University (Class of 2006) who currently resides in Queens, New York, is one of the newest contributing authors to the Collectibles segment now featured on http://SI.com