Ebay problem as a seller
 

I know this specific item is not prewar but I'm hoping it can stay here as I deal mainly in prewar stuff and this is more of an ebay question.

I just got a message from a buyer who had already left me positive feedback for a transaction of a 1985 Sealed Topps Baseball Set. Here's the item in question.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/15384195582...84.m1561.l2649

He now messaged me and says he now has opened the sealed set and it contains a 1986 set and asked me what I'm going to do about it.
A- I could have never known it was an 86 set if in fact it was actually in the box and it wasn't changed.
B- It's no longer sealed so I can't get back what I sold
C-I did my due diligence and found the exact same box set sold and still selling on ebay as 1985 sets(why would I have assumed anything else?)

Examples:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/FACTORY-SEA...AAAOSwETxeXcyj
https://www.ebay.com/itm/1985-Topps-...MAAOSwD2Bc3H-U

Am I the a$$hole here thinking I shouldn't be responsible for this?

No help, just want to wish you the best of luck in not getting screwed over and having to refund.

Looks like an 86 set to me
 

That looks like an 86 factory to me. You were wrong he deserves a refund. Because someone else on eBay called it the wrong year doesn’t excuse your error. Refund the guy it’s the right thing to do. The white box 1985 factory sets have a border around the top. At least from my recollection and the 86 look just like that.

Do not know how he’d get screwed when he was wrong.

Yeah, I'd give the guy a refund as well.

I've seen several boxes that look exactly like the one I've sold that were sold as an 85. It's not just one random listing

If I screwed up, I will refund it. Thanks!

If he screwed up he should refund.

If it is a 86 set why does it have a 1985 copyright date, I am asking because I don't know.

I didn't either obviously!

If Glyn's assessment is accurate...
 

and it is a 1986 factory set - definitely on you to issue a refund. I would try to confirm the information Glyn has provided.

You sold a 1985 set. The buyer received a 1986 set. Reverse the roles - why should Buyer be made to pay for something he did not "buy"? I think in this case, buyer should get a full refund.

Assuming you get you set back and relist it, the good news is (aside from postage) you are only out the difference in value between a sealed and unsealed 1986 set, which is a terrible year (certainly not as valuable as 1985)and so you are probably talking peanuts

Copyright date is 1985 because often factory sets were produced first and were available in Sears and/or JC Penny Christmas catalogs. That is 100% a 1986 set, and there's lots of people selling them incorrectly on ebay.

Trusting other sellers isn't really the best way to research something and trusting copyright, trademark and patent dates is also dangerous. All of those things can help narrow something down, but I wouldn't trust any of them to pinpoint something.

Did someone sell it to you as a 1985 set? If so you can send the mistake on up the chain for redress, but I've made mistakes smaller than this and issued refunds.

I know it sucks to lose a $200 sale and get a $5 item back, but sometimes you have to swallow hard and do the right thing.

PS. Your Glavine Tiffany RC is awesome. Every one I've ever had is centered 60/40.

This is what the 1985 factory sets look like

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1985-Topps-...wAAOSwz5pdvG4D

Am I missing something?
 

Both of the examples linked by the OP have a banner on the boxtop saying "Official 1985 Edition" in a blue frame around the Topps Complete set language. His set does not have a pic of the box top, but one pic at an angle that shows the top as appearing to lack these features. If so, they are not the "exact same set".

The seller made a mistake, just refund the guy and call it a day.

Happy, honest customer is priority....

I'm going to do the right thing and refund the guy. Thanks everyone!

Good Call
 

The 1985 copyright date is for the box and not the cards. The 1985 sets are clearly marked on the front panel. The 1986 sets are in the same box and some are not stamped on the top. The box was used again in 1987 and most sets are dated on the top with what looks like a rubber stamped date.

Thanks for the info. I know Topps used several different boxes for sets back then.

I have around 20 sets from that era but they are all in the colored boxes. I looked and on all of them the copyright date matches the year of cards in the box.