I have a horror story of mine that brings up bad memories, I was part of a HUGE "find" in the 1980s of 1957-58 Topps Hoops that were still in the original stand up 1 penny vending machines! Never taken out!!!! There was no Beckett at the time so I put a classified ad in SCD for the 2 and one half NM/MT sets that I had and I made about $1000 which to me at the time was BIG money! I know for a fact that almost every high grade card out there came from my "find" that I basically gave away!
It seems that Vermont is quite the repository of RARE untouched basketball cards since this 1957 cache and the recent 1948 Bowman Series 1 Basketball both were "found" within 40 miles of each other. Both collections were found just as they looked back then. I'm thinking of quitting my job and going door to door to find that Series 2 1948 stash!
peace, mik
P.S. The 57-58's were sold to a guy from California and I seriously can't remember whom (as I was still in high school at the time) but if you are reading this.......ugh!
P.S. #2 This "find" also had a vending with 1957 Topps Westerns, one with 1960 Topps Baseball, and one with 1961 Topps Baseball. It appeared that they were the remnants in an attic of an old store owner and he had taken cards from vending boxes and put them in the machines as I don't believe Topps would have sent him the machines? The machines were all full and the keys were missing so we drilled them and found the little Mint (ok NM/MT) nuggets inside. I still have nightmares about not keeping those cards!