Buying unopened packs

[1880nonsports]

It's always a leap of faith when buying "unopened" products but as diligence and knowledge are requisite in any collectible endeavor - one can proactively reduce the risk.
As for the statement "Is any collector really going to let an unopened pack sit for decades when there is a possible rare card inside?" most see the economic value in keeping the item sealed - it's closest to it's original state and the contents are at this point an uncashed lottery ticket. Like sell the sizzle and not the steak. Of course if we are not talking about a COMMODITY but an emotional activity (these are after all cards we are talking about) - they were meant to at least be SEEN - like having a book but never opening it to read the words - I would probably want to open it.
One might take either approach depending on the desired outcome - I have some early sealed tobacco packs but that's a different animal as there's no advantage to opening them.

[packs]

If you buy one cent packs you can usually see the single card through the wrapper. So if you're worried about temptation and blowing your money, buy an expensive one cent pack, shine a bright light on it, and then decide if you're going to open it for the card inside, or leave it be if it's a common. That way you either get a card you want or you get a neat pack in its original state with peace of mind that you aren't missing anything.