The pack ripper's lament

helionaut

I've got to stop ripping packs. I stopped into my LCS to buy 2 or 3 packs of Bowman Update, just to see what I get. Started off good, in the first pack I got the AFLAC redemption card. Next pack I got a decent rookie, can't remember who. Then I got a couple more and a couple more. By the time I stopped I had ripped half the box but pulled no one really excellent. No autographs, no refractors, no press plates, no 1/1s, no jerseys. No Tuisasosopo, no Hernandez, no Butler. I did get one Einertson and one plain Bowman Street, and a Sizemore for my Sizemore collection. I did get at least one chrome FYP in each pack, usually two, so I probably did OK, but nothing really exciting and now I have major buyer's remorse.

I got off light, though. There was another guy in the shop and he was going after some big football. He opened a box of Leaf Limited ($284 per box, I think). He started off good, the first pack having a signed patch Eli Manning #/25. But it was downhill from there. Then he got a box of Pristine football, and I think his best card was a rookie I didn't recognize, and a Marino jersey. It was kind of funny, thinking about it now. He was an older guy, 55-65 years old. He came in and just tore through them, saying he didn't have much time, that he had left his mother in the beauty parlour and had to get back. For over 50 years that guy might've been running errands with his mother and sneaking off for a few minutes to buy cards, spending hundreds of dollars now when he started out with pennies.

RepublicaninMass

I collect the 55 topps, so I was sucker into buying the 2004 heritage packs. Which became an unopened box, 25 bucks more than ebay. Got a luis gonzales jersey, troy glaus and I-rod refractor, and a ton of commons.....Now what?????

frankhardy

I have learned that it is a waste of money. If you are looking for game used stuff, but the packs off Ebay that are guaranteed. (I think they weigh them or something).

Allen

I dunno about those packs. I have never tried them, but if you look at the feedback everyone pulls what is gurantedd but is usually semistars and such. Never see any feedback about pulling a great card. There is never any "A+ Pulled Lebron Auto, or Ruth Jersey" or such

Mefer

"Buyer's remorse" is one of many reasons I have almost completely stopped opening new product (still a big sucker for Heritage and, to a minor degree, Legendary Cuts). Too much money with typically no results. I spent a ton on new stuff in 2001 and looking back, wish now I would have spent it on vintage. Oh well. To each his own. If you like the new product, hey I won't knock it.

JERO

Again the golden rule... Vintage is golden, new is a lottery. Its whatever floats your boat. I also bought a new box a few shows ago, and after getting jack crap, wished I had put the money towards a 52 topps high number... Its like vegas, its a high to say you've won, but you have to remember your odds are still 1:400 packs for EVERY pack you open, or whatever the odds are for what your looking for. Just my thoughts, but vintage is where its all going to be. watch and see!!

JERO

Stone193

<< <i>"Buyer's remorse" is one of many reasons I have almost completely stopped opening new product >>


Buying an unopened box is still less of a gamble than saying "I do!"

mikeschmidt

I'm SO tempted to buy boxes and cases of 2004 Bowman Heritage.

But I know if I wait a year or two - the prices will be really low and I can build parallel sets for what the main set will cost later this month....

frankhardy

On those guaranteed packs, how can the seller know what's in them? Are you saying they open them and reseal them? I think that they have precision scales and just weigh them. Any more thoughts?

A761506

As tempting (and exciting sometimes) as it is to open packs, I refrain. I know I'll just wind up with a bunch of worthless cards. If I was going to spend several hundred dollars on a box of packs, not a chance it would be any of this new stuff... I'd much rather spend it on vintage. At least those commons have a little value, especially if they are prestine.

DeutscherGeist

I understand how fun it is to open packs, but the stuff is more valuable as a factory sealed box.

Keep material unopened. That's the way to go.

I personally want to buy 2004 Bowman Draft Picks as a sealed hobby box or even sealed case and just keep it that way. Besides ebay, where can I find such a thing?

Tabe

<< <i>On those guaranteed packs, how can the seller know what's in them? Are you saying they open them and reseal them? I think that they have precision scales and just weigh them. Any more thoughts? >>


On a lot of products, it's possible to slide the cards around and feel the jersey and autograph cards, without ever opening the packs. No need for a scale either.

Tabe

metsfan

Tabe:
I noticed sometimes they guarantee auto's. How is this possible?

yankeeno7

It would be alot more fun if the companies lowered the price of some of these products. I understand the market tells us what they will sell for but I miss ripping packs. I would probably buy new again if it were cheaper and I knew there was the same odds of finding something pretty cool. Even new Topps at 55.00 or so a box is pricey....some of this supposed "higher end" stuff should be that a box. Just no more fun in the new stuff for me...if I want something new, I'll pay the price to buy the single. I keep on keepin on buying the vintage. It's cheaper and more fun!

dtkk49a

My recommendation to all you pack rippers is to buy unopened material from the 70's.
That stuff is really fun to crack open and I find it much more enjoyable than opening the new crap.
For example, you can buy a 1976 or 1978 rack pack and get around 50 nice 25-30 year old cards that will probably include a couple of HOF'ers and most of the cards will be gradable.
If you are going to pay $250 for a new box of crap, why not spend that 250 on something like a 1972 cello or a 1975 rack pack. You can actually pull a Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, Johnny Bench, etc. etc.
Try it, youll like it.

yankeeno7

DTKK49A Great point!

Even buying singles and putting together sets is a great challenge and a lot of fun. It amazes me that people will spend HUNDREDS$$$$ of dollars on some crap 1/1 autographed card or something similar when they could have taken that money and bought a PSA 8 1968 Mantle! I guess to each their own if you like new or old stuff...but cracking open early 70's packs IS a blast! And takes about the same amount of time to open! LOL When you get 3 cards per pack and 6 packs in that box, that 250 bucks goes by pretty fast! And usually breaks your heart and your wallet!

NBAFan

I had some severe buyer's remorse after busting boxes of Fleer Sweet Sigs. Product "Sounded and Looked" good, but I should have realized that from Fleer you can't believe what they say. 2 jersey cards and one sweet sigs auto per box. They show the Eli Manning on the box and it looks pretty sweet, so I wanted to see the difference between Sweet Spot and Sweet Sigs autos. First box Redemption. Ok, so I wasn't thrilled with it being a redemption, but the player could have been worse. So I decided to try a second box to see what they look like and just as my luck would have it, I pulled the same player redemption card. Now that was disappointing. I really wanted to see the autos, so I went for a third box and boom another redemption but for a different player. Now I am starting to get pissed, because NO where does it state that the Sweet Sigs autos are redemptions or that there are even any redemptions in this product. So I said I am going to try one last box to see the auto, and if there isn't one there, Fleer will be hearing from me. Well, of course once again another redemption card and again of a different player. What a fricking joke! I contacted Fleer and they never responded, so I filed a complaint with the BBB hoping they will make Fleer state on all future products that contain redemptions the fact that "Packs may contain redemptions" and for a product like sweet sigs if you check Ebay there are several different players that are redemptions. That day I lost all respect for Fleer and will never purchase another one of their products again. Spend all that money to have to spend more money to sit and wait for the autos that should have been in the box.

helionaut

How many homers did Johnny Bench hit this season? Did you see that Willie Mays catch on Web Gems? Oh, they aren't playing anymore? I guess it's new players that keep card companies in business. I collect vintage, and I collect new cards. But you have to realize that vintage is no less of a lottery than 2-day-old stuff. Today, if I'm going to spend $42 on packs, I'd prefer 12 packs that contain almost all mint cards of today's stars rather than 1 pack where one card is wax stained, another is gum stained, all the rest have dinged corners because someone dropped it 27 years ago, and the best player might be Biff Pocoroba. I do still have that two-thirds of a 75 Topps rack pack, though. Maybe that gets ripped next. Still, all that glisters is not gold, how often have we heard that told?

Stone193

<< <i>the best player might be Biff Pocoroba. I do still have that two-thirds of a 75 Topps rack pack, though. Maybe that gets ripped next. Still, all that glisters is not gold, how often have we heard that told? >>


Helio
I agree.
But also, this is quickly breaking down into modern vs. vintage and the other biggie: collecting for pride or profit. I spend way too much on heritage each year and am also a big vintage collector....but the fun I have ripping packs hoping to get an auto on my own is where my enjoyment is.
I am not being critical of either group mind you...if you collect for future investment or immediate profit, that is fine. It would be sad to see the "joy of collecting" fall victim to a tug of war between modern vs. vintage and hobby vs. investment. All pack ripping (new or old) is a crap shoot...I find that the fun part...even tho I do get pissed when I draw a blank!!!

your friend
Mike

dtkk49a

I love collecting cards both modern and vintage but I also don't like throwing my money away.
When paying $250.00 for that box of new cards, one must realize, regardless of whether you collect for the fun of it or for investment purposes, that the new stuff is basically worthless. Most of it is printed in huge quantities. Sure you might get lucky and pull a nice card, but how often does that happen ? Card prices for the new stuff drop dramtically shortly after the initial hooplah is over. Also, modern cards are easily trimmed and many people buy BGS 10 cards thinking that they have a great card, but in reality, its a cut job.

There are some modern players (Pujols, Roethlisberger, etc.) that are a good "buy", but realistically, how many modern player's cards are going to hold thier value ?? Think about it.

Personally, I'll take a PSA 9 Biff Pocoroba over some steroid user's jersey/auto card numbered to 25. At least Biff's card will hold its value over time.

Collect what you like, but don't throw money away.