Sunday Question
Many of you over the years of us writing this blog have expressed that there is more value in purchasing packs or boxes of other sports. Clearly, we are just baseball card collectors but I decided this week to heed your advice and try something new, like the Panini Limited Basketball. Well, I did enjoy that immensely but it also had to do with the fact that I manged to get a card of a guy I like, Lamar Odom.
While at Target the other day I saw rack packs of Panini Prestige basketball, and noticed that you get 40 cards per rack pack. That seemed cool, but when I read that in a single pack for $2.99 you get 10 cards, I nearly fell over. So for $4.99, you get 40 cards vs. $2.99 for 10 cards? Sold. I was willing to give it a whirl. Now, if someone can show me a baseball rack pack that delivers that value in a rack pack to retail pack ratio, I would love to hear it. Topps Chrome, for example, you get 3 packs plus 3 cards for $8.99. So, you pay the same price as buying 3 individual packs (well, 3 cents less) and you get a whole 3 cards as an “added value”? Not so much.
Here is a sample of the base cards and what was in the rack pack of Panini Prestige basketball.
Greg Oden Prestigious Pros /499 “Oh, cool. A serial numbered card,” I said…
Mickael Pietrus GU /99 When I saw the thick white edged card in the pack, I assumed it was a dummy card. Yes, exactly my reaction. A game used jersey card in a rack pack, and it’s serial numbered?! While I will admit I don’t know much about the dude, it is still pretty freaking cool.
By now you are probably wondering what the question actually is here. Well, what I want to know is where do you think you get the most value for your dollar these days when buying cards? Do you feel that one company gives you more cards for the money in a “value pack”, or one company gives you more “mojo” per box for the money?
I would love to hear what you guys are buying that isn’t baseball, and who knows, maybe we will open something else that is non-baseball to take a crack at it.
I have to admit for $4.99 for a rack pack with 40 cards, 2 serial numbered cards and one of those 2 being a game used card, there is a good chance Panini will get another $4.99 from me sometime soon.
Sign up for the Card Chat newsletter here!
I think value is something that is relative. 40 cards for $5 does sound like a deal when comparing it to the regular pack. No arguing there.
Personally, I like blasters for most products. Hobby versions are idea, especially when it comes to Topps products because there are usuallt some sort of HTA jumbos which offer better hits and better odds.
But I think there is great value in blasters if you are not really trying to hit a major hit. Sure, the odds are greater, but there is usually an extra pack (8 packs for $19.99), retail exclusive inserts/parallels and usually the same odds for the non-important stuff (i.e. autographs).
I agree that the value is relative to the product. I just felt like in terms of a rack pack, it's rare that you get an actual value other than know that they are harder to search (I would think).
Retail, you usually get the most value from the blasters but again it's one extra pack most of the time, and the guarantee that they can't be searched (which is why I like them).
I would prefer hobby over retail any day for the same reasons though. Just sometimes it's easier to stop at Target and grab something fun.
Retail hits are not something anyone should expect, but when you pull 2 cards that are basically hits from a $5 pack you can't really beat that.
I think the best value out there is anything in the Target $1.59 Power Packs box. I have pulled numerous autos and game used from these packs, including a Longoria RC Auto, a Brandon Phillips Auto #/99, and a Chris Long Auto #/25.
What it be wrong if I said he looks like a dummy in that card?
I am with Spankee – $1.59 power packs. Then Blasters. Occaisionally my Rite-Aid has some sales of yr old stuff at great value but it is real hit or miss.