Absolutely insane how bad Chrome is this year from a value perspective. I know it's always a gamble, I love collecting but for the prices of even a blaster box it's just insane. 300 card check list is just way to much with the price of every format. Sure, you might pull more parallels but getting the players you want is going to be even more tough than 2023 or 2022 according to numbers I've seen.
Can’t do dollar per parallel anymore Stryker. Increased parallels and increased checklist every year will artificially inflate those numbers. Have to go dollar per “Good Rookie Parallel.” And let’s be honest, GRPs should be limited to the top 5 rookies to maybe 10 at most. The dollar per GRP is way down again this year with that big checklist increase. Hard pass on breaks and wax
Hobby boxes are too high. The checklist is 80 cards more. With blasters being $40 and monster boxes being a monstrous $65 or more, I think I may wait and just do an MVP buyback lot. Thank you for sharing. You're the best on breaking down product.
Thanks for the spreadsheet and the breakdown of the odds per format Stryker! You are the best! I was initially very excited for chrome but with the price increase and the checklist going from 220 to 300 I'm not gonna be spending that much on chrome this year. Maybe ill pick up a monster box if I see one for 65.
I started collecting a couple years ago and your vids play huge part of me getting in the hobby! Gonna be passing on this release most likely unless I see some price justification.
Thanks for the video! Your breakdowns are always appreciated. This morning I picked up a couple of monster boxes at $59.99 from Fanatics before the website increased them to $64.99. I hope Fanatics honors my purchase price.
Just pulled a 1989 Red Ray Wave Redemption card for Pete Crow Armstrong…… Out of my second Monster box…. God is good. 1/120,185 AND it’s a rookie AND it’s mfn PCA. Wow. Monster Box off of Amazon.
So base card print runs are down per player, BUT total base cards are up from 37.01 million in 2023 to 43.88 million in 2024. That's around 6.87 million more base cards, with fewer cards in blasters and monsters in years past. It's an 18.5% increase in base cards, and likely around a 20% increase in sealed boxes out there. For the love of Pete, don't overpay for boxes!
Here's what I know. It is ridiculously overpriced. Quality control will be terrible considering the price. There will be too few "hits" and I am only buying donruss baseball when it comes out for half the price. Make Fanatics and Topps panic.
The problem is that breakers will still break and therefore demand will be there and prevent price drops. I think Topps knew this release would be in demand from rookies and decided to milk it. You have to remember, their job is to string the hobby along as much as possible to balance supply and demand while maximizing profit. After all, it is a business.
Lmao price is ridiculous, there is no reason why this shouldn’t be affordable like I understand everyone wants the new rookie auto but imo no rookie in this class is better than Gunnar the numbers prove that but it’s whatever like this product will be bought by breakers and whatnot but people who just enjoy collecting will have a hard time with this
@@ljg13hockey99 just don't collect and watch the RU-vid videos while you're multitasking with other things like I do. No sweat off my back. The hobby has done nothing but disguise flooding the market by distracting people with 200 different types of parallels of a rookie player. To think history won't repeat itself would be foolish.
The math gets even worse when you compare 2023 presale prices to 2024 presale. Hobby's were $125 presale on Topps for 2023 while Jumbo's were $300. I still can't believe that increased them as much as they did. Was all ready to throw down big on this release because I believe the rookie class has both a high floor and ceiling but can't justify it now.
Preordered 2 monster boxes from GameStop and if you have a pro membership you will score % off the $65 dollar tag. In addition using your rewards points on what youve spent and can get even more off. Got 2 monsters for like $119. So sneaky steal here.
Fanatical. New insert. Fanatic at its finest. Cool insert but anything that reminds me of them is sickening. Great video as always Stryker. You the man
I’ve bought a ton of topps chrome since 2021, but unfortunately at $45 with tax for a blaster I won’t be able to anymore. There’s a chance it drops like 2021 and 2022 eventually on eBay and if it does I might consider it then.
I love topps chrome but the hobby is getting so expensive its absolutely insane. Hobby priced me out awhile ago and retail is getting horrific. I usually average a break even card 1 in 4 boxes.
I hate to sound like cranky old man, but I started collecting in 1974. It was 10 cents for a pack, about a penny per card. Did I just see $1.43 per card from blasters? Granted these chrome cards are far cooler than those 1974 cards were. But that is just sobering especially if you don’t hit the right parallels and inserts. I’m just buying my team in breaks on this one. Thanks for this awesome breakdown, Stryker!
I honestly thought they might expand the checklist to 250 cards... was not expecting 300 when they released it a few weeks ago when I pre-ordered 2 hobby boxes...
Thanks Stryker! Love these videos. Sad that it seems all the changes are for the worse for collectors. Higher price, higher checklist, some of those auto's are horrible. Pitchers who pitched 1-2 innings and never heard of again. Will be doing singles.
Most of us know that these are expensive and with a lot of these expensive boxes out price most genuine collectors who love how things used to be. The other thing is lots of this kind of boxes you may find it difficult to get your money back on resale if that why you buying these cards. I prefer to just get donruss and the like, in fact I got donruss hobby box and got loads of numbered cards and 2 autos with 1 mem card, loads of rated prospects, and many good names which I got at very good price with free packets of some from 91/92 which had good names and great to open.
Here’s what I know. I’m completely done buying overpriced boxes that are full of crap. I’ll let other suckers out their waste their income on these and I’ll buy their singles from them.
You should be making a bigger deal about the added checklist. MVP buyback harder to get. Good rookie auto harder to get. Corporate greed at its finest.
Not buying packs or boxes at all this year as much as i love the chase and the thrill of a big pull it's just not worth it you're better off just buying the individual cards you want.
I like all of the comments i have read! Alot of you, are making sense! Basically, if you have the money $$$, to burn? Blow it, as frequently as you need to! Buying this product!, or just buying singles, either way, you are still spending! Keep in mind, if you are gambling, on thinking, your going to land a $$$ big money card, out of this product, use better judgement!
Always love the breakdowns. Chrome is too damn pricey for my taste this year. I usually do retail, hobby when I can afford it, and retail is just, ouch this year. As per usual.
Great breakdown and much appreciated. I have spent 5-6K per year on Topps retail products in previous years. It is hard for me to believe but I think I may not bother with Chrome this year. Blasters were my favorite but these look to be not good. Does the $708 for a rookie auto translate to 1 of those per 17.7 blasters? YIkes. Not that it matters that much because it feels like the good rookies are and have been 1/1K boxes for years. Now you can't even get the pitcher who played 2 games in 2023 before not getting a contract in 2024.
I don’t like the additional player check list. Makes it harder to pull a player you like and makes it seem like you are getting more bang for your buck but not really as the check list increases
I think I’m done ripping for awhile. Haven’t gotten anything in the past $500 I’ve spent. Print runs/ prices are too high, when the value for singles aren’t there
Thanks for info stryker. Hopy moley theyve pumped up this checklist like crazy. Im not poor but cant say the itch is there to buy this. Corporate greed shining through
All the people praising topps taking over all other major sports are gonna be regretting it mark my words.. yes topps quality is much better, but panini has wayyy better sets and case hits..
yes and no. it puts it in perspective and lets you know how many chances you have per dollar spent. None of the odds are good but you can help make more educated decisions.
Actually, you haven’t accounted for the increase in checklist which actually makes it harder to pull a good card. Rookie sigs are up substantially. The math is flawed.
@@StrykerBreaksyes, read below. I could go deeper, but realistically the whole sheet is kinda off. It’s lamppost math. Not meant to be disrespectful. You’re spreadsheet, if 100% accurate, would make joining breaks buying boxes sophomoric because it’s ultimately less expensive to buy individual cards, period. The cost for the thrill of the rip is nonsensically high. I watch your breaks because I find them entertaining, but I doubt I’d buy in because I know there’s a minuscule chance of even getting 1/4 ROI and random team breaks are all about the ROI.
