Its absolutely atrocious how I see breakers at excited about cards that have no real value. I still have no idea why people even entertain breakers and give them business. Its literally worse than sports betting or playing roulette. The odds of pulling cards that have value isn't worth the price you pay. You are better off saving your money and buying the card you want. Its basic statistic probability. I completely agree with you. You are one of the guys who is isn't afraid to call it how it is. You have my respect sir.
Agree. There's one who has mesmerized the community to the tune of 100K subscribers who is now running non-previewed individual card auctions where newbies are paying way way over what the cards are worth. I tried to give honest opinion on some things in his post show comments only to be ghosted by him.
I recognize that it's it's own established category in the market and people are making a lot of money doing it but personally I think it's too dramatized and there should be more education to it.
I have opened 1 pack of cards since I got back into the hobby last summer. I buy blasters every time I see them and store in those giant rubber maid containers. I have about 2K worth and am going to sit on them for a few years. Good video. Good talking points you hit. Keep the videos coming!
Hi Daniel! Been watching your videos for a long time, love the positive views and insights on the community. I’ve met you at a couple of shows as well and love what you bring to the hobby! I agree with you on most of the video, ripping wax is definitely a form of gambling. As for an investment, it’s like playing a slot machine. Most will lose, but a small few will hit big. It’s that draw of hitting big that makes people want to rip. There is nothing wrong with that, especially if you have disposable income. I also do live breaks on my channel and I disagree with you comment saying that the breakers are not happy or excited when they pull a monster card. I maybe speaking for myself only, but I am genuinely excited when one of my customers hits a monster card! Breaking is a service, for entertainment, and though it may be looked at negatively by some, in my opinion it has brought the hobby to new heights. Of course, there are always a few bad apples out there in the breaking community, but most I know are genuinely excited when a big card is pulled. Thanks for the videos, keep putting out the great content! Hope to see you soon at a show!
I appreciate your comments and insight it's good to know your reactions are genuine and I agree breakers have definitely impacted the hobby and taking it to a new level. 👍
Perfectly said! My expensive lesson: last year spent roughly 2k on optic football trying to pull a downtown… any downtown. Didn’t happen, and I bought blasters, megas, hangers, and cellos at retail price, so I opened a ton of packs. Best card was a Justin Herbert variation. Lesson learned! Now I’ll buy one blaster, mega, whatever just for the fun of it and buy the cards I want already graded or I’ll get a nice one to grade myself. Breaks, mystery packs, and buying a ton of pack to open is NOT a good move to get good cards. I could have bought a Justin Herbert downtown for all that money 🥺. Thank you for the videos, guys like me need all the advice we can get. I collected in the 80’s and 90’s then stopped until 2020. It’s much different now that packs arent $1.00. Your content is exactly what I need to help me build my collection and I thank you for taking the time to provide it. Have a great day today and everyday.
I appreciate your videos! You're one of the only honest people I've seen in the hobby these days. I myself used to collect as a kid and as I grew up I struggled with addiction problems. Well once I got on the right track I deciced to do something positive and I returned to the hobby full force. Well I learned that the New wave had all sorts of options that never existed before. I was the perfect culprit for it all. I got sucked in to buying blasters, hangers at resell at my local card shop. I was entering several breaks a night and buying individual cards on ebay. I have a decent collection , but I have seen the greedy negative side of the hobby so far and I've got sucked into the dark side of card addiction. This particular video was a eye opener for me. These online breakers sit here every night trying to talk people into buying in on these $500 number block National Treasure Basketball half case breaks as if its chump change when most of the time you walk away with nothing. And I've done the math and they make literally 3 grand or more off of some cases they break but never mention it. Its all a circus. I miss the true essence of the hobby.
Thank you for sharing your experience. This is exactly why I made this video. Some breakers reached out to me to defend their practice but I think it's important to call it what it is and acknowledge that some people get in too deep with wax. I appreciate your feedback and continued support!
@@TheGreatCurator. I totally agree. I started watching your videos about a month ago to learn how to invest better and pick up some tips. I've heard you say a lot about the negative energy in the hobby and tonight I realized I have to look at things for what they are. Gambling was my addiction before I got back ion the Hobby and These Big RU-vid Breakers That I have given hundreds to in the last week aren't my friends or even brothers in the hobby. They are just Dealers at a black jack table more or less. My reason for getting back in the hobby was Cause I have a 2 yr old son who I would like to pass my collection off to someday. I figured If I played it smart I could enjoy the hobby through the years and he could reap all the benefits in the end or keep it going. Your videos make an impact. Ill follow you on instagram and keep in touch. thanks.
You are correct on all your points on Ripping Wax as a form of Gambling. People think they are special and they alone will beat the impossible odds that are stacked against them. Group Break videos were a great source of information between 2012 and 2018 on products to get a Sample of what to expect from Wax products. They have devolved into the Madness of Crowds from the explosion of new Collectors/Investors in the Hobby. Daniel, you are too optimistic about the nature of people and the possibility that the Sportscards Collectors/Investors/Dealers can be civil. The educational level to understand the philosophical reasoning behind virtue goes beyond most people in the Global Population. Everyone see themselves as being intelligent, virtuous, kind, considerate and peaceful - the reality is quite the opposite. 🤓🏀🏈⚾️😂 We as a people are all just trying to survive. Follow the nature of people based on that assumption - laugh…ultimately we are doomed because we are all too shellfish to get along as the Human Species. Divided we fall.
When it comes to hoarding toilet paper for the end of the world I would agree but for sports cards hobby I choose to look on the positive side rather then the negative. And put my faith in the community. It's just easier and makes things more fun then the opposite. Thanks for sharing your insight.
@@TheGreatCurator. - Keep up trying to teach the Sportscards Community how to fish. Hahaha…that toilet paper has no expiration date. Hoarding some of these 2020 and 2021 Sportscards products is crazy. 2020 and 2021 Panini Prizm Baseball, 2020-21 Panini Prizm/Donruss Optic/Select/Mosaic/Donruss/Hoops/Chronicles Basketball and 2021 NFL Draft products…10-20 years from now there will still be unopened Wax of this stuff. People buy out every store for every Sport on every product.
Awesome content! Glad I found this channel, been watching a lot of card collector 2 and sports card investor, which is how I found this. I came into the hobby in fall of 2020 and started ripping wax right away. The market was so healthy and all it took was some early luck to falsely perceive that investing in wax was a solid investment. My first hobby box I brought home Prizm and I pulled a silver herbert auto. Went back to buy more and pulled burrow RPA. It took me a lot of research and reading and watching videos to understand I was riding lucky streak. I'm sitting really well in the hobby now but I wonder if I wasn't so lucky out of the gate, I would have been tapped out and exited the hobby as quickly as I entered it.
Really great points in here, one idea to really get your point across would be to show pictures or examples of what people should expect to see with a blaster or a case etc. Keep up the positive attitude, it's certainly welcome!
Lesson learned, thank you. Will up my game and get a 2nd mortgage, and purchase a few hundred boxes. 😂 (Joking of course) but seriously good info thank you. I've been buying in to breaks often lately. Will certainly rethink my strategy.
i was doing it for the rush only and yes on sports i barely got 35-40% back on my investment but again i did it for the rush , and for does who do it for just entertainment i would advise you to do it with Pokémon or other cards that if you just want to open the packs and try to resell and repeat , i broke even more on Pokémon dragon ball z and one piece of now , for sports cards i want for my personal collections i buy them singles online or from local sport shop. thanks for the video puts things in prospective .
Good that my cousine loves soccer. So even if i would buy and not get too good pulls at least my cousin will be happy for some new cards for his collection.
Great timing for me. Ive only bought into 1 break because I didn’t filter it out of a saved search and got tempted (complete waste and I felt bad for doing it). I have held sealed wax and lately I’ve been opening wax and haven’t done very well but enjoy doing it. Need to not feel bad when I open a handful of blasters and don’t make my $ back as it was entertainment. But also need to limit the amount I open and understand in the long run it is a losing effort and keep the big ones sealed. Thanks
Hiya Daniel. I'm trying to post again. Another "great" video. On the retail level - there's "Jumbo" packs (also individual packs in a drop display with no special content), Hanger boxes, Blasters, Megaboxes" and "Retail Boxes" as a possibility at Walmart e.g. Each of the first 4 have a possibility of special insets only found in them. Mega boxes tend to sell out immediate at Walmart e.g. due to special inserts. I can definitely agree the there's a new "subset" of collector/investor out there who may be "hooked" on the gambling aspect of it. I know of a few that frequent my favorite LCS that spend a few thousand a week! Great insight on ripping! Statistically? It's a losing proposition unless done just for entertainment.
I open wax every week, but it's in bulk, admittedly. Usually costs are covered w/ the value of a lot of cards these days. But I grind some singles on ebay though and that's actual work to get costs covered and sometimes make a few bucks. I get some cool cards to collect along the way and have a blast doing it. But You're 100% right though. Like you said, most people are buying a box or two from Walmart. Generally a low-mid end product and unaware of what they're getting into, expecting a bunch of $50 cards. Or gamble on ONE hobby box and that's a really easy way to lose alot of money. I wouldn't recommend people to bust wax unless its a high end product for retail prices or for fun either. Or if they want to WORK there butt off to list and ship cards on eBay. Make a business out of it. AND grind hard to find these rare, impossible to find, higher end boxes of cards that end up being worth the rip. But It's not all rainbows and butterflies, like many would expect and this is a good video to help point that out!
Agreed most of the cards, even autos and mem are junk. The problem is when breakers treat the shiny parallels like you just won big bucks and top load a base card, making you think you "won." I've seen someone spend over $3k on a Hornets spot and get 2 Lamelo Ball base cards.
First time viewer but loved the insight on opening Wax. Worst thing you could ever do and most are way overpriced. I bought a 36 pack of 89 Topps for $10 and had a hoot opening those packs.
I only buy sealed Baseball wax boxes/sets pre 1990, and put them away. Breaking open those boxes/sets has never even crossed my mind. Maybe I'm in the minority when it comes to collecting, but that's just what I like doing😁🤘
You are absolutely right, and I do love myself a box break or rip to enjoy the cards in the set. But this is not just a problem in sports cards. I came from pokemon, and its even worse there, when you have RU-vidrs with over a million subscribers over-dramatising pulls of $5 cards. It's getting quite ridiculous to be honest. Those people have way more influence than sports card channels usually and its sad because the kids get drawn in by that "high" that was all just an act to get views. Oh and by the way, I think its important to do your research before buying breaks. I think breaks, as you say, is a form of gambling, so to make sure that you are buying into a team with good odds of hitting good autos or relics or just have a lot of cards in the set that is not super popular (like the Miami Marlins this year). I don't think you can profit from it, but at least you don't lose that much money too for the fun! Or just buy your team, can't go wrong with that!
Another reason why "I" open wax is because I feel I can received a better condition card vs purchasing raw from someone else. Then again I am opening 90's wax boxes and raw 30 year cards do show their age at times, you know?
I'm adding another part of my post Daniel that didn't go thru. Talking about ripping wax. Let's talk worst case scenario. 2011 Topps Update Jumbo Box containing the base brand Trout RC. A box contains 500 cards @ the going rate of 17K!! That's 34 bucks a card! I've seen these ripped and one breaker pulled ONE Trout. Right now? You can BIN a PSA 10 for around $3400. So, since the rest of the cards won't amount to that much - you're looking at $3400 card for 17K? And that's "If" it gets a 10. Google 1980 or 1979 Topps rip and you'll be amazed. 79T Oz? One breaker got zero (2K for the box); 80T Henderson RC - 1 in the box for 5K! This is literally burning money if done by a single person. If the break is by the pack or a few cards with respect to getting a Trout? Now that's more like a lottery/sweepstake - and OK online but definitely not for a personal break. With new product like Panini - one could spend 10K on a box and maybe get lucky and get a 2K card? That's just plain gambling; might as well just buy the card? There's an OCD component to ripping wax - driven by a form of addiction to gambling as said by Daniel - I totally agree. So, how can one tell they're in trouble? If you wake up thinking about this or are over spending with a maxed credit card? Time to stop and reevaluate? Great discussion Daniel!!!!
It just doesn't make sense to buy thinking you're going to make your money back. Better to put the funds towards the card you actually want and remove the chance element. But if you want to gamble for fun have at it. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this Mike! Love the active discussions going on in the comments section 👍
I Love opening boxes mainly Hobby and HTA's. I do it for fun first 2nd in hopes off pulling Angel's players and 3rd to sell for profit when possible and I never spend money that is needed for bills EVER!!!!! Here is an example I bought an HTA of bowman chrome it cost me $285 pulled a Victor Acosta Gold Auto sold it same night for $750. What I do with the money is Half goes into the savings account and the other half goes into my hobby money account. With that said this is not something that will happen every time you open a box. So I suggest you save money in a separate account and ONLY USE THAT MONEY.. for the hobby if it runs low pause and save up again. That's just what works for me.
I think breakers have their place. I am a collector and I buy cards for my team. I can buy into a break for cards of just my team. If I get a hit that's a bonus but at least I get cards of the players I want to collect. I do my research and never pay more than what I feel the buy in is worth. Some breakers charge rediculous prices. All I can say is buyer beware and do your homework.
I got back into the hobby about two years ago by buying some packs. Man, they’re a lot more expensive than they used to be!!! I’ve come to realize it’s a waste of money. If you’re like me and collect team sets (Tigers) or full sets, you’re better off just buying the full set. With my team sets, I buy the single cards online and can fill a team set for the cost of one or two packs, max.
high risk high reward......With prices going up especially in the next 3 years. If you got a group of people pitching in a 100k in total,i think you can be in the + unless you busting NT.
Your videos are awesome! Very informative and you cut through the BS that is in hobby and tell it like it is. One recommendation: your preamble of “message of positivity” is great in theory and your passion definitely comes through. However, it feels a bit like when my dad lectured me as a kid and spending 10-15% of each and every video repeating the same thing is a bit much. I would advise you to say 2 or 3 sentences about this and move on to the main topic.
I play poker and make money sellin cards on ebay now. Card breaks are similar to playing poker..Wait for your spot and play your hand. People are in like its not gambling and thats wrong. I have no favorite team im goin after value, or equitable liquid gain cards that sell on ebay . It takes alot of time effort patience and discipline. If you have a favorite team your tryin to get cards for then you already lost before you entered. Very low odds, and ROI but its there its just you have to work it like a full time job. Be very selective sell cards on ebay to budget for th e next weeks breaks and When the market goes bad breaks dont cost less. Be careful
As far as breaks...I have $1k spent in breaks and "won" 2 Peyton Manning autos, a Mahomes Downtown, and a Brady Night Moves. Incredibly lucky. Fun, but not an investment.
I'll have to disagree with one of the topics. You painted breaker culture with too broad a brush. While there certainly are crooks in the culture (as in any collectable market) breakers can create valuable spaces within the hobby by allowing for: 1) Making high end products more affordable by selling "spots" in a premium hobby box. Aka, dividing up a hobby box of - say - Bowman or Topps Chrome four ways. 2) Allowing a collector the ability to open product with a focus on their favorite sports team. I.E., I'm a New York Liberty fan, and a trusted breaker sells my team's spot in the break of a 2021 WNBA Prizm hobby box. 3) Allowing collectors of a specific player the ability to collect said player within a certain product release. I.E., Eloy Jimenez is one of my favorite baseball players and I purchase that player's spot in a case break of 2021 Topps Chrome. 4) Being an active part in the sports card community. For example, The Past Is Alive and C&M Collectibles overlap with the same hobby enthusiasts taking part and even breakers buying spots in each other's breaks. For a half hour, or even up to two hours, breakers and fans talk to each other as the break commences - talking about sports, the hobby, the quirks of daily life, or the design of the cards themselves. 5) Many breakers are not making a lot of money. From my observation, and from the breakers I watch, they all have day jobs and do this on the side because they love cards. Many do this for fun and aren't charging a big markup, or sometimes any markup at all. There are legitimate examples of breakers doing corrupt things with hiding hits. There are breakers with plastic souls and pushing to make maximum profit. But there is a wide ranging breaker community that is true, honest, interactive, and fun way to spend money in the hobby. Keep up the great work! The hobby discourse must continue.
I never said or implied breakers are crooks I said they were providing entertainment. But I think you bring up a good point that they have a negative stereotype. You make valid points I would be interested to see if anyone will reply with counter points?
Not often only sometimes if I need something specific and I think I can find it there. I find better deals at the local shows or online for most things.
@@TheGreatCurator. When PSA was open I would take my cards to a vendor at Frank and Sons, $10 for vintage and $13 for modern, and he would do all the work. Fill out the paper work, hand deliver them to PSA and pick them up. A great service. Those days are gone😭
You start out saying there's too much focus on value, but then tell everyone they're basically wasting their money by opening wax, saying it's rare to get a valuable hit card and should not rip wax. 😂 Warning they will not make their money back("unless they get lucky") 😂 This is the sports card world, it's ALL a gamble no matter how you pickup cards. Unavoidable. If I'm new to the hobby, after watching this video, it would scare me away from the hobby.
When you lose at the casino , you go home broke! Opening bad box , you have cards to flip! Take it from an extreme gambler lol 😂 Cards people buy that’s graded all come out of a box that someone rips 🤷🏽♂️
Like the Powerball, opening wax is a losing proposition value wise. Breakers have many issues to me but I think they do get a lot of cards into the hobby. I've done a few player breaks for players I collect. I get no junk cards to me just the ones I want. Lastly, I avoid the breaks that have high shipping.
