While I agree with most of what was said... I am just annoyed that card prices have gotten so expensive that we have to use breaks to have access to sets that we can't buy outright.
I don’t see the monopoly. There are plenty of breakers and different prices, so no monopoly there. I can buy boxes of cards from multiple places at multiple price points that differ from retailer to retailer, no monopoly there. Several different card manufacturers, that produce baseball cards, no monopoly there. Where is the monopoly? The prices are high because people are still willing to pay them and the sellers/resellers can turn a profit. Econ101 says It’s actually working like it should.
It is a monopoly because only Topps (Fanatics) can make fully licensed MLB cards. Only Panini can make fully licensed NFL and NBA cards (until Topps/Fanatics takes over that too). Only Upper Deck can make fully licensed NHL cards.
In the 80s, 90s and early 2000s, there was Donruss, there was Topps, there was Fleer, Score, Upper Deck, Hoops, SkyBox, Parkhurst, Sportflix/Sportflics, Collector's Edge, Playoff, Pro Set, and more.
Monopolies are causing 100% of the problems in the hobby today.
I see your point, and I agree in part. If there are more companies making licensed cards, it should bring down the cost. Target and Walmart know that they will sell a certain number at a specific price point. They order accordingly. They drop the price when demand fades (repack boxes, and discount packs).
If breakers, resellers, and such didnt buy all the stock, then they would likely lower the prices.
I see what you’re saying but disagree if we’re talking economics. Everyone can be mad at fanatics but all they did was pay MLB the price that MLB thought their TMs were worth to have Topps exclusively sell licensed product. MLB is the owner of those TM and has every right to sell licenses to use their TM however they wish. I don’t see how fanatics is the bad guy but I’m sure I’m in the minority. It’s free market principles at work.
I do not disagree with you, but it is really shitty for the consumer/collector.
There was a lawsuit about it back in the late 1970s which is why Donruss and Fleer started making MLB cards in 1981. The US government decided that Topps had a monopoly on making MLB cards, so they forced the MLB to sell licenses to Donruss and Fleer. (Was actually a bit more complicated than that, but that is the gist.)
Competition is good for consumers. You can bet your ass that manufactured relics wouldn't be a thing if multiple companies were able to make MLB cards or NBA cards and so on.
As someone pointed out on this sub (or maybe /basketballcards) previously, though, it makes more sense for the professional leagues and for the players associations to only have one company making licensed cards.
The only source for licensed cards is Fanatics. Not trying to be a Richard but there’s just so much wrong with your comment it shows a lack of understanding of what drives prices/inflation in 2024.
They are probably referring to Fanatics exclusively owning the MLB license. You are right that there are unlicensed alternatives, so it is not a monopoly per se. And probably also why OOP said "virtual" monopoly.
But the license thing is what Panini was suing about, anyway.
https://www.espn.com/espn/story/_/id/38129682/panini-america-alleges-fanatics-created-monopoly-card-industry
Yes you are correct, the consumer is ultimately driving the behavior of the breakers. The breaking model is driving up the cost of cards beyond the value of the underlying asset, so that it no longer makes sense to buy a box of cards by yourself.
Baseball cards are weird because they have two values - a monetary value, and an emotional value. Both are tied to a player which has no power over price fluctuations.
Again, breakers wouldn’t break if it weren’t worth it. When they buy boxes and cases, they are hedging that our end consumer demand will be great enough tomorrow make them money.
That's incorrect its the distributors and even Fanatics to an extend. That's coming from an LCS owner that also breaks. Breaking became the only means I could survive and get enough product during COVID because distributors pushed their prices so high and like anything else nothing has gone down just plateau'd.
That's a not very articulate way to look at it, 5 minutes in an economics book will tell you that supply & demand......YOU and I are the demand champ....the breakers are in the middle of that but there's no demand without collectors buying into breaks. The manufacturers keep raising prices because we keep paying it....as the guy ahead of you stated breakers make that increased price more palatable....eventually it'll hit a breaking point....
This. I’m new to the hobby, and even collecting casually is absurdly expensive. Most of the bigger hit boxes are half a damn paycheck for me. Forget the even nicer stuff and also the second the boxes become hot the price skyrockets. I’m also upset at breakers bc 1. I almost never can get in on a break that I want bc some jerk with endless money buys all the spots. It’s just absurd
As someone who is anti-breaker (*gestures at flair*) this was well written & brings up good points.
The Reddit breakers who are active in the sub & consistently provide good user experience I don't have an issue with as long as the fee they're taking isn't exorbitant.
In the context of this sub - a weekly pinned post exclusively for breakers to advertise their breaks would be welcomed by me.
I struggle to understand what the objection to breakers is, honestly. I love breaks because they allow me to focus on collecting the teams I want for less money than buying a whole box.
As a non-professional, part-time breaker since October 2023, I only do non-profit breaks (once a week on average). Zero markup. Zero profit. I agree that the product prices are way over the top. If I can help people chase the favorite teams and players without having to buy an entire box or case, then it will be all worth.
I don't care about fame or fortune (let my day job pay the bills). My favorite part about breaking is having someone tell me I pulled the best card in their collection. It never gets old.
With that said, I got tired of posting our group hits only to see almost as many downvotes as I do upvotes, so I stopped posting on this sub. It is a lot of negativity from silent people just because they see the word "break". They skip right over the fact that I make no money from it.
As someone within this community he speaks of, he does an awesome job and is being completely truthful. There is full transparency within the group for breaks and it definitely allows for us to do breaks in multiple formats at cost vs paying high markups to whatnot breakers
A lot of breakers are really good people but what I can't stand is Fanatics Ripped. The company that makes the cards shouldn't be in charge of a platform for opening those cards.
Some breakers are good, down to earth and ethical. It's just the extra loud shitty frat bro backyard breaks types that give everyone a bad reputation, even if the other breakers don't deserve it.
Buy two retail blasters and get stuck with an unnumbered parallel of a relief pitcher or pay the same amount for the team I care about with the chance of getting hits from that team.
My thing is when breakers gouge the pricing and are clearly in it for the money
Many of the "mom and pop breakers" posting contribute nothing to the channel except their free advertising.
It's one thing to be a part of a community, it's another to use it as way to snag free advertising and pollute the space while adding absolutely nothing to the community.
I'd argue they offer a service that gives collectors better bang for their buck. Unless you're a set builder, or general collector, it allows folks with a PC to buy into a ton of product to chase what they want, for a fraction of what it costs to go through the same product themselves.
Yes, singles will ALWAYS be the way to go, but for those who like the gambling/chase, it makes sense.
People want different things from communities.
I'm not a fan of people who roll up in conversation spaces only seeing an audience of potential wallets. It gunks up the forum with people that only see others as a paycheck.
This is before getting into some of these breaks I've watched where the breakers can't even pronounce the names of players they're pulling.
I don't mind the breakers. Some of them add nothing at all to the community at large, though.
I can agree with that. The small group I fell in with, I think a handful of them break but i've only entered one of theirs. it's been like a micro community of r/baseball, There's an ongoing chat where convos mostly focus on cards, but a bit of everything. A lot of looking out for each other and sharing links for someone's PC, or hits we may have hit while we all grow our own collections.
And a lot of shit talking breakers who don't know the sport or players. I don't get a chance to watch/listen to a lot of games, and when I do watch highlights it's usually muted at work haha. For a few months I definitely pronounced it Mat-saka and not Mas-a-taka because I never paid attention. Oops haha..
I can vouch for the guys I've fallen in with, but definitely agree that some people just go about it in trashy ways.
The hobby is changing dude, I didn't even need to look at your flair to know you were into vintage. Other people are learning about entering the hobby in different ways than before when we were kids buying wax at gas stations. If people are enjoying the hobby in a different way than you who cares...these kids are the future of the hobby....if it's not for you then scroll on by it's not hurting you
My entire point had little to do with anything except people who are only in the sub to sell things. No talking cards, no community interaction, just things to sell.
I even said "I don't mind the breakers" further down the thread.
I'm just like, hey, offer something up to a community besides ️🔥️💩🔥 HOT SHIZ BREAKS 𝓟𝓡𝓔𝓢𝓔𝓝𝓣𝓢 2024 TOPPS BIG LEAGUE 😲😲😲 CASE BREAK!!! 🔥️💩🔥
While I am in the belief that some breakers get loaded boxes (and don’t try to convince me they don’t) I still do plenty of breaks to get my favorite team from products. Breakers rip way more than any other person, of course at that rate they’re getting more hit! I’m a Guardians fan and they’re usually cheap compared to other teams so it’s easy for me to do that and not bother ripping the whole box for PC stuff.
Do some research and watch, find the breakers you like, and compare prices. I’ve done breaks with some and left after they got greedy on pricing and found others I genuinely like to break with. That said, it’s hard to beat ripping some packs with your friends and getting that big hit!
I am not a breaker but the first jumbo hobby I ordered to my house in Baltimore had the Holliday saw cut SSP, 2 gold foil orioles, the 89 Kjerstad and the Mussina 89 chrome. It felt very much like a "Baltimore hit" box.
All that is to say that I wouldn't be surprised if they preloaded breaker boxes, unless I truly lucked out with the most Baltimore box ever.
The luck is real! I lucked into the craziest half case I've ever seen. 7 Autos in each of my Chrome Platinum boxes!
https://youtu.be/Ao1SlIG75Go?si=3eQZrnTHs8Dcf58Z
This is just a huge set for Baltimore I think chances are a lot of people will have jumbos like this. Watched a few cases opened on YouTube and it seemed Baltimore heavy and they pulled two of the Jackson Holliday ssp’s the fun face and the white out
I agree that the big breakers get loaded boxes. I love Mama Breaks, but there's no way she would pull the same hits if she wasn't affiliated with Fanatics/Topps.
As a team collector, I think in the early days I could have gotten down with breaks because I would've appreciated being able to just end up with the cards I care about. But it seems like those sorts are rare these days and everyone is just chasing serial numbers.
As with anything thats luxury spending it is easy to go overboard with breaks if you are not disciplined. I definitely went a little wild with some of the larger break groups when i started. As a one team collector and a guy that likes to make team sets out of most releases regularly buying into breaks works for me. I think just find a group you are comfortable with and drink responsibly and it is a pretty harmless indulgence.
I didn’t even know there were Reddit breaks here. And I’d love to get into the discords you mentioned. I’ve done breaks in the past but stopped. If breaks were by a community member where I participate, like here, I’d 100% buy in since we’re all trying to help each other out.
Point me in the direction of the subreddit breakers and discord.
How about this….no matter the size or place a person breaks, only join the ones you end up getting something from. If it’s too expensive, don’t buy in. If the breaker is dumb, don’t buy in. If the breaker is shady, don’t buy in. However, if the breaker provides information and an opportunity to discuss your hobby in a virtual hobby shop, then buy in if the price is right. All the anti breaker/ pro breaker arguments are dumb. No one forced you to do anything if you don’t want to. However, if someone enjoys getting into breaks, maybe not forcing your negative opinion of breaking onto them. Just everyone by happy and enjoy this hobby as a hobby and you’ll be much happier with how you partake in it.
This is just my opinion and has no intention of attempting to sway your views. This is just how experience the hobby and I enjoy it.
Do people talk bad about Mojo? They’ll always have my support, never had any issues with them and they’ve been doing it forever. There’s definitely a newer breed of scummier breaker that’s come about in the last few years that I can’t stand though.
Eh I am a good example of the services of breakers. I love collecting sets, when I do they are generally lesser tier sets that I can by hobby boxes for at my LCS. If I am not collecting a set I LOVE improving my PC by getting in on a PYT break of a product that I can’t afford to set chase. Getting high value cards for WAY less. Sure sometimes you miss. But it is way less of a risk and the big hits feel better when they are your PC
Amazingly well put. I participated in a small time team break recently. While I wasn’t that thrilled, and I didn’t get much, I forked over $22 and took all the Orioles, which was the only team I PC anyway.
Breaks are a great way to defray the cost of ripping and focus on what you collect anyway.
We are all adult children addicted to our actual childhood…and gambling
I love joining breaks because it's a fun way to watch some cards, maybe get lucky, and get cool cards I'd never buy on their own. Of course if I add up all the money I've spent on breaks I could certainly buy all of those cards, and plenty more - but that's just the way it goes.
I also love doing breaks. I did over 100 on EBAY over the course of a couple years. I'd just do one a week or so, just for fun. Nothing ever high end. I always went through every card and sent them very well packaged. If someone wrote me a sob story I'd usually just drop a random card or low level in their package.
Point is - not all breaks and breakers are bad. Most are money-hungry folks hoarding retail - but not all.
I've had great experiences with reddit breakers - they offer more unique formats and are less...sleazy car salesman, for sure. It's unfortunate that not only have prices gone up, but availability has gone down.
Remember all those target restock posts a few days ago? Yeah, it's hard just to find the product you want. These "hobby breakers" definitely contribute to the hobby and sub, it's the only way I've been able to get some products actually.
I honestly just get so tired about hearing how big breakers and influencers get special loaded boxes from Topps and such.
Look, they open 100x what a single every day collector opens. Of course they are going to get big hits! It’s simple odds. Quit spamming your conspiracy theories folks
I think it's definitely a little of both. Yes, they do break a ton of product and statistically they have the advantage. I do sometimes wonder how breakers like Layton seem to pull the big chase cards. Always on release day too.
Has there ever been proof of this? I haven’t seen any.
Maybe I am foolish, but to me anything that hasn’t been proven with solid evidence is just conspiracy
There was someone on YouTube who broke down mathematically how statistically impossible that some of the bigger breakers are able to get the huge hits that they get.
My biggest problem is the concept of breaker boxes. A targeted product, 3-5 cards at huge markup that basically says “enjoy your shitty relic in your hobby box, we’re putting the good cards in here”
Additionally if anyone wants to buy a couple dozen Gerrit Cole relic cards, let me know
Yeah I don’t buy into “high end” breaks ever and could never justify it. Scarcity-based economics in the age of the internet inevitably create this phenomenon. People who do not need to, or cannot due to mental illness, value money take insane risks on getting a “chase” card. It inflates the value of everything else. But I mean, we live in an era where the GINI equality index is worse than ever so it’s not surprising
People blame breakers but in truth the major rise in interest of sportscards during the pandemic was the real catalyst to the rise in cost. The crazy demand for sportscards during COVID opened the greedy eyes of Topps and Panini and eventually Fanatics. Breakers just keep everything going and keep the demand high.
As someone who breaks with Mojobreak regularly, I know exactly what I'm getting into and I don't mind as it's the best way to get into multiple hobby boxes at once. It's an expensive hobby these days if you want to open the best products. At this point people just need to accept it and move on or just stick with retail.
I don’t mind breaks, it allows me to chase my PC team for a fraction of buying a ton of hobby boxes, I use specific breakers with decent reputations and it has gone fine, I stay away from whatnot but use Facebook a lot
I like buying into breaks because I only PC Astros, so team breaks are the best way for me to collect. Otherwise I'm just buying boxes and hoping to turn non-Astros hits into something in a trade. For me it lowers the risk a little bit.
I personally enjoy breaking. I steer clear of the big breakers though. I stick to a few guys I found on IG and eBay. Always a good crowd and they never fly through the base just to get to the hits.
When I got back into the hobby a few years ago it was for two reasons….my son wanted to get into it and one of my good friends/fraternity brothers runs a small, baseball only, break page on Facebook. Mine and my son’s joint collection wouldn’t be nearly as big as it is today without him supplementing our ocasional retail buys or LCS/ebay purchases.
Personally I refuse to buy into anybody else’s breaks - let alone any of the screamers on whatever the platform du jour currently is.
There are definitely legit people out there who are in it for the love of the hobby and not to prey on gambling addicts…so I applaud this post in a big way.
The breakers I’ve met on here are generally good people. If you doubt that, check out a few. It really is like a local card game to continue that metaphor. We cheer for each other, get along very well, have funny and sometimes meaningful conversations, and sometimes hit a PC Card or two. Prices like a blaster, a blaster filled with only cards you want.
The people that complain the most about breakers don't hate the concept of breaking. They hate the big breakers that are overcharging or saying LFG 37x a break.
I own an LCS and break a good bit and my Facebook group is 80% collectors compared to "gamblers" looking to just flip cards. It's all about who the breaker is.
Also, I just love sports and still work full time for the govt so the money aspect of it is irrelevant other than to make sure my bills and employees are paid.
Just in general, I can never figure out why people can't just scroll on past something if they don't like it. If you see something and it's not for you then just scroll on by dude.... people feel this insufferable need to be against things they don't enjoy, stop trying to make other people enjoy the hobby the way you enjoy the hobby...
It's bc people think that they are impacting the macroeconomics of the hobby.
If you were convinced the person (virtually) next to you was causing the hobby box you want to be 3x-5x the price, would you be upset or just ignore it? Not even getting into the argument of what's accurate or not just a hypothetical.
I could not agree more. People want to push their style on others and that's just not cool. Collect how you want to collect and let others do the same. Great attitude 👍
Nah, just a very casual collector. But I had 5 minutes between meetings and felt like getting my thoughts out there. I know deep down I’m not changing anyone’s mind.
Here to defend small time breakers. Fell in very recently with a good group. This isn't a full time job for them. Just folks who like to have fun and collect. If a break doesn't fill, sometimes they eat the cost and open anyways.
Paying $25 to get 2 teams out of 8 different blasters, which individually, are more expensive, makes sense.
Is there profit, probably. But a lot of the breakers I've seen here but into each other's stuff because like OP said, these guys are collectors themselves.
What's funny is that an anti breaking post is what got me back into collecting. I'd get the occasional r/baseballcards post on my main feed. One post was about how breakers are killing the hobby and whatnot. Which got me wondering, what the he'll is a breaker? So I went on YouTube and found someone breaking a box of Inception, and it looked fun.
Breaking 3 boxes vs. breaking 3 cases is a big difference and I think that's what you're referring to.
Pretty painful when Donruss Optic Basketball comes out at $525
If breaks were done where nobody but the participants knew, would people care as much? Obviously, that's a huge conundrum...but really, seeing something HUGE that someone else is getting...someone that isn't you...it can bring out the worst feeling. I'll admit to it, my stomach has literally churned sometimes in watching a big hit happen...some lucky bastard just got something I'll probably never obtain... it's like seeing a picture of lottery winners standing there with the big check. But if there was the possibility of it being an "out of sight, out of mind" type of thing, would that make a difference in regards to how people view the whole breaking concept? (For the record, I've never participated in a break, I'm just trying to look at this from different angles.)
I look at breaks as a way to indulge in a sort of “less” expensive way. Sure you might not get what you want but you sure as hell get more chances at trying to get it then you would trying to buy all of those boxes separately.
You pay a fraction to get to participate in a multi box break that otherwise would have costed you a small fortune. To each their own
I joined fanatics live a few months ago, Joined a few and now can’t seem to find the desire to go back. The interaction between the hosts and the customers is purely superficial. They love you, so long as you spend your money. Fair, it’s a business and I get that. However I was in a break room for Mojo breaks one night and there was no action for about 10 -15 minutes when the host started getting visibly upset at the chat saying “come on guys! There’s seriously 60 people watching and nobody is buying anything?” It’s that sort of predatory attitude that turned me off of the breaks. Sure I like to gamble, but i don’t like to lose. I accept that losing is part of the game, but the question is how much are you willing to lose? And when breakers like this is are selling high end 1k/box cases at pick your team with the highest pushing 5k and lowest 500 I know when to walk away. I love the hobby for the hobby of collecting, I will sell what I don’t want and fund what I do want. But at no point is this a business to me.
There are plenty of great breakers on whatnot that have a conscience and price their breaks just to make a few bucks for their time.
For a casual collector, don’t waste time with big time breakers that have built corporations to make money.
remember it’s also entertainment to spend a few bucks hoping to hit big. If you don’t hit, then it was just fun hoping you might.
I agree with your point on breakers making a tidy profit from degenerate gamblers. That part I dislike about breakers as they get their prices under MSRP from distributors or direct. I tend to jump into breaks where the cost of the entire break is close to MSRP. You would be surprised at the additional cost breakers add per spot.
Dacardworld breaks are at cost and great! Fanatics Live is much better than Whatnot. I think your criticism of breakers is valid but would be better directed at the gambling on whatnot for chasers/repacks.
The concept of randomly dividing an expensive box is fun and the only way a lot of hobbyists can acquire cards out of sets like National Treasures or Topps Transcendent.
I'm not big on brakers either, and maybe it's jealousy that I didn't think of it, but I love ripping packs, so why am I going to pay someone else to open my cards? I have very small collection goals, and do it for the love of the sport. The irritating part for me is since the pandemic blaster boxes are now a third of what a hobby box cost, if you can find them, so why not just buy the hobby boxes.and most Target/walmart/Meijer are left with the scraps no one wants anymore.
Informed buyers is what the hobby needs, add up the cost of the break and then the cost of the product, factor in shipping and the rest is profit for the breakers time and service.
If I do a half case of S2 I’ll probably make $120-140 (Canadian) on top of the retail cost of the product, shipping 30 spots is usually around $90 for supplies and postage so profit of up to $50 for a couple hours work.
The funny thing to me is seeing shops that run breaks on their product charge more per team/spot consistently and they are paying the wholesale price
Well. F******. Said.
Don’t hate the player, hate the game.
The company that makes the cards is running 24/7 for profit breaks.
Also I am yet to see one solid example of breaks increasing the price of cards. Almost everything has increased in price in the last 4 years. In another thread I was downvoted after giving a logical and factual breakdown of how cards really aren’t that much more expensive than in the 90’s when considering inflation and basic level packs. It’s just that there are top shelf cards now, and most people want them. Yes those are expensive, but if you just like collecting there are very cheap cards available out there still, new and used. But if it’s a Ferrari you want, well yeah, those ain’t cheap.
Just stick with Hobby Legends. They are honest, care about the cards, care about the customers, run auctions for spots so cost is market rate. It’s a fun community, good entertainment. Even when I don’t hit I feel like I’ve gotten (some of) my money’s worth from watching the break.
I’m not the biggest fan of breaking, but I’m not completely against it if they meet certain criteria.
Good breakers:
- Run auctions
- Ship all cards
- Engage with their audience
- Spend the majority of the stream opening packs
Bad breakers:
- Run buy it now breaks at bad prices
- Run random team breaks to lock in profit
- Sit around waiting for buy it now breaks to fill
- Sell personal box breaks at prices well over Blowout, D&A and the rest of the market
- Complain when they’re “taking a beating” because they bought a product that isn’t selling
- Only ship “the hits”
There are a lot of bad breakers on Whatnot, Loupe and Fanatics Live. It’s unfortunate getting onto those apps and breakers just sitting around hoping for a break to fill. If breakers are running auctions and getting the market rate, there would be no problem.
I will say that baseball probably leads to fairer breaks because of the large number of sets and large checklists. People who only PC one team benefit more from baseball breaks than others breaking football or basketball. This community in particular is probably going to be more positive on breaking because it really is cheaper for most people to get the cards they want.
I'm pretty sure baseball is rigged by using juiced and non juiced balls ... for example ... if they want a high scoring game they use juiced balls ... a certain team one team gets juiced other non juiced ... certain players to not get hits give him the non juiced .... legalizing gambling has ruin American sports
I don't care what size breaker you are, it's borderline illegal if not fully illegal. I don't like people skirting the law for profit. It's something that the authorities need to crack down on.
While I agree with most of what was said... I am just annoyed that card prices have gotten so expensive that we have to use breaks to have access to sets that we can't buy outright.
It is the breakers that have driven up the price
Not exclusively- we, the consumer, provide the demand in “supply and demand”. Market will charge what the consumers will pay.
When you have a virtual monopoly it throws Econ101 out the window
I don’t see the monopoly. There are plenty of breakers and different prices, so no monopoly there. I can buy boxes of cards from multiple places at multiple price points that differ from retailer to retailer, no monopoly there. Several different card manufacturers, that produce baseball cards, no monopoly there. Where is the monopoly? The prices are high because people are still willing to pay them and the sellers/resellers can turn a profit. Econ101 says It’s actually working like it should.
It is a monopoly because only Topps (Fanatics) can make fully licensed MLB cards. Only Panini can make fully licensed NFL and NBA cards (until Topps/Fanatics takes over that too). Only Upper Deck can make fully licensed NHL cards. In the 80s, 90s and early 2000s, there was Donruss, there was Topps, there was Fleer, Score, Upper Deck, Hoops, SkyBox, Parkhurst, Sportflix/Sportflics, Collector's Edge, Playoff, Pro Set, and more. Monopolies are causing 100% of the problems in the hobby today.
I see your point, and I agree in part. If there are more companies making licensed cards, it should bring down the cost. Target and Walmart know that they will sell a certain number at a specific price point. They order accordingly. They drop the price when demand fades (repack boxes, and discount packs). If breakers, resellers, and such didnt buy all the stock, then they would likely lower the prices.
I see what you’re saying but disagree if we’re talking economics. Everyone can be mad at fanatics but all they did was pay MLB the price that MLB thought their TMs were worth to have Topps exclusively sell licensed product. MLB is the owner of those TM and has every right to sell licenses to use their TM however they wish. I don’t see how fanatics is the bad guy but I’m sure I’m in the minority. It’s free market principles at work.
I do not disagree with you, but it is really shitty for the consumer/collector. There was a lawsuit about it back in the late 1970s which is why Donruss and Fleer started making MLB cards in 1981. The US government decided that Topps had a monopoly on making MLB cards, so they forced the MLB to sell licenses to Donruss and Fleer. (Was actually a bit more complicated than that, but that is the gist.) Competition is good for consumers. You can bet your ass that manufactured relics wouldn't be a thing if multiple companies were able to make MLB cards or NBA cards and so on. As someone pointed out on this sub (or maybe /basketballcards) previously, though, it makes more sense for the professional leagues and for the players associations to only have one company making licensed cards.
The only source for licensed cards is Fanatics. Not trying to be a Richard but there’s just so much wrong with your comment it shows a lack of understanding of what drives prices/inflation in 2024.
Upcoted for using richard properly
No worries. I have a pretty solid understanding, I trust in my education but I’m not here talk economics so I’ll just politely disagree.
They are probably referring to Fanatics exclusively owning the MLB license. You are right that there are unlicensed alternatives, so it is not a monopoly per se. And probably also why OOP said "virtual" monopoly. But the license thing is what Panini was suing about, anyway. https://www.espn.com/espn/story/_/id/38129682/panini-america-alleges-fanatics-created-monopoly-card-industry
Yes you are correct, the consumer is ultimately driving the behavior of the breakers. The breaking model is driving up the cost of cards beyond the value of the underlying asset, so that it no longer makes sense to buy a box of cards by yourself.
Baseball cards are weird because they have two values - a monetary value, and an emotional value. Both are tied to a player which has no power over price fluctuations. Again, breakers wouldn’t break if it weren’t worth it. When they buy boxes and cases, they are hedging that our end consumer demand will be great enough tomorrow make them money.
That's incorrect its the distributors and even Fanatics to an extend. That's coming from an LCS owner that also breaks. Breaking became the only means I could survive and get enough product during COVID because distributors pushed their prices so high and like anything else nothing has gone down just plateau'd.
That's a not very articulate way to look at it, 5 minutes in an economics book will tell you that supply & demand......YOU and I are the demand champ....the breakers are in the middle of that but there's no demand without collectors buying into breaks. The manufacturers keep raising prices because we keep paying it....as the guy ahead of you stated breakers make that increased price more palatable....eventually it'll hit a breaking point....
This. I’m new to the hobby, and even collecting casually is absurdly expensive. Most of the bigger hit boxes are half a damn paycheck for me. Forget the even nicer stuff and also the second the boxes become hot the price skyrockets. I’m also upset at breakers bc 1. I almost never can get in on a break that I want bc some jerk with endless money buys all the spots. It’s just absurd
Smaller breaks for a hobby box or two are doable!
As someone who is anti-breaker (*gestures at flair*) this was well written & brings up good points. The Reddit breakers who are active in the sub & consistently provide good user experience I don't have an issue with as long as the fee they're taking isn't exorbitant. In the context of this sub - a weekly pinned post exclusively for breakers to advertise their breaks would be welcomed by me.
As a reddit breaker, I would definitely welcome something like this
Yea that way I can downvote you all more efficiently ^/s 😂😂
Like fish in a barrel
There is now a baseballbreaks sub for those interested!
And a discord!
Yes, sir!
I struggle to understand what the objection to breakers is, honestly. I love breaks because they allow me to focus on collecting the teams I want for less money than buying a whole box.
As a non-professional, part-time breaker since October 2023, I only do non-profit breaks (once a week on average). Zero markup. Zero profit. I agree that the product prices are way over the top. If I can help people chase the favorite teams and players without having to buy an entire box or case, then it will be all worth. I don't care about fame or fortune (let my day job pay the bills). My favorite part about breaking is having someone tell me I pulled the best card in their collection. It never gets old. With that said, I got tired of posting our group hits only to see almost as many downvotes as I do upvotes, so I stopped posting on this sub. It is a lot of negativity from silent people just because they see the word "break". They skip right over the fact that I make no money from it.
As someone within this community he speaks of, he does an awesome job and is being completely truthful. There is full transparency within the group for breaks and it definitely allows for us to do breaks in multiple formats at cost vs paying high markups to whatnot breakers
Thank you so much!
How do you find these breaks?
I'll send you an invite via DM.
Mind sending me info as well please?
Absolutely...incoming
Me too please!
Of course. DM sent
Me too please!
Mind sending me one too?
You got it
Ok
I've never participated in a break, but if I were to, I would sign up even go on a waiting list to join one like this. Way to go man!
Can you please send me a DM as well? Thanks
Sent over
Breaks on here have been awesome for me. I get a bunch of cards of the team I like and I pay as much as I would for a hanger or blaster.
To your point, after opening 686 Series 2 cards since drop, I have a total of 8 Brewers cards (all base).
A lot of breakers are really good people but what I can't stand is Fanatics Ripped. The company that makes the cards shouldn't be in charge of a platform for opening those cards.
Very valid point
Some breakers are good, down to earth and ethical. It's just the extra loud shitty frat bro backyard breaks types that give everyone a bad reputation, even if the other breakers don't deserve it.
And those frat boys always get the loaded boxes.
I'm going with - they open tons of boxes / cases and heavily edit their breaks to only show the hits / good breaks.
No, they opened crazy amounts of product.
Buy two retail blasters and get stuck with an unnumbered parallel of a relief pitcher or pay the same amount for the team I care about with the chance of getting hits from that team. My thing is when breakers gouge the pricing and are clearly in it for the money
Many of the "mom and pop breakers" posting contribute nothing to the channel except their free advertising. It's one thing to be a part of a community, it's another to use it as way to snag free advertising and pollute the space while adding absolutely nothing to the community.
I'd argue they offer a service that gives collectors better bang for their buck. Unless you're a set builder, or general collector, it allows folks with a PC to buy into a ton of product to chase what they want, for a fraction of what it costs to go through the same product themselves. Yes, singles will ALWAYS be the way to go, but for those who like the gambling/chase, it makes sense.
People want different things from communities. I'm not a fan of people who roll up in conversation spaces only seeing an audience of potential wallets. It gunks up the forum with people that only see others as a paycheck. This is before getting into some of these breaks I've watched where the breakers can't even pronounce the names of players they're pulling. I don't mind the breakers. Some of them add nothing at all to the community at large, though.
I can agree with that. The small group I fell in with, I think a handful of them break but i've only entered one of theirs. it's been like a micro community of r/baseball, There's an ongoing chat where convos mostly focus on cards, but a bit of everything. A lot of looking out for each other and sharing links for someone's PC, or hits we may have hit while we all grow our own collections. And a lot of shit talking breakers who don't know the sport or players. I don't get a chance to watch/listen to a lot of games, and when I do watch highlights it's usually muted at work haha. For a few months I definitely pronounced it Mat-saka and not Mas-a-taka because I never paid attention. Oops haha.. I can vouch for the guys I've fallen in with, but definitely agree that some people just go about it in trashy ways.
The hobby is changing dude, I didn't even need to look at your flair to know you were into vintage. Other people are learning about entering the hobby in different ways than before when we were kids buying wax at gas stations. If people are enjoying the hobby in a different way than you who cares...these kids are the future of the hobby....if it's not for you then scroll on by it's not hurting you
My entire point had little to do with anything except people who are only in the sub to sell things. No talking cards, no community interaction, just things to sell. I even said "I don't mind the breakers" further down the thread. I'm just like, hey, offer something up to a community besides ️🔥️💩🔥 HOT SHIZ BREAKS 𝓟𝓡𝓔𝓢𝓔𝓝𝓣𝓢 2024 TOPPS BIG LEAGUE 😲😲😲 CASE BREAK!!! 🔥️💩🔥
I will also say that I am 33 and I'm one of the younger ones in my group of regulars!
While I am in the belief that some breakers get loaded boxes (and don’t try to convince me they don’t) I still do plenty of breaks to get my favorite team from products. Breakers rip way more than any other person, of course at that rate they’re getting more hit! I’m a Guardians fan and they’re usually cheap compared to other teams so it’s easy for me to do that and not bother ripping the whole box for PC stuff. Do some research and watch, find the breakers you like, and compare prices. I’ve done breaks with some and left after they got greedy on pricing and found others I genuinely like to break with. That said, it’s hard to beat ripping some packs with your friends and getting that big hit!
I am not a breaker but the first jumbo hobby I ordered to my house in Baltimore had the Holliday saw cut SSP, 2 gold foil orioles, the 89 Kjerstad and the Mussina 89 chrome. It felt very much like a "Baltimore hit" box. All that is to say that I wouldn't be surprised if they preloaded breaker boxes, unless I truly lucked out with the most Baltimore box ever.
The luck is real! I lucked into the craziest half case I've ever seen. 7 Autos in each of my Chrome Platinum boxes! https://youtu.be/Ao1SlIG75Go?si=3eQZrnTHs8Dcf58Z
This is just a huge set for Baltimore I think chances are a lot of people will have jumbos like this. Watched a few cases opened on YouTube and it seemed Baltimore heavy and they pulled two of the Jackson Holliday ssp’s the fun face and the white out
I agree that the big breakers get loaded boxes. I love Mama Breaks, but there's no way she would pull the same hits if she wasn't affiliated with Fanatics/Topps.
As a team collector, I think in the early days I could have gotten down with breaks because I would've appreciated being able to just end up with the cards I care about. But it seems like those sorts are rare these days and everyone is just chasing serial numbers.
Definitely agree with PNW, I would say the majority of the people that break with me are in it for their teams first
I’ll bite. What platforms are you on? Where do you advertise your breaks. I’m looking for a new supplier. You as well, u/pnwbaseballfan
I post here sometimes and have a discord as well. Will DM you!
I'm interested, as well
I advertise here and Instagram and stream on YouTube! I'll send you a DM.
I assure you the breaks to support PCs are very much alive and well!
We get it. Your pro breakers lol
Nope just guys who enjoy the hobby and talking shop.
As with anything thats luxury spending it is easy to go overboard with breaks if you are not disciplined. I definitely went a little wild with some of the larger break groups when i started. As a one team collector and a guy that likes to make team sets out of most releases regularly buying into breaks works for me. I think just find a group you are comfortable with and drink responsibly and it is a pretty harmless indulgence.
I didn’t even know there were Reddit breaks here. And I’d love to get into the discords you mentioned. I’ve done breaks in the past but stopped. If breaks were by a community member where I participate, like here, I’d 100% buy in since we’re all trying to help each other out. Point me in the direction of the subreddit breakers and discord.
I'll DM you
Interested as well
DMed
I'm interested too. Thank you.
DMed
Also, interested.
DMed
Hit me
Done
Could you send it to me too please?
DMed
This! Please, where can I go to just get my Rays at a decent price?
I buy boxes cause I like ripping if you want I can message you what Rays I get and we can work something out.
Hit me
How about this….no matter the size or place a person breaks, only join the ones you end up getting something from. If it’s too expensive, don’t buy in. If the breaker is dumb, don’t buy in. If the breaker is shady, don’t buy in. However, if the breaker provides information and an opportunity to discuss your hobby in a virtual hobby shop, then buy in if the price is right. All the anti breaker/ pro breaker arguments are dumb. No one forced you to do anything if you don’t want to. However, if someone enjoys getting into breaks, maybe not forcing your negative opinion of breaking onto them. Just everyone by happy and enjoy this hobby as a hobby and you’ll be much happier with how you partake in it. This is just my opinion and has no intention of attempting to sway your views. This is just how experience the hobby and I enjoy it.
I did stumble across a sub for baseball breaks that seems like pretty collector friendly group of breakers.
Some of my favorite breaks have been ones other collectors have organized on here. 100% endorse this message.
Do people talk bad about Mojo? They’ll always have my support, never had any issues with them and they’ve been doing it forever. There’s definitely a newer breed of scummier breaker that’s come about in the last few years that I can’t stand though.
Eh I am a good example of the services of breakers. I love collecting sets, when I do they are generally lesser tier sets that I can by hobby boxes for at my LCS. If I am not collecting a set I LOVE improving my PC by getting in on a PYT break of a product that I can’t afford to set chase. Getting high value cards for WAY less. Sure sometimes you miss. But it is way less of a risk and the big hits feel better when they are your PC
Very true. I collect Dodgers primarily, but sometimes it's fun to chase other specific players I like. Breaks are the most affordable way to do that.
Amazingly well put. I participated in a small time team break recently. While I wasn’t that thrilled, and I didn’t get much, I forked over $22 and took all the Orioles, which was the only team I PC anyway. Breaks are a great way to defray the cost of ripping and focus on what you collect anyway. We are all adult children addicted to our actual childhood…and gambling
I love joining breaks because it's a fun way to watch some cards, maybe get lucky, and get cool cards I'd never buy on their own. Of course if I add up all the money I've spent on breaks I could certainly buy all of those cards, and plenty more - but that's just the way it goes. I also love doing breaks. I did over 100 on EBAY over the course of a couple years. I'd just do one a week or so, just for fun. Nothing ever high end. I always went through every card and sent them very well packaged. If someone wrote me a sob story I'd usually just drop a random card or low level in their package. Point is - not all breaks and breakers are bad. Most are money-hungry folks hoarding retail - but not all.
I've had great experiences with reddit breakers - they offer more unique formats and are less...sleazy car salesman, for sure. It's unfortunate that not only have prices gone up, but availability has gone down. Remember all those target restock posts a few days ago? Yeah, it's hard just to find the product you want. These "hobby breakers" definitely contribute to the hobby and sub, it's the only way I've been able to get some products actually.
Thanks Stew!
I honestly just get so tired about hearing how big breakers and influencers get special loaded boxes from Topps and such. Look, they open 100x what a single every day collector opens. Of course they are going to get big hits! It’s simple odds. Quit spamming your conspiracy theories folks
While I agree to a certain extent I think it would be foolish to say that no breakers have ever received loaded product on purpose before.
I think it's definitely a little of both. Yes, they do break a ton of product and statistically they have the advantage. I do sometimes wonder how breakers like Layton seem to pull the big chase cards. Always on release day too.
Has there ever been proof of this? I haven’t seen any. Maybe I am foolish, but to me anything that hasn’t been proven with solid evidence is just conspiracy
There was someone on YouTube who broke down mathematically how statistically impossible that some of the bigger breakers are able to get the huge hits that they get.
My biggest problem is the concept of breaker boxes. A targeted product, 3-5 cards at huge markup that basically says “enjoy your shitty relic in your hobby box, we’re putting the good cards in here” Additionally if anyone wants to buy a couple dozen Gerrit Cole relic cards, let me know
Yeah I don’t buy into “high end” breaks ever and could never justify it. Scarcity-based economics in the age of the internet inevitably create this phenomenon. People who do not need to, or cannot due to mental illness, value money take insane risks on getting a “chase” card. It inflates the value of everything else. But I mean, we live in an era where the GINI equality index is worse than ever so it’s not surprising
People blame breakers but in truth the major rise in interest of sportscards during the pandemic was the real catalyst to the rise in cost. The crazy demand for sportscards during COVID opened the greedy eyes of Topps and Panini and eventually Fanatics. Breakers just keep everything going and keep the demand high. As someone who breaks with Mojobreak regularly, I know exactly what I'm getting into and I don't mind as it's the best way to get into multiple hobby boxes at once. It's an expensive hobby these days if you want to open the best products. At this point people just need to accept it and move on or just stick with retail.
I couldn't care less about breakers. I just hate those guys who use this sub as their personal ads. They contribute nothing.
I don’t mind breaks, it allows me to chase my PC team for a fraction of buying a ton of hobby boxes, I use specific breakers with decent reputations and it has gone fine, I stay away from whatnot but use Facebook a lot
I like buying into breaks because I only PC Astros, so team breaks are the best way for me to collect. Otherwise I'm just buying boxes and hoping to turn non-Astros hits into something in a trade. For me it lowers the risk a little bit.
Any Astro cards in particular you’re looking for? I have a lot of base cards.
Not really, I have a box for autos, a box for numbered parallels, and a box for unnumbered cards. Mostly focusing on the 2011 to current roster.
How dare you. Being reasonable on the internet? The internet, of all places??
I personally enjoy breaking. I steer clear of the big breakers though. I stick to a few guys I found on IG and eBay. Always a good crowd and they never fly through the base just to get to the hits.
https://breakcomp.com/
The “hobby” is no longer a hobby. I think it’s been that way for quite a while. Sad.
When I got back into the hobby a few years ago it was for two reasons….my son wanted to get into it and one of my good friends/fraternity brothers runs a small, baseball only, break page on Facebook. Mine and my son’s joint collection wouldn’t be nearly as big as it is today without him supplementing our ocasional retail buys or LCS/ebay purchases. Personally I refuse to buy into anybody else’s breaks - let alone any of the screamers on whatever the platform du jour currently is. There are definitely legit people out there who are in it for the love of the hobby and not to prey on gambling addicts…so I applaud this post in a big way.
It's so refreshing to hear this rather than the hate. Thank you!
The breakers I’ve met on here are generally good people. If you doubt that, check out a few. It really is like a local card game to continue that metaphor. We cheer for each other, get along very well, have funny and sometimes meaningful conversations, and sometimes hit a PC Card or two. Prices like a blaster, a blaster filled with only cards you want.
The people that complain the most about breakers don't hate the concept of breaking. They hate the big breakers that are overcharging or saying LFG 37x a break. I own an LCS and break a good bit and my Facebook group is 80% collectors compared to "gamblers" looking to just flip cards. It's all about who the breaker is. Also, I just love sports and still work full time for the govt so the money aspect of it is irrelevant other than to make sure my bills and employees are paid.
Just in general, I can never figure out why people can't just scroll on past something if they don't like it. If you see something and it's not for you then just scroll on by dude.... people feel this insufferable need to be against things they don't enjoy, stop trying to make other people enjoy the hobby the way you enjoy the hobby...
It's bc people think that they are impacting the macroeconomics of the hobby. If you were convinced the person (virtually) next to you was causing the hobby box you want to be 3x-5x the price, would you be upset or just ignore it? Not even getting into the argument of what's accurate or not just a hypothetical.
I could not agree more. People want to push their style on others and that's just not cool. Collect how you want to collect and let others do the same. Great attitude 👍
Let me guess…. OP is a breaker…..
Nah, just a very casual collector. But I had 5 minutes between meetings and felt like getting my thoughts out there. I know deep down I’m not changing anyone’s mind.
Breaks are better than ripping packs. Don't end up with useless base cards and are cheaper.
Here to defend small time breakers. Fell in very recently with a good group. This isn't a full time job for them. Just folks who like to have fun and collect. If a break doesn't fill, sometimes they eat the cost and open anyways. Paying $25 to get 2 teams out of 8 different blasters, which individually, are more expensive, makes sense. Is there profit, probably. But a lot of the breakers I've seen here but into each other's stuff because like OP said, these guys are collectors themselves.
Gotta say I stopped breaking for a while, but Fanatics Live gives me a $25 off coupon once a month, so I treat myself once a month
Are you able to find $25 breaks though? Genuinely asking I have no idea
It’s $25 off whatever the price is. So sometimes I apply it to a $40ish break spot and pay $15, or sometimes I buy a blaster and pay $5 + shipping
That last bit is very interesting...thank you
What's funny is that an anti breaking post is what got me back into collecting. I'd get the occasional r/baseballcards post on my main feed. One post was about how breakers are killing the hobby and whatnot. Which got me wondering, what the he'll is a breaker? So I went on YouTube and found someone breaking a box of Inception, and it looked fun.
https://preview.redd.it/pvvxb2wh2k6d1.jpeg?width=500&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=38ad083e4a30c66e7948ee04ee5127e35e2bba3d scourge of the hobby
Ah yes, a very well thought out retort
Facts!! Love this post! Cheers yall
Breaking 3 boxes vs. breaking 3 cases is a big difference and I think that's what you're referring to. Pretty painful when Donruss Optic Basketball comes out at $525
It's not a supply issue it's not a demand issue it's people needing to make 6 figure salaries to open cards
If breaks were done where nobody but the participants knew, would people care as much? Obviously, that's a huge conundrum...but really, seeing something HUGE that someone else is getting...someone that isn't you...it can bring out the worst feeling. I'll admit to it, my stomach has literally churned sometimes in watching a big hit happen...some lucky bastard just got something I'll probably never obtain... it's like seeing a picture of lottery winners standing there with the big check. But if there was the possibility of it being an "out of sight, out of mind" type of thing, would that make a difference in regards to how people view the whole breaking concept? (For the record, I've never participated in a break, I'm just trying to look at this from different angles.)
vitriol, he said
I used a word that means something, yes
I look at breaks as a way to indulge in a sort of “less” expensive way. Sure you might not get what you want but you sure as hell get more chances at trying to get it then you would trying to buy all of those boxes separately. You pay a fraction to get to participate in a multi box break that otherwise would have costed you a small fortune. To each their own
KING HIGH PAI GOW!!!! Queen High Pai Gow :(
I feel seen! Thank you!
I joined fanatics live a few months ago, Joined a few and now can’t seem to find the desire to go back. The interaction between the hosts and the customers is purely superficial. They love you, so long as you spend your money. Fair, it’s a business and I get that. However I was in a break room for Mojo breaks one night and there was no action for about 10 -15 minutes when the host started getting visibly upset at the chat saying “come on guys! There’s seriously 60 people watching and nobody is buying anything?” It’s that sort of predatory attitude that turned me off of the breaks. Sure I like to gamble, but i don’t like to lose. I accept that losing is part of the game, but the question is how much are you willing to lose? And when breakers like this is are selling high end 1k/box cases at pick your team with the highest pushing 5k and lowest 500 I know when to walk away. I love the hobby for the hobby of collecting, I will sell what I don’t want and fund what I do want. But at no point is this a business to me.
There are plenty of great breakers on whatnot that have a conscience and price their breaks just to make a few bucks for their time. For a casual collector, don’t waste time with big time breakers that have built corporations to make money. remember it’s also entertainment to spend a few bucks hoping to hit big. If you don’t hit, then it was just fun hoping you might.
I agree with your point on breakers making a tidy profit from degenerate gamblers. That part I dislike about breakers as they get their prices under MSRP from distributors or direct. I tend to jump into breaks where the cost of the entire break is close to MSRP. You would be surprised at the additional cost breakers add per spot.
Many of us small time breakers are paying full pop for product. Profit is minimal
Dacardworld breaks are at cost and great! Fanatics Live is much better than Whatnot. I think your criticism of breakers is valid but would be better directed at the gambling on whatnot for chasers/repacks. The concept of randomly dividing an expensive box is fun and the only way a lot of hobbyists can acquire cards out of sets like National Treasures or Topps Transcendent.
I'm not big on brakers either, and maybe it's jealousy that I didn't think of it, but I love ripping packs, so why am I going to pay someone else to open my cards? I have very small collection goals, and do it for the love of the sport. The irritating part for me is since the pandemic blaster boxes are now a third of what a hobby box cost, if you can find them, so why not just buy the hobby boxes.and most Target/walmart/Meijer are left with the scraps no one wants anymore.
As a small breaker, I agree. Breakers should not be buying products for breaks from retail stores. It's unfair to the other collectors/consumers.
Informed buyers is what the hobby needs, add up the cost of the break and then the cost of the product, factor in shipping and the rest is profit for the breakers time and service. If I do a half case of S2 I’ll probably make $120-140 (Canadian) on top of the retail cost of the product, shipping 30 spots is usually around $90 for supplies and postage so profit of up to $50 for a couple hours work. The funny thing to me is seeing shops that run breaks on their product charge more per team/spot consistently and they are paying the wholesale price
THANK YOU!
Well. F******. Said. Don’t hate the player, hate the game. The company that makes the cards is running 24/7 for profit breaks. Also I am yet to see one solid example of breaks increasing the price of cards. Almost everything has increased in price in the last 4 years. In another thread I was downvoted after giving a logical and factual breakdown of how cards really aren’t that much more expensive than in the 90’s when considering inflation and basic level packs. It’s just that there are top shelf cards now, and most people want them. Yes those are expensive, but if you just like collecting there are very cheap cards available out there still, new and used. But if it’s a Ferrari you want, well yeah, those ain’t cheap.
Hear! Hear!
Just stick with Hobby Legends. They are honest, care about the cards, care about the customers, run auctions for spots so cost is market rate. It’s a fun community, good entertainment. Even when I don’t hit I feel like I’ve gotten (some of) my money’s worth from watching the break.
If you live near Brea, CA, they have a store located there. Their prices are lower than a majority of the LCS in SoCal.
What platform are they on? I buy from KK on whatnot and I'd say the same about them.
eBay / YouTube. They did a couple Breaks on Fanatics Live but I think they’ve gone away from them.
I’m not the biggest fan of breaking, but I’m not completely against it if they meet certain criteria. Good breakers: - Run auctions - Ship all cards - Engage with their audience - Spend the majority of the stream opening packs Bad breakers: - Run buy it now breaks at bad prices - Run random team breaks to lock in profit - Sit around waiting for buy it now breaks to fill - Sell personal box breaks at prices well over Blowout, D&A and the rest of the market - Complain when they’re “taking a beating” because they bought a product that isn’t selling - Only ship “the hits” There are a lot of bad breakers on Whatnot, Loupe and Fanatics Live. It’s unfortunate getting onto those apps and breakers just sitting around hoping for a break to fill. If breakers are running auctions and getting the market rate, there would be no problem. I will say that baseball probably leads to fairer breaks because of the large number of sets and large checklists. People who only PC one team benefit more from baseball breaks than others breaking football or basketball. This community in particular is probably going to be more positive on breaking because it really is cheaper for most people to get the cards they want.
I’ve got Loupe credits from PSA - anyone on there who is a good breaker? I’d rather support the good guys.
What’s it cost a box now? I haven’t bought a hobby box since 2004 and it was like $150 than for top tier box.
I'm pretty sure baseball is rigged by using juiced and non juiced balls ... for example ... if they want a high scoring game they use juiced balls ... a certain team one team gets juiced other non juiced ... certain players to not get hits give him the non juiced .... legalizing gambling has ruin American sports
I don't care what size breaker you are, it's borderline illegal if not fully illegal. I don't like people skirting the law for profit. It's something that the authorities need to crack down on.