Are Sports Card Breaks Cheaper Than Buying Hobby Boxes?
Card collecting has been a beloved hobby for many years, but it can come at a hefty price. One way to enjoy the hobby while saving some money is by participating in live sports card breaks. Card breaks are becoming increasingly popular, and for good reason.
First, let's define what a sports card break is. Essentially, a sports card break is a group of collectors pooling their money to purchase a box or boxes of cards, and then "breaking" the box by opening it together. Each person in the group gets a portion of the cards in the box or boxes, usually determined by a predetermined randomization method. This allows collectors to get cards specific to a team for example, without having to spend a large sum of money on a whole box.
One of the main benefits of sports card breaks is their affordability. Buying a hobby box on your own can be quite expensive, often costing several hundred dollars or more. With a card break, the cost is split among the participants, making it much more affordable. In addition, some breakers will offer different price points, allowing collectors to participate at a level they feel comfortable with.
One of my customers said, “I feel it is just crowdsourcing a box of cards and splitting it up.”
What does the math say?
Take the sample data to the left as an example. This was a Pick Your Team (PYT) break posted on March 20, 2023. The hobby box involved retails for around $400. Doing simple math, if you were a Cowboys fan, you could buy into 28 card breaks for the cost of just 1 hobby box. It doesn’t take rocket science to see that if you’re a Cowboys football card collector, you can increase your chances of hitting a monster card by getting into multiple card breaks!
Another advantage of sports card breaks is the variety of cards that participants can obtain. When you buy a hobby box on your own, you're limited to the cards that come in that box. With a card break, however, you have the opportunity to get cards from multiple boxes, increasing the opportunity to build your collection specifically for a team or player. Additionally, random team breaks allows collectors to expand their collections and try out new teams they might not have considered before.
Card breaks also offer a social aspect to the hobby. Participating in a break allows collectors to connect with others who share their passion for card collecting. Many breakers will offer live streams of the break, allowing participants to watch and chat with others during the process. This creates a fun and interactive environment that can enhance the overall experience of card collecting.
Finally, card breaks offer a level of transparency that buying a hobby box on your own does not. Breakers often film the process and post the results online, allowing participants to see exactly what cards were pulled and how they were distributed. This ensures that the break was conducted fairly and transparently, giving collectors peace of mind that they're not being taken advantage of.
Sports card breaks offer a cost-effective, fun, and social way to enjoy the hobby of card collecting. By participating in a break, collectors can get a variety of cards without breaking the bank, expand their collections, connect with others, and ensure a fair and transparent process. So, if you're looking for a new way to enjoy the hobby of card collecting, consider participating in a card break.
