[mswatson]

I enjoy breaking boxes, with no expectation of a return in excess of my "investment", any more than I expect a return in excess of my investment in a lottery ticket. If I hit it big, awesome. If not, I've had the thrill of taking the chance and adding to my collection at a price I'm more than willing to pay. I mess with my kids, telling them that I'm spending their inheritance, that they'll need to sort it all out when I'm gone, but this is how I reward myself for the hours I work, after I've provided for family. To me, breaking boxes is more about the thrill of completing a set than it is about scoring that monster hit. Works for me, you'll have to judge for yourself if it works for you.

[jonathani]

The way I approach it, you build your base and if you can get half of the box value back you did okay.

If I spend $2 for a gallon of milk and get half of a gallon, I'm upset. If I spend $60 on a box of cards and get $30 worth of cards, I'm also upset, personally. Breaking is fun, but at least let me break even.

[tomeseip]

I have felt that it is not worth buying too many boxes as well. Today bought a box of upper deck 2. Was actually good foe me. Got a 1/1 Marion Gaborik yellow printing plate.

[hckydv7]

If I spend $2 for a gallon of milk and get half of a gallon, I'm upset. If I spend $60 on a box of cards and get $30 worth of cards, I'm also upset, personally. Breaking is fun, but at least let me break even.

So if you spend $2 for a gallon of milk and the carton has 2 gallons in it do you give one gallon back? Buy boxes of cards is a lottery since odds are given on the packs. Buying milk is not.

[bluefrozencanuck]

I used to buy just for the thrill of opening and completing a set, profit never was or will it ever be a driving point for my collection. Of course I know what the book value is because I have insurance, my collection is a hobby that provides me with hours of pleasure every day.

[mnc99]

As many have said before, it really depends what your looking to do with it. If it's for the fun and excitement. You need to ask yourself if YOU feel the boxes were worth the entertainment value you paid for. If it's to make profit, it more often then not wont turn out very well. Unless you have a lucky hand.

[azicet]

While I understand the fun & excitement of opening up packs contributes to its value, the fact is that most boxes, especially current season ones, sell for a decent amount of money and high end brands are even more. So it's understandable if you buy a box of cards for say $50 and end up with $10 worth of cards, you have every right to be upset. It's not so much "investing" as you rarely get back double or triple what you paid. It's more the "value" where 9 times out of 10, you're getting cards worth 1/10th of what you paid.

In the past, if you bought a box of cards for $50, chances are you'd get close to that in inserts, autographs, rookies, GU, etc. Even getting about $35 worth of stuff wasn't too bad and you could still turn that around & get a couple decent cards for your PC. Nowadays, a $50 box gives you $8-10 worth of cards that have any value to them. While I understand not every box will give you Crosby, Ovechkin or Stamkos, the card companies are making players like Adam Foote, Marty McSorley & Scott Hartnell the "main" pull of the box.

Player selection for the inserts has gotten progressively worse. 10 years ago, pulling a Joe Thornton autograph, a Jason Spezza jersey and a Mike Modano game used jersey was considered a decent break. Now you'd kill for a break like that out of say Artifacts or Zenith. For that same price, you're getting a Sam Gagner autograph, and jerseys of Chris Kunitz & Andrei Kostitsyn, (actual break in my Zenith box a couple years ago by the way). Why have certified autographs for good players dried up? Even if Crosby's or Ovechkin's prices for signatures have gone up, there's a ton of very good to great players that the card companies can put in their packs. Same thing with the game used.

Rookie selection is even worse. Not every rookie needs to have an autographed rookie card, or even A rookie card, especially if they're not highly drafted or touted. Once again, it's not about investment. It's about value. If you're paying $50-100 a box or even a pack, a 5th round emergency call up should not be the autographed game used jersey rookie you pull. Save him for MVP. 99.99999% of people buying the packs or boxes won't miss him in a mid-to-high end brand.

Well, more fuel to this fire I guess. Any more thoughts?

[mswatson]

Player selection for the inserts has gotten progressively worse. 10 years ago, pulling a Joe Thornton autograph, a Jason Spezza jersey and a Mike Modano game used jersey was considered a decent break. Now you'd kill for a break like that out of say Artifacts or Zenith. For that same price, you're getting a Sam Gagner autograph, and jerseys of Chris Kunitz & Andrei Kostitsyn, (actual break in my Zenith box a couple years ago by the way).

Well, more fuel to this fire I guess. Any more thoughts?

I guess that's why I favor products like UD Series 1 & 2 and O-Pee-Chee over SPGU, Dominion and Playbook. (that and I'm a set-builder, so the high-end products don't lend themselves to that).

[WantThemAll]

Cracking wax is totally like a slot machine, the odd time you're up but it's -EV over the long run. I've opened literally hundreds of boxes in my lifetime and aside from one $400 pack of The Cup a few years back, i've never pulled a card that books at $80+ out of a pack. I'm sure 99% of the boxes i'm talking about were low to mid end but still. If you're concerned about the money and return, always buy the singles you want. If you value the treasure hunt and don't mind a lot of lowsy returns, absolutely get crackin' !

[jonathani]

So if you spend $2 for a gallon of milk and the carton has 2 gallons in it do you give one gallon back? Buy boxes of cards is a lottery since odds are given on the packs. Buying milk is not.

You're right, and I'm fairly certain no one on here is confused enough to not look at the odds before buying boxes. When those numbers don't come even close to matching what's actually in the boxes I buy, however, something's frustrating. Occasionally, I get an extra hit, as you note, but I have been shorted a hit much more often.