[djohn]

Lol I am going to be the odd one out here, but it isn't something that I really found useful. If the complaint is over pack odds from pre 2001, you could just look at an old issue that still has them. Seems like a waste of money to print that in every issue considering the info will never change.

By that same standpoint, why bother printing prices for cards pre-2001 if the value hasn't changed in years (and if the value ever changes then they can put it back in the price-guide, at least for a few months or so).

[TBarn291]

By that same standpoint, why bother printing prices for cards pre-2001 if the value hasn't changed in years (and if the value ever changes then they can put it back in the price-guide, at least for a few months or so).

That is a little different though, the magazine is supposed to be a price guide, so it makes sense they would print all pricing. Also, with the pricing, just because it hasn't changed in a long time doesn't mean it can't. The pack odds will never change.

I'm not into older wax as much so it doesn't really affect me, I can completely understand how this could be an inconvenience for those who are into the older wax. I don't think anyone is wrong for wanting them printed every month, just offering the opinion of someone who is not as troubled by it.

[carrollm09]

Here's an example..
You want to pick up a 1996-97 Fleer Thrill Seekers Shaquille O'Neal. In November you look at the price guide and it's listed at $125...but wait, that seems a little high, even for 1:288 packs (which you can see, because pack odds were listed). Looking at other similar inserts from the year you realize it's way too high, so you hold off, knowing that it will go down. Good idea, because two months later it's at $25. Even 18 years later some of this stuff is still drastically fluctuating.

I understand that someone who only buys current products is pretty much unaffected by this change, but pack odds are part of understanding 'why' certain cards are priced the way they are. The ability to quickly and easily manipulate the price guide to compare like-items to make the most of your money is one very appealing aspect of paying for a hardcopy. Sure you can carry around one old Beckett and one new Beckett and try to navigate through both at the same time (which is what I'm currently doing), but there's an easier way, that's all.

[TBarn291]

That is a very excellent point. I can see how that would be an easily missed convenience. I only use the OPG though. If I wanted to buy the Shaq Thrill Seekers, I would research the market to find the average selling price. Even if it has been too long to find the info on ebay, there are other sites that you can find previous sales info on.

[djohn]

Another great use for the odds being listed is you can see if it may be worth spending the money for a box of cards. I always check what the worst case guaranteed hits could be as well the best case hits and what the odds of hitting them before buying a box.
There are plenty of boxes that sell for large amounts of money simply because there is an expensive insert set with 1:720 pack odds (however when you look at the price guide you notice that only a 10% of the cards in that insert set would even offset the price of the box). For example in a 20 card insert set with odds of 1:720 packs, only the Jordan and Kobe cards may be worth over $100 and the rest range from $5-$50. Yet the boxes sell for over $50. Without knowing the odds were 1:720 packs, and that there are 20 cards in the set, I wouldn't have realized that the odds of hitting the Jordan or Kobe are 1:7200 packs (or 1 in 300 boxes for boxes with 24 packs). This would also help me to better understand the value for the cards in the price guide, but would also probably keep me from shelling out $50 for a box.
I have always thought that the odds of hitting a card really help in dictating the value of the card. There are also a few instances where cards with high odds are much lower in price than other cards with the same odds. I have found that sometimes this means that one set is bargain priced compared to the other. However without having the odds listed, I might not realize that and wonder why one set goes up in value but another one doesn't.