FAQ

Box Breaks

Box breaks usually consisting of either factory-sealed cases, or multiple factory-sealed boxes from a given sport. Customers have the ability to buy into this break.

The cases & boxes are busted LIVE on Camera, and the video feed is streamed. Once the live break has been completed, all the cards are shipped out to members who participated in the break based on what team(s) they purchased.

Why does this benefit you the collector? :

1. You get a chance at a case hit for a small portion of the total cost of a case.
Cases can cost from $700-$30000! Box breaks give you an opportunity to win highly sought after cards at a fraction of the price.

2. It allows you to collect your favourite team without collecting unwanted cards.

Types of Group Breaking and Case Breaking

Team Break

This is also referred to as "Pick Your Team" because you purchase the spot for a single team, receiving the cards for only that particular team. The PYT break is especially appealing for team collectors since you are paying a fraction of the cost for hobby cards and not dealing with the unwanted cards from your rival team or teams. Because some teams have more cards in a particular set, or simply better players, individual team prices can fluctuate a decent amount.

Random Team Break

If you like surprises, Random Team is your kind of break. Collectors still purchase a team spot, however, the actual selection is unknown until it's revealed during the break. Since there are 30 Major League Baseball teams (which equals 30 spots), most breakers will typically use random.org to determine who receives a specific team’s cards. The breaker will input the list of team names along with each person who purchased a spot. Then, the fun begins as the "dice" start to roll. After teams are randomised and given an assigned number, the collector’s names are then randomised. If, for example, you are assigned #28, you will have won the cards for the #28 team.

What is the difference between a Case, Multi-Box and Single-Box Break?

Case Break - A sealed from manufacturer case of product. This is often highlighted by the chance to find a “1 per case” hit. 

Multi-Box Break - A set amount of boxes, often between 2 – 5. This gives a chance to have hits from across different products, and different seasons.

Single-Box Break - Usually a high-end product, with very few, but extremely collectable hits.

What is a Hit?

A hit is generally all cards in a product excluding the main base set cards. These could be autographs, memorabilia, short printed and numbered parallels and variants, case hits and more. 

Card Grading Defined

Card grading is the practice of submitting a trading card to a third-party service. The card is inspected for authenticity and ranked, usually on a 10-point scale, for the condition. The card is then assigned an overall grade, sealed in a tamper-proof holder and, finally, assigned a cataloged serial number.

The benefits of card grading include indisputable provenance of authenticity, no subjective condition assignments and an accountability system through an online database. All of these factors combine to, more often than not, increase the value of the card when compared to an ungraded card in equal or similar condition.

The Specifics of Card Grading

Before submitting anything to a card grading company, there are a few things to be aware of to get the most out of your grading submission: knowing what cards to grade, what service to use, and the logistics involved in shipping and insurance.

What to Grade

Choosing what cards to grade is a personal and subjective decision. But there are some guidelines to follow that will not only save you money, but also increase the value of your collection. For example, grading any one-of-one card makes little sense from a financial standpoint, although people continue to do so. The cost of having the card shipped, graded, insured and returned is unlikely to increase the worth of an already highly valued card enough to offset those costs. However, some collectors may like the added protection of a graded slab.

Submitting vintage cards for grading, in particular, makes for a solid investment. Player collectors, team collectors and set builders often target cards in a specific grade. Removing the subjectivity of self-assessment provides a foolproof way of making sure a card is actually in the condition the owner claims.

Even vintage commons can bring a strong return if submitted to a reputable card grading company. A mistake many collectors make with older cards is overlooking these commons. Many high-end set builders will often pay top-dollar for that graded NM or Mint backup utility infielder's card simply to complete their collection of graded cards.

Modern prospect and rookie autographs are also highly desirable in high-grade condition. The obvious reason is that, if that player attains star status, their most popular rookie cards will always be those that are signed and in Mint condition.

Grading Companies

When it comes to choosing what service to use, it is best to do your research. Ask fellow collectors, dealers and your local hobby shop owner who they use and why.

Currently, there are several reputable and well-used grading companies in the hobby: Professional Sports Authenticators (PSA), Beckett Grading Services (BGS) and Sportscard Guaranty (SGC). Each card grading company grades a variety of cards.

Fees between the companies vary so collectors are encouraged to see the pricing policies listed on their respective websites. Collectors can also pay for different levels of service.