I do peruse ebay on occassion, usually on the lookout for unexpectedly cheap wax boxes to purchase that are not so common to find or to find poor condition vintage Phillies cards. I am not often successful, but it's fun to look at even when I don't purchase anything.
Like many of you fellow card collectors, I am done with the 2010 releases in the sense I will not be purchasing anymore packs. (I am still working on the 2010 Allen & Ginter and 2010 Topps Update sets, however.) Therefore, the revelation that 2001 Topps Series 1's release date has moved up by two weeks has begun a mental frenzy of diamonds and anniversaries and cascading insert cards in chronological order.
This time with my mind in chaos and not thinking clearly, I embarked upon the quest to purchase a series 1 hobby box. I have not opened a Topps flagship set hobby box in the year it was released since 2001. I figured I'm a sucker for realized card company anniversary celebrations, so why not continue the admittedly non-specific or statistical trend?
With the announcement of the newest promotion to tickle the collecting nerve endings, a wrapper redemption of five card packs, this added blood in the water for the yet to be released product as box prices have risen sharply from approximately $54 pre-announcement to approximately $80 post-announcement and jumbo boxes from approximately $85 to approximately $115 during the same time period.
My veins were pulsating from possibly being unable to complete the quest, but then I stumbled upon an affordable box ($64 shipped) that I hope will arrive intact with all the wrappers.
Others also had grand ideas and immediately took the frenzy to the next logical conclusion. By selling the wrappers! Do a search for 2011 Topps Jumbo and see what results. I've seen up to $98 for 60 jumbo wrappers.
For that price, you will get 6 packs of the wrapper redemption without having to go through the tedious process of opening a pack. This works out to $16 per pack or $3.27 per card for the redemption cards!
We all know about the vapors that collectors get when presented with 1952 Topps designs, but I feel as if there may be a disconnect here. Why not buy singles of the redemption card program you like or better yet, buy a hobby box and a half for that price....you'll feel better.
There's nothing more therapeutic than the rip of foil in the morning, and it's possible that Topps may be aware of this effect.
1 comment:
That is insane. I hope to find a hobby box sometime after the prices come down a little bit. I could do 64, but not 84.
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