Sunday, February 1, 2015

Needed Batteries, Came Home with Cards

Well, as is often the case on Sunday mornings, I realize I need some throwaway item like batteries or some clear tape or whatever, and the options in walking distance from my house are the dollar store and the gas station. The gas station has better stories from the guy who has family in Montreal and Algeria and works behind the counter. but the dollar store has baseball cards!

The choice was as clear as tape. The card display at this store is a wreck, it's a series of gravity feed boxes that are hanging from a rack, laying on their sides, or upside down. nothing is in the same box it arrived in. Even the dollar store has gotten overpriced, with several 6-card repacks being sold for a dollar each (and the two cards you can see are '89 Topps. Instead, I go for the two remaining 20 card repacks, both of which feature cards from the years I was not collecting. This is a lot more promising, even though I am fully aware of what is coming.


First, the good news: The Magglio card on the front was serial numbered! (to 2005) . . . There's a nice Lance Johnson in a throwback uni...



other than that gem and a Ivan Rodriguez chrome card, it was '91 Upper Deck City. The repacks fell flat on their faces.


Is there a secret to a successful repack? Can you tell without being a pack searcher which repacks have potential and which are destined to disappoint? I suppose that is the gamble and the art of it all.
   
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9 comments:

  1. HackenbushFebruary 1, 2015 at 10:33 AM

    I'm a Ryan Dempster fan and though I prefer his Cubs cards I do have at least 30 of him with the Marlins so I would have been attracted to that pack, though I do have that one. I'd say you have to keep your expectations low. Repacks can bring out the kid in you. As you seem to have done you have to look for the bright spots.

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    1. BrianFebruary 1, 2015 at 10:47 AM

      Totally - keep the expectations low on repacks (and honestly on busting open new retail packs too) and you'll likely always be pleased with something in the pack.

      Delete
  2. NickFebruary 1, 2015 at 11:22 AM

    I probably would've picked up the one on the right for the Dempster alone. Those early Topps Heritage cards are great.

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    1. BrianFebruary 1, 2015 at 11:30 AM

      That's usually my deciding factor on repacks - if the card on the front is something I would add to my collection, it's worth the dollar to me. Since both are in the Dark Ages of my collection, it was an easy decision to make for me.

      Delete
  3. Tim B.February 1, 2015 at 12:23 PM

    I've gotten lucky with these repacks a few times, pulling a few 1984 Nestle cards and a few mid-late '80's Leaf. Totally worth the gamble at $0.05/card!

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    1. BrianFebruary 1, 2015 at 12:43 PM

      The oddball/regional issue stuff is definitely a highlight when they appear. Thanks for the comment!

      Delete
  4. Johnnys Trading SpotFebruary 1, 2015 at 7:11 PM

    the diamond king would have got me too, and there was a nice bubble gum shot too.

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    1. BrianFebruary 1, 2015 at 7:46 PM

      I do appreciate the way that Upper Deck makes the most of their photo space. The backs are often more interesting than the front photo. I display some cards "backwards" in pages (even though I don't double stuff the pages like I did as a kid).

      Delete
  5. UnknownFebruary 2, 2015 at 3:14 PM

    Love finding those at the local Dollar store (when I can).

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