What is your preference? Packs, Boxes & Cases

[ToHockey]

I am curious what everyone prefers to do and why? I can see some of the pros and cons of each, let's hear your experiences! Do you like picking up packs from your LCS and hoping to pull a big hit? Do you have a specific pack or way you choose them?

Do you like knowing your odds for hits by purchasing boxes and having the chance to pull a case hit without purchasing a full case? Or are you more interested in knowing what hits you will get almost for certain other than who they will be?

If the price was the same would you order 12 loose boxes of a product from somewhere or a sealed case?

[30ranfordfan]

You will always get your best value buying singles.... but if you're looking for that HUGE hit, it's going to be an expensive way to do it.

If you're going to open packs, boxes, or cases..... the bigger quantity you buy, the better you'll usually do.

Typically a box costs less than the equivalent in lose packs, and a case will cost less than a case-worth of lose boxes. You're also much more likely to get the proper amount of 'hits'. You get lose boxes, maybe none of them have that case hit.... of course maybe all of them do too. It's hard to know.

My preference usually comes down to $$$ though. A case is going to be pretty expensive. Normally more money than I would want to drop at any given time.... so I find boxes to be the way to go.

[ToHockey]

Yeah for PC singles is the way to go for sure, but if your looking to pull a hit for sale or trade then i'm wondering what people prefer. Looking at some of the breaks some people pick-up 1 pack at an LCS and pull a case hit and some just pull normal cards so I was curious if those who get a big hit have a method to their pack picking.

Quantity will definitely equate to doing better up to a point when most of the big hits have been pulled.

So maybe I should ask about a more specific scenario? Say you had $1200 to spend on packs/boxes/case. Each case costs $1200 and comes with 12 boxes, guaranteed 1 sweet case hit. Each box is available for $100 if you purchase 12 at once and you know you will get boxes from at least 2 different cases. Say there are 10 packs per box and each pack costs $12.50 at your LCS. Do you go and bust packs until you make a big hit on that box and then wait for a new box to be opened?

[centrehice]

Box buying is a losing proposition unless you need UD Rookies from 90-91 or Parkhurst from 91-92.

No excitement in buying singles, but in terms of ROI, they are the best policy. If you are prepared and willing to pay to open packs, then that is price you pay for your thrills.

[ToHockey]

Looks like boxes is winning so far

[MasonRaymond0320]

I usually bust single packs for fun, but mostly buy singles.

You know what you're getting, and you're more likely to make a little profit than if you bought packs/boxes.

[theboxbreaker96]

oh yea boxes is better i love opening the boxes especially the thrill you get. never nowing what you might pull or who. i also buy singles but thats collecting not the actual hobby. you have to open the boxes to get singles.

[ToHockey]

I usually bust single packs for fun, but mostly buy singles.

You know what you're getting, and you're more likely to make a little profit than if you bought packs/boxes.

Interesting, so you hunt for singles that you think/know you can buy and flip for a profit?

oh yea boxes is better i love opening the boxes especially the thrill you get. never nowing what you might pull or who. i also buy singles but thats collecting not the actual hobby. you have to open the boxes to get singles.

My thoughts exactly, singles are for your collection unless you buy/sell a lot.

So in my scenario would you buy a case of 12 or 12 loose boxes?

[ziadefan]

I've been buying lots of singles lately to fill my PC, but I did a 4-box break a few weeks ago (thats usually how I do it, save up some money and break a few boxes at once, rather than just getting one).

There are a few major pros to buying boxes/cases over singles:
-Getting trade bait that can turn into cards for your PC
-You CAN do quite well on boxes in terms of profit (ex. I opened a box of 08-09 Series 2 retail for 30 bucks, and got a young gun hot box, so 50+ young guns...AND it had a Stamkos Victory Black)
-There's such a great feeling of the unknown when you're opening packs/boxes

Oh, and if given a choice for the same price, I'd probably buy random boxes rather than a sealed case....simply because you'd have a shot at multiple case hits :)

[ComancheKeen]

I spend probably 80% of my hobby budget on singles and about 20% on boxes and packs. I don't normally buy singles or lots to flip them (unless it is a huge BIN steal), I buy them to keep em'. Same thing with buying wax. I know the chance of making a profit is so slim but I like to build sets out of whatever I pull and thats what makes it fun for me.