Article On Pack Searching

[barrow]

So last night I wrote up an article about pack searching on my blog. I figured that I should link it here myself before someone else does. if you care to read the article it can be found here:

Edited by SingleDaddyof2--links to pack-searching instructions are inappropriate here on SCF.

SCF members weren't really the target audience, most people here are already well aware of pack searching and have an opinion on it already. This article is more of a tell-all about pack searching, aimed at people who may not be in the know. I think it takes a neutral stance on it, explaining what pack searching is, how to pack search, how to curb pack searching, and investigates whether pack searching should really be an issue or not.

Give it a read. I just really wanted to get some information out there because you really can't find anything online giving people selling "hot pack secrets" the ability to make a business out of selling relatively worthless information.

[asujbl]

Going to be very interesting the response you get. Personally I think pack searching is "wrong"...but I honestly could care less about it. I buy singles and sealed boxes...it's really not that hard a thing to avoid if you have collected cards for more then 24 hours and are smart about it. Buying retail is asking for trouble...and 99.9% of us know it.

[BCUS28]

Buying so-called hot packs on ebay or anywhere else---->do so at your own risk, I personally never have or will.
Going to the store and bending packs or moving the cards inside the pack---->low down dirty.
Picking up a pack with a semi clear wrapper and looking into it while standing in the check out line--->I think is ok as long as one doesn't bend or move the cards.
With that being said, I don't understand why you would write an article on "how to pack search", its like making a documentary on how to make a terrorist bomb step by step, in some ways.

[lhp21]

You really think that if someone wanted to know how, they wouldn't find out elsewhere?

It is very real and thus we must recognize in order to avoid. Good article OP.

[barrow]

With that being said, I don't understand why you would write an article on "how to pack search", its like making a documentary on how to make a terrorist bomb step by step, in some ways.

This is kind of the point of my article. It's not steps to make a bomb, it's a discussion about something that has been deemed a taboo subject for no real good reason. Honestly, is pack searching hurting the hobby? I don't think so at all. Sure my chances of pulling an auto at Target have gone from .03 to 0 in the pack feeling era, but so what. Should we pretend it doesn't happen and let the Ebay sellers make money off it because we won't talk about it? Hell no.

If you ask me what hurts the hobby is the same thing that helps it, the internet in general. On one side of things we have wonderful places to talk cards and trade like SCF, but on the other side of things the Internet is killing the social aspect of collecting. I live right in Boston, one of the major cities in the US, and I can't find a group of people to trade in person with.

[SingleDaddyof2]

Very informative article. I read the entire article and I learned some things I didn't know before. If I were a totally dishonest, unethical person, I would now know what to do to beat regular card shoppers out of GU/auto cards. (As a set collector, I used to be one of those regular retail card shoppers when I was a kid and couldn't afford boxes.) But I try to avoid being dishonest and unethical. And SCF tries not to promote dishonesty and unethical deeds. Therefore I am removing the link to your blog article because I don't think its wise to instruct anyone how to search packs. From the SCF forum rules, "The owners and moderators of SCF reserve the right to remove, edit, move or close any thread for any reason." I don't have a reputation for going crazy in editing posts willy-nilly, but I think in this case, editing out your link is justified. However, I do realize that that if people want to see your pack-searching instructions or any other questionable material on their monitor, they will take the time to find it. We just don't want SCF to be a gateway to pack-searching instructions. Just about everything else in the article was good information. I was going to copy your entire article here in this post but without the pack-searching instructions. But I figured that might be copyright infringement and thought better of it. So I suggest you copy your article into your initial post without the pack-searching instructions if you want to share your article here. Also, just to give you a heads-up, don't be surprised if some members here don't want to trade with you because your article may lead them to believe you are a pack-searcher. In fact, some may ask you point-blank if you are a pack-searcher.

btw, where do you get the idea that discussion about pack searching are taboo?--magazines, books, TV, radio, other online forums? Here on SCF we've had plenty of threads discussing pack-searching, so I've never gotten the impression that pack-searching threads are taboo here on SCF. Members are just tired of those threads because they seldom give any useful info on how to eliminate pack searching. (But I do like the part of your article that says you are probably wasting your time pack searching in retail stores). Also threads about pack searching usually lead to flaming and members being warned/banned needlessly.

Perhaps you meant that instructions on how to pack-search are taboo. If that's what you meant, then yes, I agree and that's why I've taken the action I did. Most SCF members and card hobbyists agree that pack searching is wrong and should not be tolerated or promoted.

Andy

[barrow]

Thanks for the read. I'm not worried one bit that people will stop trading with me and will label me as a pack searcher. Although my trader rating isn't as high as a lot of members, I still think it's very reputable. I also believe that my trade page shows that I take pride, time, and a lot of effort in my card collecting.

As far as why I think pack searching in general is considered taboo. On many forums (and I've seen it here too), when pack searching pops up as a topic of conversation, the conversation usually comes to a halt as opposed to a reasonable discussion taking place. If a young kid hears that it's possible to search packs and comes on here asking about pack searching, if the response is 'DON'T DO IT!', I think the kid will become even more curious. If there's discussion about it, and someone explains, "yes you can figure out which packs have game used cards, but in all reality you still don't have very good chances because of ....." then I think the kid will put the idea out of his mind.

And I agree that people are probably sick of such threads, but that's the nature of any forum. You are always going to have the same question crop up again and again. When that happens you tell them to search the forum, or link to a previous thread.

I think the article is already serving its purpose.

[6boyds]

I read the article, but that seems like to much hassle for a jersey card...I'll just keep trying my luck. :)

[bradolson]

Seems like this article is nothing more than an attempt to get people to click through to eBay to earn money for this guy. Notice that all of the links to eBay on his blog contain the domain "rover.ebay.com". Those are referral/affiliate links and anyone who clicks those links to purchase anything on eBay gives him commission. Some of them are "hidden" even so you don't see the URL if you hover over them. Kind of shady if you ask me, but then again, so is pack searching.

[barrow]

Bradolson, every blog post I make contains various affiliate links and Adsense ads. What is so shady about that? SCF itself contains Adsense ads. As I said in my first post in this thread, SCF members are not the target audience, I linked it here myself so someone else wouldn't do it.