Kin Kinsley
October 31, 2016
There was a time that I though box breaks were the greatest thing. After awhile, I no longer felt that way. Also, how I collect has changed in the last 18 months and now I’m more into vintage, with a few exceptions. I assumed that would mean no more breaks for me if I felt the urge unless I just got into one to say that I did.
I have found an even better option, vintage set breaks on BurlsSports.com. Sport Collectors Daily on Twitter has posted about these, so I was aware of them but hadn’t looked into it. In August I clicked into the site and took a look at the 1933 Goudey set break but it was a little more than I wanted to put in at that time. Earlier this month I finally took a shot and bought a couple of spots into a 1957 Topps Baseball break.
How do the set breaks work? Justin uses a very simple model. The 1957 Topps set contains 407 cards, so there are 407 spots. A couple of spots are given away free to contest winners and the rest are sold. Everyone ends up with something. Some cards are graded and others are raw, but going in there is plenty of information available and you know what you are entering for. You can watch live on the site (or in the UStream room) and results are posted within minutes on the site. Cards are shipped within a week and shortly thereafter, you have your cards.
Burl’s Sports on Twitter
Burl’s Sports on Facebook
In this break, I had three spots. I purchased a couple and Justin awarded me a spot for tweeting and sharing info about the break. I know of at least a couple of guys that bought in for the first time after those tweets. I hope they are joining either on today’s break or more in the future.
I’m sure this tweet from a well respected collector on Twitter helped convince people as well.
Having three spots, I had a 0.75% chance of hitting any one card. Those aren’t great odds, but for a chance at a Mickey Mantle or Roberto Clemente, I was happy with getting in. I didn’t hit beat the odds and score of of the high dollar cards, but I did end up with the Clete Boyer rookie, which has a high book value of $30.
LINK: 1957 Topps Group Break Broadcast (and results)
Today at 4pm CT, a 1956 Topps Break will go live. You can watch here if you are interested to check it out.
Justin also sells on eBay and has some great vintage cards up right now, including a few Mickey Mantle cards. You can check them out here.
Finally, you can see upcoming breaks here, including a 1952 Topps set in December.
Happy collecting!