This somewhat new phenomenon of case or box breaking has sparked another less talked about craze: WATCHING OTHER PEOPLE OPEN CARDS. All of this talk out there about these breaks has overlooked those that participate by simply watching and not purchasing any of the spots, those that watch and chat with fellow breakers just for the camaraderie, and those that watch for the sheer curiosity of “what’s in the box.”
I’m a big break watcher. I don’t have a ton of money to throw around for sports cards so one way that I can still enjoy the hobby at almost any hour of the day is to watch someone else open cards. If my wife hears voices coming from my iPad or laptop, she assumes I’m watching other people open cards (and she’s usually right). One of her new favorite phrases is “are you watching more people open cards?” My answer is almost always “yes, of course” which is swiftly followed by her asking “how many spots do you have in this one?” When I reply with “none, I’m just watching” she kind of rolls her eyes and laughs. I think she would actually rather have me purchase a spot or two than to just sit there watching with nothing on the line. She just doesn’t understand my fascination with simply watching box breaks. But, she does appreciate that I’m not blowing money left and right even though I would love to.
How could anyone sit there watching other people open pack after pack or even box after box? Well, ask any collector and they’ll tell you that we’re not just watching people open packs, we are judging the quality of the product and of the box/case, we’re chatting with friends, we’re talking sports, etc. It’s like a neighborhood picnic centered around sports cards. It’s a social gathering that doesn’t have to cost us a dime.
I know all of us collectors out there have a favorite breaker and I’m a big advocate of Collector Revolution. I like that they have more box breaks than case breaks so I only have to drop $5 or so instead of $50 and I can spread the wealth around to try out multiple products. It’s almost like sampling or taste-testing!
Do you have a favorite breaker? Give them a shout out and tag this post! Who knows? Your favorite breaker could also become someone else’s favorite!
Happy Collecting
I like Clouts n Chara because it’s hockey. Collector Rev did some hockey for awhile but I don’t believe I’ve seen one for quite awhile. I was really into breaking at first, but I’ve lost interest. In the only CnC one I did, I paid $50 for my team (Blackhawks) and got NO hits out of a case that was full of Hawks. I also like exchangercardbreaks.com. That’s my old local card shop from Indy. I was always lucky in those breaks which was good, since I was buying into a sport I didn’t much care about (football). Also love that they do a lot of “mixers” with various boxes and years.
I like Mojobreaks. The guys really care about the collectors and love getting big hits for people. CollRev is also a great community to hang out with and chat.