Tips On Collecting: Best Retail Buys

In order to stay in this hobby, I can't always afford the expensive boxes or even hobby boxes most of the time. I know a lot of you can't either. Sometimes to satisfy myself of a break I have to do it retail style. I may also try out the retail version before breaking into the hobby version in the future.

I have found when buying retail there are no guarantees. Unless you buy a blaster box with one. Retail packs can produce hits but the odds are way against you. Even so more now with the world of pack searchers. So to me, I look for certain things when wanting that retail break. I mostly try to stick to blaster boxes.

Here are some tips on getting the best value buys from Retail Blaster Boxes:

1. I search for the shelves for the word Chrome or Platinum. The one thing you can be assured of when buying something with these words is value. I have always gotten my $20 worth out of a blaster or even my $3 worth buying packs and the odds for hitting an autograph seem higher. There is always a ton of value in Chrome. Mostly because of its popularity.

2. Blasters that guarantee a hit. Ones that don't guarantee a hit are harder to get value back from but certain ones like Topps Heritage or Gypsy Queen may produce a hit here or there. But if you don't get that hit, its hard to get your value back. I try to avoid Upper Deck retail blasters due to the lack of hits and they never have guaranteed ones from what I have seen. Score is always a great buy at $9.99 with it being rookie and insert loaded and possibly having an autograph inside.

3. Mark Downs. At the end of a year, places like Walmart and Target will put 20% stickers on most of the previous years products. And may also bring back some other years products as well . These I try to look for the guaranteed hits but if they are running between $9.99-$11.98 I don't worry so much about that and find the risk worth the possible return.

4. I like the combo boxes Topps does. Topps will take 3-5 retail packs of a product. Throw in a bonus refractor card then add in a hobby pack. These usually run around $15 but thats a lot cheaper than buying them separately. I actually hit a red auto numbered to #62 out of hobby Heritage packs in one of the baseball versions that had 5 packs of Topps series 1 included. Also got a Mickey Mantle refractor. Thats what I call a great retail break.

These are methods that I use to get retail cards. I will do a rack packs or regular packs here and there but the best value is in blaster boxes.The rack packs that come with bonuses are not bad buys. As stated above, when buying rack packs the words Chrome and Platinum are best. I have seen some huge hits from those. Ones like Sage and Press Pass are tough buys. Rare hits and just plain base cards. Just make sure you read the rack packs before buying.

Retail packs themselves I avoid. Pack searchers destroy not only the chances of getting a hit but even the cards. They due this to rack packs as well, but its not as easy.

Let me know some of your retail buying tips or what you thought of mine. Also if there are other tips you would like to hear on collecting, let me know. I will give you my best answer.