[rjcj2017]

I have been fighting the urge to stay away from all walmart, kmart, target or any other retail store..... Don't go there unless I truly have to.. & don't buy boxes of cards from them anymore... never got anything to go crazy over. Don't get me wrong, I do go & check out what type of boxes they do have & prices... but I always walk away empty handed. Rather save my money for a hobby box or some singles... I'd much rather bust wax... but because boxes are so expensive for so little amount of cards.. I search online for singles instead... not as fun, but still a challenge trying to locate those scarce cards I want to add to my collection.. just found another 1/1 card I been looking for for over 2 years.. hopefully, none of my fellow Beckett friends bid against me..

Yeah, I here you. The hardest part is when you hit a big one ... I pulled a Bryce Harper refractor auto out of a Bowman Chrome blaster a couple of months ago (check it out, it's in the baseball box breaks forum, should be the second or third page). Best retail pull of my life, by far.

You can't ever go back to not wanting that rush again. But, I think you're smart. I could have bought some quality singles for the money I wasted on these.

I seriously hope people stay away from these ... they are truly a waste. Take care, RJ

[xstreaminsanity]

No, I didn't see that on their website. I'll have to see if they do it again this year.

As for the hobby/retail thing, I agree with jpleazme805. I used to end up leaving every time I went there with a couple of packs or a blaster of something, just to scratch the itch. Now I'm trying to save up so that I can start getting hobby only. I am trying to save up so I can get a box of 2011-12 Preferred. I mean, the thrill is kind of gone seeing as how I know all of my cards will be AU or a 6-8 piece GU, but at the same time, it's the difference between getting a Trevor Booker AU and maybe a Kobe AU, so there's still some thrill there.

But I don't think it's that we're missing your point, I think it's that Upper Deck got you exactly how they meant to get you. They wanted you to think there were other rookies in there. They wanted you to buy their product. They had the perfect combination; Durant on the front, it says rookie edition, you see some rookies on the back, etc. They got you. But this isn't just something UD does. How often do you see a box of cards with some no-name on the front. And it doesn't even have to be a no-name, but you don't see (I could be wrong) any boxes with Taj Gibson on the front, or Tyreke Evans. No, they go after what's going to attract you to the product; Rose, Griffin, Kobe, etc. And to me one of the more appealing looking boxes was Season Update with Griffin going for a dunk rather than him just standing there.



So, while we can assume whatever we want about what will be in a pack based on it's packaging and what they do or don't show us, we also have to assume that they have the best advertisers in the world. Good advertising is showing a product properly and thoroughly, amazing advertising is showing part of the product, just enough to make the consumer buy it, but not giving up too much. And from what I've seen, card companies have some of the best advertisers in the world.

[rjcj2017]

No, I didn't see that on their website. I'll have to see if they do it again this year.

As for the hobby/retail thing, I agree with jpleazme805. I used to end up leaving every time I went there with a couple of packs or a blaster of something, just to scratch the itch. Now I'm trying to save up so that I can start getting hobby only. I am trying to save up so I can get a box of 2011-12 Preferred. I mean, the thrill is kind of gone seeing as how I know all of my cards will be AU or a 6-8 piece GU, but at the same time, it's the difference between getting a Trevor Booker AU and maybe a Kobe AU, so there's still some thrill there.

But I don't think it's that we're missing your point, I think it's that Upper Deck got you exactly how they meant to get you. They wanted you to think there were other rookies in there. They wanted you to buy their product. They had the perfect combination; Durant on the front, it says rookie edition, you see some rookies on the back, etc. They got you. But this isn't just something UD does. How often do you see a box of cards with some no-name on the front. And it doesn't even have to be a no-name, but you don't see (I could be wrong) any boxes with Taj Gibson on the front, or Tyreke Evans. No, they go after what's going to attract you to the product; Rose, Griffin, Kobe, etc. And to me one of the more appealing looking boxes was Season Update with Griffin going for a dunk rather than him just standing there.



So, while we can assume whatever we want about what will be in a pack based on it's packaging and what they do or don't show us, we also have to assume that they have the best advertisers in the world. Good advertising is showing a product properly and thoroughly, amazing advertising is showing part of the product, just enough to make the consumer buy it, but not giving up too much. And from what I've seen, card companies have some of the best advertisers in the world.

Yep, you're right, they got me.

Hope they can do wonders with my 12 bucks ... because they aren't getting any more of my money.

They would have sold a lot more of them — I can personally guarantee that, LOL — if they actually made them worth anything.

Oh well ... did you see the news about Victor Martinez?

Not good, but what do you think about Fielder now that Ordonez and Guillen are off the books?

I say go for it ... but then again, it's not my money.

Upper Deck has that. Ha ha ha ...

[xstreaminsanity]

I'm not sold on Fielder. Would he simply be the DH? We already have Cabrera and regardless of his off the field issues, I'd rather keep him. Consistency is key to chemistry. But yeah, it sucks about Victor. Good thing Avila is still ours. Personally, I think we're still a great team without Victor, and maybe it allows Boesch that opportunity to step up big. If I knew anything about our farm system, I could contribute more, but I don't.

Yep, you're right, they got me.

Hope they can do wonders with my 12 bucks ... because they aren't getting any more of my money.

They would have sold a lot more of them — I can personally guarantee that, LOL — if they actually made them worth anything.

Oh well ... did you see the news about Victor Martinez?

Not good, but what do you think about Fielder now that Ordonez and Guillen are off the books?

I say go for it ... but then again, it's not my money.

Upper Deck has that. Ha ha ha ...

[rjcj2017]

[quote='xstreaminsanity' pid='1852842' dateline='1326918941']
I'm not sold on Fielder. Would he simply be the DH? We already have Cabrera and regardless of his off the field issues, I'd rather keep him. Consistency is key to chemistry. But yeah, it sucks about Victor. Good thing Avila is still ours. Personally, I think we're still a great team without Victor, and maybe it allows Boesch that opportunity to step up big. If I knew anything about our farm system, I could contribute more, but I don't.

[quote]

You know, it might also open the door for someone like Nick Castellanos to come up and play (top prospect at 3B) ... my only thought on Fielder was that he and Cabrera could rotate at 1B and DH, basically the same thing they'd be doing with Victor.

But, either way, I still think they'll win the Central.