Heathen who Still Rip Wax Sharing Thread

[SacKingsCards]

I fully understand that opening wax is a fool’s errand. It’s no surprise that most of the time you spend anything meaningful on wax, you’d probably regret it and wish you had spent pc singles.

That said, there’s just something so nostalgic and satisfying about ripping packs, and honestly there’s cases where it can really not be too bad of value. So I figured this could be a thread to share your breaks (remember when that meant opening your own boxes?), good values out there for those scratching the itch, etc.

[SacKingsCards]

I’ll start off talking about 24-25 Donruss. Oh boy, I freaking love this set. I don’t care much for the inserts, but the base and parallels are incredible. Very clean design, incredible and underrated photography (straight up photogenic level of photography at times), and the laser parallels in particular are as many of you know an obsession of mine.

I’ve been picking up Sabonis laser parallels when I can, and figured you know what? I’m gonna rip some of this. It’s a base set that’s beautiful and I’d love to build, the base quantity in all formats is high so I could get a decent chunk of the base set regardless of what I open, and maybe I could get lucky and pull a Sabonis laser. Now, did I pay $13.50 for the gold laser /10, $3.50 for pink laser /50 , and $4 for yellow laser /25? Yes. It is in no way smart to pursue any of those from hobby boxes or even retail, but pulling your own PC Cards is just special and arguably invaluable.

And here’s the kicker: Donruss retail is SO cheap now that we’re approaching a year since release. Are mega boxes ludicrous at $50 per? Absolutely. But at $25-30, they’re actually great value. I feel somewhat the same for retail and fat pack boxes. I’ll throw this breakdown in the encyclopedia thread too for reference. Here is somewhat of the breakdown for value:

1. Megas ($50 retail at $25 (probably just under what they should cost and not easy to find at this price) has 150 cards = 0.17 per card, will yield about 1/3 of the base set. Chance for cards numbered as low as /20 and autos (mostly no name players)
• 13 base, 1 base insert, 1 green laser per pack
• 130 base
• 20 parallels/ inserts (10 base inserts, 9 green lasers, chance (seems like 2/3) at last “green laser spot” being a numbered, auto, optic preview or sp)
2. Fat pack box ($80 retail?) at $65 (Walmart) has 360 cards = $0.18 per card. Should yield most of the base set,
• 27 base, 1 base insert, 1 green laser, 1 insert or green laser per pack
• 1 of above is rookie
• 324 base (probably near if not complete base set)
• 12 base inserts, 12 green lasers, 12 mix of both (likely 1 numbered or auto per box?)
3. Retail box ($60 retail?) at $50 has 192 cards = 0.26 per card
• 7 base, 1 insert/parallel per pack
○ 1 numbered/auto?
○ Rookie lasers?
• 168 base, half the base set?
• 11-12 base inserts, 11-12 green lasers, 1 “hit”

So I picked up 3 mega and a fat pack box just cuz the deals were so good. Mega seems the best because it’s the cheapest per card and gives you a shot at multiple “hits” for $50 (2 boxes), rather than the other boxes which would only likely get you one. Hoping to pull some Kings lasers, a full base set, and hopefully something cool or two along the way. Not sure how much I’ll be opening yet, but I’m excited to rip some packs of a set I fricken love.

Random note: I didn’t look into blasters because they’re hard to find under $20, which is only $5 off the retail price.

[SacKingsCards]

Results of a Donruss mega:
130 base with no dupes! Had I known there were no dupes I may have just opened the fat pack box which would’ve hopefully completed the base set. Now I’m probably bound to get dupes and even with no dupes would have to open all 3 megas to get the full set.

Can’t get over how nice these cards look. I love that even the low end parallels like the green lasers have gold foil rather than the copper foil on the base. I think have optic doesn’t use foil for the bottom/player name, which was a big misstep imo.

Inserts were fine. Pass the rock looked the best to me.

Sheppard Crystal parallel /125 is tough to beat as the hit. Getting the #3 pick out of the 300 card base set seems like beating the odds.

The Reed is the hit worth the most but the Sabonis is where it is at for me. Going in hoping for a Sabonis laser and outside of the long odds of pulling a numbered one, the green laser Sabonis for the pc is a great cherry on top

[AbraCalabro]

Nice pull with the Sabonis

[FrankAZHP]

I don't rip much at all anymore. I wish I could afford to gamble, but I think the bug has (for the most part) left me just because of the cheap cost of singles nowadays. Sure me getting singles means it's unlikely I'll ever get some crazy 5 figure card, but I won't have to deal with the bullshit I don't want either. I'll still pick up some cheap retail now and then, and a fun hobby box if it's crazy cheap.

Within the last few years I've ripped (basketball specifically):

2021-22 Donruss Optic Retail Blaster Box 1
2021-22 Donruss Optic Retail Blaster Box 2
2021-22 Donruss Optic Retail Blaster Box 3 (filmed/edited but not released yet)

2021-22 Topps Chrome OTE Hobby
2021-22 Topps Chrome OTE Retail Blaster Box 1
2021-22 Topps Chrome OTE Retail Blaster Box 2

2022 Topps Chrome McDonald's All American Hobby
2022 Topps Chrome McDonald's All American Retail Blaster Box 1
2022 Topps Chrome McDonald's All American Retail Blaster Box 2

2022-23 Topps Chrome OTE Hobby
2022-23 Topps Chrome OTE Hobby

Every one of the hobby boxes I paid $70 or less and each one of the blaster boxes I paid $25 or less.


When it comes to the new Topps Chrome product, I've ripped it, but not because I spent my own money on it.
My girlfriend bought me a box suddenly, and I pulled a Cooper Flagg base rookie, and so she got excited and bought 3 mega boxes over the following 2 weeks despite me advising her not to. She felt so bad about what she got she almost cried. But she did pull a solid $30-$40 Kon Knueppel and since then we've watched all the Hornets games together (or the 12 min game highlights on NBA's YT channel) for the last X weeks and they've gone like 10-2.
So some cool stuff came out of it. :shrug:

Some of them I got recorded, and I'll eventually edit and release a video on it as it's still part of my collecting journey I document.

I get the itch every once in a while, but for now I'll mostly stick with singles.

[SacKingsCards]

Nice pull with the Sabonis

Thanks man. Would the easiest way to get that card be to go grab the one on ebay for $1.50 BIN? Yeah, for sure, but this one means so much more to me than that one would.

I don't rip much at all anymore. I wish I could afford to gamble, but I think the bug has (for the most part) left me just because of the cheap cost of singles nowadays. Sure me getting singles means it's unlikely I'll ever get some crazy 5 figure card, but I won't have to deal with the bullshit I don't want either. I'll still pick up some cheap retail now and then, and a fun hobby box if it's crazy cheap.

Within the last few years I've ripped (basketball specifically):


Every one of the hobby boxes I paid $70 or less and each one of the blaster boxes I paid $25 or less.


When it comes to the new Topps Chrome product, I've ripped it, but not because I spent my own money on it.
My girlfriend bought me a box suddenly, and I pulled a Cooper Flagg base rookie, and so she got excited and bought 3 mega boxes over the following 2 weeks despite me advising her not to. She felt so bad about what she got she almost cried. But she did pull a solid $30-$40 Kon Knueppel and since then we've watched all the Hornets games together (or the 12 min game highlights on NBA's YT channel) for the last X weeks and they've gone like 10-2.
So some cool stuff came out of it. :shrug:

Some of them I got recorded, and I'll eventually edit and release a video on it as it's still part of my collecting journey I document.

I get the itch every once in a while, but for now I'll mostly stick with singles.

I'm with ya dude. Singles is a way more efficient way to build a collection. I think I've decided that I'll only pursue ripping wax for sets in which I
1) want to build the base set (24-25 donruss)
2) exceptionally enjoy the parallels/inserts (24-25 donruss)

It also makes more sense getting the blaster or mega for $20 or $30, respectively. Since they jacked up retail prices, it's just too expensive for the entertainment value given the paltry chances at a meaningful return.

I opened another mega yesterday. Have to see how many base dupes I got, but no Kings lasers and an Optic preview blue ice rookie I've never heard of as the "hit". Definitely not as good as the first box, but I'll be happy if I made some good base set progress.

[AbraCalabro]

Nice pull with the Sabonis

Thanks man. Would the easiest way to get that card be to go grab the one on ebay for $1.50 BIN? Yeah, for sure, but this one means so much more to me than that one would.

I know the feeling. I still have cards that I pulled as a kid to this very day and I remember the time and place.