Over the last few months, I began doing a few group breaks in baseball and hockey. Seeing as though there are quite a few baseball breaks out there, though, I would like to stick with hockey, to provide something here, that you can't really find with many other blogs.
However, with a relatively low number of other hockey bloggers out there, at least as far as who I am connected to, I want to try and get something together that would garner the greatest amount of interest and participation, to hopefully grow my blog readership, and most importantly, gain a greater amount of group break participation.
With that in mind, I have a few group break related questions:
1. What products would you like to see opened? Mainly, do you want current products, one-or-two-year-old products or products from a few years ago? Also, with those products would you rather have the break centered on just one higher-end product, or three to four boxes of different lower-end products?
2. How much does cost factor in? I would like to keep it in a $15-$20 range, but with so few people responding to hockey, I have to factor in that only 6 or 7 may sign up, which increases the average cost to between $25-$35.
3. There have been a few breaks that I have done, where I will guarantee a hit for all participants, taking cards out of my own collection for participants who don't get one from the boxes. Does this make a difference? Does it encourage you to sign up to a break that you otherwise would not, knowing that at least you'll be getting something? Or would you be perfectly content to just go with whatever comes out of the boxes, win or lose?
4. How often would you like to see a group break done? Ideally, I'd like to do one every month, but if interest is low, that might not always be a possibility.
5. For those of you who have participated in my breaks before, what made you sign up? And for those of you who didn't, what made you stay away?
6. Lastly, is there anything out there, hockey OR baseball, that you aren't seeing anyone else do that you would like to see done here?
I would appreciate any input you guys would have.
Thank you very much.
1) anything hockey is fine with me. Older products are always nice if someone can pick up things they have missed.
ReplyDelete2) Cost does matter, but if the product is decent with a fair amount of hits, $25 is not too high a price
3) Knowing something will come my way is nice, but if the product is right, I'm okay with just base.
4) Every month may be too often. Plus, is there enough out there to do a monthly break. I may sign up for say 12 UD twice, but a third time around or more - I'd pass. Who needs that many Duncan Keith's?
5) Hockey. Plain and simple. Not very many hockey breaks out there so gotta jump when you see one.
6) Hmmm - Champs would be a nicer older box to crack open, if you could even find it.
I like stuff that a couple to many years old. Everyone has the new stuff.
ReplyDeleteLow price = successful break. DFG's hockey break right now is 6 boxes, 2 teams for $10. I think keeping it under $20 is key. Hockey collectors are a lot cheaper than baseball collectors.
I agree with Jeff. Getting something is nice but not necessary. If I get a stack of 50ish base cards and/or inserts for $10 I'm happy. But if I'm in for $30, I'm not so happy.
Every month may be too often. Especially since there seems to be two or three hockey bloggers doing this. Every two is fine.
1. I'm in the midst of one now on my own blog. I tend to jump on the ones with product from years I quit collecting (99-05). That way, I at least feel like I am getting something I don't already have dozens of. Anything from 2007 to today is pretty well saturated in most of us hockey collectors wares.
ReplyDelete2. Depends on the boxes. I offered up 6 boxes of early 2000's Pacific stuff for $10 for two teams. I only had one spot out of 15 not filled. Anymore than $20 and you tend to alienate a large % of the community.
3. It's always nice to get a hit. I don't have a preference either way because I am a set builder and team collector. But that's what I am doing for mine. Good thing too because my chosen team and random have both resulted in 2 hits each so far.
4. Single or double boxes once a month aren't bad but multi-box breaks are hard to maintain for a long time. I don't plan on doing one again for quite a while. Actually, some of us have been talking about having a monthly or bi-monthly "rotating" break where someone different hosts it on a rotating fashion. That would be interesting to pull off.
5. I generally don't jump in unless there is something I really need (see point #1). I have a general fear of high ticket stuff where there is next to no chance of getting anything I need.
6. As for the last question...I've pretty much seen everything at one point or another. O-Pee-Chee is good for hockey because of all the inserts/parallels/etc. Lots of stuff other than base cards. It would also be interesting to see some of the new 2012 stuff on the horizon busted in case level quantities. I'm sure that price tag would be far out of reach though.
1. Older sets are ok, but recent high-cost ones that I wouldn't buy alone myself really pique my curiosity. Recent low-cost ones that we all already buy (Score, Donruss, Victory) are a turn-off.
ReplyDelete3. The incentive of a guaranteed hit was an awesome idea that attracted me here in the first place.Looking at other comments, I'd say if the price tag is below $15 and I get a bunch of cards, not getting a 'hit' isn't so bad, but at 20 or over, I'd like one.
4. Every month may be much, but every 2 or 3 is good.