Could not believe it....

[tsands11]

Today at walmart I grabbed a box of 13' magic nothing special in it this time guys, but also got a 13' bowman chrome hanger pack of baseball (see baseball thread pulled a prospect auto redemption) yeah toshi another retail hit for me and 1st for the baseball. Well anyway its not why I am here posting, I am posting because me and my youngest were checking the cards. This guy comes over, pulls a scale out of his pocket and begins to weigh the packs/boxes. I did not say anything, now for me its the fun of opening packs regardless of hits/special cards but that does make it more fun. But I had to explain to the little guy that he was doing it in hopes of hitting all the good stuff rather then just hit what you hit. Just kinda upset me to see someone do things that way then have to explain it to my kid why he was weighing the cards, then he ask me "why don't we do that" mind you he is 6 so monkey see monkey do. I told him thats not what its about, its the excitement of not knowing.

[ManInTheMirror]

It's obvious you are a good father.

Sucks there are people like that.

[drubacca117]

That's one of the reasons I won't buy individual packs or rack packs from a retail store. I'm not expecting hits from those packs, but knowing that someone else has already completely eliminated the chance that I could possibly get a hit bothers me.

It isn't one of my prouder moments, but I actually turned the tables on someone with a scale once... He was in Walmart weighing stuff, and one of the workers set out a brand new box of '13 Score Football. The guy was coming over with his scale and I yanked all the packs, looked at them sideways, and found the thick one. Like I said, not my proudest moment, but it felt good at the time.

I also saw a guy try to use a scale at the local comic shop (closest thing I have to a card shop). The guy behind the counter had no idea what was going on, but when the owner came in he sure as hell knew!

[hayn]

In my humble opinion, the retail products are there for one reason, the future collector. ie: Children! These inexpensive cards enables our children to not only have an oppurtunity in an educational view and experience with sports cards, but to also enjoy the hits. We all know that hits in retail products are a difficult pull.

Such unscrupulous individuals should at least understand this concept and allow the next generation of sports card collecting enjoy their breaks. Having such influence as a father and reiterating that this is a form of an un-moral act, your son will forever recall your teachings and pass your knowledge on to future generations of tsands 11.

I would like to make it clear that these retail products are for veteran collectors as well. There is no issue for veteran collectors to purchase retail sports cards. Truth be told, we as forum members should continuosly lobby against individuals that weigh packs of cards.

My son is a store manager for Walmart and finds this type of pack searching disgusting. He did make it clear that they, Walmart cannot stop this. As long as the packs are not opened and what packs that are weighed and have the potential of a hit, are paid for, nothing can be done.

Congratulations are in order for your hit of a Baseball card! Can you do me a favor? Please purchase a lotto ticket for Mrs. Toshi and I, I'm hoping your luck with retail hits will also extend into lotto tickets. LOL!!

[tsands11]

But don't they (topps/panini) throw in thick cardboard sometimes to make things fatter and heavier to throw people off sometimes. Cause there have been times we have gotten boxes and my son's find the hot pack, put it aside for last and turns out its just cardboard. Or is that something that has always been randomly inserted because I know when I was a kid these things barely came int he packs.

And Toshi I will try my luck at some lotto for a short period and see if it works out and let you know how it goes.

[Murphy03]

inserts

But don't they (topps/panini) throw in thick cardboard sometimes to make things fatter and heavier to throw people off sometimes. Cause there have been times we have gotten boxes and my son's find the hot pack, put it aside for last and turns out its just cardboard. Or is that something that has always been randomly inserted because I know when I was a kid these things barely came int he packs.

And Toshi I will try my luck at some lotto for a short period and see if it works out and let you know how it goes.

They started putting dummy cards in products years ago but most searchers know the difference. I give the card companies credit though for doing one thing: it seems that they have provided more hits to consumers in retail this year than ever before, which seems to offset the loss of packs to searchers. I do miss the fact that most stores seem to carry less and less individual packs but at least there are opportunities for those who spend the $10-$20 to buy blaster boxes and hangers to get a decent card. Really though, how much fun is there in standing in a card aisle for 20 minutes carefully weighing out packs only to find no variance and moving on to the next store? In 20 minutes I can grab 3 blaster boxes, open them, and then have time to post my cards on CCW for other 'collectors' to share in my haul with me!! Take that 'scale man'!!!!!MUHAHAHAHA...........

[hayn]

But don't they (topps/panini) throw in thick cardboard sometimes to make things fatter and heavier to throw people off sometimes. Cause there have been times we have gotten boxes and my son's find the hot pack, put it aside for last and turns out its just cardboard. Or is that something that has always been randomly inserted because I know when I was a kid these things barely came int he packs.

And Toshi I will try my luck at some lotto for a short period and see if it works out and let you know how it goes.

One example is Topps Platinum. In 2012 they placed a 75pt. Ruby Red card that Topps calls a decoy card. The same has happened in 2013 with the exception that the decoy card was Saphire. If I recall correctly SP Authentic has blank decoy cards.

Yes, good luck in your lotto endeavor!

[drubacca117]

One example is Topps Platinum. In 2012 they placed a 75pt. Ruby Red card that Topps calls a decoy card. The same has happened in 2013 with the exception that the decoy card was Saphire. If I recall correctly SP Authentic has blank decoy cards.

Yes, good luck in your lotto endeavor!

I've gotten decoys in every retail product I have purchased this year with the exception of '13 Score. I don't think I got any decoys in the blaster boxes I purchased, but I did got them in several hobby boxes. I think it is a fantastic idea, and a great way to help prevent people for ruining things for every one else.

I am curious how much the pack weights differ from one another though... Like, how much a pack with a base auto weighs compared to pack with none, or the difference between packs with GU's of different sizes. I know that when I pulled my two printing plates, the packs felt identical to packs that only contained base cards. The difference has to be fractions of an once in some cases!

[Murphy03]

I've gotten decoys in every retail product I have purchased this year with the exception of '13 Score. I don't think I got any decoys in the blaster boxes I purchased, but I did got them in several hobby boxes. I think it is a fantastic idea, and a great way to help prevent people for ruining things for every one else.

I am curious how much the pack weights differ from one another though... Like, how much a pack with a base auto weighs compared to pack with none, or the difference between packs with GU's of different sizes. I know that when I pulled my two printing plates, the packs felt identical to packs that only contained base cards. The difference has to be fractions of an once in some cases!

I remember all the way back to when Donruss first started having the Elite cards in them and people were weighing out packs back then. It has to be only a fraction of an ounce difference and, to me, that is not worth the effort. I know this years Topps baseball has those World Series card in them that are crazy thick, and quite noticeable in the rack packs, so I cant blame someone for snagging one of those off the wall. But to dedicate your entire day to finding that one pack is absurd.

[tsands11]

Just seems pointless to me, like I said I am more of a person who likes not knowing. Take last week for example I grabbed a box of 13' strata and a 13' magic took them home. when pulling them out I noticed no difference what so ever. I broke them, and got a Alex Okafor auto in the strata and a Robert Lester auto in the magic. I have gotten 2 boxes of platinum 13' before and 1 felt slightly heavier nothing to big tho, the 1 that felt heavier had a dual auto in it and other a #'d jersey piece. So I know it cannot always be the case when weighing them out.