Leon has got it there, as this is all about framing. If you are thinking "I'm going to try and get the Mantle," than it seems like gambling. But if you are thinking "I'm buying a random 1952 Topps card," than it is not.
It is fairly easy to correlate this to buying a pack of baseball cards (or, if you will, a pack of cigarettes in 1910 that have a card included). If you are buying it hoping for that long-shot autograph (or, say, a Mathewson in the other scenario), than you are gambling (and would be better off buying the desired card/cards on the secondary market). I know that many, or perhaps most, people buying packs and boxes these days are hoping for that huge hit, but there are still plenty of us that buy a pack of Topps knowing that we are getting ten baseball cards. Might be worth more than my initial outlay, likely worth less, but I'm happy either way because I went into the transaction looking to buy ten baseball cards.
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