I have been involved in more than a hundred breaks the past handful of years and I can say without pause that the markup a breaker typically makes is nominal. It's truly a labor of love, not a big payday.

It definitely is not a big payday more work and headaches than anything. I really love doing group breaks, they are fun and get people with common interest together. Leon & I felt this would be a great addition to the site and hopefully generates new members.

Thank you for the support,
Nick

Thanks for the support Steve,
Nick

Good luck in Vegas! Should be a fun time.

Thanks for the support,
Nick

For those who may have an interest, here is a Frequency Distribution, by "book value," of the 1955 Topps Baseball set.

I am not offering an opinion here...just laying out the "odds."

Best regards,

Eric

Eric--that's great info, but you wonder, if people are willing to play a game where they have no idea what the house take is, why they would care what the expected value of a pick it.

Where will this set come from? Are you acquiring a large swath and purchasing other cards individually? I think the concern oldjudge is making is that without seeing what your cost is we really wouldn't have any idea whether some of us would be in or not. What if we aren't able to acquire a Clemente at a reasonable cost? Do we buy one outside of our price just to do it or do we wait? The reason group box breaks work so well is because it's easy to acquire the product at a set price. There's really no guessing to it. I'm concerned that there are too many variables beyond our control for this to work unless you find someone selling an entire set.

It's an important part of the equation...just figured I would throw it out there.

Best regards,

Eric

You find someone selling an entire set. For 1955 Topps, that shouldn't be too hard.

Eric--if you believe these values are representative of the value of what is being purchased then the set should cost $13,369 (using mid-points) and a pick should be worth $64.90 with no house take. What I wonder is, with these numbers, how much would Nick and Leon charge per pick. If they charge $70, which doesn't seem like a big premium, they are making almost 10% which translates to over $1000.
And don't forget shipping.

Right, but to meet our budget and all the aforementioned things could be tricky. Point is it's not as easy as it sounds.

Of course, condition is important...perhaps critical...in determining value.

I believe a complete set can be purchased for quite a bit less than this. However, again, condition will certainly come into play. The "book value" (from the same Beckett price guide) lists the complete 206 card set, in Near Mint condition, at $8,000.

I will defer to others (Nick and Leon, especially) on how much a pick should be worth; however, that does seem a bit high to me for this particular set break. Unless, of course, the cards are all graded and uniformly in NM or better condition. In which case, the chance of landing one of the better cards in the set comes into play.

Percentage-wise, that seems fair to me.

Just my two cents on the topic.

Best regards,

Eric

We are definitely finding someone with a complete 1955 Topps Set. Finding a set with our budget and standards should not be too hard to find.

Thanks for the comment,
-Nick

I might be in for a spot depending on the final price point. I would be very interested in participating in a smaller prewar set also.

As previously stated in multiple answers to questions. Leon & I are trying to be as transparent as possible. The amount we purchase the set for will be disclosed, if you have a problem with the premium charge we decide to charge don't join. It is really as simple as that. I promise you this, it definitely won't be near the premium blowoutcards previously charged for the both times they have ran a break like this. They must have had close to 30% premium charge, that my guess.

As for trying to determine a price for a spot, that remains to be seen but $65 is definitely not an accurate prediction. I understand people want all the answers to their questions at this time like a price per spot, a premium charge, etc. but we are just in the starting phases of setting this up so we can't provide that info until we finally post the official thread where people can claim spots and actually join the break.

Thanks,
-Nick

Nick,

At risk of offending, this reply does not seem congruent with a scholarly debate on the topic. I believe Net54 is supporting you on the idea of a 1955 Topps set break.

We simply want all of the details before signing on.

Best regards,

Eric

No offense taken.

I know the community is supporting me and Im really appreciative of all the support. I know everyone wants to have all the details now but the truth is we don't have all the information to answer everyone's question. Im trying to answer every question as best as I can with the information I have at this time.

I promise, everyone will have time once all the information is officially posted on a new formal thread to sign in on the break if they wish. That new thread will hopefully provide all the information needed for members to decide if they want to join.

Thanks,
-Nick

In the event of many people participating, and in the interest of fairness, should all parties get one card and only then open it up to multiple slots on a first come, first served basis?

Also: If this works well (which I think it surely will) please consider these beautiful sets:

'50, '51, '52 Bowman
'52, '53, '54 Topps
'41 Playball
'33, '34 Goudey
'34 Diamond Stars
...and... of course... the t206 or other tobacco cards. (The Cracker jacks would be awesome... but, much like the tobacco cards, way out of my price range... but it would be fun to watch!)

I think with the 206 spots in the 1955 Topps set there will definitely be enough spots for people to take as many spots as they want. Everyone will definitely have a shot at spots. For possible future breaks that have less spots like pre-war sets for example limiting the number of spots you can buy could definitely be a possibility. Thanks for providing possible suggestions for future breaks.

Thank you for your post,
-Nick

Not everyone is supporting you. I would support this if the net proceeds were benefiting a charity. As a profit making scheme I am against this. I would be interested if one of the lawyers on the board could chime in as to the legality if this.

Thank for your input and Im sorry you feel that way.

-Nick

"legality"? Really?

People, with full knowledge of how it works, decides to join this... and you turn to lawyers? Are you being forced to join at knife point?

Why don't you go after all fantasy leagues and personal bets first (you know... where most people who pay in get ZERO out of it.) and then, when that's all cleaned up, you can go after this small and fun venture... or better yet... get a grip. ...jeez.

Jay,
I think the total take I have heard is about 10% net. I think it would be good for the board because it would increase activity. I will give 100% of my proceeds to a local dog rescue of some kind and report on it. I don't think it's illegal if we aren't doing anything wrong and every thing is done with transparency. If anyone doesn't want to play they don't have to. Nothing is set in stone yet including doing it. I wanted to have a discussion and go from there.....btw, I have no clue about any breaks because I never have been involved in them but I think our cost should be made public...no issue.

+100. If you don't want to participate, you certainly don't have to. As for me....I want to play!!!

Great idea, I'm in!

Huh?
 

I don't get it. Why would it be illegal? You can sell your cards on Ebay for any price you determine. You could set up this exact system and sell it there (in fact someone did something like this about 5 years ago).

Heck, when I read this thread my first thought was ... IF I decide to sell any of the sets I own (not planning to right now), this would be a fun/efficient way to do it (versus listing cards individually or waiting for someone with deep enough pockets who needed my set showing up).

And even if they did make a profit ... good for them! Have you never sold a card at a profit before? What would be illegal about selling a card for a profit?

As far as I'm concerned, Leon and Nick desreve a profit if they do it ... because they put in the money and work. And Leon, as far as I'm concerned you would not need to donate your profit to charity (unless you wanted to of course).

Cheers,
Patrick

They do this on ebay literally every day with high priced modern box/case breaks. On most of them, you bid on a particular team and if there are any "hits" in the box/case for that team, you get the card(s).

I'm not a lawyer, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night! I say, let's do this.

If all goes well for the trial run, id be game for a pre-war set or partial. 1955 topps set is nice safe start but does not fancy me one bit.

awesome.

Thanks for the support lol!

-Nick

I think it would be great. Learning about and possibly starting to collect a new set, at least for myself. Definitely interested.

Not a bad idea but myself would not be interested. It's a nice set for sure but I feel ya get better outcome for something more pre-war. That's what most if these guys collect it seems. Best of luck

Awesome idea. I'm in.

For transparency I believe instead of the word 'premium' you should disclose fully what the set cost and what you stand to make.

I am definitely interested. I've done team box breaks in the past and they are a lot of fun, particularly if everyone is communicating via chat because you can cheer on and root against each other when the hits come. A chance for a Koufax, Clemente, or Killebrew rookie for a nominal cost would be well worth it.

The proposed method of running the generator with our buy in spots and then depending on where you finish on the list matches the card number is definitely less dramatic. If the cards could be revealed one at a time, it would build anticipation. With a box break, there's already some variability within the box so you don't know when the hit is coming. It'd be nice if we randomized the cards along with the buy in spots so you don't know when the hit is coming. I know it's more work, but makes for a fun online session, which is the point of the project, per Leon.

Also, not sure about your generator that you're using but there are 4 cards missing from the 55 set, so the random generator would need to know to exclude those numbers if trying to coincide each number in the generator with a card number as originally proposed.

If anyone is having wet dreams hoping to win the Harry Agganis RC, contact me directly if you are disappointed with the card you win before seeking professional help.:eek:

http://www.collectorfocus.com/images...-topps-agganis

I'll participate, could be fun!

That will be disclosed. Not to worry.

Thanks for the comment,
-Nick

Thanks for the input. We will definitely consider revealing the cards one by one to build anticipation.

-Nick

For what it's worth, or not worth
 

Don't forget that although the last card in the 55T set is #210 (Snider), four cards were never issued: 175, 186, 203 & 209.

increasing interest/participation
 

As far as increasing interest/membership goes I mostly lurk on these boards, sometimes using the buy/sell board and I would most likely participate in a group break and the corresponding discussions. I think something like this would increase the number of members actively participating in the board and possibly even bring over new members. These breaks are very popular for modern collectors and I think there is a more than fair chance that a break like this could help net54 gain new members and expose some modern collectors to the joys of collecting something more vintage.

Over on the memorabilia side of the board we held a raffle for a Graig Kreindler original painting....I don't know the legality of something like that, nor do I really care...it was fun knowing I had a chance, and when I didn't win it was nice to know that I helped contribute to someone getting their very own Graig "Freaking" Kreindler original :D

I don't think I would participate in this one as I have no interest in this set, but it will be fun to watch it all unfold.

It seems that those that are "skeptical" want answers now that they don't have yet. They can't know the costs of each entry until they figure out the cost of the set, the mailing costs, and whatever percentage they are getting for all the time and labor to run it. I don't see how difficult this is to grasp. To go one step further, Nick and Leon have committed to letting everyone know how much the set costs and how much their "fees" will be. While I don't know Nick, I do believe Leon's reputation is such, that his word should be good enough for everyone here.

I would think it's fairly obvious that details like, which set, in which grade, for how much per chance, makes all the difference in the world on whether any one of us would want to participate. If they get a 1933 Goudey set in PSA 8 and ask for $10 an entry, I'm sure every person on this board, card collector or not, would want an entry. On the other hand, if it's a 1960 Topps set in PSA 3 for $40 an entry, I'm sure very few would be interested.

I took this post as a tool to measure the interest level of the board for this type of activity, not asking for commitments and promises from any one person. In this type of post, I think they are simply looking for a "Yes, I would be interested in participating if I agree to all the final rules/pricing" number of possible participants.

As for me, I may be willing to participate in this type of activity as I did in the Kreindler raffle. I would be more likely to do so for an older set, even if that meant the per entry price is higher. The chance to possibly win a Lou Gehrig card would be pretty exciting for me.

Mark

Count me in!
 

I am in. Sounds like fun.

I thought the concept was worth a column
 

Maybe you should use your random number generator to generate the number of random number sequences you should generate.

I agree with Jay. there is a clear element of chance here. I wouldn't be prepared to swear that such activity is legal in every state.

100% correct Mark. I stand by my transparency motto on all of this. I stand by my offer of giving 100% of my proceeds to a dog (or other animal cause) in the North Texas area and will report back on it. I love helping our animal friends and almost nothing makes me happier. Really, the only thing now is to determine what set is best to use. I am not sold on '55 Topps.....as this is a pre-war board (but it could still be the one, I just don't know). I do think Nick needs to get something for all of the work he will put into this so I really want his small take to go to him. This is NOT a money making project. Every single penny will be exposed, cost and sale-wise. There will be some expenses (paypal, shipping etc...) and those will have to be accounted for. I will put up the money for the set and I just want what I put into it back, after all is said and done. I don't want a penny otherwise. Nothing is set in stone. I think this will appeal to a lot of our members and isn't our hobby about having fun?

I doubt law enforcement would get their knickers in a knot unless someone really got ticked off and pushed the issue.

As for me, i'd probably play if it were a set I was even casually interested in and the cost seemed reasonable.

While this set break does seem like gambling at least you will come away with something for your money...some will pay more than the card's actual value and some will pay less. I would say this is probably more within the law than a raffle. Hasn't modern card collecting been about gambling for the last decade or so anyway? I rarely visit my local card shop any longer, but when I'm there it's usually adults buying expensive unopened packs hoping for the autograph insert.

Awesome article Rich!

-Nick

Thanks for the post. We will definitely have all this sorted out.

-Nick

What is the estimated timeline for all this getting put together?

Nick and I need to chat about it.....I don't think it will be in the next week but would think sometime in the next month or so. There are some other details to be worked out...especially exactly what set to use. More details soon...LL

As I said, for a donation to our men's club, I'd be happy to have this event as part of our show on the 31st with Leon running the randomater.

We have plenty of room and I think that would bring some extra excitement to the proceedings.

Plus that would give enough time for the spaces to be filled and if any are available they could be filled at the show on that day.

Rich

Thanks for the offer Rich. I will definitely consider it. I know you are easy to work with!! :) I think I am going to start one more thread to get specific feedback on what set to use. Nothing is ruled out or in so far.

Re: set break
 

This business model is still unclear to me. Is the slot price going to be based on cost, cost plus markup, or "retail" value of the individual cards? If the former, why would anyone lay out $4-8K for a set with virtually no return? If the latter, wouldn't customers be vastly better off in the long run simply assembling their own set by buying in groups and at widely available discounts off single cards?

Also, I don't see the need for any "disclosure". Assuming it's legal, it's just another business venture. Leon and Nick should just set a slot price based on whatever criteria they deem appropriate. If they're able to find enough weak-minded customers who are amused by this chicanery, they should make some money on it. And there's no reason the profits need to be donated to an animal shelter, no matter how much Leon loves dogs. It's no different, really, than bingo, slot machines or roulette. If these activities stimulate you, have fun with it.

In my mind, and if I am sponsoring it, the cost per ticket will be figured starting with the true cost of the set to be "raffled". As an example if it were a $1000 set and there were 50 cards, the cost of the cards would be $20 each. Then there would be a 10% markup making it $22 per card. Then we would only add true, hard expenses on top of that. I would guess another dollar a card. So each card would cost $23. Therefore $1 would go to Nick for running the whole thing and doing all of the work, $1 would go to me for putting out the money and running the board (and I will still donate all of my proceeds as I said) and $1 for expenses......paypal etc.....then also, we would need to add exact shipping to each shipment. But that is it. Not rocket science. And anything short of something like this scenario and I wouldn't be in favor of doing it. As for chicanery, I don't know about that, but it is a form of lottery I guess. And "weak minded" is a bit strong too but I sort of agree about gambling in general. I have done it a dozen times or so and always have a 100-200 limit per day. I get enjoyment from it when I do it and don't stress. It can be fun. Honestly, these group breaks are not something I would generally join in, as buying into and playing. They just aren't my cup 'o tea, but I know some folks really like them.

I should add, this isn't another business venture to me. It is a way to get more people involved on the board. If it were a business venture I would want to make money :).

1955 is one of the 4 sets left that I am looking to complete and was planned as a 2015 project.

Since I generally overpay for cards and have zero negotiation skills and ability - paying $25 for an $8 card is something that I do nearly every day in my set building quests. So, for me, paying $25 for a slot will be like buying a common and anything above a common would be gravy:)

What I need to ask Eric Perry about is - what is the tipping point? If I spend $1000 (40 entries) on a $4000 set, do I stand a good percentage chance to get Kourfax or Clemente? Somewhere on my bookshelf is my college stats book and I could probably pull it out and figure the break even point. But, since I am going to buy this set in the coming year anyway, I was wondering what a good number would be. If I somehow spent 1000-2000 and landed both Koufax and Clemente, it would send me on my way to very good value for the set. If I missed on both of them, and got 40 really nice $8 commons, then I will be sleeping in the spare bedroom and apologizing to the MRS.

Regards,
Kevin

Kevin with PSA8 I'd bet your $1K would not end up with just 40 commons.

You can figure out the stars in the set and the rookies and I'd pretty much say if you did not end up with one of the following cards (and I'd say a 20 percent of the set equals one of these stars)

Clemente, Hodges, Snider, Koufax, Killebrew, Berra, T. Wiliams, Aaron. Mays

You buy 40 slots and not get at least ONE key player, then you should never go to Vegas again

then you should never go to Vegas again

Under serious consideration after my last, painful trip....:)

You have an approximately 13.7% chance of not getting one of those 7 guys if you buy 40 slots.

Seeing the arguments against, I keep coming back to the point, if you don't want to participate, no one is forcing you to. I agree with Leon on the "weak minded" quote (and I like Ed, so no offense taken!!:D). If I have the cash and want to gamble a little bit, I don't see the harm. If I wind up with a couple of commons, oh well. That would just be another aspect of what makes the hobby enjoyable for me.

Depending on the set and the slot price, I'd probably be in.

Vintage Set Group Break Idea! Input Needed!
 

Gentlemen, whatever you decide to do, be careful.
http://www.ehow.com/list_6549319_rul...ts.html#page=0

To me this is like going 56mph in a 55mph zone. I don't think with what we are doing, and the net amounts, that we will have any worries about all of those rules. If this was big money, maybe, but it's not. And much of the profits are going to charity. I will roll the dice on it, if we get there and decide this is a go....but always good to read caveats and stuff.

This is not relatable to what is being discussed. Is a crane machine illegal too? This is definitely a game of chance but everyone still wins a prize (unlike a raffle) and also isn't designed to make the people running it money (unlike a raffle). Without a monetary incentive for the person running it the odds of litigation prevailing are slim to none. But as Leon said always good to be fully informed.