More Bang For A Buck?

A while back I was curious if it would be smarter to get the 5 pack of cards at the Dollar Tree versus the 30 pack.  On the surface of course 30 is 6 times more than the 5 cards but the 30 packs have older cards and sometimes multiples of the same card.  In total you might find 5-10 cards out of the 30 that you want.  So I decided to get some and check it out.

I was able to see the top card which was the Alex Gordon.  I also got a glimpse of the back card.  I could tell it was a blue border card but not much else.  I like the Gordon and the Garcia card, and a blue border of the Blue Jays is nice.  Overall, I guess I did okay.  I needed the Gordon and probably would have to pay 50 cents or more on COMC so I broke even I suppose.

Here is the second pack I bought.  I used the Gordon pack to show that you can see the top card.  In this second pack, I could see the Griffey card on top which is why I chose it.  Otherwise, this pack didn't impress me.  I likely have all the other cards or I don't plan on getting them otherwise.  I'm not sure if the Junior card is worth a buck, but it is nice to have.

So in two packs I got 3-4 cards I liked.  I like how they are mostly newer cards and no doubles, but I wish it was a bit more variety among sets.  At least all the cards were licensed so that's a plus.

So how do they compare to the 30 packs?

Well, I like the Harvey card, and the SP Authentics look cool next to each other.

Hey, a Manute Bol card!  Also a nice Vinny Testaverde and Craig Biggio cards.  Out of the 30 cards, I guess 3 were good enough.  They include all sports and all years, but most are just commons.  I could pick 6-10 cards off Just Commons for a buck and they would all be cards I want. However this is more random and a bit more exciting.

How about one more 30 pack.

For reference I showed what the front of the pack looks like.  I believe the Tettleton was on top.  Truth be told though, none of the 30 packs seem to have great top cards so I usually just grab them without looking at the top card.

David Justice and Steve Avery were nice to pull.  As was the Devon White and Bob Walk.  I don't really collect any of those players, but I might hold onto the Avery for a while until I clean my binder out next time.

Hey a Royals card!  I have the Kevin McReynolds card (I actually have that whole team set), but any Royals card I pull is a plus.  I showed the back of the Bagwell because bloggers go crazy for autograph shots.  This pack only had baseball and basketball but a nice appearance by Gary Payton.  I'm not sure if I've ever had a basketball Stadium Club card.  My favorite card of the pack is the Tony Cuccinello.  It's from a set I don't see too often, so its nice to get one every now and them.

So which is a better deal- 5 newer cards or 30 mostly older cards from all sports?  I had a bit more fun with the 30 pack.  Sure most of the cards were junk, but it was a bit more exciting to see what card would be next.  The 5 pack had nice cards on top, but the others were just base cards from sets I mostly had.  The 30 pack also had more variety from all sports so while I don't actively collect other sports as much, there is more of a chance I won't have them some of which I may want or like.

In the future I think I will stick to the 30 packs, but I will look at the 5 packs to see if there are any top cards I like.  My most recent visit to the Dollar Tree I passed on cards completely (I did have to get other things though), as I wasn't impressed with the selection.  Next time I go I might get some just because I need a fix.  My only other local options for cards are Walmart which is really lacking lately and Casey's General Store, which I get cards from since they are the only place in town to get cards and if I want to open something.  I'm hoping to make a trip to a semi-local card shop sometime soon.

Thanks for reading and I hope everyone has a great day!