Hey Mike. As a rule I avoid most repackaged products, as they hold little if any value, regardless of your or anyone's individual outcome. I pulled that Bedard draft card twice, via a single $50 CAD group break Hit Select spot, of an entire case. I immediately sold one. As a rule, Walmart is overpriced, and geared toward retail. For those interested in hobby odds, they can simply buy single hobby packs during seasonal sales with 100% certainty, and avoid the mystery markup. The main issue with "mystery" boxes is they do not guarantee the nature of the packs inside. On average (which is all I care about), they under-deliver or counterfeit disclosed hobby odds. Where I agree with you is if boxes include, say, 2015-16 packs of products that are depleted and are now prohibitively priced. Then, if there is a chance of including a 2015-16 pack, perhaps playing Russian roulette is worth it mathematically. But, even then, the mystery product must disclose the odds of including such a pack. Equally, we cannot know whether they are including packs from cases where the case hit - e.g. McDavid YG - was already pulled. If mystery boxes did outperform hobby boxes or cases, they would be in group breaks. They aren't for a reason. They under-perform retail, and don't disclose actual odds on the boxes.

Man, that's a very tough pull.

Only one in ten boxes don’t have an auto. But that box will have a 16-bit or doubloon. Both cherished. Would you prefer a non-NHL rookie auto or a 16-bit of Matthews. For most of the history cards were not about autos. There are enough autos in the hobby. Ppl think too linearly.

@@Fultoncards Yeah that's true, I definitely have a jaded view on 23-24 as a whole and that came out in my comment. 16-bit and Doubloons are cool from what I've seen and given the wide variety and selection of autos in Allure, one of those two hits would more likely be more desirable than the average auto you get.

Yeah definitely had the horse-blinders on/got too hyper-focused on the fact that an auto isn't guaranteed, didn't look at the full picture. Over 90% at an auto and if you don't get an auto you get a very desired 16-bit or Doubloon card. They could've done it way worse if they really wanted to right? Made a mistake, it happens, thanks for the good comments as always Fulton.

No, no. Nothing wrong with having a strong opinion. I know I'm a bit of an iconoclast, with my own. Beliefs are very personal. I'm a huge proponent of Allure. In the first year of Allure, I took part in a survey ranking products. Other well known breakers who took part in the survey ranked it last, or close. I placed it first on purpose, to ensure it wouldn't rank too badly, notably because I knew the boxes would dip to $60-$70. Meaning: it occupies the spot Panini Elite or Titanium occupied, which is a massive hole in the hobby. Years later, those very same breakers now rank Allure very highly. I myself love to collect autos. But, because of all the SP and SSP in UD products, the odds state the average box hit auto across products is often a marginal NHLer auto, certainly true for lower end products. An entire generation of collectors now equates hits, box value, and - worse - enjoyment solely to superstar autos. (My heart sinks every time I see a new hockey breaker hit an auto of a depth player, and brood, when the odds are disclosed. And that depth player might hoist the Cup someday.) If we look at the history of the hobby, autos are a relatively new concept. Right or wrong, what solely fixating on autos does is tell children who can only afford retail or lower end products (e.g. OPC base, MVP, Parkhurst, Allure, etc.) that their boxes don't have cards worth caring about, or enjoying. My own belief is that misses the entire point of why most people enter the hobby, to admire the 360 of our game, on the front and back of cards. This is why I have no issue with sticker autos or non-auto PMG or 16-Bit counting as hits. They mean shallower pockets can get excited. If every box had a hard-signed McDavid, (a) the boxes would cost more, and (b) the McD autos would have no value.

@@Fultoncards Thanks Fulton, I enjoy Allure too and I fondly remember the first year, it was a really good product, you got an autograph and a jersey card plus a few numbered cards to boot and back then it was priced in the lower end like you said. I love autos too whether it's the sticker variety or the on card variety or something in between (lookin at you SPX). And yep a lot of people forget to actually enjoy opening packs and get hyper focused on the main pulls (something I can be guilty of too) and yes people very easily forget what they will LIKELY get in a box and get caught up in looking for the big hits (or Bedard). Now that you say that, yeah honestly autograph cards in the hobby have probably only been around for 30 years or so (thinking somewhere from 1990 to 1994). Exactly, we need to look at the 360 and the full picture. Collecting means different things to different people and different cards mean different things to different people, it's not all about autos. And yep exactly if every box had a top end hit they would be priced even higher and the card would lose all value. Thanks as always Fulton, keep up the good work!