I'm not sure how many Card Talkers are on ePack so perhaps this is irrelevant to most, but I thought I'd share anyway. . .

It's likely just cyclical, but I've become burned out with ePack. I do like the accessibility, and I wish there were more releases available on ePack (i.e. if Upper Deck could license the tech to Crypto and RA that would be awesome).

While trading can be amazing, it seems like lately I'm just getting spammed with trades for stuff I don't want. I have a wish list for a reason. If I was getting other interesting offers that would be one thing, but my typical trade offer isn't for anything close to what I am collecting.

I've also tried to stick to only trading for stuff I am collecting. I've gotten stung too many times trading with people in circles for cards they are chasing for achievements, then when the achievements are done the card values plummet. . . it's like playing hot potato or musical chairs and if you aren't chasing the achievement you always end up holding the least valuable cards.

The trouble is a lot of the achievement chasers don't have what I am chasing, then they get aggravated with I refuse to take their trades of random stuff I'm not collecting.

It's gotten to the point where I don't even want to open trade offers anymore. . .

Like I said it's probably just cyclical, but I'm not having much fun on ePack right now.

I got burned out when I saw how much it cost.

When I was checking into it I thought the quick access could get addictive really quick.

One of the main reasons I avoid most trade/sell sites is because it seems like everyone wants to sell stupid high and then buy at a bargain. Then treat you like it's your fault you don't give them your stuff.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: mykdude,

quote:

Originally posted by mykdude:
I got burned out when I saw how much it cost.

When I was checking into it I thought the quick access could get addictive really quick.

One of the main reasons I avoid most trade/sell sites is because it seems like everyone wants to sell stupid high and then buy at a bargain. Then treat you like it's your fault you don't give them your stuff.

Also great points.

The interesting thing which is kind of surprising and a huge challenge is the 'race to the bottom' with prices on COMC.

ePack cards can be easily transferred to and sold on COMC, all but the rarest cards eventually end up on COMC very cheap.

Punisher was the most recent Marvel release, you combine 5 digital base cards to make a physical ePack parallel card. With perfect collation you can make about 21 base cards from a box. Boxes cost $103. A complete 100 card base set can be redeemed for an achievement card. Given that it's going to cost somewhere around $500 to get a complete base set + an achievement card I figured people would be trying to sell these for -- something -- even a quarter each.

I looked yesterday and people are already selling these for $.02. Part of the issue is that COMC tacks on a quarter, so for the buyer these cost $.27. . . at that rate the seller gets 1 or 2 dollars for a complete set that cost $500 to build (obviously you get other stuff too, so that $500 isn't all on the base set, but you'd figure people would hold out for more than $.02). . .

Then you have the achievement card -- obviously more rare than the individual base cards. You redeem the base set for a card that is currently available on ePack for $.55. The seller gets $.30 minus ePacks additional 5%.

What's even worse -- the seller gets $1-2, ePack clears over $25.

I get that eventually prices would settle at a few pennies for a base card. . . but the Punisher set is less than 4 weeks old, and the sellers racing to the bottom have already killed any value.

Wow - I have no idea what you guys are talking about.

Ain't life grand?

quote:

Originally posted by cardaddict:
Wow - I have no idea what you guys are talking about.

Ain't life grand?

In a nutshell ePack is Upper Deck's platform where you can buy and open packs of their products online.

I bought a few pack on epack and that was it. My daughter and I go every day to open the free pack. We finished Doctor Strange and with Webjon's help Dinosaurs and we are 80% done on the 200 card set of Overwatch. I went onto COMC and purchased the cards I wanted for next to nothing. I got the Fleer Ultra X-men Hildebrandt litograph achievement for 4 bucks! It would have taken a lot more then that to earn it buying epacks. So, outside of the daily freebie, that is all I do there.

Free packs? I'm bored and intrigued. Do you ever get anything remotely worthwhile from the free packs?

quote:

Originally posted by JMH710:
Free packs? I'm bored and intrigued. Do you ever get anything remotely worthwhile from the free packs?

Best case you can combine several digital copies of cards from free backs to a physical card. Free packs do not contain chase cards.

You get one free pack per day.

Thanks for the info.

I managed to lose today's free pack (I accidentally clicked "Open" on the wrong thing and it turns out you can't go back), but it doesn't look like it matters much. If you can't get anything exciting from free packs, I can't then trade for cards which interest me more. Oh, well.

Edit: I found it after all. What does one do with a purple parallel? Nothing?

quote:

Originally posted by webjon:

quote:

Originally posted by JMH710:
Free packs? I'm bored and intrigued. Do you ever get anything remotely worthwhile from the free packs?

Best case you can combine several digital copies of cards from free backs to a physical card. Free packs do not contain chase cards.

You get one free pack per day.

You can get free digital cards on both TOPPS Card Trader (Star Wars, Walking Dead) and Quidd (Star Trek) - Simply create an account and log on each day for free coins that can be used to buy packs of cards. No physical cards, but its still fun (and free) - You can pay real money for rarer cards, or better odds at completing sets to get reward cards, but its not a requirment.

quote:

Originally posted by AWR:
You can get free digital cards on both TOPPS Card Trader (Star Wars, Walking Dead) and Quidd (Star Trek) - Simply create an account and log on each day for free coins that can be used to buy packs of cards. No physical cards, but its still fun (and free) - You can pay real money for rarer cards, or better odds at completing sets to get reward cards, but its not a requirment.

I got into the Topps digital thing for a short while. As long as you can restrain and not send them any money it's cool. Unfortunately, the whole design is to get you on the hunt and to send them money.

After a few months I had to stop and remind myself I was spending money on absolutely nothing. As you say....No physical cards. ;-)