Group Breaks 101

Group breaks can be a great way to access expensive wax at an affordable price. While only some collectors can fork over thousands of dollars for the newest Flawless release, many more can find the money to enter a group break.  Group breaks essentially divide up the cost of a box by the number of people in the break. It allows collectors the chance at getting an absolute monster of a card at a much more affordable price point. There are a ton of different variations of group breaks and I outline some of the more popular ones down below.   

Random division/team

Random Division group breaks are probably the most frequent type of group breaks run on Loupe. Based on the sport, the number of spots in the break will equal the number of divisions in that league. Once the break is full, the seller randomizes the names of the people in the break using a list randomizer. After the names are randomized, the seller randomizes the divisions and matches up the two lists to assign everyone their divisions for the break. Then comes the fun part: The breaker rips the box and you get every card from your division that comes out of the box. Random team group breaks follow the same structure, but instead of randomizing divisions, the breaker randomizes the number of teams in the league. 

Hit drafts

Hit drafts are probably the second most popular break on Loupe. These are typically done for expensive boxes that only come with a few cards. The number of spots in this break is equal to the number of cards in the box. My personal favorite hit drafts are 2020 NFL Obsidian. This product comes with 7 cards, so rather than paying the $500-$600 for a box, I could enter a hit draft for $80-$90 per spot. Once filled, sellers will take the list of people in the break and randomize to get the draft order. After the order is established, the box is ripped and everyone picks a card based on where they landed in the draft. The first spot will take the best card, the second spot chooses from everything that’s left, and so on.

Division draft

This isn’t the same as the random division above! Division drafts are similar, but the breaker only randomizes the list of people in the break. Once that list is generated, everyone drafts the division they want.  Not surprisingly, this past NFL season saw the AFC West (Herbert, Mahomes) as the first division picked nearly every time.

Pick Your Team (PYT)

The Pick Your Team format allows people to set their own budget for the break. Pricing for each team varies based on the potential value of their players. For example, the Hornets have been the most expensive team in 2020-21 NBA PYT group breaks because of LaMelo Ball. This is a great option though if you are collecting your favorite team or player because it guarantees you get any of their cards that come out of the box.

Tips and tricks

My biggest piece of advice is to look at the checklist to know what cards are possible. In 2020 NFL Flawless, the 49ers are typically undervalued because a lot of legends (e.g. Jerry Rice, Joe Montana, Steve Young) signed cards. Pricing is typically going to be based on rookies, so knowing veteran autos that are available can be a slight edge. 

The key factor is to go in with realistic expectations. The reason group breaks are cheaper is because there is a chance you come away with just a Robert Covington base card while someone in the break got a LaMelo Ball auto /25 (speaking from experience). At the same time, a Loupe member recently hit a Tom Brady Flawless Autograph numbered to 2. The potential for huge hits is there. Loupe breakers regularly run group breaks and if you are looking for a specific format, just ask. They’re a ton of fun and most people are willing to throw one together.

Group breaks are such a big part of Loupe that we’ve written about them before. Check out some additional reading if you have more questions. But, just jumping into one for yourself is the best way to get the hang of it. You can’t beat the thrill of landing the top spot in a hit draft.

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