By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
So what are Live Breaks?
Why should I take part in Live Breaks?
How much does it cost?
How exactly do Live Breaks work?
Don’t miss out on our special giveaway on IG where 3 lucky participants will win either one 2023-24 Panini Donruss Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Basketball Gravity Box, or one 2023-24 Panini Prizm Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Basketball Blaster Box, or one 2023-24 Panini Instant Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Basketball Timeless Moments Complete Set, in the debut of EuroLeague tradings cards from Panini America!
We are Trace ‘n Chase, an innovative company that was born during quarantine, driven by our passion and desire to give countless sports fans in Greece and Europe the opportunity to discover the “hobby” of card collecting! To acquire unique collectible items that will decorate their office, home, or company and to talk to their friends about sports cards, all while enjoying their favorite game!
After all this educational material it’s time to discover the wonderful world of live breaks, the hottest – and most viral – experience in the hobby of collectible cards!
While card collecting has been a historical and timeless hobby for more than 100 years, Live Breaks have become only in recent years a fancy trend in the field, due of course to the development of technology and the possibilities it gives to people all over the world!
So what are Live Breaks?
Live Breaks, in a nutshell, is a scheduled event where collectors buy a spot, usually corresponding to teams of the main sports leagues (10, 20 or more) in exchange for receiving some of the trading cards of a box or of a combination of boxes. Live Breaks are usually live streamed so that all participants can share in the excitement, see the cards that are being pulled and the organizer’s reactions as they happen.
Why should I take part in Live Breaks?
Economic Value: Quite simply, Live Breaks have become an extremely popular and economical way for collectors to acquire potentially higher value or rarer cards without having to purchase an entire box themselves. So instead of buying a box and investing hundreds of euros for a medium to upper tier box, you can pay a fraction of its price to get the team or teams that interest you.
While a box can cost from 200€ to 1000€+ at a Live Break you can buy a spot for 20€ to 50€! A group of collectors can additionally participate in a more expensive Live Break and share the cost accordingly!
Collectable (super) value: Live Breaks allow you to target collect your favorite team without getting unwanted cards. For example: You are a die-hard Athenian fan and wish to collect only Panathinaikos or Olympiacos cards. You can buy the spot of Panathinaikos or Olympiacos on a Live Break and enrich your collection with modern stars like Sasha Vezenkov & Kendrick Nunn, as well as Dimitris Diamantidis and Vassilis Spanoulis!
The value of community: Another great advantage of Live Breaks is the camaraderie and general fun that comes with them. These are usually broadcasted live so that collectors can experience the excitement created by the appearance of a very special card, and many organizers also give additional “gifts” just for attending, such as sports memorabilia or high value trading cards.
How much does it cost?
Since collectors essentially split the cost of buying one or several boxes, participating is always cheaper than buying a box yourself. Prices can vary significantly for a seat on a Live Break and the variation depends on a number of factors, but mainly the quality and value of the box. If it is a very good box, in terms of offering a high proportion of “hit cards” (autographs & memorabilia), then the organizers will charge a premium price, and the box will probably be more expensive. In short, you can find Live Breaks for anywhere from 10€ to 100€+.
How exactly do Live Breaks work?
Live Breaks can be done in many different ways and below you will read some of the most common types:
Random Break or Pick Your Team (PYT): Collectors buy a team (or multiple teams) and receive every card that comes from that team. The prices for the groups are pre-set at the same amount and before the start of the Live Break a draw takes place according to which each participant receives the corresponding group.
Pre-priced slot: There is a pre-set price for each group, based on its popularity. For example, Alba Berlin might be priced at 5.99€ but Real Madrid will be priced at 19.99€ as these prices are based on the number of potential “hit cards” or high-value cards in the set (some series have a large number of cards featuring Hall of Famers, Superstars and Rookies etc).
Draft: In this Live Break organizers use a random draw to determine the pick order. After all the cards are drawn, the user with the 1st place takes the first card, the one with the 2nd place, chooses a card from the rest and so on until all the cards are drawn.
Live Auction: All teams start at a minimum price and an auction is conducted in the break room by the host. Once all teams are auctioned off, the break will begin with participants receiving the cards of the team or teams they have won (and purchased) just as in a Random Team or Pre-Priced Team break.
Razz: Not a break in the traditional sense, but more like a winner-takes-all type of lottery. It can be setup for a case, a box or a card. Essentially, participants buy spots in the break and 1 winner gets the prize through a randomizer. It is generally used for expensive items and many, less expensive spots are created.
Many organizers make their own variations on these basic versions or invent entirely new ones. Make sure you always read the Live Break rules before buying a position, just so you know what you can win from each Live Break!
Live Breaks have arrived to Greece as well and you should totally try the experience with Drew’s Breaks or Freak Collectors who specialize on Soccer (Premier League, La Liga, Serie A), Basketball (NBA, EuroLeague) and American Football Breaks (NFL) on a daily basis!
That’s it for now and don’t forget our special giveaway on IG where 3 lucky participants will win either one 2023-24 Panini Donruss Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Basketball Gravity Box, or one 2023-24 Panini Prizm Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Basketball Blaster Box or one 2023-24 Panini Instant Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Basketball Timeless Moments Complete Set, in the debut of EuroLeague tradings cards from Panini America!
Follow Trace ‘n Chase on Facebook, Instagram, X, TikTok, Linkedin, as well as our YouTube channel and learn all about #thehobby!