Taking a Gamble: Insights on 2011 Bowman and Card Collecting

I like to gamble.  I love casinos. I like everything about them: the glitz and glam, the lights, the lure of possible riches with one spin of a slot machine.  I'll be in Vegas (again) in August and I go to casinos near me every once in awhile. Atlantic City is within reach, too. I'm partial to the Borgata.  Good thing it's a bit of a drive, otherwise I might be there more than I should be.

So hear me out on this one.  Maybe you'll agree, maybe you won't.  Either way you are still reading, right?

In many ways, collecting cards or the quest to acquire cards is a form of gambling.  Think about it: you buy a pack or a blaster or a hobby box or a rack pack or whatever, and you don't know what's inside. You hope inside there's a rare card of a player you collect, or a someone from a team you like, etc.  It's all based on odds.  Maybe it's a card of someone you don't collect, but others do. I'm talking the Bryce Harpers and Stephen Strasburg cards of the world.

Can any of you who have ripped 2011 Bowman honestly say that somewhere in the back of your mind you weren't hoping to pull something like what you see above?  I can say that I was absolutely looking for a rare Harper.  With every pack of 2011 Bowman I rip I hoped to pull some sort of rare Harper card. It was in the back of my mind with every pack. It's why 2011 Bowman is sold out in many retail establishments. It's trying to beat the odds. 

This card above would cover a lot of mortgage payments. 

While this card won't go for 25k (unless Bryce buys it, which I think he is douchey enough to do), it will go for a significant amount of cash.  It's kind of like hitting the baseball card jackpot.  To this end I'd argue that this is no different than going to the slot machine and watching the reels spin and hoping you hit the jackpot or the progressive prize at the casino. 

Now, I am not saying it's exactly the same as casino gambling.  But it's darn similar.  Collectors out there might not consider themselves gamblers, and I get it.  Many consider casino gamblers people who "throw away money."  Of course obtaining cards is not throwing money away!  I get it, but I'm just drawing parallels that I relate to. 

One could argue, and I would too, that when you go to a casino unless you win you walk away with nothing tangible.  With cards if you don't pull a hit, or something you are hoping for, you at least come away with trade bait, ebay items, or cards to help complete your set.





I'm not entirely sure where I am going with all of this, but as I look at the four posts I have in draft form referencing 2011 Bowman I cannot help but to think that all of the Bowman product I bought was just like hitting max bet on a slot machine, going all in while playing poker, or doubling down in blackjack.  I was hoping for the win. It was the same way with the Strasburg craze last year.  It's the reason I have a lot of 2010 Bowman cards.  It's all the same, except in this case Topps is the 'house,' and not the casino. 

The odds always favor the house.

I haven't pulled one Harper yet, but that's not to say I haven't pulled some nice cards like the inserts below.

These cards are not all from one box or packs. I mixed them together for posting purposes.  The prospects are highlighted below.  Most available for trade, I might have included some in recent trades though.

That dude Dee Gordon (above, the Dodger) is damn fast.  I watched him play against the Phillies the past three games and dude can RUN. I guess it's all part of his lineage, considering he is the son of Flash Gordon.

Who's with me on the gambling analogy?