This chapter will take you through how products are packaged by manufacturers and why it's important if you want to buy packs, boxes or cases of cards.
Packs are packaged in a box of packs. The contents of each pack varies from product to product - but it will generally include a number of base cards along with the chance at inserts, variants/parallels, autograph or relic cards.
Boxes are packaged in a case of boxes. Each box will contain a number of packs - with the odds of finding inserts, variants/parallels, autograph or relic cards (sometimes) displayed on the box - for example some boxes guarantee a number of variants/parallels, autographs or relic cards per box.
A case is a sealed container that holds a set number of boxes - a container simply refers to a package containing a number of boxes. It is common for a third-party to purchase a case (card shop owner, group breaker etc.) and sell the boxes individually to consumers.
Generally - one or multiple cards will be distributed across the packs in the boxes in a case of cards that are considered more rare and thus more valuable to collectors. These are generally known as “case hit” cards - for example a low serial numbered variant/parallel or an autograph or relic of a top player. There are also cards that are available exclusively as case hit cards.
When purchasing an individual box of cards from a case it is important to (try and) understand the case the box is coming from. It is always better to purchase an individual box from an unopened or “fresh” case so you know your box may contain a case hit card(s). Some bad actors may open boxes from a case until they open the case hit card(s) and sell the remainder of the boxes to other consumers.
