Upper Deck ePack, Trading Card, “Breaks,” and the Question of Just What the Future Holds for Sport and Nonsport Cards

It started in early 2024, or so. I didn’t follow any sports besides Hockey, and figured I would dabble in hockey sports cards. I’d mainly collected some nonsport cards at other times in my life, such as superheroes (I’ve always loved comics) or things that were funny, such as the Garbage Pail Kids. I saw on some internet forum/Reddit/Twitter/whatever that because Upper Deck was the sole company with a hockey license, you could buy the physical boxes and packs in stores or do this thing called, “ePack.” It was a way to buy the cards online–but not some weird digital card/currency. You couldn’t do much with, “Base,” cards, but could always mail any inserts home. Plus, you could easily trade with anyone on the site–no more waiting for mail or worrying someone will flake and rip you off! Plus, besides the hockey, there was nonsport from X-Files to James Bond, Marvel (then, when Topps got Marvel, Upper Deck started doing DC-themed stuff), and more. Almost any boxes in stores (that were Upper Deck-branded) could also have packs, boxes, or a whole case bought online; how great! Right?

A great infographic from a Nova Scotia organization.

Let’s take a step back and talk about slot machines. They are designed to make you want to keep playing. You get a bad spin and mumble to yourself, “One more try.” You get a big win and say, “Well, now I’m on a hot streak!” It is gambling, and the lights, sounds, and so forth make you want to keep playing as well. Trading cards are gambling-adjacent to a degree, no matter what some claim. People buy a pack or box, rip it open, and hope they get something good. Perhaps to trade, sell, or keep. Unless you only buy singles or sets online, if you ever buy a pack or box with nothing more than the hope some odds are in your favor, you’re engaging in a gamble. Once you open up your cards, however, you’re done. Now, what happens when you combine the thrilling sights and sounds of the slot machine with trading cards? A perfectly addictive and patented process (Topps can't do it) cocktail known as ePack.

If you pull a card most would subjectively consider, “Good,” on ePack, it will glow red and make a sound effect. With hockey, it is the horn of a goal; with nonsport cards,  it is a bit like a triumphant symphony. It is easy for some to buy a pack or back, digitally, “Rip,” it and be done. However, what if you rip a pack or two and get nothing? All you have to do is charge your credit card the price of another pack (which can vary immensely depending on the set) and see what happens. Then again. Maybe once more, because at this point you’re chasing something, anything. Perhaps you do get a, “Flasher,” and a sound effect, but it is not that great of a card. You could keep going, and before you know it, about an hour has passed where you just dropped a few hundred dollars on thirty bucks worth of cards–that you’d have to ship home to then list! That, or you can transfer the cards to a digital storefront also associated with ePack, who takes a cut of your profits as well, of course.

It adds up quickly.

If you’re not big on using the internet for much more than checking in on family or reading the news, this all sounds complicated and unwieldy to have these digital-but-physical cards, and it is! When you sit and think about it logically, the only benefit to ePack is that you’re saving space with thousands of cards in some warehouse instead of your house, and trading stuff is a bit easier with its little trading marketplace. Otherwise, it is a hassle to get the cards in your actual hands. That’s logic, however. Once you get that first amazing, “Grail,” card, sensibility melts away. You put another twenty in the trading card slot machine and hope luck is on your side. As with all gambling, however, the, “House,” eventually wins.

Spend even more money and get extra bonus cards as thanks for the debt!

You don’t end up totally empty-handed when you do ePack. You always get some trading cards, and you can get cool ones! Autographed cards, sketch cards, and so forth. The thing is, outside of a small number of ePack-exclusive sets and pricey, “Achievements,” for acquiring certain cards…you generally can buy a physical pack/box/whatever of the thing you like for cheaper. It is the ease of access where you just hop on your computer and smartphone that is the, “Blessing,” that is more of a curse for those with an addictive personality. You don’t have to find a liquor store like with booze. You don’t need to be 21 and go to a casino, or be in a state with legal online gambling, because this is totally not gambling, right? I mean, never mind the sounds and flashing when you, “Win.”

Bye bye money.

From 2024 through 2025, I spent more than I should have on ePack. I didn’t drive my family to bankruptcy, but I was irresponsible. I had to talk with my wife and other loved ones about how it was becoming an issue. I quit at the start of 2026 for a good six months, and tried to dabble in it just a little this Summer, but saw there was no way for myself to just barely engage in it when there was always some sale, promotion, or cool new metaphorically shiny thing to pursue. I am not opposed to ePack for those who find it easier to do or like the social aspect of it. I met some really nice and cool folks I am still friends with whilst doing ePack–and some of them quit it as well eventually or still enjoy it with healthy moderation of their spending. For me, however, ePack doesn’t make sense. I don’t have the funds for it, it takes up a ton of my time, and the fact that it is so easy (too easy) to open a browser and rack up a big ol’ credit card bill in less than an hour is worrisome too–for me at least. 

"Breaks," are getting to be a big thing.

One thing that nags at me about ePack, though, is whether it's a niche of the trading card industry or a sign of what is to come with the gamification of sports cards, especially, but nonsport to a degree as well? For those of you who seek out the newer releases of stuff and aren’t just buying the older sets, you’ve probably seen, “Breaks,” on Facebook, the Whatnot app, eBay Live, or other spots online. People buy dibs/a reservation of sorts on a specific character/insert/whatever, and when the, “Breaker,” opens a box or case, should that person/character get pulled, the person who purchased the mere chance of such a card gets it. Yes, someone could spend a bunch of money to guarantee they get any cards with, say, Wolverine in a new Topps Marvel set, only to find nothing gets pulled they put up all that cash towards. I, personally, think breaking is inane, even more equivalent to gambling (it is currently a legal gray area), and even worse than ePack. You may as well simply throw your money down a sewer drain. Some card companies, the aforementioned Topps especially, have really embraced this, “Trend,” however. 

He makes some good points.

We’ve got Upper Deck with ePack, Topps with breakers, and the whole idea of trading cards has become less about, “Trading,” to make a fun little set and more about, “Winning,” some notable card that you can sell for a big payday. It all starts to sound more like buying a lottery ticket and praying for the best than it does a hobby about actually, you know, collecting! Is this how sport and nonsport card collecting changes with the times, or does it create a new bubble reminiscent of the, “Junk Wax,” era of the 90’s–for all cards, not just sports? Some may say, “Card collecting needs to evolve, sports and nonsport.” Sure, but is this an evolution, or does it put the hobby on a path to extinction?

Shoutout to Jesus for getting me a pack!
I'm not making a silly joke either; it is his name.

I still enjoy buying a pack or box of nonsport cards when they’re inexpensive (getting rarer and rare these days) and something that interests me. I was excited when a friend picked up a promotional pack of, “DC Absolute Universe,” cards at the latest Comic-Con International/SDCC and sold them to me for retail plus shipping. It was something I liked, for a good price, with little worry about it having any kind of big resale value or such. Is buying a card/some cards for cheap simply because you enjoy them an outdated idea now, however? Will sports cards manage to, “Flourish,” in this new gaming-styled ecosystem, but us nonsport folks will see our hobby fade away except for the handful of fandoms (superheroes)  that lend themselves to gambling-style methods of breaks or ePack? 

Is a market like this sustainable?

As for me, I quit ePack and refuse to ever, “Invest,” in a break. I know that I would love to see more people in their teens or twenties getting into nonsport cards (besides Pokémon) and picking up a publication like, “The Wrapper,” as I've discussed before, to learn fun facts about nonsport cards, do physical trades, and build relationships with other collectors. There has to be a happy medium in all this where everybody enjoys the hobby in their own way; I just have no clue how that happens. Do you?