Box Break: 2004 Fleer Platinum Rack Pack, Trade Bait, and a Redemption Idea

As opposed to the last box break, this break could also be titled "Even In 2004 This Wouldn't Have Been That Great". 2004 Fleer Platinum has one real appeal: you have a shot at a Pujols auto. There are also a handful of appealing names on the auto checklist, and you're guaranteed four autos from the four rack packs of 30 cards contained within the box. However, there are also redemptions. So it's a real high-risk, high-reward break.

I'd like to quickly thank Ike's Cards for the idea of busting this box. Their break provided the impetus for me to give this a shot. They cleaned up fairly well in their break, considering they got a redemption and no Pujols. Unfortunately, I didn't fare as well.

Anyways, onwards we go to my four hits.

#1:

285/300

#2:

000/000

#3:

040/180

#4:

039/255

On the bright side, the autos got better as the break progressed.

I knew going in there was a lot of risk, and the box devoured me this time around. It was still a really fun break, and if boxes ever dip lower than what I paid for it I might be willing to give it another shot. In the end though, I'd rather go with something like 2008 TriStar Prospects Plus, with more hits, less risk (because it lacks redemptions), and at a cheaper price to boot. But for the adventurous, the allure of pulling a Pujols is pretty strong.

The redemption actually raises an interesting point. Obviously, Fleer no longer exists, as it went bankrupt, was bought by Upper Deck, and no Fleer product has hit the shelves in years. However, the redemption specifically states that it has no expiration date. So that begs the question of whether I should call Upper Deck and see if they'll send me anything, and I mean anything at all. The way I see it, if they still let Fleer products sell, they should honor the redemptions that come out of those products, particularly when they explicitly state that they have no expiration date.

Might be worth a call at the least. Stranger things have happened.

I ended up with some dupes, and 74 of the 157 base cards, plus two I already had lying around (both Dodgers). With less than 50% of the base set complete, I don't think I want to put it together, even though I like the design, because that would entail me buying another box. But maybe. I don't know anymore. And as you surely have already concluded, all three hits are available for trade. If you're interested, comment and claim.