Disclaimer: This article is for informational and entertainment purposes only. It is not financial advice. Please do your own research before making any financial or purchasing decisions.

After buying an Emerald slab pack on Arena Club, I decided to try my luck once more with a Gold baseball pack, priced at $100. The main draw this time was the chase card, a BGS 9.5 (with an auto grade of 10) 1st Bowman Blue Refractor Auto /150 of Mookie Betts, although it only had a 0.05% of being pulled.

Pack Purchase

This time, I did not opt for the insurance buyback option (called the Slab Safe program), which costs an extra 10% of the pack price and guarantees you can sell your card back for 80% of your original pack price if you’re unhappy with your pull. This is different from Arena Club’s standard buyback offer, which is available for free with every slab pack and lets you sell your card back for 90% of Arena Club’s determined value for that specific card. I skipped the insurance partly because I hadn’t utilized it in my previous Emerald pack, and partly because the lower price made the risk feel more manageable.

The Pull: Disappointment at First

When I opened the pack, I pulled a PSA 9 2024 Topps Chrome Blue Refractor /150 of Wyatt Langford. My initial reaction was disappointment, as it wasn’t autographed, it wasn’t a 1st Bowman, and it was only a PSA 9. I knew this card wasn’t likely to be worth anywhere near the $100 pack price.

The Buyback Decision

I was planning to just keep the card, expecting Arena Club’s buyback offer to be low. But when the buyback screen popped up, I was surprised to see that Arena Club valued the card at $100 (and thus, offered to buy it back for $90). After checking eBay and seeing recent comps in the $50–60 range, I realized this was a much better deal than trying to sell it myself. I’m not sure how Arena Club arrived at their valuation, but I happily accepted their $90 offer.

Selling Back: A Smooth Process

Selling the card back to Arena Club was extremely easy. I just accepted their offer, and the funds appeared instantly in my Arena Club wallet. From there, I could transfer the money out through Stripe and have it deposited in my bank account within a couple of days. While I lost ~$20 overall (the pack cost ~$110 after taxes), it was far preferable to being stuck with a card worth much less.

The Bigger Picture: Why I Still Don’t Recommend Slab Packs

While I am happy with Arena Club’s buyback option, this experience underscores another reason why I don’t recommend buying slab packs unless you are feeling lucky. In my case, I was grateful to take a roughly $20 loss, which in hindsight means I probably should have just saved that money to buy singles instead. The buyback option can soften the blow of an unlucky pull, but it doesn’t change the fundamental odds and value proposition of slab packs. For most collectors, I believe singles remain the smarter and more reliable investment.