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.

My latest Arena Club slab pack purchase was the result of a $20 off coupon code I saw on Twitter. After seeing the offer, I did a quick scan of the slab packs that were available. While there were no slab packs that I would’ve bought at full price, the $20 discount made a couple options feel more reasonable. I initially tried to use the coupon on a Silver pack ($50), but the offer didn’t apply because it didn’t meet the minimum price. Thus, I decided to buy a Gold baseball pack ($100); the 20% discount was enough to make the value proposition closer to a break-even. In my view, using the coupon on higher-priced packs (like those at $250 or more) doesn’t make as much sense, since the percentage discount drops as the pack price rises.

The Pull: 2017 Topps Finest Aaron Judge PSA 10

Inside the Gold pack, I pulled a PSA 10 2017 Topps Finest Aaron Judge rookie. The grail card I was hoping for was a PSA 10 Judge Bowman Draft auto, so I was slightly disappointed not to hit that (given they were both Judge), but was still happy to get a nice PSA 10 Judge rookie.

Value vs. Pack Price

With the coupon, I paid $87.30 including tax. Recent comps I saw put the Judge’s value between $115 and $133. Arena Club offered to buy it back for $110 (which would net $99 after their 90% buyback), but I declined, feeling their comp was a bit low. Even at the lower end of comps though, I’d come out ahead compared to what I paid for the pack. However, I think the Judge was one of the better non grail/chase cards I could’ve hit, and there were definitely plenty of cards that wouldn’t have gotten me my initial $87.30 purchase price back.

For now, I’ll be holding onto the card. I think there’s probably more upside if I wait for the playoffs or if Judge wins another MVP.

Advice for Other Collectors

Discounts for existing Arena Club users don’t come around often, but if you see one, it can make a slab pack a much better deal (especially for the lower priced ones). I still wouldn’t financially recommend buying a slab pack at full price, but it can be much closer to break-even if you have a discount.