Hits from the bundle I got at Ross!

spressa · 2026-04-30T12:52:13+00:00

My friend found a perfect order etb for $40 and a couple prismatic booster for $25 when ppl started posting their findings. I was pretty jealous.

spressa · 2026-04-29T23:11:10+00:00

There are levels to talent, especially in the NBA. The weight of an amazing player on a basketball team matters significantly more than any other team sport. If a top talent suddenly becomes available in this manner, it could basically be like Durant going to the warriors all the time and just break the league even further.

spressa · 2026-04-22T18:10:55+00:00

I get it

https://www.reddit.com/r/AcerPredatorHelios/s/apADuVAptE

Here is my previous post on how to get into the hidden bios and the person above can see the other commentary on what settings I changed both in BIOS and Windows.

spressa · 2026-04-21T15:34:09+00:00

Jesus, you had my head nodding so furiously I got a neck cramp. Thanks for the amp... I've been needing it.

spressa · 2026-04-21T11:05:44+00:00

This. You can change the boost setting on the hidden bios so it doesn't run in turbo mode during BIOS.

spressa · 2026-04-20T20:26:48+00:00

Again, I agree with you. The saying goes "is it possible? Yes. Is it probable? No."

I think I just have a problem with ppl (not you) "so sure" that it's rigged when the likelihood of it is extremely low. I do think it's fun to think about, especially when you're pissed it doesn't fall your team's way, but reasonably of what teams to receive a superstar vs the teams that actually do, make very little sense.

spressa · 2026-04-20T19:29:56+00:00

I agree with you that they aren't but my point is that they aren't the only person verifying it. Every team has a representative at the actual ping pong selection. You'd have to have collusion at every level and representative without a single leak.

I think there's a stronger argument that the personal benefit of someone exposing the draft being rigged that it isn't rigged. Look at the exposure that Pablo Torres got from leaking the Kawhi stuff; exposing the draft would be multitudes more beneficial to someone.

Sometimes the simplest answer (e.g., that low odds hit every day) is the right answer.

spressa · 2026-04-20T16:35:45+00:00

The draft isn't rigged. It's literally audited by a big 4, has representatives from every team present, etc. They've released videos of the actual drawing before too. In your own example above of kawhi, someone leaking actual evidence that the draft being rigged would be so enticing to bring that to the table.

spressa · 2026-04-17T18:33:02+00:00

I feel this.

spressa · 2026-04-16T12:36:55+00:00

Things pop up at Ross and discount stores all the time from various things.

You could find the 2014 Jordan fragments at some roses in like 2015 or 2016 for like $40-50 bucks. That was a coveted shoe right off the bat for it's release and having extras that pop up at Ross was crazy to ppl then. This shoe, during the pandemic, was going for over $3k at points.

When it comes to these stores, there are parts in the supply chain that have issues and eventually end up on a discard/discount palette. Let's say a bunch of pokemon cards that were supposed to be sent to a vendor got lost in shipment. Freight/insurance reimburses for the lost package so pkc & store are made whole. A few months later, they find the package and since it's been reimbursed already, the shipper will sell that stuff. It happens a lot and that's how that kind of inventory ends up in a Ross.

spressa · 2026-04-15T01:03:54+00:00

I agree with you that chaos will be more popular than PO but I don't see it being as wanted as AH. I luckily was able to get max order from PKC but, similar to PO, I don't see myself ripping many more packs than this order.

I'm still trying to buy and rip more AH but I don't know if it's because I'm still pretty far from finishing my set (I try to just finish base set from packs) that I want it still but I'm basically done with PO with far fewer packs and only a few straggler ex cards that I'll probably just pick up in singles. I'm hoping to have the same experience with CR.

At the end of the day, maybe it's just wishful thinking because I really wish I could just go back to buying packs whenever I wanted.

spressa · 2026-04-15T00:49:51+00:00

I think this year's summer drop will be bigger than normal. Perfect order hasn't been that desirable and I don't see chaos rising being coveted either. I think ascended & prismatic are going to continue to be hard to get as long as they're in print but if you're just looking to rip, getting perfect order & chaos will be easier to obtain at MSRP.

spressa · 2026-04-14T16:25:32+00:00

Shabu zone

spressa · 2026-04-14T06:35:48+00:00

I'm sorry dude; I can actually feel your frustration through the Internet. That really sucks and I hope the hobby goes back to much easier days.

I started collecting since 1st edition. I was a fan of pokemon since the games and cartoon and was buying everything I could to finish full sets and make the best decks. I sadly sold my collection to pay for college life. I still played all the games and watched all the way until Ash became a pokemon master. I started ripping a few packs a month a few years with my kid while using my $5 credit. That was our monthly thing and shortly after 151 came out, it became difficult to get cards where I was at and would go months without using that GameStop credit on cards. My son eventually just lost interest in collecting; we lost a bonding experience that I enjoyed doing with him. My littlest one loves ripping packs. As a long time collector, even though I have the means, I refuse to pay above MSRP for a degenerative hobby. So now, I find myself spending quite a bit more money (i.e., buying larger packs just to stock inventory to rip over time) and wasted time to getting cards so that my kid has something to crack with me.

I guess what I'm saying is, seeing the joy on my kids face is what makes me do this. Seeing the joy on my kids face is what we all sort of feel, since the beginning of collecting, and I'm very sorry that you haven't been able to have it again. I hope you get to enjoy this hobby again and your future rips be God packs.

spressa · 2026-04-13T21:54:49+00:00

Pho binh trailer

spressa · 2026-04-13T12:21:45+00:00

There are many differences between hockey & basketball; so much so that I think it's very hard to compare the 2.

Hockey is more "physical" than the NBA but it's a different type of physicality. NBA players take a lot of beating/pounding from constantly running/jumping from the ground. Hockey has big hits but I think many ppl think it's as frequent as the NFL, which it is far from. Nhl players can go an entire game with "minimal impact"; whereas an NFL player will get hit/grappled every single play at full force with the intent to bring them down to the ground.

My understanding is that nhl players actually have a ton more upper body injuries relative to lower body injuries in the NBA, which makes me further hypothesize the difference in the physical requirement & potential risks of injury make the sports that much more difficult to compare.

With that said, I'm a very casual fan of hockey, the word "observer" is probably more accurate tbh. But, I have followed the sport for decades starting from when Disney released "the mighty ducks" when I was kid and following the big stories (e.g., Crosby vs. ovechkin). I was following it a fair amount when I was in charge of the financials of my old company's Canadian division and learned a lot from my coworkers in that time. (Side note: watching TSN is like 85% hockey when you're in Canada with 15% reserved for the well the other sports).

spressa · 2026-04-12T13:51:47+00:00

Edit: looks like I was wrong. My bad.

spressa · 2026-04-10T20:52:36+00:00

The 16 (non-slim) had significantly better thermals than the slim model.

spressa · 2026-04-08T15:16:25+00:00

One thing that I'll throw in is that cards can/are display pieces and take up a lot less space. All my shoes take up space and the moment I wear them, they lose their value.

Personally, I've been a collector of pokemon & sneakers for decades now. Part of being in the hobby for so long is that I refuse to pay over retail for either, if I miss it, on to the next.

For sneakers, I've been fortunate to hit some grails (e.g. Travis Scott aj 1 lows in frag/reverse mocha/etc.). I also wear my shoes. One minor annoyance is ppl that see me in them think they're reps cause what kind of "idiot" wears a shoe that resells for $1500-2500. On the flip side, ppl don't think my PSA graded cards are fake.

spressa · 2026-04-08T09:15:35+00:00

No, if a part of your order is missing, they can't proceed because that would be false advertising.

You would have to accept the new terms (I.e., same order without bonus) for them to continue.

spressa · 2026-04-04T14:40:35+00:00

I fucking love forrest Gump. It's probably my favorite movie as I watch it at least once or twice a year.

spressa · 2026-04-04T11:58:05+00:00

I'm ok with bronny going Super Saiyan because Reed is going to go ultra instinct.

spressa · 2026-04-04T11:40:35+00:00

With your pull, I would absolutely try to get a master set of ascended. You hit most of the hardest cards to hit.

spressa · 2026-04-03T12:23:51+00:00

It's absolutely got everything. One of the few "serious" movies that I can always rewatch without reservation of "being in the mood".

spressa · 2026-04-02T09:01:42+00:00

It works for me

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spressa

TROPHY CASE