Breaker Culture: How to Pace Your Break
Jesse Haynes
If you’ve bought into enough breaks, you’ve seen both good and bad examples of pacing.
There are always breakers who move at the speed of light, and there are breakers that move so slowly that any rookie they pull for you might be retired before your cards arrive.
A good breaker should be somewhere in between.
With today’s post, we’ll look at the four best strategies for pacing your break.
Luka Doncic Autographed Rookie Card
Know your breaking product
The most influential determinant of how you should pace your break is the product you’re breaking. Consider the brand, the quantity, and the value of specific cards. Here’s a look at each detail:
Brand: There’s a major difference between low-end and high-end brands, down to the number of cards per box. Consider 2019-20 basketball hobby versions Donruss (300 cards) and Panini One and One (2 cards). If you’re breaking a base-heavy product, only a handful of the cards warrant extended screentime – high-value rookies and inserts, mainly. On the other hand, when you’re breaking a high-end product with only a few cards in a box, every card should get adequate screentime.
Quantity: How many boxes you’re breaking makes a big difference, too. If you’re breaking a half-case of Hoops hobby basketball cards, you’d spend 6 hours on the break if you took the time to read out all the players’ names. In situations where you’re dealing with lots of cards and packs, it’s okay to quickly flip through the veterans and low-value inserts while “hunting” for the good cards to call out. Of course, keep all the cards on the screen as you do this to show your honestly, but your viewers will appreciate you moving at a good pace.
Value: Every product has its big-money cards. Often, those come in the form of SPs like Panini’s Kaboom or Downtown cards. Other times, it’s rare variations. Before ever breaking your product, do your homework to decide what you’re hoping to pull for your customers so you can share their excitement when you hit the big card.
Be friendly, but not overbearing
Customers often connect to a breaker because of the breaker’s personality. If you always speak dull and monotone, never get excited, and can’t crack a smile, breaking is probably not for you.
But, in the same way, there’s a fine line between being friendly and excessive.
Your customers want to enjoy the experience of breaking with you in a fun, supportive atmosphere. They do not, however, want to hear all your life stories or the “y’know, every time I see this guy’s card, I think of _______” stories (If you’ve seen enough breaks, you know exactly what we mean).
As a breaker, think of yourself kind of like the opening act of a concert: you have viewers that hope you’re good at what you do, but at the end of the day, their main focus is the main event – the cards.
If you make the break more about yourself than the cards, chances are, it will be the last break with those customers.
Be Respectful of Your Customer’s Time
Odds are, when your client bought their spot on the break, they knew exactly what time the break was supposed to begin because you’d posted it.
With that in mind, you should always be ready to go when the clock strikes that magic number. Have your supplies prepared, your technology double-checked, and the product ready to rip. Having to say, “Sorry, let me go get _________” to your customers can quickly annoy them.
Of course, we’re all human and accidents happen, but you still need to do everything in your power to not take up too much of their time.
Answer all questions at the end of the break
Most breaks have questions coming through the comments. Things like “sorry I’m late. Any Patriots yet?” Or, the classic, “Hey, can you back up to that card so I can take a picture?”
While you always are trying to please the customer, it’s usually better to help them with their question at the end of the break.
For example, a great answer would be, “We’ve pulled a few Patriots cards. Be sure to stick around for a recap at the end.” Or, “I’ll be sure to show that card during the recap, so be sure to have your camera ready.”
By delaying these things to the recap, you’re ensuring that all your customers who arrived on time and paid attention to the break can leave as soon as they’re finished if they want to. As the previous point states, it’s always crucial to be respectful of your customer’s time.
Albert Pujols On-card Autographed Bowman Chrome Rookie Card
Now it’s your turn: Practice Pacing Your Breaks
Whether you’re new to breaking or just looking to sharpen your skills, keeping the pace in mind is incredibly important to keeping happy customers.
But, just like the players on the cards, getting good at what you do takes practice. Every breaker works a little bit differently, so to truly master pacing you’ll need practice and experience. That practice, combined with these four tips, will help you become one of the best breakers on the market!
