Target Gift Cards & Blasters

A few days ago, my Target gift cards came in.  I decided to do some research, and many folks are saying I should try to sell the Target gift cards.  I found a site, Plastic Jungle, that will allow me to sell them at 90% of the value ... but only gift cards $25 or more.  2 of my cards were $10, so I decided to use them up. 

On my way to grabbing dinner for my family, I ran into Target.  Interestingly enough, they had two clearance blasters at $11.99 each - 2011 Allen & Ginter, and 2011 Topps Chrome. 

You can put it on the board .... YESSS!!  YESSS!!! /Hawk

Game 3, 2012 ALCS Yankees vs. Tigers in the background.

I just love that shot.  Baseball going on in the background.  Baseball card opening going on in the foreground. 

I got some cool stuff, but nothing that reall made me go WOOOW!  Dipping my toe in the pool really made me think a lot ... a lot about if I want to put the entire amount into blasters. 

And I think the answer is no. 

Instead, I'd like to make a little game of it.  Let's call it - "what can I generate out of the $550 worth of Target gift cards?" game.

Because you see, the two blasters that looked so shiny and mouth watering on my table, ended up being a pile of cards, where nothing really stood out.  Sure, I got some cool SP's, serial numbered cards, refractors, x-fractors, rookies, etc.  But nothing that made me go HOLY COW!  If there is one thing I want, it is to make money on my purchases ... and then perhaps be wowed.  Neither happened.  So, as I see it right now, I look at a pile of cards ... in a box.  And I think to myself "is this $26 worth of cards?"  Definitely - but not to me. 

Even if I had bought ONLY $11.99 blasters with ALL the gift card money, that would mean I'd have 42 boxes to go.  It sounds like heaven ... it really does!  But, after the wrappers settle to the ground, I simply may not have the kind of enjoyment that I would when having bought them.  It is, after all, only 2,000 cards, if each pack has 6 cards. 

I know how I am - having that kind of money wrapped up in cards that would net me a few hundred dollars loss ... just leads to heartache.  So, it was a blessing in disguise to be able to only get a few blasters for now. 

One thing I was really turned off to about selling the cards to Plastic Jungle, is that I lose 10% ... 10%!!!  That means instead of $550 buying power at Target, I only have $495 cash. 

But then, digging deeper, I remembered ... ahhhh .... tax.  Yes yes yes ... 8.25%.  That means I really only have $504.62 spending power at Target anyway.  My first argument for the blasters was thinking ... well, I don't want to leave $55 on the table.  But as it turns out, the descrepancy is less than $10. 

So, I'm going to bite the bullet, do the smart thing, and get the cashola. 

With that said -  Let the "what can I generate out of the $550 worth of Target gift cards?" game begin!