Question about the origins of Hobby Boxes

[bamagrad03]

I understand the differences between retail hobby boxes, but when did the concept of a hobby box first originate?

I imagine for many years/decades there were really only retail boxes or maybe retail pack boxes or a rack pack box. At what point did a more bespoke hobby box concept come along?

[cardsin47]

Originally Posted by bamagrad03

I understand the differences between retail hobby boxes, but when did the concept of a hobby box first originate?

I imagine for many years/decades there were really only retail boxes or maybe retail pack boxes or a rack pack box. At what point did a more bespoke hobby box concept come along?

Great word:

bespoke
/bəˈspōk/

adjectiveBRITISH
made for a particular customer or user.
"a bespoke suit"

[shrevecity]

It was in the 1990s when the first hobby exclusive items came out. Then there were retail exclusives as well.. I think the first I remember was like 1992 Fleer reatil had some inserts and hobby had some that were exclusive to each other.

[WizardofOz1982]

Originally Posted by bamagrad03

I understand the differences between retail hobby boxes, but when did the concept of a hobby box first originate?

I imagine for many years/decades there were really only retail boxes or maybe retail pack boxes or a rack pack box. At what point did a more bespoke hobby box concept come along?

It kind of came into being as a term in the mid 90s. Boxes were just boxes before that. There were several types of boxes, like wax, cello, jumbo, magazine, vending, etc., before that but the concept of separate hobby and retail wax boxes really started as best I can remember with 1994 Upper Deck. That's the first year I can remember when there were different inserts in Hobby and Retail packs making a hard and fast designation between the two types of boxes.

There had been different inserts packed into different pack types, like Rookie Sensations only being in 1992 Fleer jumbo packs, but jumbos were available in both hobby and retail settings. It seems like there were hobby and retail versions of factory sets before there were boxes but that was a long time ago lol.

[ewokpelts]

The 90’s. Especially as card companies started selling direct to hobby stores.