UD RAK package

[finfangfan]

I look at it as very similar to a casino comping big gamblers. People want to be awarded a gift for “positive vibes” but we live in a world where it’s all about the money, honey! That’s what keeps UD’s lights on!

[orion9578]

1000% it is about how much money you spend. I've never heard anyone say they got one who didn't spend quite a bit of money/a substantial amount of money. I suspect to get a lower tier RAK, you probably have to spend in the $10k-15k range, but it also wouldn't surprise me if it was more than that. Maybe someone can chime in that has got one and spent less than that.

The guys who are getting the "best" stuff are likely spending 200k-500k+ per year. A handful of people spend more than that. Some are still on site, some are gone...for one reason or another.

Originally Posted by jubei777

i'll be curious to see if it's aligned to what you purchase (ie, AEW poster if you buy mostly AEW items). i do mostly marvel, non-sports, and some hockey so i'll see what's coming next week.

It'll be items from what you've purchased over the year. If you bought mostly Marvel, you'll get Marvel, probably. I've had years where I got Marvel, NHL and AEW. I've had years where I only got Marvel and various other "things". It's 100% what you purchased that year, though. At least if the past is any indication

[Gidtheson]

"Upper Deck also watches how fans engage with each other on the company’s e-Pack platform, especially on the message boards. Great advocates on e-Pack who are very engaged and help others have a good shot at finding a surprise mail day coming their way from Upper Deck."

Does trading have anything to do with receiving a gift? By making many trades to encourage engagement and help others complete sets do you increase your visibility to those who are seeking out gift recipients?
'How fans engage with each other' is a pretty broad statement.
If you spend no money but are constantly encouraging others to, does that count?

[dd316]

The R in RAK doesn't feel so Random.

[finfangfan]

There are so many alt accounts and family/friend accounts it would make less sense to use trade activity as a metric when awarding a rak than good old fashioned $ spent. No one is able to fake spending a boatload of cash but you could pretty easily game the system to rack up a bunch of trades.

The best type of engagement UD would want from its website is users spending cash.

[ThatGuyPal]

Originally Posted by Gidtheson

"Upper Deck also watches how fans engage with each other on the company’s e-Pack platform, especially on the message boards. Great advocates on e-Pack who are very engaged and help others have a good shot at finding a surprise mail day coming their way from Upper Deck."

Does trading have anything to do with receiving a gift? By making many trades to encourage engagement and help others complete sets do you increase your visibility to those who are seeking out gift recipients?
'How fans engage with each other' is a pretty broad statement.
If you spend no money but are constantly encouraging others to, does that count?

As mentioned above I believe it is about money spent which is why I said it's kinda BS when posting. It MAY have been that way when the program was first introduced in 2019 but now I think it's about money spent on the platform. I left it out cause it wasn't relevant but the same press release mentions and shows people who got care packages with hobby and retail boxes, these were for being "good collectors". Well I sure haven't heard of anyone posting the last few years about receiving one for being a good hobby ambassador, I've only seen them in reference to e-pack

[finfangfan]

It could be that in 2019 they got a bunch of blowback from people who felt they were “good collectors” and didn’t get a rak when someone else did. By inference, did that make people who didn’t get a rak under the old system a “bad collector”? So it makes sense to move away from a subjective award system to a more objective system… customers in rak group simply spent more than customers in non-rak group. And to be fair, money spent is generally how most reward systems are set up.

[Brobocop]

I got one years ago from my LCS. Upper Deck sent him one for me since I got him to start buying Marvel products, which he did well on. If I remember correctly, it was three boxes of Guardians of the Galaxy, a bunch of sketches and printing plates, and a TON of boxes of their Legendary card game (which I donated).

Best part was I got a Chris Pratt auto in one of the boxes, was a great feeling at the time.

[NHRonin]

Originally Posted by finfangfan

I look at it as very similar to a casino comping big gamblers. People want to be awarded a gift for “positive vibes” but we live in a world where it’s all about the money, honey! That’s what keeps UD’s lights on!

Kind of makes it not so random.

[daverat]

got mine today

[finfangfan]

Originally Posted by NHRonin

Kind of makes it not so random.

Does Upper Deck itself ever refer to the packages as Random Acts of Kindness? I thought that was just shorthand that users came up with. Maybe I’m wrong but where has UD ever said they were awarded randomly?

[orion9578]

Originally Posted by finfangfan

Does Upper Deck itself ever refer to the packages as Random Acts of Kindness? I thought that was just shorthand that users came up with. Maybe I’m wrong but where has UD ever said they were awarded randomly?

From TGP's original post. So, it looks like at one point they were actually calling them that. I've received one every year since 2017 and they haven't had those stickers on them. It does come with a "thank you" for buying stuff letter, though

[finfangfan]

lol..there you go! I think my Collect Forever one (2 comics) just had a thank you card.

[Icollectstuff]

Congrats... I've been on epack maybe 3 years or close to it and have not got one... I don't think I spend enough to get on UDs radar though

[ThatGuyPal]

I'd really hope users didn't choose to call these "Random Acts Of Kindness" lol I think that would put the whole community in the "Lame collector" category lol

Unless they release the thresholds I'd say the current system is just as bad as the "good" or "bad" collector as currently you still have people who spent thousands wondering why they didn't receive one. Could possibly be worse for them as a company as at least the one way is subjective, I'd argue more would be ok with that than hypothetically the threshold for RAK is $5000 and people spent $4000 seeing all these people around them getting one. It personally wouldn't encourage me to open more e-pack or feel appreciated and it wouldn't encourage me to open more to hopefully hit the mythical threshold for getting one.

[orion9578]

Originally Posted by ThatGuyPal

I'd really hope users didn't choose to call these "Random Acts Of Kindness" lol I think that would put the whole community in the "Lame collector" category lol

Unless they release the thresholds I'd say the current system is just as bad as the "good" or "bad" collector as currently you still have people who spent thousands wondering why they didn't receive one. Could possibly be worse for them as a company as at least the one way is subjective, I'd argue more would be ok with that than hypothetically the threshold for RAK is $5000 and people spent $4000 seeing all these people around them getting one. It personally wouldn't encourage me to open more e-pack or feel appreciated and it wouldn't encourage me to open more to hopefully hit the mythical threshold for getting one.

They aren't worth getting, for what you spend. I'm pretty sure I'm at least vaguely close on my "guesses".

But just for arguments sake, say you spend $50k. You're RAK is typically(save 2017, when they actually gave out wax) worth, I'd guess...a few hundred dollars at best(actual value, not inflated UD site prices). Even if you got extremely lucky on that $50k that you spent, you're VERY lucky to get 50% of that back in actual value. Most of the time it's probably closer to 20%-30%. Now...some people actually just collect to collect and open to open, but it's always nice to come out closer to even than that. So, if you're buying wax to get a RAK, you're 100% doing it "wrong".

[Sushiyoshi]

It's not a good thing if you received one, if you know what I mean.

[GUCD231]

Should be named "LAF" Lube After the Fact

[jasonplo]

So can anyone else say what they got? Was just curious what the others who received actually got.

That was kinda the point of what I posted (and to publicly thank UD so as to keep getting every year lol). Then it turned into a breakdown of the whys and hows. I think it's a pretty easy calculation, spend a ton of money and be a little nice on the Epack site. At least that's what I think.

I've been on there for a ton of years, spent a ton of money, got a pretty solid trade rating for the amount of trades and I used to try to help other users on the chat on there with any questions. I've gotten a RAK every year since I started. A Dylan Larkin auto jersey, signed Evangeline Lily poster, MJF framed mat relic, Marvel Avengers litho, signed Toni Storm, etc. Most if not all I assume are just stuff they can't sell on their UD store. BUT it is still a nice surprise and appreciated.

But yes, the proper rankings of who wins out on Epack is below:

1. Don't be on EPack and don't spend money
2. Be on Epack and only spend a little money
3. Be on Epack and spend a ton of money and get a RAK
4. Be on Epack and spend a ton of money and don't get a RAK

I'm a 3 but would much rather be a 1 or 2.

[orion9578]

Originally Posted by jasonplo

So can anyone else say what they got?

I got one of these:
https://upperdeckstore.com/the-might..._jPUrTAs5UKQFb

One of these:
https://upperdeckstore.com/marvel-ma...r-edition.html

And one of those:
https://upperdeckstore.com/nick-suzu...ck-hockey.html

2017 really was the best year. I got a McDavid autographed jersey and a ton'o'wax. They probably OVER gave that year and dialed it way back ever since. Mostly posters with a few random autographed pieces here and there. Always nice though, to get anything.

[comicbooksgo]

Do you open a lot of hockey?

[orion9578]

Originally Posted by comicbooksgo

Do you open a lot of hockey?

Tons. Haha. Last year? I'd guess I opened 75% Marvel, 20% Hockey and 5% AEW, roughly.

[Sushiyoshi]

Originally Posted by orion9578

I got one of these:
https://upperdeckstore.com/the-might..._jPUrTAs5UKQFb

One of these:
https://upperdeckstore.com/marvel-ma...r-edition.html

And one of those:
https://upperdeckstore.com/nick-suzu...ck-hockey.html

2017 really was the best year. I got a McDavid autographed jersey and a ton'o'wax. They probably OVER gave that year and dialed it way back ever since. Mostly posters with a few random autographed pieces here and there. Always nice though, to get anything.

I got same first two. Third one I got a Space Jam Jeff Bergman autograph litho of Bugs Bunny.

[comicbooksgo]

Gotcha..Seems like a decent bonus for a hockey guy

Originally Posted by orion9578

Tons. Haha. Last year? I'd guess I opened 75% Marvel, 20% Hockey and 5% AEW, roughly.

[newhobbygeek]

Originally Posted by orion9578

1000% it is about how much money you spend. I've never heard anyone say they got one who didn't spend quite a bit of money/a substantial amount of money. I suspect to get a lower tier RAK, you probably have to spend in the $10k-15k range, but it also wouldn't surprise me if it was more than that. Maybe someone can chime in that has got one and spent less than that.

The guys who are getting the "best" stuff are likely spending 200k-500k+ per year. A handful of people spend more than that. Some are still on site, some are gone...for one reason or another.



It'll be items from what you've purchased over the year. If you bought mostly Marvel, you'll get Marvel, probably. I've had years where I got Marvel, NHL and AEW. I've had years where I only got Marvel and various other "things". It's 100% what you purchased that year, though. At least if the past is any indication

I think you are correct. Probably buyers spending > $10K. I spent over $9K between late Nov-early Mar, no RAK, but that is crossing end 2024 into early 2025. I'm 100% okay not getting RAK. If you get a RAK, it means you spend to much. I'm back on to another no UD epack spending run . COMC, Ebay and LCS/online retailers get all my moneys. Actually just won another auction, woohoo!

I think I joined Nov 2018 to last May 2022... spent over six figures epack that range and got RAK each year. I remember I got a "Welcome to Epack" package when I first joined UD ePack. They sent me some sealed Marvel Masterpieces packs and singles, which is funny because 99% what I spent on Upper Deck ePack was on MCU not comic/OA sets .