Live selling glossary / Show mechanics
Break (card breaking)
Also called: Box break, Case break, Group break
Definition
A break is a live event where sealed trading card product (a box or case) is opened on camera and the cards are distributed to buyers who purchased slots in advance, usually by team, player or random assignment. The buyer pays for the chance at what is inside, not for a known card.
Breaks are the dominant format on Fanatics Live and a major one on Whatnot. Slots are sold as fixed-price items or auctioned individually, the host opens the product live, and the platform handles shipping each buyer's hits. Because a case can cost thousands, breaks produce the highest-value shows in live selling and the longest run times.
Formats vary: pick-your-team, random team, hit draft, and personal breaks where one buyer takes the whole box and watches it opened.
The number
Break-heavy platforms post the highest median item prices in the Live Selling Index. See this week's figures.
Related terms
Watch these numbers move in your own room
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