Why Is Blowout Cards Suing Platinum Card Breaks?

Two big players in the hobby are involved in a bitter lawsuit. Though they tried to keep the issue quiet, sports card enthusiasts are becoming increasingly good at tracking down legal documents, and now, they have all made it public.

So why are Blowout Cards suing Platinum Card Breaks, and what does it mean for the hobby? Also, if the name Platinum Card Breaks rings a bell, there is a reason for that.

They have been involved in some of the worst scandals and possibly have the worst reputation of any breaker business in the hobby. That raises the question of why an established and important seller like Blowout Cards was working with them this closely in the first place.

Our Blowout Cards Versus Platinum Card Breaks Case overview has the whole story.

What happened between Blowout Cards and Platinum Card Breaks

In early October 2023 and continuing through to February 2024, Platinum Card Breaks ordered goods from Blowout Cards with a contract to pay for said goods. They could have made that arrangement better.

In other words, Platinum Card Breaks stiffed Blowout Cards for the payment. Blowout Cards value the goods in question at $945,009.50. A hefty sum without question. The specificity of the added 50 cents makes the sum seem convincing.  

Blowout Cards backs that number up with relevant invoices. They also claim that Platinum Card Breaks agreed upon the sum. The filing states, “the defendant has agreed that the balance in question is correct and due.”

Understandably, Blowout wishes to be repaid in full for the sum it owes. They also asked for “interest at the judgment rate of 6% per annum from the date of judgment its costs expended in this action and such other and further relief as the Court may deem appropriate.”

The relationship between Blowout Cards and Platinum Card Breaks

In the filings, Blowout Cards admit that they have had a good working relationship with Platinum Card Breaks for some time.

According to the filing, “for many years, plaintiff and defendant have engaged in a series of transactions between merchants, whereby defendant ordered various “goods” from plaintiff, plaintiff ordered and delivered goods ordered by defendant and defendant remitted payment to plaintiff without incident.”

That is law speak, for it was all good. UNTIL….

However, it is worth noting that Platinum Card Breaks has been involved in several scandals. Their reputation in the hobby is notably bad. We have seen a pattern in this business where people continue to do business widely with actors they know are disreputable. This is one of several cases that have returned to haunt the actors involved.

Who are Platinum Card Breaks?

Platinum Card Breaks is among the most successful breakers in the United States—or at least it used to be, despite having a problematic reputation.

It is a North Carolina company with strong ties to some of the hobby’s most influential people, such as Bolillo Lajan San, known as Shyne.

However, their reputation was damaged when they were involved in a few unpleasant incidents. One involved a particularly egregious occasion where the outfit allegedly pocketed a pulled card. Then, there was also evidence of violence towards staff members.

Here is a recap of the scandals that have involved Platinum Card Breaks to date.

The scandals of Platinum Card Breaks

There are plenty of disreputable actors in the hobby. But Platinum Card Breaks is relatively high on that list. Two significant incidents occurred around the same time. Both have followed the company and affected its popularity and influence.

Pocketing A Card In A Break

In September 2022, Platinum Card Breaks ran a 2021 Panini Football National Treasures break. One of the customers who bought into the break, Jordan, noticed that a card had been missed. He alerted the breaker, an individual called G, of the issue.

He then pulled a card out of the trash, which was allegedly the one he had missed. It was a redemption for a Justin Fields Rookie NFL Gear Signature Combo card.

However, a close examination of the video of the incident shows that the breaker was aware that there was a big card in that box. He then alerted his staff by tapping twice on the box and moving it to the right before shoving it down.

What was so disturbing about this turn of events was how practiced it looked. It was not the first time Platinum Card Breaks had pulled this move; they probably did it many times.

Of course, that leads us to wonder how many breakers pull this kind of stunt.

Pulling a knife on an employee

I wrote here: “The video clearly shows G, the owner of Platinum Card Breaks, threatening Austin with a box cutter. He fastens it to the person’s neck repeatedly despite his strident protests. G then appears to hit Austin more than once.

The hapless employee says that he “wants to go home.” The victim ignores the hits because he is mainly concerned about the knife, and at one point, he says, “You are getting that blade way too close to me.”

G forces Austin to say he is sorry, that he will never go home, and to promise to paint G’s car as well. The owner also ominously says, “You are not going home. Ever.” G forces Austin to “kiss his cheek.” At this point, Austin whines, “Why are you doing this to me?”

Later, Austin said, “I feel like people think G and I just have a working relationship. We work together. Yes. I am an employee. But you guys have to understand. Me and G are family. I’ve worked for the man for a long time, since 2017. I go to this guy’s kids’ sporting events. Our relationship is entirely different than just the employee. Me and I are a legit family off-camera. Do we get carried away sometimes on camera? Yes. But it’s gotten way too out of hand, for real. It was a complete joke. “

Cutting a 1/1 Card

One of the weirdest incidents involving Platinum Card Breaks involves destroying a 1/1 card for no apparent reason. In 2019, G from Platinum Breaks pulled a 1/1 Lauri Markkanen Nebula Prizm.

Then went on a rant about how people are too worried about how handling a card would damage it. He ended the rant by cutting it in half with a box cutter and saying, “That would harm the card.”

What led to this? G had put a card in a mag incorrectly and received backlash. Mad at this criticism, he destroyed this card, which was estimated to be worth $600 at the time and that someone deserved as part of the break. G reimbursed the buyer, but that is some insane behavior.

How are Platinum Breaks doing today?

The company continues to break regularly. If you go to their YouTube channel, you will see that they are breaking all the time and that many of the spots are filled. However, there is no doubt that all the scandals have taken a toll on their popularity.

For example, when the scandal broke in 2022, the company had 48,000 followers on Instagram. More than two years later, they have only grown by 1,000 followers. That is a sign that they have more or less stopped growing. Meanwhile, other breakers have picked up much business in the interim.

Going over their break schedule, it is also noticeable that the company concentrates on less valuable cards. I see things like Allen & Ginter breaks, Topps Composite, and Star Wars Chrome.

A far cry from the high-end stuff that top-of-the-line breakers like to feature. That may be due to the inability of the company to afford more expensive releases and the fact that after getting sued by Blowout Cards, they are finding it hard to get suppliers to provide Platinum Card Breaks with cards on credit.

Would you supply them with cases without payment in advance after that lawsuit?

Once credible evidence exists of an outfit pocketing the top cards, it is hard to recover. We don’t know the exact connection between the scandals and Platinum Card Breaks’ inability to repay their debts. However, there likely is one.

At the time, both Fanatics and Panini issued statements condemning this outfit’s behavior. Fanatics stated, “The video on Platinum Breaks is disturbing, and we certainly do not condone this behavior. For your information, Fanatics collectibles do not sell to Platinum Breaks.”

Meanwhile, Panini stated, “Contrary to popular belief, Panini does not sell directly to online exclusive breakers. In 2018, Panini America banned Platinum Breaks from attending its future National VIP parties due to inappropriate behavior.”

The long term consequences of the Platinum Card Breaks scandals

I wrote at the time, “It is worth noting that with Fanatics starting to sell directly to breakers, Platinum Breaks may find reasons to regret its many scandals. The company may boycott the Platinum Breaks and make life quite difficult for them.” I seem to have been correct.

There is reason to be concerned that the company will be unable to continue operating.

If they cannot repay suppliers for cards they have bought, why would anyone continue selling to them? This will certainly not inspire customers to use their services.

Platinum Card Breaks opens a new business

By its admission, Platinum Card Breaks needs help paying back its debt. However, it still needs to open a new business or use a new name for its breaking operation.

The same week, the company was sued, on October 8, 2023, to be precise. The company is called Dream Team Asset Recovery Services. Ironically, that means the company deals with working to repossess and resell property seized as the result of a foreclosure, loan default, or bankruptcy.

Considering that Platinum Card Breaks may be flirting with bankruptcy due to its inability to pay back money owed, that is unlikely to be a coincidence.

Other criminal activity from G in the past

Other incidents have involved G, the main breaker and owner of Platinum Breaks. On the Mojo Cards Podcast, Dan Anderson talks about getting into a fistfight with G and his wife.

Meanwhile, Sports Talk Radio obtained a recording allegedly of G talking about his involvement in a kidnapping and another robbery. We don’t know how accurate much of this information is.

However, there are many warning signs with this company. Companies like Blowout Cards would not be in this mess if everyone had taken heed of this incident.

Final word on Blowout Cards vs Platinum Card Breaks Case

Time and time again, some of the worst actors in the hobby are given every chance to keep operating. The most reputable and significant names in the business keep partnering with them. That has kept some terrible actors working and allowed them to exploit more unsuspecting customers.

In this case, Blowout Cards had given the folks at Platinum Breaks much leeway to accumulate credit. That would indicate that a good deal of trust had been garnered between the sides. There is no reason to trust an outfit with this sort of history. We are unpleasantly surprised by the depth of this relationship.

This is also a reminder that consumers must do their homework before buying into breaks. Some of the outfits involved in this industry are dishonest.

In the case of Platinum Card Breaks, you are in danger in two ways. First, they have a history of not providing their biggest hits to customers. Second, they may shut their doors at any minute since they seem in serious trouble.

That could mean they never send cards or that breaks do not take place. There are too many reputable sports card breakers for you to take a chance like that. Place your orders in a safe place.

Another question is whether Platinum Card Breaks is in a uniquely bad situation because of its bad reputation or if it reflects a broader problem. Are the recent downturn in card prices and inflation issues making collectors less likely to invest in expensive breaks?

If so, other breakers may also find themselves in trouble. We will be watching that closely.