LCS selling retail
 

What is your take on this? My LCS sells retail (advertising it now for Black Friday and still more expensive than on the shelf at target). I have noticed for years that my local target and walmart hardly ever have the "hot" products. As an example, I have not seen any Topps Chrome Update Megas on the shelves. It is pretty clear he has a deal with the distributor or each store to grab the retail product before it lands on shelves. Or, he may have people go out and grab it as soon as a re-stock happens each week. Frankly this pisses me off but maybe I am the only one. If he was selling at the same price as retail maybe I could live with it but he does not....quite a markup.

I don't like it either!! I have one LCS that has it and blatantly it is known they go around to stores and buy it up to mark up and sell in shop. Another LCS I believe somehow gets it from his distributor.

No one likes it.

It's business.

Flipper shop boooiiiiisss out and about

some hobby shops have a retail distributor that can provide them with product, some have people go and clear stores and bring everything in to sell to the shop, which they then mark up and resell.

if the shop has a retail distributor, I have no issues with it because they usually don't gauge pricing too much (from my experience), what I have an issue with is buying the product from someone they send to the stores and clear them out.

The only wax the LCS around here sells is retail. It's whatever, they can do what they want, but it's eyerolling that they don't even try to make their prices close to reasonable (I once saw on their fb feed $60 for a Topps Flagship blaster...just LOL)

They can get it through the distributor from what I understand. But I know a couple around me go to all the stores (Walmart, Target, etc) buying it up and then marking it up. I don't ripx, so I am indifferent. But it's a business. So it's no different than buying and flipping a card or anything else.

[QUOTE=towerymt;19716865]It's business.[/QUOTE]

Bad Business but business

A lot of LCS's are selling retail. This became more of a reality when they could not longer get hobby directly from Topps/Fanatics or when their distributors lost their contracts with Fanatics. I know many of them are getting retail from distributors. Some are also buying directly from the flippers. I see the flippers all the time trying to sell retail at my LCS. Many times at cost, which amazes me.

[QUOTE=everyone;19716851]What is your take on this? My LCS sells retail (advertising it now for Black Friday and still more expensive than on the shelf at target). I have noticed for years that my local target and walmart hardly ever have the "hot" products. As an example, I have not seen any Topps Chrome Update Megas on the shelves. It is pretty clear he has a deal with the distributor or each store to grab the retail product before it lands on shelves. Or, he may have people go out and grab it as soon as a re-stock happens each week. Frankly this pisses me off but maybe I am the only one. If he was selling at the same price as retail maybe I could live with it but he does not....quite a markup.[/QUOTE]

My LCS had the Topps Advent Calendars on sale for the flipper price of $125 even though they can get product directly from Topps. Gross.

Mine has started carrying retail but his prices are good so I don't mind it -- if I'm in the market it's nice to not have to sweat big box hopping and to be able to pick up a variety with one stop in the shop. But buying up local stock or up-charging as a boutique item is pretty lame and I don't like shops doing that.

There are lots of LCS now that can't get a Fanatics account and have to do what they have to do just to have sealed product on their shelves. I heard an interview with an owner who was in that situation and he said he sells retail for no profit just to keep customers coming in. It's a business.

Many times, its not the actual LCS out there scouting boxes, but someone who brings them in to sell. Additionally, for most products, retail is available via distributors.

Fanatics, Panini & distributors sell retail blasters/megas direct to dealers. Not everyone clears shelves at Walmart for their stores.

Card shops are the pawn shops for box flipper bois.

Many folks will buy Black Friday deals online and flip that product to shops and at shows.

These middlemen simply increase prices for everyone.

It’s hard for them to get by on a fast food wage.

It’s scary, but some do it because they get a high off it.

LCS selling retail
 

And you nailed it, why I only buy wax on Black Friday Or if I’m lucky enough to get in release window via Topps. My LCSs go for market sale price.

Understandable, they’re a business that has to pay rent, staff etc. Doesn’t mean I have to like it and choose to pay.

Edit… forgot, the local stores Target/Walmart are only recently starting to put baseball products back on shelves (since Covid) and very limited, flagship fatpacks and SC blasters as an example. No hangars or blasters. No Chrome.

They are also filling customers demand. There are a lot of people that want to rip some product that can't afford $200, $400, $800 or more for a hobby box.

Here in S. Ontario there's no Target, Walmart and Costco don't carry sports cards so it's our only chance to get retail.

Panini and Topps direct accounts are all forced to carry blasters/megas/etc these days. It isn't all scooping up local big box stores, they get allocated cases of it direct

My LCS got a bunch of 2021 football retail. I guess the flipper bois are dumping at cheap prices.

[QUOTE=baseballbunez;19717050]Panini and Topps direct accounts are all forced to carry blasters/megas/etc these days. It isn't all scooping up local big box stores, they get allocated cases of it direct[/QUOTE]

Yes...mine gets their blasters and megas directly from Topps. They had Bowman Chrome U football Hobby/Megas/Blasters today. Didn't scoop up any retail from a big box store. I'm fine with this as long as their price is reasonable.

buy online

A retail store selling a retail product. I don't see what the issue is?

It's not 2020 anymore. As many have pointed out, most LCS aren't rushing to the big box stores and clearing the shelves.

I have no problem buying retail at Walmart and Target, Covid is over.