State And Mood Of The Hobby

[Giancarlo27]

Originally Posted by Flkrsn5

My Walmart and Target got rid of sports cards. Not that there was ever much left to buy nowadays, but that will definitely save me some money (although it’s fun to rip once in awhile). The only other place I can buy cards now is Walgreens (unless they’re done as well) and my local LCS which is overpriced. I’d gladly hit up the LCS if they sold single packs but I’m not against buying a box once in awhile to support them and the urge to rip.

The lack of retail out there might help these LCS’s out a ton as long as they are reasonable priced. Don’t but those boxes someone snagged by clearing the shelves! Buy from your LCS if you have one close by or save your money and take a trip to your nearest one. These flippers can only hoard so much before throwing in the towel. With that said, I think things will go back to normal next year.

Right now is such a good time for LCS's to build goodwill and sustain customers past whenever this latest surge passes. Ive been going to the same LCS for 15 years and he has been selling me all new products this year for between 15-20% below BO and ebay prices. You better believe I'm going to keep buying from him once things cool off and wax prices stabilize again, rather than go to BO or retail or other card shops.

[Flkrsn5]

Originally Posted by Giancarlo27

Right now is such a good time for LCS's to build goodwill and sustain customers past whenever this latest surge passes. Ive been going to the same LCS for 15 years and he has been selling me all new products this year for between 15-20% below BO and ebay prices. You better believe I'm going to keep buying from him once things cool off and wax prices stabilize again, rather than go to BO or retail or other card shops.

That’s great! The owner has a customer for life! I agree 100%, LCS’s should take advantage of this opportunity. If I owned a shop, I 100% would.

[rj.cataldo]

Originally Posted by Boredlawyer

I also wonder how much of an appetite the hobby will have for stuff like Ben Baller Topps Chrome.

Frankly, I look at it as one-off gimmick junk. I'm looking at veteran base cards from this set top $200. The market has currently set a 100x premium on a base card is viable merely because it has a cheesy little chain hanging off the logo. Stock X Green Refractors, Topps Sapphire, Bowman Sapphire.. It's all just the same stuff, touting artificial scarcity.

In five years, will people look at a base card from the (I can't even say the name because it's so cringey) set and be able to justify spending hundreds on it? Or will they say, huh, online exclusive gimmick?

There's no arguing that people can make gobs of cash on the pre-orders on this stuff. But at some point, we are inundated with too much junk and someone will get stuck holding the bag.

Topps could presell online-only sepia photo reverse Refractors, and it would sell for 3x premium upon release, because buyers get sucked into the artificially scarce "exclusive" chase.

Frankly, I think market participants really suck at figuring out what holds value past the short term. Stick "Exclusive" on a release of tiger print orange refractors, and you'd see people buying them simply they exist.

Totally agree with this. I think people at Topps sit around and joke about how can we sell people the same product 2-3 different times. I don't get that set at all.

[MoreToppsPlease]

Originally Posted by Flkrsn5

My Walmart and Target got rid of sports cards. Not that there was ever much left to buy nowadays, but that will definitely save me some money (although it’s fun to rip once in awhile). The only other place I can buy cards now is Walgreens (unless they’re done as well) and my local LCS which is overpriced. I’d gladly hit up the LCS if they sold single packs but I’m not against buying a box once in awhile to support them and the urge to rip.

The lack of retail out there might help these LCS’s out a ton as long as they are reasonable priced. Don’t but those boxes someone snagged by clearing the shelves! Buy from your LCS if you have one close by or save your money and take a trip to your nearest one. These flippers can only hoard so much before throwing in the towel. With that said, I think things will go back to normal next year.

The lack of retail greatly reduces the number of future collectors who are now kids. It also greatly reduces the number of random casual buyers who will grow into collectors.

#ThanksFlippers

[Technochocolate]

I remember 6 months ago when everyone was complaining about hobby box prices, and some people were just telling all the whiners to shut up because there was plenty of affordable retail available as a backup plan.

[Flkrsn5]

Originally Posted by MoreToppsPlease

The lack of retail greatly reduces the number of future collectors who are now kids. It also greatly reduces the number of random casual buyers who will grow into collectors.

#ThanksFlippers

I grew up going to the LCS more so than buying retail packs at the local grocery store. It was a treat, no different than going out for ice cream and I don’t think I’m the minority when it comes to having that experience. It wasn’t just buying packs (no, my parents never bought me boxes), it was conversations with the owner...something you don’t get at Walmart or Target. Like I said, this could help LCS’s if they react to it correctly. It could honestly help the hobby as a whole as well. What exactly do you consider a “casual collectors though?

[hermanotarjeta]

Originally Posted by Technochocolate

I remember 6 months ago when everyone was complaining about hobby box prices, and some people were just telling all the whiners to shut up because there was plenty of affordable retail available as a backup plan.

I also remember people telling people to get better jobs so they can afford hobby wax, LOL.

[nowiamsad]

Originally Posted by banosd

Retail hording takes away the last affordable entry point. Constantly empty shelves have to be taking its toll on fellow collectors by now. Not being able to order anything new on Target.com because of bots and having Walmart listings default to ToyWiz also dont help. Disillusionment will set in at some point, maybe it already has.

You can buy HOF player cards for $.18. Even at MSRP opening packs isn't the cheapest option.

[ScooterMcRibs]

Hobby is still at 2/10 at this point, we have another 8 levels to go up before things are maxed out. It's like year 2 of the hundred years war, things will only go up from here, lots more upside before the music stops. Topps Attax is going to take the hobby to a new level, it will bring in all the kids from MTG and Pokemon, after that there's no looking back.

When Griffey 1989 UD Gem Mint hits six figures then it's the top, not before then.

[Vegemight]

Originally Posted by rj.cataldo

Totally agree with this. I think people at Topps sit around and joke about how can we sell people the same product 2-3 different times. I don't get that set at all.

This may turn out to be the dominant view, but the cautious or skeptical are obviously not always right.

Back in 2016 when Topps first released Chrome Sapphire it was greeted with some degree of caution, as the following comments posted on BO at the time show:

"Yet another product nobody was looking for."

"Topps is getting greedier and greedier by the year... scratch that, month."

"This is stupid."

"People should be smart enough by now to realize these website only products are gimmicks and nearly always drop severely in price."

Four years later, and it is one of the most highly anticipated releases of the year.

Topps will keep producing as long their customer base keeps buying.

[JWBlue]

I don't believe it has been mentioned in this thread that 80s collectors are coming back to the hobby. That should fuel some growth for the next few years.

[Flkrsn5]

Originally Posted by JWBlue

I don't believe it has been mentioned in this thread that 80s collectors are coming back to the hobby. That should fuel some growth for the next few years.

And 90’s kids all grown up with kids now looking to get them interested in the same things they enjoyed.

[Dusty1985]

Originally Posted by ScooterMcRibs

Hobby is still at 2/10 at this point, we have another 8 levels to go up before things are maxed out. It's like year 2 of the hundred years war, things will only go up from here, lots more upside before the music stops. Topps Attax is going to take the hobby to a new level, it will bring in all the kids from MTG and Pokemon, after that there's no looking back.

When Griffey 1989 UD Gem Mint hits six figures then it's the top, not before then.

When would a Griffey 10 bring $100,000?
There’s a psa 10 sitting around for $1700 obo.
That just won’t happen

[Pixman1]

I don’t understand why people think there are so many “10”s being produced. PSA hands out so many 10 grades it’s a joke. Very few cards have no flaws even modern cards. With BGS you at least get subgrades. I don’t trust any PSA grades but people treat their assessments like gospel. But flippers and investor love 10s so the market provides them.

[base set]

All I want from “The Hobby” is the ability to buy an ultimately worthless pack of baseball cards in a 3D store once in a while; a simple pleasure I have enjoyed since I was 8 years old. Instead I get to read about the insanity of an offer to buy a “share” of a 52 Mantle. The cards I like are nothing but trash somehow necessary on the road to PSA 10s of ‘Key’ / ‘True’ Rookie Card cards but now I can’t even buy the worthless cards without a bunch of extra rigamarole and yet more layers of middle men adding cost to an ultimately worthless product that instantly depreciates to nothing the instant I accept a package. Which is perfectly OK with me, but shouldn’t require also paying a “flipper” for their “services”.

If the ego stroking circle jerk becomes any more of a completely mail order fetish activity I will just slowly finish out building my binders of cards worth paging through once in a while and quit planning on starting any new ones. And let everyone else enjoy their time in the center of the circle, imagining all the George Washingtons raining down are actually the Benjamin Franklins of their fantasies.

[pewe]

Originally Posted by ScooterMcRibs

Hobby is still at 2/10 at this point, we have another 8 levels to go up before things are maxed out. It's like year 2 of the hundred years war, things will only go up from here, lots more upside before the music stops. Topps Attax is going to take the hobby to a new level, it will bring in all the kids from MTG and Pokemon, after that there's no looking back.

When Griffey 1989 UD Gem Mint hits six figures then it's the top, not before then.

At least you are consistent on your fandom for Attax


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[pewe]

Originally Posted by Vegemight

This may turn out to be the dominant view, but the cautious or skeptical are obviously not always right.

Back in 2016 when Topps first released Chrome Sapphire it was greeted with some degree of caution, as the following comments posted on BO at the time show:

"Yet another product nobody was looking for."

"Topps is getting greedier and greedier by the year... scratch that, month."

"This is stupid."

"People should be smart enough by now to realize these website only products are gimmicks and nearly always drop severely in price."

Four years later, and it is one of the most highly anticipated releases of the year.

Topps will keep producing as long their customer base keeps buying.

All of this commentary remains correct

And even more so for Bowman Sapphire Edition, and Chrome Ben Baller Edition, and Chrome Black Edition, and Mini Edition, and 3D edition, and Baseball’s Finest...

Overwhelming parallels galore


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[MoreToppsPlease]

Originally Posted by Flkrsn5

I grew up going to the LCS more so than buying retail packs at the local grocery store. It was a treat, no different than going out for ice cream and I don’t think I’m the minority when it comes to having that experience. It wasn’t just buying packs (no, my parents never bought me boxes), it was conversations with the owner...something you don’t get at Walmart or Target. Like I said, this could help LCS’s if they react to it correctly. It could honestly help the hobby as a whole as well. What exactly do you consider a “casual collectors though?

While it’s nice to have a LCS, it’s irrelevant to the point. LCSs could clearly never replace retail in bringing people into the hobby. A LCS is a step beyond retail and not the first step most people would experience with the hobby.

[premium1981]

Originally Posted by ScooterMcRibs

Hobby is still at 2/10 at this point, we have another 8 levels to go up before things are maxed out. It's like year 2 of the hundred years war, things will only go up from here, lots more upside before the music stops. Topps Attax is going to take the hobby to a new level, it will bring in all the kids from MTG and Pokemon, after that there's no looking back.

When Griffey 1989 UD Gem Mint hits six figures then it's the top, not before then.

I don't get your unnatural Attax affection. Does Topps pay you to promote it? Or did you just buy so much you are trying to find a way to get out from underneath it? Very odd, because it is obviously never going to have a significant following.

[nowiamsad]

Originally Posted by premium1981

I don't get your unnatural Attax affection. Does Topps pay you to promote it? Or did you just buy so much you are trying to find a way to get out from underneath it? Very odd, because it is obviously never going to have a significant following.

Are they not an obvious troll?

[BBases31]

Originally Posted by premium1981

I don't get your unnatural Attax affection. Does Topps pay you to promote it? Or did you just buy so much you are trying to find a way to get out from underneath it? Very odd, because it is obviously never going to have a significant following.

Takes a pumper to know one!

[Flkrsn5]

Originally Posted by MoreToppsPlease

While it’s nice to have a LCS, it’s irrelevant to the point. LCSs could clearly never replace retail in bringing people into the hobby. A LCS is a step beyond retail and not the first step most people would experience with the hobby.

Oh, is there some survey somewhere backing your viewpoint or are you speculating? Again, what’s the “casual collector?”

[premium1981]

Originally Posted by BBases31

Takes a pumper to know one!

Nevermind. Not worth it. Just go way. Seriously, go way.

[Bowman1951]

Originally Posted by speedyjg13

This here would be the ultimate hobby tragedy

Meh, just like many of us left for decades and came back in could happen again. You don't have to be a collector year in and year out.....some could take another decade off and then be back again as their children get older or for other reasons.

[BBases31]

Originally Posted by premium1981

Nevermind. Not worth it. Just go way. Seriously, go way.

Lighten up my friend