Are we in another "junk wax" era?

[randomh]

Originally Posted by KhalDrogo

They’d be there if the license wasn’t monopolized.

Bingo.

[JRX]

Originally Posted by panamamyers

Does a future hall of famer's(let's say elly de la cruz for argument's sake) base flagship rookie card hold any value you think in 20 years? If the answer is no, then, you are smack dab in the middle of a junk wax era.

No chance, there's far too many of them and far too many parallels of it. I mean do that many people even care about Beltre, Mauer, Helton, Rolen rookies?

[benjamincarm]

Originally Posted by JRX

No chance, there's far too many of them and far too many parallels of it. I mean do that many people even care about Beltre, Mauer, Helton, Rolen rookies?

Unless he becomes transcendent like Ohtani or Judge, his values won't last until 2025.

[theredmenace]

Originally Posted by Biohazarddfl

Yes, junk wax, but a topps black is still a topps black, a red ink is still a red ink, a topps chrome gold refractor is still a premium card, but the base cards are worthless, the refractors have lost a lot. Many of the releases should be completely ignored.

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Unfortunately there's not just TC true gold anymore.

Base image, Topps Chrome parallel refractors numbered to 50 or less

2013 - 106 total cards per player
Gold Refractor /50
Red Refractor /25
Camo Refractor /15
Atomic Refractor /10
Pink Refractor /5
SuperFractor /1

2023 - 338 cards per player
Gold Refractor /50
Gold Wave Refractor /50
Gold Sapphire Refractor /50
Gold Logofractor /50
Orange Refractor /25
Orange Wave Refractor /25
Orange Sapphire Refractor /25
Orange Logofractor /25
Purple Sapphire Refractor /10
Red Refractor /5
Red Wave Refractor /5
FrozenFractor /5
Red Sapphire Refractor /5
Red Logofractor /5
SuperFractor /1
Padparadscha Sapphire Refractor /1
Rose Gold Logofractor /1

edit: I love ROA Red Inks but Topps foolishly replaced the stats on the back of the card with a boilerplate Topps Authenticity Guarantee in 2024 Heritage. That effectively killed my interest in them moving forward

[Biohazarddfl]

Originally Posted by theredmenace

Unfortunately there's not just TC true gold anymore.



Base image, Topps Chrome parallel refractors numbered to 50 or less



2013 - 106 total cards per player

Gold Refractor /50

Red Refractor /25

Camo Refractor /15

Atomic Refractor /10

Pink Refractor /5

SuperFractor /1



2023 - 338 cards per player

Gold Refractor /50

Gold Wave Refractor /50

Gold Sapphire Refractor /50

Gold Logofractor /50

Orange Refractor /25

Orange Wave Refractor /25

Orange Sapphire Refractor /25

Orange Logofractor /25

Purple Sapphire Refractor /10

Red Refractor /5

Red Wave Refractor /5

FrozenFractor /5

Red Sapphire Refractor /5

Red Logofractor /5

SuperFractor /1

Padparadscha Sapphire Refractor /1

Rose Gold Logofractor /1



edit: I love ROA Red Inks but Topps foolishly replaced the stats on the back of the card with a boilerplate Topps Authenticity Guarantee in 2024 Heritage. That effectively killed my interest in them moving forward

Got it. You should just give up

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[Badgers0821]

I still laugh at the thought of people believing Fanatics when they said they would cut out the distributors and sell direct to the end user at a lower price. They cut out the distributors and increased prices.

[bub838]

Originally Posted by oldgoldy97

Tacofractor, frozenfractor, NY skyline whatever…..yeah, any more proof needed?

Just make every card a parallel.

Gilded!

[tconte]

Originally Posted by Badgers0821

I still laugh at the thought of people believing Fanatics when they said they would cut out the distributors and sell direct to the end user at a lower price. They cut out the distributors and increased prices.

Same as it ever was

[halldogg]

Originally Posted by MiamiMarlinsFan

Most of those boxes back in the JWE didn’t have any kind of “hits” what so ever. Now there’s a tiny chance you might get a card with some desirability or monetary value.

Wrong. The hits in JWE were of your favorite player regardless of value. So, the hits were definitely there.

[MiamiMarlinsFan]

Originally Posted by halldogg

Wrong. The hits in JWE were of your favorite player regardless of value. So, the hits were definitely there.

Wrong.

What you are calling “hits” isn’t the current definition of hits.


But I’m glad you enjoying pulling that Andy Van Slyke card from 1989 Topps. Seriously. Lots of different ways to enjoy the hobby.

[SleepyWill]

Collect Topps Chrome Golds, blacks, SSP's, and Heritage red auto's and you'll be fine.

[Ken735i]

Junk graded era started in 2019. Junk wax 2020

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[Mister2Bits]

We are definitely in a junk parallel era.

Manufacturers are simply adding more parallels to disguise the increased production and to justify the staggering increases in price. As a result everything is more expensive and the odds of pulling desired parallels with pedigree and history have gotten nearly impossible.

2017 Topps Chrome & Chrome Update blasters were $19.99 box

2024 Topps Chrome blasters are now $39.99 box with worse odds and more junk per box. 90% of these only have base cards + pink/sepia refractors.

I dont understand how anyone is spending this amount of cash ripping and coming out on top unless you're incredibly lucky.

[Ken735i]

I have a Trevor Lawrence 1/1. it's 1 of 5 1/1s from one product, one yr, with 16 other products all having 1/1s. And after only a few years I have 1 of only 115 Trevor Lawrence 1/1s made. Lol.

People mistakenly compare these parallels to essential credentials Finest gold DC refractors or precious metal gems. Not even close

Manufactured rarity year after year. sucks.

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[NYHOOSIER21]

This is exactly why I wonder with such large print runs by so many brands is anything but a RC valuable. Manufacturers can make limited serial #d versions of cards year after year so what really makes a limited serial #d valuable if the manufacturer is repeating it year after year. Multiplying that across the industry.

[ThoseBackPages]

i am not worried

keep collecting, for one day you will die

[JRX]

Originally Posted by NYHOOSIER21

This is exactly why I wonder with such large print runs by so many brands is anything but a RC valuable. Manufacturers can make limited serial #d versions of cards year after year so what really makes a limited serial #d valuable if the manufacturer is repeating it year after year. Multiplying that across the industry.

Yeah I don't see much value in anything but RCs. One thing that hasn't been brought up is players changing sigs. An Ohtani auto today isn't the same as one from 2018.

[NYHOOSIER21]

Keeping with the theme of this thread, what do you generally value more a serial #d rookie from the late 90’s up to 1,000 or a modern era more limited run with like 10 or 50 prints.

[davidantx]

It's definitely another Junk Wax Era for sure. Bubble will definitely burst and it will be a hard fall to the bottom for most.

[ThoseBackPages]

let me know when Flagship Hobby Boxes are $20

[JRX]

Originally Posted by ThoseBackPages

let me know when Flagship Hobby Boxes are $20

I'm sure you can get just the box for less than that

[ThoseBackPages]

Originally Posted by JRX

I'm sure you can get just the box for less than that

heh..

[base set]

Originally Posted by ThoseBackPages

let me know when Flagship Hobby Boxes are $20

2020 Update for $50, best I can do

I’m gonna pull that Skye Bolt Platinum eventually. Plus the most Miggy cards, ev-ah

[spuds1961]

It’s much worse than a junk wax era, there is a monopoly with no competition and the scales are set for the upper class and those with breaker mentality. The average every day collector has been priced out of the hobby but they are playing with fire as it’s only a matter of time before the new breed move onto the next big thing and good luck getting all the old time collectors to come back.

[theredmenace]

Originally Posted by Biohazarddfl

Got it. You should just give up

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Give up? I've got 23 years of red ink and 10 years of Heritage Gold Refractors to collect. And something tells me we're going to see a lot more of those on ebay soon