Fanatics keeps on raising prices, yet people continue to buy....why?

[whitmm]

Originally Posted by mfw13

I paid less than <$70/box for Archives from my local LCS in 2018/2019/2020 ($400 for a half case).

I skipped 2021 & 2022 because I didn't like the designs.

Last year (i.e. 2023), I paid $83.33 a box (i.e. $500 for a half case).

So this years' price ($130/box) is roughly a 50% increase from last year.

Were any of those the release day retail price?

Buying by the case usually results in a lower price/box than buying a single box. As tmar mentioned, it appears you were able to buy 2023 at cost.

[whitmm]

Originally Posted by clocsta2323

Some people are under the delusion that people buying wax at these prices can afford it, they can't.

And a greater number people are under the delusion that all people buying wax are degenerate gamblers that are going deeply in debt to buy cards.

[Bcr]

Gambling addicts. It's everywhere now and our hobby is not excluded.

Unfortunately the only option for licensed cards moving forward is Fanatics so its either pay up for the lottery ticket or buy singles.

Without competition there's no reason for them not to keep increasing prices as long as people will pay whatever they ask. Monopolies suck.

[dhcollecting]

Anyone see the chasing cardboard episode where the guy said he spent over $50,000 on wax and breaks and he ended up selling all the cards he got for next to nothing. Its just sad, 50k in singles would get you a sweet collection!

[OhioLawyerF5]

Originally Posted by dhcollecting

Anyone see the chasing cardboard episode where the guy said he spent over $50,000 on wax and breaks and he ended up selling all the cards he got for next to nothing. Its just sad, 50k in singles would get you a sweet collection!

Didn't that person readily admit they knew they were throwing the money away but they did it because they enjoyed the rip and could do so without hurting financially? I don't see what's sad about someone knowingly spending their discretionary money on something they get enjoyment or entertainment from without making a profit as well.

[Poorboy]

Originally Posted by OhioLawyerF5

You are correct. It's business 101. People just get upset because they are no longer the target audience for things they collect (or rather boxes of things they collect). They have found other people who are willing to pay more to open wax, so they are justifiably charging what those other people will pay, thus leaving some people behind, who had already developed their own affinity (addiction?) to opening wax at previous prices, but no longer want to/can at the increased prices. It is what it is.

if the value was there ?might be justified....but i keep reading
production is up and hits are way diluted.
so if fanatics has doubled the run and gutted the hits?
why raise the prices?
or is that incorrect ?

[JRX]

The fact is you can sell a box for a lot more when you sell it to mult people via a break than to one person. If you get 30 people all who think they have a lotto ticket, they're going to pay more and that will make wax continue to be expensive.

[mfw13]

Originally Posted by whitmm

Were any of those the release day retail price?

Buying by the case usually results in a lower price/box than buying a single box. As tmar mentioned, it appears you were able to buy 2023 at cost.

It's my LCS....I've been reliably buying stuff from him for 20+ years, so he gives me the best price he can....have no idea what his actual cost is, but I get my boxes from him at release.

[eastbayak]

Originally Posted by JRX

The fact is you can sell a box for a lot more when you sell it to mult people via a break than to one person. If you get 30 people all who think they have a lotto ticket, they're going to pay more and that will make wax continue to be expensive.

You don't even have to sell it via a break.

You can just "line" a box and net more than what it sells for on the secondary market (for essentially the same reason you got at).

[jduds]

Box prices used to be tied more closely to singles prices. Now they are tied to breaking prices which are increasingly divorced from singles pricing. I like the new system actually even if it means I've all but sworn off wax. The new way encourages cards to be opened and then put back on the market which makes rare cards available at a decent price.

[whitmm]

Originally Posted by mfw13

It's my LCS....I've been reliably buying stuff from him for 20+ years, so he gives me the best price he can....have no idea what his actual cost is, but I get my boxes from him at release.

Right, so you aren't comparing retail price to retail price.

As tmar said, the $83.33 you paid for it last year was roughly wholesale cost. Did you ask him what a half case this year would cost you?

$130 is the price on release day from Topps.com. What was the price for 2023 on release day from Topps.com?

[Mightymango]

Originally Posted by Scottish Punk

I agree with this. I am still amazed at how fast Prizm basketball and football get scooped up at $800-900 a box. What a bargin!!! Also, to your second point and this happens on every release. WTF is Fantatics charging x for a box of y. That is so ridiculous. Next sentence, wtf. What is up with the three box limit. I wasn't able to get a second order in before in sold out.

Fanatics is probably be wise and slower increasing the pricing every year to avoid sticker shock. At some point (maybe? ha ha), they will reach the tipping point of actually having inventory. That will be when the price increases stop. Since these sports have new releases almost weekly, it is really advantageous to sell out and get everything out the door.

Not only that, the 800-900 bucks gets your what? 10 cards or less of which you might get ONE good card.

I bought a hobby box of absolute last year for 550, got 15 cards and the autos, Jason Sehorn /35, Joe Klecko /25 and Chad Johnson /75.

Learned my lesson and football is just singles now for the person I want. 130 for a box is a deal in comparison to the Panani garbage.

[whitmm]

Originally Posted by JRX

The fact is you can sell a box for a lot more when you sell it to mult people via a break than to one person. If you get 30 people all who think they have a lotto ticket, they're going to pay more and that will make wax continue to be expensive.

That's literally every product ever. You can sell 24 individual cans of soda pop for more than a case.

This isn't some crazy phenomenon that has never been seen before. Yet, there are way too many people that think that way.

I see you've made some transactions here. You ever buy a card for more than its fraction of the box cost? If you have, you spent more than just buying the box yourself.

[hanes1111]

Here is the answer you seek, gambling is addicting......

[theshowandme]

They have not discovered the beauty of pre-Topps cards yet

[JRX]

Originally Posted by whitmm

That's literally every product ever. You can sell 24 individual cans of soda pop for more than a case.

This isn't some crazy phenomenon that has never been seen before. Yet, there are way too many people that think that way.

I see you've made some sales here. You ever sell a card for more than its fraction of the box cost? As in, you bought a box with 10 cards for $100, did you sell any of those cards for more than $10?

Yes, its the reverse costco.

[Lonewolf]

I can afford buying the overpriced new wax, but I won't, because it isn't much fun anymore, it's stupid.

[hermanotarjeta]

Originally Posted by whitmm

And a greater number people are under the delusion that all people buying wax are degenerate gamblers that are going deeply in debt to buy cards.

Not all people buying wax are degenerate gamblers. You are forgetting about the box flipper bois, who buy wax simply to flip to other resellers and breakers, driving the prices up on everyone in the hobby without actually consuming the product by opening them. Each box flipper boi tries to one up the next guy, thinking they will flip for more profit than the previous.

[boxbuster7]

I did not buy ANY MLB wax last year

[whitmm]

Originally Posted by hermanotarjeta

Not all people buying wax are degenerate gamblers. You are forgetting about the box flipper bois, who buy wax simply to flip to other resellers and breakers, driving the prices up on everyone in the hobby without actually consuming the product by opening them. Each box flipper boi tries to one up the next guy, thinking they will flip for more profit than the previous.

Didn't forget about anything. My comment was in response to closta saying it's delusional to think people can afford to buy wax at these prices.

And good for them. Make that dollar. I have zero problems with breakers or flippers.

[BigL7370]

I’m just glad sportscards are not printed in sweat shops in China.

[hermanotarjeta]

Originally Posted by BigL7370

I’m just glad sportscards are not printed in sweat shops in China.

But they are - counterfeit prizm Wembys have flooded the market.

[crdbored]

Fanatics is just paying more attention to secondary prices. It's trying to kill the "flip" game.
They see people buying certain boxes marked up 20-100% on 3rd party sites and they want a piece of that. They already killed off the distributors and prefer to sell directly now.

Prices on sealed stuff probably won't fall back down unless breakers slow down and individuals just stop buying.
But Fanatics' marketing team has done a great job pushing people toward chasing pitchers and rookies batting sub .200

I mean 2024 has had a solid class of rookies so Fanatics has been riding that wave for sure. Idk if they can push prices with a mediocre class. Look at 2023 update compared to 2024.

2025 products will be interesting to watch.

[hermanotarjeta]

People will continue to buy if they can make money on the purchases.
So yes, there is still room for prices to increase.

[rudan007]

The fact that Fanatics does not confirm/deny the release of 24 Heritage high number is a good sign they could care less about high box prices. They can release 2024 products in 2025 and people will still buy them as if there is nothing wrong.