The season is winding down, what has Topps released?

[mfw13]

Originally Posted by auctionjmm

If you think Fanatics doesn't have a firm grip on their retail sales, returns, and sell through, then you are just being ignorant. Whatever happens in 2025 can and will be used to plan for 2026. They won't mindlessly print unsellable products into oblivion. Whatever the market is telling them now, is already being adjusted for in next fiscal year.

You have a lot more confidence in the quality of Fanatics' management than the rest of us do.

The company was founded in 2011 (i.e. after the 2008 economic crash), so neither Rubin nor his subordinates likely have much experience managing in a recession.

It's not until the tide goes out that you find out who isn't wearing any pants.....

[ThoseBackPages]

Originally Posted by hermanotarjeta

LOL.

All that matters is if topps basketball blasters are selling for 1.5x on eBay, there will be folks lined up for even a purple guy from Dook.

thats true

[hermanotarjeta]

Originally Posted by mfw13

You have a lot more confidence in the quality of Fanatics' management than the rest of us do.

The company was founded in 2011 (i.e. after the 2008 economic crash), so neither Rubin nor his subordinates likely have much experience managing in a recession.

It's not until the tide goes out that you find out who isn't wearing any pants.....

Looking forward to seeing how fanatics manages three simultaneous dud rookie logo card classes in a stagflation environment where all life necessities are too expensive and no one can find a job.

[wilsonsingles]

Both Topps and Panini have dropped the ball on some retail this year.

2025 Topps series 2 hangers and cellos have been near non existant or cut way back.

The same with 2025 Panini Score Football Blasters and retail boxes.

Maybe their printers are printing too much pokeman or something else, but they are losing hundred of thousands of dollars by not putting these products out or releasing them months after Hobby releases.

[auctionjmm]

Originally Posted by mfw13

You have a lot more confidence in the quality of Fanatics' management than the rest of us do.

The company was founded in 2011 (i.e. after the 2008 economic crash), so neither Rubin nor his subordinates likely have much experience managing in a recession.

It's not until the tide goes out that you find out who isn't wearing any pants.....

And where do you think all the skilled senior managers who survived 2008 are now? I'm guessing retired, or even dead. If your theory is that one needed to be in management in 2008 in order to successfully manage the next recession, then we are all screwed.

[BlowoutBuzz]

Topps uses Getty Images for its photos.

[mfw13]

Originally Posted by auctionjmm

And where do you think all the skilled senior managers who survived 2008 are now? I'm guessing retired, or even dead. If your theory is that one needed to be in management in 2008 in order to successfully manage the next recession, then we are all screwed.

Well....I haven't been too impressed with how Rubin has managed Fanatics/Topps in general, so I don't have a lot of confidence in him and/or his management team to manage the company when the economic situation becomes more challenging. He comes across as one of those "move fast and break things" tech bros, and his EVP is a former investment banker who doesn't even have an MBA, i.e. not someone who has a lot of experience managing a retail business, in good economic conditions or bad.

They've completed neglected pre-release marketing, alienated a pretty decent segment of their customer base by raising wax prices and focusing on selling to breakers, and done a very poor job of executing the nuts and bolts of the business (i.e. getting high-quality products out the door on time). And with the NBA and NFL licenses coming online next year, they're going to need to be executing at an even higher level than they are now, given that they'll have three times as many products to release.

And of course, in terms of cash flow, all those licenses cost them A LOT of money.....will they be able to generate enough revenue to pay for them in an economic downturn?

Anyway...count me skeptical.....

[boxbuster7]

Originally Posted by ThoseBackPages

how great is that?

Always positive

[mfw13]

At this point, my interest in current year releases is rapidly dwindling due to a lack of information from Fanatics about product releases.

My collecting focus is now 90% working on completing older sets/collecting projects.

[corockies]

I wish Fanatics prioritized Stadium club more and released it mid-season rather than end of year. It's my favorite set every year next to flagship.

[mfw13]

Try to figure out what products have YET to be released....

Note that there are ZERO baseball products on Blowout's release calendar after Tier One next week.

What other products are on the "2025" calendar and have yet to be released?

Platinum Anniversary (no 2024 release)
Museum (July 31st last year)
Pristine (August 30th last year)
Five Star (September 27th last year)
Cosmic Chrome (October 11th last year)
Flagship update (October 16th last year)
Allen & Ginter (October 30th last year)
Stadium Club (November 6th last year)
Black & White (November 20th last year)
Brooklyn (December 11th last year)
Archives (January 8th, 2025 last year)
Luminaries (January 3rd, 2025 last year)
Definitive (January 10th, 2025 last year)
Diamond Icons (February 5th, 2025 last year)
HHN (March 26th, 2025 last year)

Anything else?

[BBall4Life]

Originally Posted by mfw13

Try to figure out what products have YET to be released....

Note that there are ZERO baseball products on Blowout's release calendar after Tier One next week.

What other products are on the "2025" calendar and have yet to be released?

Platinum Anniversary (no 2024 release)
Museum (July 31st last year)
Pristine (August 30th last year)
Five Star (September 27th last year)
Cosmic Chrome (October 11th last year)
Flagship update (October 16th last year)
Allen & Ginter (October 30th last year)
Stadium Club (November 6th last year)
Black & White (November 20th last year)
Brooklyn (December 11th last year)
Archives (January 8th, 2025 last year)
Luminaries (January 3rd, 2025 last year)
Definitive (January 10th, 2025 last year)
Diamond Icons (February 5th, 2025 last year)
HHN (March 26th, 2025 last year)

Anything else?

Chrome Update (November 13th last year)
Triple Threads (December 19th last year)

Likely some sapphire update and bowman draft in there, too. Too many honestly. Feels like they're way behind. I'd rather have less releases/products with a more predictable, non-jammed schedule than what we're getting.

[sluggerwx]

Originally Posted by BBall4Life

Chrome Update (November 13th last year)
Triple Threads (December 19th last year)

Likely some sapphire update and bowman draft in there, too. Too many honestly. Feels like they're way behind. I'd rather have less releases/products with a more predictable, non-jammed schedule than what we're getting.

Add Topps 206 to the list

[StateEx]

I generally despise Panini, but the Prizm design this year is actually pretty cool. So there's that if you're looking for some variety.

[JoshMN]

What has Topps released?

Topps has released me from the desire to buy wax.

[oldgoldy97]

Originally Posted by JoshMN

What has Topps released?

Topps has released me from the desire to buy wax.

They’re making cards cheap again!

[vwnut13]

Looking forward to the 2026 calendar year so I can collect all the 2025 "rookie cards" of players that were rookies in 2024!

[towerymt]

Originally Posted by Twalk1975

I remember this...

I remember when no one cared about retail baseball

[mfw13]

Originally Posted by BBall4Life

Feels like they're way behind. I'd rather have less releases/products with a more predictable, non-jammed schedule than what we're getting.

They are way behind, and with the NBA licenses becoming active on October 1st, it's only get worse.

I fully expect that at least half these products won't get released until 2026.

Fanatics has bitten off WAY more than it can chew.....

[Americards]

Originally Posted by oldgoldy97

They’re making cards cheap again!

"cheap" but expensive!!

[Stech36]

The part they don’t understand is how much more valuable it is to release products early in the season. The value of singles in a product are probably around 1.5x the value if released in April instead of November.

I get they need to save some products for release in the offseason, but a few years ago probably 90% of all products were released between February and October. November and December were pretty much just bowman draft and best

[mfw13]

Originally Posted by Stech36

The part they don’t understand is how much more valuable it is to release products early in the season. The value of singles in a product are probably around 1.5x the value if released in April instead of November.

I get they need to save some products for release in the offseason, but a few years ago probably 90% of all products were released between February and October. November and December were pretty much just bowman draft and best

You're being way too generous.....I don't think that the understand much of anything about sports cards except how to sell to breakers/gamblers. And while that may be working for them in the short term, it won't work for them forever.

For all intents and purposes, they've stopped marketing their products. There are no image or checklist releases ahead of time to build interest, and often their aren't even images or checklists available on the release date. It's the equivalent of a movie studio releasing a movie without any previews or plot synopsis on a random date and without telling anybody....i.e. it would get any movie executive fired on the spot.

And they're having so much trouble on the production side that they can't even put together a reliable release calendar, let alone release products in the correct calendar year.

And now with the NBA license becoming active in October, followed by the NFL license next April, they're going to have THREE TIMES as many products to try and produce.

[premium1981]

Originally Posted by mfw13

I don't think that the understand much of anything about sports cards except how to sell to breakers/gamblers.

Explain what you would do differently than what is happening right now, understanding the consequences of said changes. Be specific. Not nonsense like, cut production and sell boxes for $50. Actual changes that make sense. I'm very curious.

[dodgerfanjohn]

Originally Posted by mfw13

You're being way too generous.....I don't think that the understand much of anything about sports cards except how to sell to breakers/gamblers. And while that may be working for them in the short term, it won't work for them forever.

For all intents and purposes, they've stopped marketing their products. There are no image or checklist releases ahead of time to build interest, and often their aren't even images or checklists available on the release date. It's the equivalent of a movie studio releasing a movie without any previews or plot synopsis on a random date and without telling anybody....i.e. it would get any movie executive fired on the spot.

And they're having so much trouble on the production side that they can't even put together a reliable release calendar, let alone release products in the correct calendar year.

And now with the NBA license becoming active in October, followed by the NFL license next April, they're going to have THREE TIMES as many products to try and produce.

They market heavily on social media, either directly or via influencers and breakers. They also market heavily through cardshops. And shows. If you saw Burbank Sportscards new location and/or the West Coast Card Show that Burbank SC started, you would not believe it.

Social media reaches a whole lot of people for not very much money.

[mfw13]

Originally Posted by premium1981

Explain what you would do differently than what is happening right now, understanding the consequences of said changes. Be specific. Not nonsense like, cut production and sell boxes for $50. Actual changes that make sense. I'm very curious.

1) Release the entire product calendar on January 1st of each year, so that collectors have a rough idea which products are coming out in which month....ideally two products a month (24 total for the year).

2) Release card images and checklists as soon as they are available

3) Have different price tiers for different products....a third of the product line at <$100/box, a third at $100-200 a box, and a third at $200+ a box

BUT ABOVE ALL ELSE, FIGURE OUT YOUR PRODUCTION ISSUES AND GET PRODUCTS OUT IN THE CORRECT CALENDAR YEAR!!!