First Buzz: 2025-26 Topps Finest basketball cards

[mossoholic]

Originally Posted by notoriousrmb

Your concept is only true if a bulk of the product is available - if Topps goes to auctions but only has 5% allocated to the public it's not going to change a thing. Only the most wealthy will buy, they will pay $800 for the $400 box since that amount doesn't matter to them and there wont be enough product for the price to drop lower to the crowd that wants to pay $400 for the $400 box.

For the wealthiest buyers, there is no difference between a $400 box and an $800 box. For the 18 yr old wanting to partake in the hobby after saving up his summer job money, its a deal breaker.

There is a big difference between 5% and the bulk. The auction they already ran for 1st Day Issue boxes was around 50% or closer to 85% depending on who you talk to. I would beg for them to do that going forward. Things didn't go the way they wanted so very few if any more auctions. Which means 99.99% of the general public has no chance now.

You're 100% wrong on everything you listed. We have the better part of a decade of evidence from Panini auctions that what you're saying is not true. Just because people want something doesn't mean they are willing to pay more than the market dictates for it. There have been countless great buys with Panini auctions the last 6+ years. There have been countless good products for less than $500 a box. That's even with all but the low numbered sets and some online exclusives being manipulated for 4+ years straight.

We now know for sure how things are going to go with Fanatics and the general public. Everything in demand you either won't get or a few boxes at best. You will never be able to buy a case of anything in demand ever again. You'll never be able to buy in bulk anything in demand from them ever again.

[JAMSC]

They could make 100% of the product available to the public at MSRP and make as much or more money than they are now.

There is no reason to keep backstopping the rent seeking middle men in this hobby that add zero value.

[oldgoldy97]

Fanatics cares about the collector. Just look at the way they keep reducing content in their products. Soon we’ll be back to nothing but base cards.

[BayAreaChris]

Originally Posted by JAMSC

They could make 100% of the product available to the public at MSRP and make as much or more money than they are now.

There is no reason to keep backstopping the rent seeking middle men in this hobby that add zero value.

There is for sure a reason.

With breakers, Fanatics:
1. Gets free guaranteed marketing. You break something and you might post but most likely won’t have a video.
2. They get their cut on the break too.
3. They are building up breaking as experience.

[Andy5]

Originally Posted by oldgoldy97

Fanatics cares about the collector. Just look at the way they keep reducing content in their products. Soon we’ll be back to nothing but base cards.

#makebasecardsrelevantagain

[cypher]

Don't forget the big 3 that have made a Kings ransom warehousing product for Fanatics. Back to Finest another awful AI designed product but they have logos now! 10x IT!

[premium1981]

Originally Posted by JAMSC

They could make 100% of the product available to the public at MSRP and make as much or more money than they are now.

There is no reason to keep backstopping the rent seeking middle men in this hobby that add zero value.

I don't think you understand much about how business works. So many reasons why this is false. Heck, if nothing else, think of how much they save in shipping by not sending these boxes and cases to thousands of random purchasers as opposed to on a pallet to Backyard. I could do a deep dive into this but it wouldn't change your mind about anything. But just know, that they do not "make as much or more money" by offering it all to you at MSRP. They aren't doing this because they are besties with the breakers. They are using the breakers just like the breakers are using them.

[fabiani12333]

Originally Posted by premium1981

I don't think you understand much about how business works. So many reasons why this is false. Heck, if nothing else, think of how much they save in shipping by not sending these boxes and cases to thousands of random purchasers as opposed to on a pallet to Backyard. I could do a deep dive into this but it wouldn't change your mind about anything. But just know, that they do not "make as much or more money" by offering it all to you at MSRP. They aren't doing this because they are besties with the breakers. They are using the breakers just like the breakers are using them.

Topps forces the breakers to take the crap products if they want the good, in-demand products. The breakers buy in larger volume and support higher prices than individual buyers.

[premium1981]

Originally Posted by fabiani12333

Topps forces the breakers to take the crap products if they want the good, in-demand products. The breakers buy in larger volume and support higher prices than individual buyers.

Yep, that is absolutely another part of that equation. Its not as simple as JAMSC thinks it is. Everything is about perspective and understanding the bigger picture. Seeing it from one person on a limited budget wanting a cheap box versus seeing it from the perspective of a multi-billion corporation viewpoint is completely different. Something else that everyone may not know is that all breakers, shops, direct accounts do not pay the same price for product. Its all coming direct from Topps, but at different price levels.

[bub838]

Originally Posted by JAMSC

Topps/Fanatics has chosen to cater to a new type of customer. This isn’t about it turning into a luxury good like Rolex, it’s about catering to degenerate gamblers. That is their market now, no different than sports gambling. And let’s be clear about this, anyone who participates in a group break is doing so as a degenerate gambler.

Fanatics is using the same manipulative playbook that Rolex and other in demand brands to, it's not trying to turn it into a luxury good.

Manufactured scarcity foments FOMO.

[BlowoutBuzz]

Full parallel info added >> https://www.blowoutcards.com/blog/fi...sketball-cards

[mossoholic]

Originally Posted by fabiani12333

Topps forces the breakers to take the crap products if they want the good, in-demand products. The breakers buy in larger volume and support higher prices than individual buyers.

No longer true as evidenced by the products they are now dumping on Fanatics website. Including ones they ran multiple EQLs for.

Even if it was currently true it still doesn’t matter. Let's say tomorrow Fanatics eliminated a major breaker’s inventory and sent out mass ads for people to sign up to take that allocation with 2 weeks to apply. There would be more applicants for it than you could count. Everyone would be begging and pleading for that allocation. Having to take the bad hasn’t made any dent worth mentioning on anyone with any allocation worth mentioning since 2019.

[notoriousrmb]

Originally Posted by mossoholic

There is a big difference between 5% and the bulk. The auction they already ran for 1st Day Issue boxes was around 50% or closer to 85% depending on who you talk to. I would beg for them to do that going forward. Things didn't go the way they wanted so very few if any more auctions. Which means 99.99% of the general public has no chance now.

You're 100% wrong on everything you listed. We have the better part of a decade of evidence from Panini auctions that what you're saying is not true. Just because people want something doesn't mean they are willing to pay more than the market dictates for it. There have been countless great buys with Panini auctions the last 6+ years. There have been countless good products for less than $500 a box. That's even with all but the low numbered sets and some online exclusives being manipulated for 4+ years straight.

We now know for sure how things are going to go with Fanatics and the general public. Everything in demand you either won't get or a few boxes at best. You will never be able to buy a case of anything in demand ever again. You'll never be able to buy in bulk anything in demand from them ever again.

You are talking about 6 years of Panini, I'm talking about recent Topps which we all know releases less product to the public. You are talking about 1st Day Issue boxes, I'm talking about general mainstream releases. You want to say I'm 100% wrong and you aren't even on the same topic.

"Just because people want something doesn't mean they are willing to pay more than the market dictates for it. " - huh? What people are willing to pay IS the market.

How is saying that releasing more product to the public is the answer 100% wrong? You just said "You will never be able to buy a case of anything in demand ever again. You'll never be able to buy in bulk anything in demand from them ever again." So....release more product. Get supply closer to demand.

Seems you care more about saying you are right and everyone else is wrong than actually having a discussion on Topps Finest and flaws with running everything at auction.

[williemayshayes]

Finest used to be known for their Draft Redemptions.
With a massive class incoming, it's wild they didn't do redemptions for an XRC.

[mossoholic]

Originally Posted by notoriousrmb

You are talking about 6 years of Panini, I'm talking about recent Topps which we all know releases less product to the public. You are talking about 1st Day Issue boxes, I'm talking about general mainstream releases. You want to say I'm 100% wrong and you aren't even on the same topic.

"Just because people want something doesn't mean they are willing to pay more than the market dictates for it. " - huh? What people are willing to pay IS the market.

How is saying that releasing more product to the public is the answer 100% wrong? You just said "You will never be able to buy a case of anything in demand ever again. You'll never be able to buy in bulk anything in demand from them ever again." So....release more product. Get supply closer to demand.

Seems you care more about saying you are right and everyone else is wrong than actually having a discussion on Topps Finest and flaws with running everything at auction.

So you're going to claim that these big whales that bought no Panini products during auctions for 6+ years are all of sudden going to make sure to buy Topps auctions at way above market prices? Obviously that isn't true. If you want to see how auctions will go manipulated, Panini auctions the last several years is more or less how Topps auctions would go. It's how the 1st Day Issue box auction went. If you want to see how fair auctions would go see auctions prior to August 2021, some online exclusives and most set auctions 2021-2026.

The only way they will release more to the public is if it's something no one wants or an auction. Those are literally the only 2 ways. We are at a point where they are selling as little as less than 5% to the general public and getting a case on any of these is basically impossible. No auction format would be worse than their current sales methods for in demand releases.

They are going to have everything soon. They can't even keep up with what they have now let alone when they have football. If they print more than they will have to do less releases. Overall their profit would be less. Less boxes and more in demand products makes it easier for them to hold back products to sell at higher prices because of artificial scarcity that they created.

Topps wont run auctions because they have created this format of creating artificial scarcity and holding back product. If they were forced to make it all available they would go to auctions on all in demand products. They would sell every single box for every product above the price they list on EQL and Topps site. But they think they can make more holding back product and trying to screw the 99.9%.

This is really what Panini should have been doing the last 2 years or so. Panini had no reason to care about the long term hobby. Fanatics should and they are doing everything they can to drive away almost all current and future customers.

If you want to argue for something like Finest to not be auctioned thats fine. I still think they'd be better off for 99.9% of their customer base to go to a blind bid auction format where you get say 48 hours to bid. The dutch auction type auctions should really only be products 25k boxes or less.

Why would I want to be right on this? I wish I was wrong and they would change things. I don't see it happening. Fanatics wants 100% of the pie to go to themselves and 0.1% of their customers. The other 99.9% spend and lose as much as possible.