First Buzz: 2018 Topps Heritage baseball cards

[Ottomatic]

Originally Posted by Chrisyork33

I imagine they would save him for High #, to help move that product.

Was thinking the same thing, but was wondering if Ohtani is even allowed in Heritage before he plays a game.

Ohtani and Acuna in High number.... Wow.

[jmweb]

I was told by my distributor that 2018 Heritage would be allocated.. meaning, i could ask for xx amount of cases but that doesn't mean i will get that many... i didn't get that spiel last year so who knows. were not talking about xx cases either.. i only requested 6..

[brentandbecca]

Originally Posted by jmweb

I was told by my distributor that 2018 Heritage would be allocated.. meaning, i could ask for xx amount of cases but that doesn't mean i will get that many... i didn't get that spiel last year so who knows. were not talking about xx cases either.. i only requested 6..

This is coming up more and more often as the market has been so hot. For a long time distributors sold at their % over and moved on, but now they are allocating even the loyal buyers.

When 2 of the largest master distributors of Topps have triple the orders for a product like Heritage, from a few hundred cases up to near 1,000, they have to allocate it, to not only spread it around, but if we are being honest charge others more and hold product until release.

I mean last year's hit $2,400, we have never seen that or anything close to that for a Heritage or any 'base' Topps brand...that is 4x cost, wow, just wow, nothing goes up like that
Normally this would be a $700-$800 presale case for most, but even if this year lacks the craze that was #ALLRISE many think it could go $1,000 or even $1,200 so there are so many more people looking to buy sealed, yet distributors want to allocate so they too can hold and get some of that potential...just a hot market the past 8 months or so, and while baseball has cooled tremendously, many have high hopes for 2018, and other sports like basketball are going crazy too.

[kyle1707]

Can’t believe we are coming up on 2 months out on this

[HYPTZEMDSTRPLES]

Black refractors are back! Why did Topps remove them last year?

[GoldPanner]

they should honestly replace flagship with this as the new marquee product. I don’t even like this year compared to most but to me it leaps and bounds better than flagship interns of design and photo choice. This is something I would want to set build if I did not flagship

[brentandbecca]

Originally Posted by GoldPanner

they should honestly replace flagship with this as the new marquee product. I don’t even like this year compared to most but to me it leaps and bounds better than flagship interns of design and photo choice. This is something I would want to set build if I did not flagship

seeing that sales of flagship outpace heritage by a mile, not even remotely close, that won't happen
and most traditionalists will want a new design

I am a HUGE heritage guy, but I also love flagship just fine

plus, eventually, there will be a heritage of the new flagship anyhow

[GoldPanner]

Originally Posted by brentandbecca

seeing that sales of flagship outpace heritage by a mile, not even remotely close, that won't happen
and most traditionalists will want a new design

I am a HUGE heritage guy, but I also love flagship just fine

plus, eventually, there will be a heritage of the new flagship anyhow

I understand it won’t happen and it doesn’t make financial sense for topps but I think pictures are a lot better than flagship had they are recreating the images they had from back when the sets were great. I guess I’m not sure I would really want heritage to be the new flagship, but more that they have heritage type photos and tone down the designs and make original designs with clear borders even if they are simple.

[vwnut13]

Originally Posted by Ottomatic

Was thinking the same thing, but was wondering if Ohtani is even allowed in Heritage before he plays a game.

Don't count out Topps releasing an Ohtani 'cutout' in Heritage.

[mfw13]

Originally Posted by brentandbecca

This is coming up more and more often as the market has been so hot. For a long time distributors sold at their % over and moved on, but now they are allocating even the loyal buyers.

When 2 of the largest master distributors of Topps have triple the orders for a product like Heritage, from a few hundred cases up to near 1,000, they have to allocate it, to not only spread it around, but if we are being honest charge others more and hold product until release.

I mean last year's hit $2,400, we have never seen that or anything close to that for a Heritage or any 'base' Topps brand...that is 4x cost, wow, just wow, nothing goes up like that
Normally this would be a $700-$800 presale case for most, but even if this year lacks the craze that was #ALLRISE many think it could go $1,000 or even $1,200 so there are so many more people looking to buy sealed, yet distributors want to allocate so they too can hold and get some of that potential...just a hot market the past 8 months or so, and while baseball has cooled tremendously, many have high hopes for 2018, and other sports like basketball are going crazy too.

Great argument for why Topps should cut middlemen out of the distribution chain entirely. Just sell to collectors through Amazon at cost.....

[no10pin]

Originally Posted by HYPTZEMDSTRPLES

Black refractors are back! Why did Topps remove them last year?

I think they changed it to blue because of the border last year. Black refractors would have just looked like a plain border.

[ThoseBackPages]

cant wait!

[mma138]

I heard that ohtani refuses to be in any release that will have any Asians in it.

[Carrbeaz]

Originally Posted by mfw13

Great argument for why Topps should cut middlemen out of the distribution chain entirely. Just sell to collectors through Amazon at cost.....

May I ask what you do for a living and petition that your means of providing for your family be eliminated?

[mfw13]

You may ask. But it's not relevant to the discussion.

My point is that distributors in the sports card industry add ZERO value anywhere along the supply chain but extract significant rents from end users (i.e. collectors). All they do is get cases from Topps, mark up prices, and then sell the cases/boxes on to collectors.

[ThoseBackPages]

im all for 100% online from topps. but it's gotta be cheap and available to all

[PDCCollectibles]

Originally Posted by mfw13

You may ask. But it's not relevant to the discussion.

My point is that distributors in the sports card industry add ZERO value anywhere along the supply chain but extract significant rents from end users (i.e. collectors). All they do is get cases from Topps, mark up prices, and then sell the cases/boxes on to collectors.

This is what happens in mostly every industry that sells goods or services....I won't explain the economics of it as I'm sure you understand the reason there is a 'middle man' in most markets. Just like Honda builds a car, sells to the "Honda' dealership, they mark it up to consumer.....

[auctionjmm]

Originally Posted by mfw13

You may ask. But it's not relevant to the discussion.

My point is that distributors in the sports card industry add ZERO value anywhere along the supply chain but extract significant rents from end users (i.e. collectors). All they do is get cases from Topps, mark up prices, and then sell the cases/boxes on to collectors.

Isn't that what ALL distributors and wholesalers in the world do?

[rogermaris]

Originally Posted by PDCCollectibles

This is what happens in mostly every industry that sells goods or services....I won't explain the economics of it as I'm sure you understand the reason there is a 'middle man' in most markets. Just like Honda builds a car, sells to the "Honda' dealership, they mark it up to consumer.....

But "the economics of it" are based on antiquated technologies. If you've noticed, most middlemen have gone out of business with the advent of the internet (especially retail businesses). Car dealerships are actually sort of a unique example. And as far as I'm aware, a lot of the reason car dealerships are still around is due to lobbying from the industry, which companies like Tesla are working to undo...

[Bhenry4]

They've already made the chrome cards, I presume, correct? Thinking about what happens when and likely if Manny gets traded. I'm not collecting him in another uniform.

[ryanvas]

Originally Posted by Bhenry4

They've already made the chrome cards, I presume, correct? Thinking about what happens when and likely if Manny gets traded. I'm not collecting him in another uniform.

Orioles in heritage and new team in HHN. Like Scherzer in 2015 if memory serves me right.

[mfw13]

Originally Posted by auctionjmm

Isn't that what ALL distributors and wholesalers in the world do?

It is, but in other industries they provide some sort of added value, which is not the case with sports card distribution.

For example, car dealers (to use the example someone else suggested) provide value to the consumer by allowing you to examine and test drive a vehicle during the process of deciding whether or not to make a purchase. Same thing with clothing retailers where you can try on clothes to see if they fit.

And would also note that in many cases, wholesalers and distributors exist because manufacturers do not have the ability to distribute themselves. So they provide a very valuable service to both producer and consumer (for example, a local brewery that wants to get their products into supermarkets nationwide).

Topps/Panini could just as easily sell their products direct-to-consumer either via their own websites, and/or by opening storefronts on EBay or Amazon.

[morningrushnc]

"If you build it, he will come."

[mfisher27]

More than likely but not necessarily, Aroldis Chapman in 2017 Low Series...

Chrome was in a Cubs uniform
Base was in a Yankees uniform

Originally Posted by ryanvas

Orioles in heritage and new team in HHN. Like Scherzer in 2015 if memory serves me right.

[ryanvas]

Originally Posted by morningrushnc

^There are two places where distributers add value to the card manufacturers. They take on the risk of a product tanking and being worth less than wholesale cost, and they relieve the manufacturers of having to store thousands of cases for both short and long term.

SPOT ON!

Originally Posted by mfisher27

More than likely but not necessarily, Aroldis Chapman in 2017 Low Series...

Chrome was in a Cubs uniform
Base was in a Yankees uniform

Great example. That would be great to get his new team on the card (assuming it isn't the Orioles).