First Buzz: 2023 Topps Heritage baseball cards

[UCCF]

Speaking of crazy collation, my case was odd:

• The first two boxes I opened were hot boxes, with the purple chrome at the back of the pack in both boxes.
• All of my boxes had 12 SPs instead of 8. And the SPs were insanely dupey - I had 7 or 8 copies of some of the cards.
• I got almost no inserts, only about 4 New Age performers cards in the entire case.

It wasn't like any Heritage case I had ever opened previously, and that goes back a few years.

[mfw13]

Originally Posted by UCCF

Speaking of crazy collation, my case was odd:

• The first two boxes I opened were hot boxes, with the purple chrome at the back of the pack in both boxes.
• All of my boxes had 12 SPs instead of 8. And the SPs were insanely dupey - I had 7 or 8 copies of some of the cards.
• I got almost no inserts, only about 4 New Age performers cards in the entire case.

It wasn't like any Heritage case I had ever opened previously, and that goes back a few years.

That's what happens when a company bites off more than it can chew (as Fanatics is doing), and quality control goes to hell in a handbasket.

[ClevelandIC]

Originally Posted by mfw13

That's what happens when a company bites off more than it can chew (as Fanatics is doing), and quality control goes to hell in a handbasket.

This post truly makes me laugh. This type of stuff has been happening for years. Fanatics is making so many QC improvements that people just seem to ignore. Their pricing structure is a joke and I am not happy they're here but the QC is UNQUESTIONABLY better.

[mfw13]

Originally Posted by ClevelandIC

This post truly makes me laugh. This type of stuff has been happening for years. Fanatics is making so many QC improvements that people just seem to ignore. Their pricing structure is a joke and I am not happy they're here but the QC is UNQUESTIONABLY better.

Your post makes me laugh as well....

What specific quality control improvements has Fanatics made?

[Jolten Joe]

I know they didn't fix the centering issue because 90% of the Sapphire Druw Jones cards are off center left to right from what I've seen so far. I haven't seen a single one on ebay yet that would gem if sent to PSA.

[ClevelandIC]

Originally Posted by mfw13

Your post makes me laugh as well....

What specific quality control improvements has Fanatics made?

Pack outs are better, shipping is better (faster and more protection), the turn around time on team changes/spring training rookies is the fastest we've seen in a long time, website checkout is better, limits are better, MC checkout was better, customer service CALLED me to solve a problem. These are just the things that I have experienced. Name one thing that is worse (aside from pricing - we all hate that)

[TFP]

Originally Posted by ClevelandIC

Not on the back?

Nothing on the front or back

[PeteD]

Highlights from 2 boxes...no Walker or Volpe. Fun rip tho.

[MotorboatJones]

Well, I bought 3 boxes from an online dealer but they shipped today and likely won’t arrive until next week sometime, so I decided to stop by a local card shop and snag just one box to enjoy opening tonight…

Some nice inserts and rookies


Eloy Chrome Refractor /574, Mountcastle Deckle Edge, Gonzalez image variation


And this…



Glad I stopped and snagged a box

[LVDan]

Oh yes that rocks

[jduds]

Has anyone posted the odds yet (I looked but didn't see it) or better yet, have an estimate of the pr on some of the variations?

[PeteD]

Originally Posted by PeteD

No Yoshida rc...bummer.

Ooops i was mistaken...#108 SP rookie variation.

[njsportscardguy]

Originally Posted by ClevelandIC

This post truly makes me laugh. This type of stuff has been happening for years. Fanatics is making so many QC improvements that people just seem to ignore. Their pricing structure is a joke and I am not happy they're here but the QC is UNQUESTIONABLY better.

Originally Posted by mfw13

Your post makes me laugh as well....

What specific quality control improvements has Fanatics made?

Busted a Series 1 Jumbo case, and virtually any/every player/RC that was worth sending in for grading, was....well,....not worth sending in for grading!
I literally only chose ONE, base card! Out of 9 Adley base, only one had centering that could be widely accepted as "centered".

Perhaps my experience is only an exceptionally small sample, but I echo the question posed in the latter, quoted text: What specific quality control improvements has Fanatics made?

[Jolten Joe]

Wow I feel bad for those waiting on those delayed boxes from BO. All of the big SP Rc's started around $200 and can be had for under $100 right now just 2 days after release. The secondary market crashed fast.

[mfw13]

Originally Posted by Jolten Joe

All of the big SP Rc's started around $200 and can be had for under $100 right now just 2 days after release. The secondary market crashed fast.

That's pretty normal....the only people who buy really early are those who are either desperate, stupid, or both. Everyone else knows to wait for more supply to come online....especially when you've got a long weekend that means that a lot of people won't be getting their cases/boxes until Tuesday.

And the SP RC's aren't that scarce....someone estimated about 2000 copies each.

Volpe is hitting .199 with a 79 OPS+, and struggled last year at both AA (.820 OPS) and AAA (.718 OPS).

Walker went from AA straight to the majors, struggled, and is now back in AAA where he is also struggling (.732 OPS).

Everyone seems to have forgotten that just because you are a highly ranked prospect doesn't mean that you are going to succeed in the majors. Just ask Jurickson Profar, Byron Buxton, or Bobby Witt Jr.

[TMQ]

Originally Posted by Jolten Joe

Wow I feel bad for those waiting on those delayed boxes from BO. All of the big SP Rc's started around $200 and can be had for under $100 right now just 2 days after release. The secondary market crashed fast.

That's nothing new and basically standard operating procedure for new releases. Especially Heritage and Flagship.

[rwperu34]

Originally Posted by mfw13

That's pretty normal....the only people who buy really early are those who are either desperate, stupid, or both. Everyone else knows to wait for more supply to come online....especially when you've got a long weekend that means that a lot of people won't be getting their cases/boxes until Tuesday.

And the SP RC's aren't that scarce....someone estimated about 2000 copies each.

Volpe is hitting .199 with a 79 OPS+, and struggled last year at both AA (.820 OPS) and AAA (.718 OPS).

Walker went from AA straight to the majors, struggled, and is now back in AAA where he is also struggling (.732 OPS).

Everyone seems to have forgotten that just because you are a highly ranked prospect doesn't mean that you are going to succeed in the majors. Just ask Jurickson Profar, Byron Buxton, or Bobby Witt Jr.

I don't think I'd ask Byron Buxton about not succeeding in the majors.

[MotorboatJones]

Originally Posted by mfw13

That's pretty normal....the only people who buy really early are those who are either desperate, stupid, or both. Everyone else knows to wait for more supply to come online....especially when you've got a long weekend that means that a lot of people won't be getting their cases/boxes until Tuesday.

And the SP RC's aren't that scarce....someone estimated about 2000 copies each.

Volpe is hitting .199 with a 79 OPS+, and struggled last year at both AA (.820 OPS) and AAA (.718 OPS).

Walker went from AA straight to the majors, struggled, and is now back in AAA where he is also struggling (.732 OPS).

Everyone seems to have forgotten that just because you are a highly ranked prospect doesn't mean that you are going to succeed in the majors. Just ask Jurickson Profar, Byron Buxton, or Bobby Witt Jr.

Bobby Witt Jr ? Dude is 22 years old, had one of the best rookie seasons in recent years and is still on pace for 27 hrs and 45 sb this year. His average will come around, and when it does, look out. Dude is very young

[ScooterD]

Originally Posted by mfw13

...the only people who buy really early are those who are either desperate, stupid, or both

Exception for those who scoop up mislabeled or unknown (at the time) rarities at release. There are several breakers out there who miss the small variations that Heritage offers, and there are opportunities to pounce early.

This is less true now that Heritage has started labeling the variations (albeit in the smallest font possible). In years past, I have seen several throwbacks sell for under $10 in the first few days after release because the seller didn’t know it was a variation.

Another good example are the SP Adell and Walker base autos in Bowman. The first few sales were low because the SP nature of the card weren’t known at the time. While neither player is currently hot, those initial buys are still lower than current sales

[Jolten Joe]

I get prices come down after the initial rush to the bottom I was just saying they likely lost out on a lot of money because shipments were delayed. Sadly I feel we will see more delays with future products as well as Fanatics/Topps tries to get people to pre-order exclusively through their site.

[bd3d86]

I need 12 cards for my master, so if anyone opened and has some extra SP's let me know.

SP's: 406, 408, 410, 421, 430, 439, 441, 454, 460, 464, 479, 491

[jduds]

Originally Posted by Jolten Joe

I get prices come down after the initial rush to the bottom I was just saying they likely lost out on a lot of money because shipments were delayed. Sadly I feel we will see more delays with future products as well as Fanatics/Topps tries to get people to pre-order exclusively through their site.

Did they ship out Heritage orders from the site first? I'd blame the holiday weekend and FedEx first instead of jumping to it being a big ploy to kill retailers. Topps has the option to lower prices and just cut allocation to vendors if they want all the business to run through the site. No need to play games with shipping.
Horrible thought of the day: Revamp Montgomery Club to get product shipped a week early. How much would people pay for that?

[mfw13]

Originally Posted by rwperu34

I don't think I'd ask Byron Buxton about not succeeding in the majors.

I'm talking about succeeding vis-a-vis level of hobby hype....he was supposed to be another Griffey Jr.....instead he's been injury-prone and has 21.3 WAR going into his age 29 season.

[mfw13]

Originally Posted by MotorboatJones

Bobby Witt Jr ? Dude is 22 years old, had one of the best rookie seasons in recent years and is still on pace for 27 hrs and 45 sb this year. His average will come around, and when it does, look out. Dude is very young

He is very young, but he's way behind where similarly-hyped guys were at the same age. Maybe he improves, more likely he doesn't.

Point being that last year, he was being hyped just as much as guys like Walker & Volpe (or Gavin Lux a couple of years before that).

As of right now, Witt Jr. has cost everyone who invested in him the last couple of years A LOT of money. And Walker and Volpe MAY end up doing the same.

[Americards]

Originally Posted by jduds

Has anyone posted the odds yet (I looked but didn't see it) or better yet, have an estimate of the pr on some of the variations?

HERE IT IS