2022 Cryptozoic CZX Crisis on Infinite Earths Trading Cards

[EW Cards]

Originally Posted by gerry609

I always thought some shops (BO ect.) could buy from directly from Topps and Upper Deck.

I don’t know about that, but we internet/show only folks cannot buy directly from the companies. i can’t even get UD unless I pay retail prices, as they only allow distributors to sell to Brick and Mortar stores. Very depressing.

[gerry609]

Originally Posted by EW Cards

I don’t know about that, but we internet/show only folks cannot buy directly from the companies. I can’t even get UD unless I pay retail prices, as they only allow distributors to sell to Brick and Mortar stores. Very depressing.

Got it. When I was reading a few years ago about BO having issues with Upper Deck as they would not sell to them due to their lack of brick and mortar store, I took that as direct sales from Upper Deck, not from distributor.

It does seem crazy for the companies not to deal directly with business.

[Scifi Cards]

The reason distributors exist is logistics.

Manufacturers would need a complete shipping complex if every order when through them, be it 1 box, 1 case, or 1 pallet.

Using distributors means they only have to ship to a few dozen addresses. And I would assume most orders are multi case orders.

Distributors in turn ship to a few hundred addresses. Orders as small as 1 box are handled this way, but again you're usually looking at multi-box orders.

The dealer level again chops it up, selling packs, boxes, cases, and breaking product.

The manufacturers don't want to ship to every dealer, let alone every customer. They let someone else bear that cost. Currently they don't warehouse much either, as most products are sold out at the manufacturer level, with distributors and dealers stocking most of the unopened product.

Ed

[BobCollects]

Cryptozoic has a listing for Crisis boxes on its online store so presumably it will have some boxes to sell directly to collectors the way Rittenhouse does.


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[Grid]

Originally Posted by Brobocop

When a few places basically conspire to control prices, that’s not fair market value.

Boxes of cards are plenty. A fair market value is exactly that, the value the market is willing to pay.

While you may think these should only be $250 a box, the open market sees them selling for $350 (or whatever). That is the market value.

If no one buys them at $350, as the market views that as being too high. The price has to come down, in order for Distributors and Dealers to move product.

That new, lower, price is the now fair market value.

And if they are put into the market too cheap, like blasters were a couple years ago at retail, they will sell for more than list. And that becomes fair market value.

The determined price that something will sell for in an open market. Is its fair market value. If you priced these out at $599, and they didn't sell. $599 clearly is not FMV.

Hate the players, not the game. As long as people pay these prices, that sets the market.

[nabzy28]

Originally Posted by Scifi Cards

The reason distributors exist is logistics.

Manufacturers would need a complete shipping complex if every order when through them, be it 1 box, 1 case, or 1 pallet.

Using distributors means they only have to ship to a few dozen addresses. And I would assume most orders are multi case orders.

Distributors in turn ship to a few hundred addresses. Orders as small as 1 box are handled this way, but again you're usually looking at multi-box orders.

The dealer level again chops it up, selling packs, boxes, cases, and breaking product.

The manufacturers don't want to ship to every dealer, let alone every customer. They let someone else bear that cost. Currently they don't warehouse much either, as most products are sold out at the manufacturer level, with distributors and dealers stocking most of the unopened product.

Ed

All of which Fanatics seems to already have the ability to accomplish on a massive scale.

[baseballbunez]

Originally Posted by nabzy28

All of which Fanatics seems to already have the ability to accomplish on a massive scale.

While shipping is a major component, it is not the only piece distributors bring to the table. The accounts/history/data are more valuable components than the shipping network. Fanatics sounds like it will be starting from scratch, so the expectation that all accounts/stores will have to apply at once and establish terms and all the other inputs that go on there to determine what an account is "worth" doesn't happen overnight.

It's funny how many seem to have this notion that retail stores will just crank in tons of product if distributors didn't exist, they will not. It will be the same deal here with a different name on the bill. So many accounts want to cry foul at every allocation/product release where they don't think they are getting enough, and blame the distributor rather than their own inability to earn the product. It is going to be the same story here with Fanatics with the fun new wrinkle of competing with their customer base as well. The argument that Fanatics can bypass distributors to fulfill individual accounts directly, yet stop short of just selling direct to consumer, is really some big dreaming going on for these smaller accounts that feel spurned by their distributors. Why only cut out some middlemen when they have the capability to cut out EVERY middleman?

[nabzy28]

I'd imagine there's far better chance that they just buy a distributor, if necessary, as well as a sports card company or two.

[webjon]

I'm not sure what value a distributor adds to entertainment cards in the current era.

This isn't like the '90s where there were multiple card and comic shops in every town and each shop carried a box or two of each release. I don't see comic shops relying on information in Previews anymore for their orders -- at least in my area no comic shops have carried any cards in nearly 10 years. At least with Diamond they were providing a service to the industry by advertising the products.

It isn't like the product runs are so huge that manufacturers couldn't deal with shipping if they wanted to -- especially if they limited purchases to a specific size that was easy to ship -- i.e. a case. I'm sure they could find a drop shipper to handle case shipments if nothing else. It seems like shipping is basically the only thing that current distributors are doing for the hobby anyway.

I'll take it a step further and say the current retail/distribution model is broken. I contacted Rittenhouse when I moved several years ago -- and they told me they didn't have any retailers in my area -- an area with millions of people in it. If your dealer and distribution network doesn't have any retailers in one of the largest metro areas in the country there is a problem.

[nabzy28]

Originally Posted by webjon

I'm not sure what value a distributor adds to entertainment cards in the current era.

Absolutely none. Watch the majority of the major sports box breakers when they get higher end non-sports product in. They don't even know what they're looking at. What they do know is that their rep said it'll be 'hot' and they can get some.

[AceGambit3]

Originally Posted by nabzy28

Absolutely none. Watch the majority of the major sports box breakers when they get higher end non-sports product in. They don't even know what they're looking at. What they do know is that their rep said it'll be 'hot' and they can get some.

This is why I can't watch most non-sports breaks on YouTube. Listening to someone rip open tons of boxes of a product and have no idea who *insert any major star* like they just pulled a Waterhouse monkey sketch is beyond annoying.

[Archangel1775]

Originally Posted by nabzy28

Absolutely none. Watch the majority of the major sports box breakers when they get higher end non-sports product in. They don't even know what they're looking at. What they do know is that their rep said it'll be 'hot' and they can get some.

Originally Posted by AceGambit3

This is why I can't watch most non-sports breaks on YouTube. Listening to someone rip open tons of boxes of a product and have no idea who *insert any major star* like they just pulled a Waterhouse monkey sketch is beyond annoying.

I had to laugh out loud after reading this. I was watching a live break of Star Wars Stellar and was rolling after the host kept reading the characters names...

Ok, here we have a Queen Amidala Autograph, oh look a Han Solo autograph and a Jyn Erso autograph! Woohooo!

[Scifi Cards]

Originally Posted by webjon

I'm not sure what value a distributor adds to entertainment cards in the current era.

Part of it indeed the shipping. Manufacturer ships pallets of cards straight to distributors. And they are done. Product gone, move to the next.

Distributor gets pallets, sells cases and even boxes to dealers. Warehouses the excess until retailer needs more if not a sellout.

But there is also the combining of product lines. I have an invoice on my desk, I bought Topps, Panini, BCW, Ultra-Pro, and Pokémon. Now, if I have to go to 5 different manufacturers for that, I have 5 small orders from 5 places and likely 5 shipping charges. But I met my minimum with the combined order and got free freight. And it was a 1 day ship for everything. And that, to me, IS value.

Distributors are a logistics provider. No manufacturer wants to ship every retailer order to every retailer in the country. They would pay someone to do it, or they keep the current system of distributors.

Ed

[BobCollects]

Still no listing for this set at Blowout. Cryptozoic’s 1/5/2022 release date has arrived but I don’t think it’s getting released today.

What a mess of a release this has been.


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[Zeldafanatic15]

Surprise - delayed until January 19th per Cryptozoic Facebook.

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[nabzy28]

Well, they added a bunch of autos and wardrobe cards to the preview images -

https://cryptozoic.com/collections/t...nfinite-earths

[KandJ]

Originally Posted by nabzy28

Well, they added a bunch of autos and wardrobe cards to the preview images -

https://cryptozoic.com/collections/t...nfinite-earths

Nice with the main three having at least 100 individual autos. I might actual have a chance.

[tnvolfan16]

there is no chance this will not end up being the most sought after television card set ever before it is over. the auto set looks like it will be monsterous and not limited to numbers that are unattainable

[ifish73]

Is that a Gustin sketch auto?

[nabzy28]

Originally Posted by ifish73

Is that a Gustin sketch auto?

Yes.

* Single and Dual Autograph Cards, including Autograph-Sketch Cards, signed by various stars (1:6 packs)

[ifish73]

Originally Posted by nabzy28

Yes.

* Single and Dual Autograph Cards, including Autograph-Sketch Cards, signed by various stars (1:6 packs)

Didn't notice that before. The one thing I do not see is another hit. The other CZX products had something in every pack. Based on the information each box will have auto, sketch, wardrobe, STR PWR, parallel. What is in the last pack? There are printing plates so that can be in some of them but not one in every box so is there something else like a second parallel or just a mix of the above hits? Hope it isn't the fake film cels.

[nabzy28]

Originally Posted by ifish73

Didn't notice that before. The one thing I do not see is another hit. The other CZX products had something in every pack. Based on the information each box will have auto, sketch, wardrobe, STR PWR, parallel. What is in the last pack? There are printing plates so that can be in some of them but not one in every box so is there something else like a second parallel or just a mix of the above hits? Hope it isn't the fake film cels.

I'd have to guess it'll just be an additional numbered parallel of the base or STR PWR - mostly - with some having an extra Relic. Maybe an extra low-tier base auto in boxes that have the sketch/autos?

[BobCollects]

Originally Posted by tnvolfan16

there is no chance this will not end up being the most sought after television card set ever before it is over. the auto set looks like it will be monsterous and not limited to numbers that are unattainable

Won't the cost of boxes price out a lot of collectors, though?

Also, does anyone have any idea how many boxes will be produced?

[nabzy28]

Originally Posted by BobCollects

Won't the cost of boxes price out a lot of collectors, though?

Also, does anyone have any idea how many boxes will be produced?

Cryptozoic may be concerned about collectors. Distributors are not. If the sketch quality is not consistent in this, and the average collector that buys a box or two pulls a mid-low tier auto, they're getting destroyed at $300+/box.

[Chuck Bartowski]

Pretty insane they got Tom Welling when he never signed for Inkworks and Smallville