First Buzz: 2025-26 Topps Finest basketball cards

[JAMSC]

Originally Posted by ctgalloway21

whiffed on the case but got 2 boxes after 19 minutes of spamming PAY NOW

Ngl, this actually irritates me more that this was even possible.

[Bob Ross]

Originally Posted by ctgalloway21

whiffed on the case but got 2 boxes after 19 minutes of spamming PAY NOW

Originally Posted by JAMSC

Ngl, this actually irritates me more that this was even possible.

[cms11]

Originally Posted by trendy26

Everyone just needs to stop buying Topps products is what it comes down to. Until you hit Topps on their P&L, they’re not going to give a damn if the regular consumer is upset over the site crashing. They make plenty from the Breakers.

Exactly.

[hermanotarjeta]

Originally Posted by trendy26

Everyone just needs to stop buying Topps products is what it comes down to. Until you hit Topps on their P&L, they’re not going to give a damn if the regular consumer is upset over the site crashing. They make plenty from the Breakers.

If anything, fanatics finds maintenance of the website and this distribution format to the public a nuisance.

They really don’t need individual box buyers to keep themselves profitable.

They are simply feeding us cake through charity.

[notoriousrmb]

Originally Posted by mossoholic

Anyone with a brain knows auctions of any form are the realistic option. Obviously fair ones would be ideal but with these bums that isn’t going to happen. Either way with auctions everyone is on an even playing field, bots will leave forever, and you can buy as much as you want. No more zero chances at cases and max 1 or 2 box bs. But you don’t want that because then you have to take a risk.

But at auction, there wouldn't be an even playing field either. Those with lots of disposable income would just buy it up at the higher prices and those who just want one affordable box would be left hanging - just as it is now.

The only "fair" option is to print/mass distribute a product until the supply equals demand. Give people 500 places to purchase a box online and let the market work itself out.

[mossoholic]

Originally Posted by notoriousrmb

But at auction, there wouldn't be an even playing field either. Those with lots of disposable income would just buy it up at the higher prices and those who just want one affordable box would be left hanging - just as it is now.

The only "fair" option is to print/mass distribute a product until the supply equals demand. Give people 500 places to purchase a box online and let the market work itself out.

Saying auctions aren’t an even playing field is beyond words ridiculous. It’s the only format that everyone that has to buy during the auction is on an even playing field. It’s not who’s the luckiest. It’s not who’s running a bot. It’s not who has the best internet or phone data.

Who is going to buy it up at higher prices? How do you think the rich stay rich? By overpaying? The panini auctions have almost exclusively been manipulated since August 2021. There have still been countless good buys. There are countless good products under $500 someone could just buy 1 box of.

With auctions, by far the most amount of people are going to have the average in demand product. There are some now like Sapphire last week where less than 1% are going to the general public. With auctions, you know a high percentage is going to go to the general public and create more of a true market. Which Fanatics doesn’t want. They want a small amount of people to control the manipulated market.

[mossoholic]

Originally Posted by hermanotarjeta

If anything, fanatics finds maintenance of the website and this distribution format to the public a nuisance.

They really don’t need individual box buyers to keep themselves profitable.

They are simply feeding us cake through charity.

If this is true, all the more reason to just get rid of all in demand product sales to the general public, Don’t offer any in demand products via any format to the general public. I’m sure many, including myself, would be better off versus having the false hope of these bs website releases and eql. We are going to get to a point, if it isn’t already there, of less than 5% of these going to the general public. Virtually 0% on cases unless you’re a bot.

[premium1981]

Originally Posted by notoriousrmb

But at auction, there wouldn't be an even playing field either. Those with lots of disposable income would just buy it up at the higher prices and those who just want one affordable box would be left hanging - just as it is now.

I agree. Its the same thing when I go to buy a Gold Submariner Rolex. All the people with disposable income bought them and us regular people are left hanging. Oh the humanity.

[hermanotarjeta]

Originally Posted by mossoholic

If this is true, all the more reason to just get rid of all in demand product sales to the general public, Don’t offer any in demand products via any format to the general public. I’m sure many, including myself, would be better off versus having the false hope of these bs website releases and eql. We are going to get to a point, if it isn’t already there, of less than 5% of these going to the general public. Virtually 0% on cases unless you’re a bot.

They do it to promote their products - it’s essentially a very tedious advertisement.

That tease plays on your FOMO, no better pump machine around!

They create scarcity and demand simply by almost making it available to you -because we cannot resist and they know we must have it so badly.

[Bob Ross]

Originally Posted by premium1981

I agree. Its the same thing when I go to buy a Gold Submariner Rolex. All the people with disposable income bought them and us regular people are left hanging. Oh the humanity.

Don't get me started on the AD politics and wait lists in the watch game. I have enough venom to spew here already.

[premium1981]

Originally Posted by Bob Ross

Don't get me started on the AD politics and wait lists in the watch game. I have enough venom to spew here already.

The amusing part, is that the Rolex market has similar types of manipulation. They create false scarcity in their stores, even when stock is available. Its pretty common knowledge that they keep empty spots in their display cases to make things seem more in demand than what they actually are. I believe it was a Kevin O'Leary interview that I listened to where he said every single in demand Rolex has a "waiting list" and he was once told that the watch he wanted was available, but he still had to wait. In all seriousness, Michael Rubin seems to be the type of guy who would like the clout of a Rolex, so he may have gotten some of his moves out of their playbook.

[bub838]

Originally Posted by premium1981

The amusing part, is that the Rolex market has similar types of manipulation. They create false scarcity in their stores, even when stock is available. Its pretty common knowledge that they keep empty spots in their display cases to make things seem more in demand than what they actually are. I believe it was a Kevin O'Leary interview that I listened to where he said every single in demand Rolex has a "waiting list" and he was once told that the watch he wanted was available, but he still had to wait. In all seriousness, Michael Rubin seems to be the type of guy who would like the clout of a Rolex, so he may have gotten some of his moves out of their playbook.

If Rubin keeps following the Rolex playbook, eventually people will have to "establish a relationship" with a Fanatics Live breaker and once they've spent enough money you'll get an invite into a break or moved up the wait list. Don't forget, buying into less desirable breaks will help strengthen that relationship with your breaker.

[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.

The traditional collector who enjoyed this as a hobby and would buy a box to open, knowing it was -EV to do so, but ok with taking a slight hit for the entertainment value is being eliminated. That sort of collector isn’t drawn to breaks, because they want the entertainment value of physically opening the product themselves, and Topps/Fanatics has made it completely inaccessible to do so.

That type of collector has no reason to do anything but collect singles moving forward, if they remain in the hobby at all.

[notoriousrmb]

Originally Posted by mossoholic

Saying auctions aren’t an even playing field is beyond words ridiculous. It’s the only format that everyone that has to buy during the auction is on an even playing field. It’s not who’s the luckiest. It’s not who’s running a bot. It’s not who has the best internet or phone data.

Who is going to buy it up at higher prices? How do you think the rich stay rich? By overpaying? The panini auctions have almost exclusively been manipulated since August 2021. There have still been countless good buys. There are countless good products under $500 someone could just buy 1 box of.

With auctions, by far the most amount of people are going to have the average in demand product. There are some now like Sapphire last week where less than 1% are going to the general public. With auctions, you know a high percentage is going to go to the general public and create more of a true market. Which Fanatics doesn’t want. They want a small amount of people to control the manipulated market.

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.

Originally Posted by premium1981

I agree. Its the same thing when I go to buy a Gold Submariner Rolex. All the people with disposable income bought them and us regular people are left hanging. Oh the humanity.

If a Gold Submariner Rolex (you equate Finest basketball to that?) were the entry level option, Id agree with you. But when the $100 Swatch watch is now $600 because only 10% of the stock is available for public purchase, an auction won't solve the issue of getting it to more buyers.

[Bob Ross]

Originally Posted by premium1981

The amusing part, is that the Rolex market has similar types of manipulation. They create false scarcity in their stores, even when stock is available. Its pretty common knowledge that they keep empty spots in their display cases to make things seem more in demand than what they actually are. I believe it was a Kevin O'Leary interview that I listened to where he said every single in demand Rolex has a "waiting list" and he was once told that the watch he wanted was available, but he still had to wait. In all seriousness, Michael Rubin seems to be the type of guy who would like the clout of a Rolex, so he may have gotten some of his moves out of their playbook.

Originally Posted by bub838

If Rubin keeps following the Rolex playbook, eventually people will have to "establish a relationship" with a Fanatics Live breaker and once they've spent enough money you'll get an invite into a break or moved up the wait list. Don't forget, buying into less desirable breaks will help strengthen that relationship with your breaker.

Fanatics sure is making this feel similar in ways to the false scarcity game AD's play with Rolex.

[J1L]

at work - can someone do some napkin math on how many boxes of this?

[Bob Ross]

Originally Posted by J1L

at work - can someone do some napkin math on how many boxes of this?

Too early. No checklist or odds yet. You know, typical Fanatics releasing a preorder with no information at all on what you're buying.

[J1L]

Originally Posted by Bob Ross

Too early. No checklist or odds yet. You know, typical Fanatics releasing a preorder with no information at all on what you're buying.

i need you get a job at topps - covert action

[dantheman514]

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.

The traditional collector who enjoyed this as a hobby and would buy a box to open, knowing it was -EV to do so, but ok with taking a slight hit for the entertainment value is being eliminated. That sort of collector isn’t drawn to breaks, because they want the entertainment value of physically opening the product themselves, and Topps/Fanatics has made it completely inaccessible to do so.

That type of collector has no reason to do anything but collect singles moving forward, if they remain in the hobby at all.

This is very well said. I fall into the traditional collector category described above, and this is exactly how I feel about it. My buddy and I briefly discussed the idea of ripping a box or two on Super Bowl Sunday, and we decided against it very quickly. The buy-in is just too high now, and it is just straight gambling with most boxes being essentially worthless.

[Bob Ross]

Originally Posted by J1L

i need you get a job at topps - covert action

I did corporate at a fortune 500 company for 10 years after my painting show ended. I'd last 1 day with the morons that work at Fanatics.

[premium1981]

Originally Posted by JAMSC

And let’s be clear about this, anyone who participates in a group break is doing so as a degenerate gambler.

The hate would make much more of an impact if the haters would stop painting everyone with the same broad brush. Everyone who participates in group breakers are not degenerate gamblers. In the same way everyone who goes to a casino are not degenerate gamblers. Is it gambling? Absolutely it is. But a lot of people seem to enjoy it. As a numbers guy, I love to play Blackjack when I go on cruises. I will play for 1-2 hours on sea days and think nothing more of it. The money I win or lose makes no difference to me. I just enjoy the numbers and the thrill of maybe getting that 5 when I hit a 16. I have not been in a real casino in over 15 years. By your definition I am a degenerate gambler because I participate when I'm on vacation for a few hours. And I have never spent a single dollar in a group break. Maybe I should go drop $50 and then I could be a group break degenerate as well. Since everyone who participates is according to your opinion.

[premium1981]

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.

The traditional collector who enjoyed this as a hobby and would buy a box to open, knowing it was -EV to do so, but ok with taking a slight hit for the entertainment value is being eliminated. That sort of collector isn’t drawn to breaks, because they want the entertainment value of physically opening the product themselves, and Topps/Fanatics has made it completely inaccessible to do so.

That type of collector has no reason to do anything but collect singles moving forward, if they remain in the hobby at all.

Maybe that is his business plan. To run off the crabby complainers. Then, once you leave he will give everyone boxes at 80% off just to rub it in.

[JAMSC]

Originally Posted by premium1981

Maybe that is his business plan. To run off the crabby complainers. Then, once you leave he will give everyone boxes at 80% off just to rub it in.

[Andy5]

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.

The traditional collector who enjoyed this as a hobby and would buy a box to open, knowing it was -EV to do so, but ok with taking a slight hit for the entertainment value is being eliminated. That sort of collector isn’t drawn to breaks, because they want the entertainment value of physically opening the product themselves, and Topps/Fanatics has made it completely inaccessible to do so.

That type of collector has no reason to do anything but collect singles moving forward, if they remain in the hobby at all.

Top post. You'll hit the nerve of many with this but the truth hurts. I don't blame Fanatics at all for their business strategy. We can't complain about prices then go and buy a bunch of spots in the next break available.

[imbluestreak23]

People that care immensely about the watch on their wrist and chain on their neck are quite literally the worst