gst177
12-30-2009, 09:11 PM
Sorry for the long read as I am very frustrated. I am an avid sportscard and nonsportscard buyer since the early 90s. I spend on average $2k a month depending on whats out on purchasing wax cases because I like the thrill of the chase. I guess I rather spend the money on something than to give it away at a casino like I use to do. When there isnt a great item out sometimes I venture into lower end companies such as Tristar just to satisfy a craving. So here is my experience with Tristar before today.
I was invited by the good people at a local LCS to Tristar Packwars which Tristar sponsors at local card shops where they are sponsoring Card Shows. It s just a fancier way of saying they need to clean up the product they cant sell. A fellow patron of the LCS and I decided to buy 5 boxes each of Prospect Plus because when you do that, Tristar throws in other overpriced product. Tristar wanted $400 for the 5 boxes. Most of the shop patrons that attended purchased one or maybe 2 boxes. The dude from Tristar( dont want to mention his name), decided to talk for the next half an hour on how much money he made off of Bogs and thats why he rolls the way he does in Vegas and rubs elbows with Nolan Ryan and Roger Clemens. So we play pack wars with the first two boxes and he then asks the people with two boxes if they wanted to purchase anymore boxes to play with us, the guys with the 5 boxes. After no one purchased any more boxes, he decided he s going to lose money and ended the pack wars. Now my friend and I are left with 3 boxes each and the only reason we bought that much was to win more prizes cuz we figure if its down to us two its 50/50. Not the case. Through the whole time, he kept going on about how much Tristar cards are worth and how Tristar is the people's company cuz no other shops comes out to do Pack wars. I think its because other Companies dont need to clean their own inventory.
The other thing I couldnt stand is this box of Tristar cards that some people picked out off when they won certain Pack wars. Included in this box was some of the hardest Tristar cards to pull; short print autographs, 1/1 and 1/5 auto parallels. Why are they in the company's hands? HUMMMM. It included an autograph of Josh Vitters from Prospect Plus which is one of the shortest printed cards by Tristar.
Second time, I did my LCS a favor and decided to attend another Pack Wars sponsored by Tristar led by the same company representative. This time, a flyer comes out and lists all the "great" Tristar items the winner of the final pack wars would win. Same Patron and I decided to purchase the full allotment again. Dont know why .. guess competition took over. This time, he spends 30 minutes talking about how he is the master of knowledge of a TV show and asked us to ask him any question. He followed that up with magic tricks. I mean if i wanted to see a show on a Saturday night, I would have gone with my wife to a show not a card shop. So time for the grand prize pack wars and I win. Did I get any items listed on the flyer? Nope, I won myself a free pass to a Tristar Show. Whopdeedoo. He said he couldnt give out any more items because he needed to save inventory for the Tristar Show the next day. Guess they sell their own stuff at shows they sponsor. It wasnt until my LCS called numerous times and spoke with the higher ups did I even come close to getting what I was promised.
Tristar and the Pack Wars are jokes. I think its so bad that the card shop no longer agrees to them coming by anymore.
So today, dont know why, but i needed to satisfy that craving. only thing that I saw in a sealed box is 2009 Tristar Prospect Plus.
4 Signatures per box and that probably the only reason you break this piece of junk in the first place. Check what I got.
Tyler Skaggs Autograph 129/199
http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m211/gst177/21.jpg
Autograph #2 Tyler Skaggs 130/199
http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m211/gst177/1-3.jpg
Now I am sure I m going to get another player but Wait!!!
Autograph #3 Tyler Skaggs 131/199
http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m211/gst177/41.jpg
Now my last autograph and a monster of a pull
wait for it
.
.
.
.
.
autograph #4 Tyler Skaggs 132/199
http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m211/gst177/31.jpg
Wasnt a fan of his before but I guess I am now.
4 for 4 on Tyler Skaggs.
I am done with Tristar. I rather donate to Indian Casinos than spend a single cent with Tristar.
I was invited by the good people at a local LCS to Tristar Packwars which Tristar sponsors at local card shops where they are sponsoring Card Shows. It s just a fancier way of saying they need to clean up the product they cant sell. A fellow patron of the LCS and I decided to buy 5 boxes each of Prospect Plus because when you do that, Tristar throws in other overpriced product. Tristar wanted $400 for the 5 boxes. Most of the shop patrons that attended purchased one or maybe 2 boxes. The dude from Tristar( dont want to mention his name), decided to talk for the next half an hour on how much money he made off of Bogs and thats why he rolls the way he does in Vegas and rubs elbows with Nolan Ryan and Roger Clemens. So we play pack wars with the first two boxes and he then asks the people with two boxes if they wanted to purchase anymore boxes to play with us, the guys with the 5 boxes. After no one purchased any more boxes, he decided he s going to lose money and ended the pack wars. Now my friend and I are left with 3 boxes each and the only reason we bought that much was to win more prizes cuz we figure if its down to us two its 50/50. Not the case. Through the whole time, he kept going on about how much Tristar cards are worth and how Tristar is the people's company cuz no other shops comes out to do Pack wars. I think its because other Companies dont need to clean their own inventory.
The other thing I couldnt stand is this box of Tristar cards that some people picked out off when they won certain Pack wars. Included in this box was some of the hardest Tristar cards to pull; short print autographs, 1/1 and 1/5 auto parallels. Why are they in the company's hands? HUMMMM. It included an autograph of Josh Vitters from Prospect Plus which is one of the shortest printed cards by Tristar.
Second time, I did my LCS a favor and decided to attend another Pack Wars sponsored by Tristar led by the same company representative. This time, a flyer comes out and lists all the "great" Tristar items the winner of the final pack wars would win. Same Patron and I decided to purchase the full allotment again. Dont know why .. guess competition took over. This time, he spends 30 minutes talking about how he is the master of knowledge of a TV show and asked us to ask him any question. He followed that up with magic tricks. I mean if i wanted to see a show on a Saturday night, I would have gone with my wife to a show not a card shop. So time for the grand prize pack wars and I win. Did I get any items listed on the flyer? Nope, I won myself a free pass to a Tristar Show. Whopdeedoo. He said he couldnt give out any more items because he needed to save inventory for the Tristar Show the next day. Guess they sell their own stuff at shows they sponsor. It wasnt until my LCS called numerous times and spoke with the higher ups did I even come close to getting what I was promised.
Tristar and the Pack Wars are jokes. I think its so bad that the card shop no longer agrees to them coming by anymore.
So today, dont know why, but i needed to satisfy that craving. only thing that I saw in a sealed box is 2009 Tristar Prospect Plus.
4 Signatures per box and that probably the only reason you break this piece of junk in the first place. Check what I got.
Tyler Skaggs Autograph 129/199
http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m211/gst177/21.jpg
Autograph #2 Tyler Skaggs 130/199
http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m211/gst177/1-3.jpg
Now I am sure I m going to get another player but Wait!!!
Autograph #3 Tyler Skaggs 131/199
http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m211/gst177/41.jpg
Now my last autograph and a monster of a pull
wait for it
.
.
.
.
.
autograph #4 Tyler Skaggs 132/199
http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m211/gst177/31.jpg
Wasnt a fan of his before but I guess I am now.
4 for 4 on Tyler Skaggs.
I am done with Tristar. I rather donate to Indian Casinos than spend a single cent with Tristar.