Any product that is popular, Topps can sell direct to customers on their site. High end, in-demand stuff can be sold through their preferred breakers. The garbage products will be going to hobby shops. The only value hobby shops provide Fanatics is their ability to sell overpriced crap to their customers -- sad but true. That's why Fanatics "needs" them.

[QUOTE=KhalDrogo;18932151]Breaking online allowed as long as product is available in the shop.[/QUOTE]

My local shop will struggle with this. They have been breaking stuff online for years and never selling any of the stuff in store.

Fanatics on the other hand:

[url]https://twitter.com/michaelrubin/status/1676363041288462338?t=qoS_zkh08uF-PsFnez4hzg&s=19[/url]

[QUOTE=IronCladLou;18932859]My local shop will struggle with this. They have been breaking stuff online for years and never selling any of the stuff in store.[/QUOTE]

Pretty simple solution. Do what most people that get allocation and sell breaks do. Price the boxes at prices that none or virtually none will sell at. Then break at a higher cost. Basically presale pricing on in demand products 101.

[QUOTE=KhalDrogo;18932151]Breaking online allowed as long as product is available in the shop.[/QUOTE]

Leaving one sealed box and one with packs is all you really need to satisfy that rule.

[QUOTE=mbrahv1984;18932400]Did you use to post on Whitesoxinteractive by chance? Your username is identical to one that I saw frequently over there.[/QUOTE]

Yes. One of many long gone white sox sites.

[QUOTE=fabiani12333;18932726]Nothing they're doing is to the benefit of shop owners. They want shop owners to feel grateful for "listening" to them so they can dump their overprinted, overpriced and poor quality products on them.[/QUOTE]

They need stores. Just not as bad as stores need them.

[QUOTE=ewokpelts;18941513]They need stores. Just not as bad as stores need them.[/QUOTE]

Bigger question is what function brick & mortar stores serve in the hobby going forward.

Collectors haven't needed them in order to buy cards for a long time....I buy hundreds of singles each year and probably 5-10 wax boxes, and I haven't spent a penny on cards in a brick & mortar store in probably 15+ years.

[QUOTE=mfw13;18941802]Bigger question is what function brick & mortar stores serve in the hobby going forward.

Collectors haven't needed them in order to buy cards for a long time....I buy hundreds of singles each year and probably 5-10 wax boxes, and I haven't spent a penny on cards in a brick & mortar store in probably 15+ years.[/QUOTE]

I buy 95% online but thats not necessarily by choice. I wish there was a bigger brick and mortar presence near me, I would love to have somewhere to go and talk cards and b/s/t in person

[QUOTE=mfw13;18941802]Bigger question is what function brick & mortar stores serve in the hobby going forward.

Collectors haven't needed them in order to buy cards for a long time....I buy hundreds of singles each year and probably 5-10 wax boxes, and I haven't spent a penny on cards in a brick & mortar store in probably 15+ years.[/QUOTE]

I buy boxes exclusively at brick and mortar stores.

I go to my LCS with my dad from time to time. I usually never buy anything though because online is always cheaper.

[QUOTE=mfw13;18941802]Bigger question is what function brick & mortar stores serve in the hobby going forward.

Collectors haven't needed them in order to buy cards for a long time....I buy hundreds of singles each year and probably 5-10 wax boxes, and I haven't spent a penny on cards in a brick & mortar store in probably 15+ years.[/QUOTE]

I’m lucky to have a good LCS five minutes away. Fair prices on wax, sometimes cheaper than online. Wax, singles, supplies they have it. Trade nights and it’s a good place to just talk about baseball with the owner and other customers. I’m usually there atleast 30-60 minutes. Has made the hobby much more enjoyable for me. Need more LCS like that.

I wish the three LCS within 10 miles of me had decent prices on anything.

I’ve bought lots from Burbank, but they’re about 35 miles from me so all my purchases have been online.

[QUOTE=ewokpelts;18941513]They need stores. Just not as bad as stores need them.[/QUOTE]

The way I look at is, Topps needs to sell a ton of mediocre trading cards to run a profitable business. Hobby shops, with their shelves consistently full of overpriced and mediocre trading card products, are their huckleberry.

[QUOTE=mfw13;18941802]Bigger question is what function brick & mortar stores serve in the hobby going forward.

Collectors haven't needed them in order to buy cards for a long time....I buy hundreds of singles each year and probably 5-10 wax boxes, and I haven't spent a penny on cards in a brick & mortar store in probably 15+ years.[/QUOTE]

Damn -- 15-plus years? You weren't at least compelled a few times to step into a hobby shop and buy something?

A shop opened in my small town a little less than a year ago. For the first time in my entire life, I have an LCS to visit whenever I wish. It’s hard to beat stopping in there to sit down at a table and shop 3D baseball cards, in-hand, in the $1 box or the By-Teams box for $1-$10 cards or ponder the display cases with more expensive cards. I have found some new-to-me insert sets to collect thanks to this, which I probably would have never seen otherwise. It’s a great way to stumble across photo variation cards too.

I buy whatever I can there. Supplies. The shop offers SGC and PSA submission services - so convenient. Also will sell 3 digit priced cards on consignment online &/or at shows. I don’t buy a lot of boxes but if I do, since this opened, I buy it automatically from this LCS without shopping on price at all, till afterwards, when I have discovered they run +/- $10 from online “spot” prices as the shop doesn’t do dynamic pricing. They don’t get a lot of cases in, at all; it is a small town after all, though they do draw customers now from 1-2 hours away.

I don’t want this shop to ever close and I am already way looking forward to my next visit. Baseball cards are infinitely more enjoyable to see in real life than they are on a computer screen; even the cards you don’t plan on purchasing. Paying a small price over lowest-possible-online is worth every last penny at a good Local Card Shop.

[QUOTE=base set;18942599]A shop opened in my small town a little less than a year ago. For the first time in my entire life, I have an LCS to visit whenever I wish. It’s hard to beat stopping in there to sit down at a table and shop 3D baseball cards, in-hand, in the $1 box or the By-Teams box for $1-$10 cards or ponder the display cases with more expensive cards. I have found some new-to-me insert sets to collect thanks to this, which I probably would have never seen otherwise. It’s a great way to stumble across photo variation cards too.

I buy whatever I can there. Supplies. The shop offers SGC and PSA submission services - so convenient. Also will sell 3 digit priced cards on consignment online &/or at shows. I don’t buy a lot of boxes but if I do, since this opened, I buy it automatically from this LCS without shopping on price at all, till afterwards, when I have discovered they run +/- $10 from online “spot” prices as the shop doesn’t do dynamic pricing. They don’t get a lot of cases in, at all; it is a small town after all, though they do draw customers now from 1-2 hours away.

I don’t want this shop to ever close and I am already way looking forward to my next visit. Baseball cards are infinitely more enjoyable to see in real life than they are on a computer screen; even the cards you don’t plan on purchasing. Paying a small price over lowest-possible-online is worth every last penny at a good Local Card Shop.[/QUOTE]

This sounds like a great LCS, especially if boxes are only ~ +/- $10 online pricing.

Looking at hobby boxes online, it's really easy for me to remind myself to just buy singles, and my wax purchases are down significantly over the past few years because of it. My LCS is there for impulse buying hobby boxes when I want to rip something, but again, my wax purchases are down significantly this year because of the allocation issues. The day Heritage came out, I went to my LCS intending to buy five hobby boxes, but five was all they got and I was only able to purchase two of them. I ended up using the money on eBay singles instead.

[QUOTE=Bcr;18941908]I go to my LCS with my dad from time to time. I usually never buy anything though because online is always cheaper.[/QUOTE]

This is a bummer. I spend a little more $$$ at the card shop on product because I enjoy the shop and the community and want to help do my part.

Unless your LCS is a dick, then by all means eShop away. :)!

[QUOTE=Mister2Bits;18942726]This is a bummer. I spend a little more $$$ at the card shop on product because I enjoy the shop and the community and want to help do my part.

Unless your LCS is a dick, then by all means eShop away. :)![/QUOTE]

Yeah id much rather pay a little more to have a place to talk to cards and support someone local

we have a big comic/gaming place that has some sports stuff but those guys dont have any sports knowledge

[QUOTE=Twalk1975;18942650]Looking at hobby boxes online, it's really easy for me to remind myself to just buy singles, and my wax purchases are down significantly over the past few years because of it. My LCS is there for impulse buying hobby boxes when I want to rip something, but again, my wax purchases are down significantly this year because of the allocation issues. The day Heritage came out, I went to my LCS intending to buy five hobby boxes, but five was all they got and I was only able to purchase two of them. I ended up using the money on eBay singles instead.[/QUOTE]

Your hobby shop only got allocated 5 boxes of Heritage? How is that possible? Arent cases like 12 boxes? Heritage is printed to the moon. It's a low-end product that is cheaply made, relatively speaking. It should be available to all shops with direct accounts.

[QUOTE=fabiani12333;18942736]Your hobby shop only got allocated 5 boxes of Heritage? How is that possible? Arent cases like 12 boxes? Heritage is printed to the moon. It's a low-end product that is cheaply made, relatively speaking. It should be available to all shops with direct accounts.[/QUOTE]

Yeah, five boxes. I was surprised because I'd bought ten from them last year. I called on my lunch break and asked them to hold me five boxes to pick up after work. He said that was their entire allocation, two to me, two to himself, and one for someone else. They haven't had any 2023 product beyond the first day all year. What little they're getting is gone immediately.

[QUOTE=Twalk1975;18942791]Yeah, five boxes. I was surprised because I'd bought ten from them last year. I called on my lunch break and asked them to hold me five boxes to pick up after work. He said that was their entire allocation, two to me, two to himself, and one for someone else. They haven't had any 2023 product beyond the first day all year. What little they're getting is gone immediately.[/QUOTE]

Sounds like he may not be direct.
I’m surprised he just doesn’t buy a case off topps.com

[QUOTE=dodgerfanjohn;18942224]I wish the three LCS within 10 miles of me had decent prices on anything.

I’ve bought lots from Burbank, but they’re about 35 miles from me so all my purchases have been online.[/QUOTE]

Fellow SoCal resident here, I'm in the same boat. Haven't stepped foot in one our San Gabriel Valley card shops in 5 years because of this - plus they spent the pandemic buying up/reselling all the retail product from the local Target.

I understand they need to make their overhead, but I also need to maintain my own personal overhead. Wish it was different. Don't see how card shops survive without these markups in super high rent priced metro areas. This plus Fanatics is a recipe for extinction.

[QUOTE=fabiani12333;18942574]Damn -- 15-plus years? You weren't at least compelled a few times to step into a hobby shop and buy something?[/QUOTE]

There's only one LCS near me, and their wax prices are much higher than online options.

And because I mostly collect scarce inserts/autos, they never have any singles I need.

I've bought some supplies from their over the years, but that's about it....