Priced out of the hobby

[mfw13]

Originally Posted by dashcol

1) Their market is wide, cards are in these places: Walmart, Target, Meijer, Dollar Tree, Walgreens, CVS, Five Below, and BAM. Random places I have seen cards but not consistently are grocery stores, hobby stores, and convenience stores/gas stations. Where else should they be?

2/3) This will never happen unless they want to just get rid of distributors, but then they would have to handle all the distribution on their own which means higher overhead. Business wise, this doesn’t make sense for them to do it. What they could TRY and do is force distributor pricing, but that would only be on current year products, after that they would be “dead” product and distributors can charge what they want. Topps also couldn’t do anything to LCS/online sales as none of them have contracts with Topps, their contracts with the distributor.

Here in Seattle, I've never seen cards in any retail location other than Target/Walmart.

And getting rid of distributors would be easy. Topps has started to build out their own fulfillment capabilities for all the products they are now selling via their website (Living, Throwback Thrusday, Montgomery Club, Project 2020, etc.). And they could just as easily partner with Amazon to handle distribution via an online store on the Amazon website.

These days, distributors are just rent extractors that add no value for buyers.

Which would you rather do....buy a product direct from Topps for $75/box....or for $125/box after it's passed through the hands of several distributors who have done nothing except mark up the price?

[dashcol]

Originally Posted by Chicosbailbonds

Who knows how much more Topps can sell, you cannot sell an empty shelf. Eventually these places like Target won't stand for a empty trading card section 6.5 out of 7 days a week, those are lost sales for the store.

No, it isn’t lost sales for Walmart and Target. They rent the space to Excel or MJ Holding, or whoever it is in the area. They get paid regardless of the status of product. They do not get anything from the sales.

[dashcol]

Originally Posted by mfw13

Here in Seattle, I've never seen cards in any retail location other than Target/Walmart.

And getting rid of distributors would be easy. Topps has started to build out their own fulfillment capabilities for all the products they are now selling via their website (Living, Throwback Thrusday, Montgomery Club, Project 2020, etc.). And they could just as easily partner with Amazon to handle distribution via an online store on the Amazon website.

These days, distributors are just rent extractors that add no value for buyers.

Which would you rather do....buy a product direct from Topps for $75/box....or for $125/box after it's passed through the hands of several distributors who have done nothing except mark up the price?

Obviously I would rather pay less money, but I also don’t want to wait for something after I buy it.

Also, we have all seen how Topps handles their online sales. How many people got their Montgomery Club packages significantly delayed? That was not shipping on the level of ALL Topps products being shipped individually by them. That is a lot of man power to ship out that many cards. Shipping times will be weeks to get your stuff.

[Chicosbailbonds]

Originally Posted by dashcol

No, it isn’t lost sales for Walmart and Target. They rent the space to Excel or MJ Holding, or whoever it is in the area. They get paid regardless of the status of product. They do not get anything from the sales.

If the store can make more by selling something 3X over in a prime impulse location, they will do it. I'm a distributor and that is the section I'm going after first. Remember, store managers get bonuses on store sales also. If WalMart gets enough complaints about that section being empty, they will make changes.

[mrb842]

as far expenses go you don't need the hobby boxes or monster cards and it's very easy to go to shows, see underpriced cards people are selling and then flip to fund your interest. I don't get fomo off the wild stuff people do now and frankly all the new $ is creating a lot of opportunities for collectors to make $$.

[Chicosbailbonds]

Originally Posted by mrb842

as far expenses go you don't need the hobby boxes or monster cards and it's very easy to go to shows, see underpriced cards people are selling and then flip to fund your interest. I don't get fomo off the wild stuff people do now and frankly all the new $ is creating a lot of opportunities for collectors to make $$.

Agree, if you can get the cards. If you in a smaller area, you have no shot. No shows here either.

Dashcol - I have seen how their contracted distributors have handled it. No way its better than direct. I get Topps Now and Living direct.

[dashcol]

Originally Posted by Chicosbailbonds

If the store can make more by selling something 3X over in a prime impulse location, they will do it. I'm a distributor and that is the section I'm going after first. Remember, store managers get bonuses on store sales also. If WalMart gets enough complaints about that section being empty, they will make changes.

I don’t believe it would happen, but you would know better than me if you are trying to get those spots. I would imagine that is not a cheap rent to have

[Chicosbailbonds]

Originally Posted by dashcol

I don’t believe it would happen, but you would know better than me if you are trying to get those spots. I would imagine that is not a cheap rent to have

We deal with WalMart, they are on our ass at a higher level if space is sitting empty, even for a day. The contract works both ways. I'm sure they are pledging to keep it full, which they are not. This is where the distributor has to go to the card companies and demand more product, cannot risk losing space in national accounts.

[mgugs46]

Originally Posted by Triple B

Getting priced out of buying packs and boxes is the best thing that has ever happened to me in this hobby.

I see this a lot, but is it really? Considering the prices of singles, and the obscene amounts of money players are going for, in many cases unless you pull the card you aren’t getting one.

Now if you collect minor stars or role player guys then sure - ripping is a waste.

[Friars]

Originally Posted by redsoxking94

seems about right, if you learn market cycles work you'll see why i say a crash is due.

Then there's absolutely no reason why you aren't stacking chips like jordan Belfort, unless this is your first rodeo on market prediction. Out on that limb I can barely hear you :-/

[shayscards79]

You know this hobby is out of control when two months after release, Spencer Torkelson base draft autos are going for $600.

Back in 2009, I was buying base Manny Machado draft autos for $40 two months after release.

[mgugs46]

Originally Posted by shayscards79

You know this hobby is out of control when two months after release, Spencer Torkelson base draft autos are going for $600.

Back in 2009, I was buying base Manny Machado draft autos for $40 two months after release.

Yup. Prospecting isn’t a thing anymore. You used to be able to spend several hundred dollars amend if you guessed correctly, you did real well. Now several hundred dollars gets you one card.

[jharri71]

If you are priced out of hobby, focus on what you are interested in. Lately because of high prices and return of popularity of cards, 3 and 4 row boxes of commons at the local auction are selling between $20-$25 each. Been cleaning out my collection of several years of collections i have bought. I have 4 to take this week

Also focusing on improving my 1971 Topps vintage set. Still have a few high number sp's to track down. buying better cards of one's I have when I come across one.

The other two goals are build my 2021 Cubs team set S1,s2,update and finish my 2020 Heritage. I don't have any of the high series yet so someone could really help me out!

Look for collections to buy at auction houses, garage sales, goodwill, etc.

[dashcol]

Originally Posted by jharri71

If you are priced out of hobby, focus on what you are interested in. Lately because of high prices and return of popularity of cards, 3 and 4 row boxes of commons at the local auction are selling between $20-$25 each. Been cleaning out my collection of several years of collections i have bought. I have 4 to take this week

Also focusing on improving my 1971 Topps vintage set. Still have a few high number sp's to track down. buying better cards of one's I have when I come across one.

The other two goals are build my 2021 Cubs team set S1,s2,update and finish my 2020 Heritage. I don't have any of the high series yet so someone could really help me out!

Look for collections to buy at auction houses, garage sales, goodwill, etc.

I never thought about trying to sell off shoe boxes of cards at auctions. I don’t even know how to go about finding where these auctions are to get stuff to them.

If they sell for $20 what do you make off of them after the auction house takes their cut?

[nowiamsad]

Originally Posted by shayscards79

You know this hobby is out of control when two months after release, Spencer Torkelson base draft autos are going for $600.

Back in 2009, I was buying base Manny Machado draft autos for $40 two months after release.

Back in 2009, hardly anyone was collecting. The amount of people (and money) has multiplied drastically, and that’s not changing any time soon. I remember when I could buy Bitcoin for $25...

[hermanotarjeta]

The solution is simple - if it’s not fun anymore, find a different direction.

I stopped prospecting bowman in 2018 - it’s no longer prospecting cause the buy in price is too high.

[jharri71]

Originally Posted by dashcol

I never thought about trying to sell off shoe boxes of cards at auctions. I don’t even know how to go about finding where these auctions are to get stuff to them.

If they sell for $20 what do you make off of them after the auction house takes their cut?

Commission is around $5 a box, but it's worth it not to have to list it and make trips to the post office. Easy way to unload a lot of cards.

I usually try to mix each box with both junk and some chrome (shiny) to hopefully make people think they are getting some value.

[shayscards79]

Originally Posted by nowiamsad

Back in 2009, hardly anyone was collecting. The amount of people (and money) has multiplied drastically, and that’s not changing any time soon. I remember when I could buy Bitcoin for $25...

Funny you mention bitcoin, I've been investing more in crypto than cards over the past year. Trading one habit over another I suppose.

[shayscards79]

Originally Posted by mgugs46

Yup. Prospecting isn’t a thing anymore. You used to be able to spend several hundred dollars amend if you guessed correctly, you did real well. Now several hundred dollars gets you one card.

Absolutely. Now, you pretty much have to let the people buy high and wait for the dip when a player fails to deliver right away, then strike. Sure, there will be a couple guys out there that may never dip, like Wander... but it's inevitable most of the time. The FOMO is strong with people, but a lot of people are also risk adverse and tend to panic sell.

[mgugs46]

Originally Posted by shayscards79

Absolutely. Now, you pretty much have to let the people buy high and wait for the dip when a player fails to deliver right away, then strike. Sure, there will be a couple guys out there that may never dip, like Wander... but it's inevitable most of the time. The FOMO is strong with people, but a lot of people are also risk adverse and tend to panic sell.

Exactly. It does suck sometimes though. One of my favorite things to do was to research these guys, pick a few I thought would be good, and collect a bunch to sell off later when the popped. Sometimes it worked out OK, sometimes great (Matt Moore of all people!) and many, many times it failed miserably (Matt Skole for example) but it was always fun, and the investment was never so much that it HAD to work out.

Now you need 20k to invest in a teams 34th ranked prospect