Topps out---Fanatics in

[Technochocolate]

Also, if I were the MLBPA, I'd put in some clause that forbids new players from signing auto deals with anyone else other than Fanatics (and would shower the players with Fanatics money to make up for it).

[whitmm]

Originally Posted by pewe

Thought starter:

What if Topps signs w/NCAA to have exclusive rights to college players and their likeness (and feeder international leagues)… and every year through their career they use their younger images to represent the latest year???


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The new NIL rules mean they would have to have a contract with each player. Then get the teams to allow logos. NCAA has never had the ability to actually use the player's names. That's why you just had numbers for the guys in video games. And Panini uses the combo of the NFLPA and NCAA to make their draft sets

[mma138]

So? Everything is exclusive to fanatics now? No one else can make licensed cards? What year does this begin?

[dfenno]

Originally Posted by bberns

You may be smart. You may be right. But you are very unlikeable (or at least your internet persona is) and you sound like you are 22.5 and graduated college with a degree in knowing everything.

Before you proceed further, consider reevaluating your approach.

Who knows if he actually works there. But if he does, posting this is incredibly dumb, unless he is so senior at the company that nobody can call him out on it. And if he is that senior at the company, it's once again incredibly dumb to waste time goading potential customers.

[ewokpelts]

Originally Posted by BigSeph

Change is fine, but tradition matters too.

It took a few years for Prizm to establish itself in basketball but once it did, it took off. The first 2-3 years of Prizm weren't great sellers, I remember breaking Giannis rookie-year Prizm by the case as late as 2016, there was SO MUCH of it left unopened and available cheap to breakers.

If anything this will be a golden opportunity for people in the first few years of Fanatics branded cards to get in on the ground floor and capitalize on the penalty for having no tradition in the hobby.

After a few years, magically, there's a history and consistent products and the tradition gets established.

If I were a distributor or reseller of wax, or even a big-time breaker, this would concern me more than it does average collectors. If Fanatics can sell everything online via their store, what do they need the middle man for? Online retail is kind of their thing.

And for the big breakers who have been helping distributors move tons of product in exchange for a discount, how will they mark up these group breaks when everybody is able to see what they bought in for?

I see a lot of opportunity for buying Topps products on their way out (memorabilia dumps, sticker dumps, etc) and a lot of opportunity for buying Fanatics cards before they have established that tradition factor.

Apologies to big breakers and distributors, I think they get hurt the most.

I didnt factor in the “end of life” releases for Topps being loaded with auto and relic inventory that will be near impossible to liquidate.

[WyoDeacon2K6]

Originally Posted by mfw13

Baloney...there are lots of Topps products that are quite popular that Fanatics will not be able to replicate (Heritage & Archives, for example). And plenty of older collectors like me who will have minimal interest in Fanatics products because they have no history attached to them.

I agree with this. I will have more interest in a Topps-branded product than a Fanatics-branded product.

[Cavaliercards]

Originally Posted by ewokpelts

I didnt factor in the “end of life” releases for Topps being loaded with auto and relic inventory that will be near impossible to liquidate.

And Redemptions

[oldgoldy97]

Poopnini!

[pewe]

Originally Posted by Cavaliercards

He does, but no one is going to go back to Topps (almost no one) when their MLBPA has equity in Fanatics

Last time I checked, the main advice on these boards is “buy singles, don’t rip wax”…

so if there are players like Tatis that prefer to get paid more $$, they say “good luck” to the MLBPA and take Topps’ offer that pays them more than their share of the MLBPA agreement.

Topps realizes the value is in the singles and laughs all the way to the bank as Fanatics wax has no interest as all the singles people care about are exclusively offered by Topps

Either that, or Fanatics has to add even more $$ on top of their MLBPA offer to individual players to keep them

Either way, it’s kind of a a fun way to bankrupt Fanatics if Topps partners with some deep pockets who understands game theory and the reality that top players prefer to be paid more than their share of MLBPA’s modest distribution to them


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[JRX]

I only bought topps because my dad had topps, and it went back to baseball in the 50s. Yes there will be new product, but I don't think I'll care. Sure topps has been a terrible company at different points in their history, but you had 70 years connecting your cards to cards in the past.

[80s Kid]

This is an epic thread! I can see freaking out if you are an LCS owner but for everyone else, it’s just a different company making the cards. If they cost more, they will be worth more. And if they aren’t, people won’t buy.

It isn’t like the hobby hasn’t had major changes to licenses over the years. Will be interesting to see what Topps and Panini do with their remaining time, and how Fanatics plans on making their product different.

[cbeauch87]

Originally Posted by jjcan

Short/lomg term plays?

Wait for all the Topps cards next 4-5 years to print and collect Key rcs only? As eventually we collect First year Fanatic cards all over again? (2012 Prizm ish)

Keep flipping modern singles or hold?, since Topps will print to kingdom come to try and get money to buy Women's Soccer, E-sports, licenses and anything else Fanatics does not want?

Stop buying Panini Baseball products, because that's is folding sooner than Topps and the value might just drop even faster than modern topps?

Long term plays?: Buy only key Topps wax to hold sealed, Base, Chrome update, Bowman, no other?

Who will want heritage now, Ginter, Gypsy Queen wax the next 4 years to hold, maybe even mid-High end, can they redeem
autos?

Vintage topps cards will go to the moon now, as more Topps only collectors will focus on collections?

Grading slows down? 1 Company printing, and time for assimilation for all collectors?

Sheesh, at least the boards will be busy with Polls and questions the rest of the summer.

The hobby is alive and buzzing, just sad news for today..

I'll be buying sealed product and holding. Flagship/Chrome and Bowman especially.

[ewokpelts]

Originally Posted by kkart

It gets much deeper than Topps.
Panini has just lost it's exclusive licensing for NBA and NFL to Fanatics as well.
Something here smells very rotten & this will wind up in the courts fast.

Topps and Mlb set precedent for this back in 1981. They won thier anti trust appeal, even though they didn’t enforce action on fleet and donruss. That’s why exclusive deals can be made in the category. And when you factor in the league and union BOTH having equity in the venture?

[whitmm]

Originally Posted by jjcan

Short/lomg term plays?


Stop buying Panini Baseball products, because that's is folding sooner than Topps and the value might just drop even faster than modern topps?


The hobby is alive and buzzing, just sad news for today..

How does Panini fold sooner? Topps MLBPA agreement ends in 2023. It doesn't matter that the MLB goes 2 years longer, if you can't use the players' names and faces, you aren't making a successful product

[kidbrando]

I'm disgusted in a lot of ways. All I buy is topps chrome / bowman... If Fanatics doesn't buy topps... It's going to be tough to keep collecting.

[fulltritty]

Originally Posted by Doodlegrass

As a fanatics employee- I can’t disclose what dept or my position - but this is exciting and great designs/ideas are already in the works for the boomers that will refuse to buy because they blindly follow a company that ran out of ideas a decade+ ago

That's a good business model to win over customers. Insult them.

[UCCF]

Originally Posted by mfw13

Maybe we can convince Topps to release two Heritage sets a year for the next few years so that they can at least get through the 70's......

I've been waiting for the 1975s with the quad picture rookie cards. Plus that's such a great looking set to begin with.

Get me through 1975, and I'll be OK.

[jjcan]

Originally Posted by pewe

Either way, it’s kind of a a fun way to bankrupt Fanatics if Topps partners with some deep pockets who understands game theory and the reality that top players prefer to be paid more than their share of MLBPA’s modest distribution to them


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I heard Topps is going to on SHARK TANK and get some money from Mr.Cuban and Mr. Wonderful.

[JRX]

Originally Posted by 80s Kid

This is an epic thread! I can see freaking out if you are an LCS owner but for everyone else, it’s just a different company making the cards. If they cost more, they will be worth more. And if they aren’t, people won’t buy.

It isn’t like the hobby hasn’t had major changes to licenses over the years. Will be interesting to see what Topps and Panini do with their remaining time, and how Fanatics plans on making their product different.

There hasn't been a license change this big since 1952.

[mfw13]

Originally Posted by jhssketchcards

I means let’s be honest, no one wanted to see late 70s and 80s cards as Heritage down the road.

Baloney...everybody like me who grew up in the 70's/80's has been dying for 70's Heritage.

Can you imagine how popular 1975 Heritage would have been? 1976, 1977, 1978 are all great designs as well.

[Archangel1775]

Originally Posted by Technochocolate

Also, if I were the MLBPA, I'd put in some clause that forbids new players from signing auto deals with anyone else other than Fanatics (and would shower the players with Fanatics money to make up for it).

Would that even be legal? I mean, could the NCAA make a player sign a NIL agreement with only Panini?

[Flip024]

Originally Posted by jhssketchcards

I means let’s be honest, no one wanted to see late 70s and 80s cards as Heritage down the road. Then it just become ms Archives 2.0

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This is just unequivocally false. Many collectors now started collecting during that time and the nostalgia those sets provide would have a lot of people collecting upcoming Heritage. Archives is usually a cheaper version, both in print quality and feel

[Cavaliercards]

Originally Posted by Archangel1775

Would that even be legal? I mean, could the NCAA make a player sign a NIL agreement with only Panini?

No the NCAA can not because the NIL deals are designed for a player to do them outside of the framework of the member institution.

[pewe]

Originally Posted by whitmm

The new NIL rules mean they would have to have a contract with each player. Then get the teams to allow logos. NCAA has never had the ability to actually use the player's names. That's why you just had numbers for the guys in video games. And Panini uses the combo of the NFLPA and NCAA to make their draft sets

Yep - you nailed the angle for Topps: lock up top talent individually. Those who will be worth more $$ than their share of the Fanatics deal. And core the Fanatics’ deal economics because they don’t own any of the players people care to spend real $$ on.


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[ethanwa]

Fanatics buys Topps, that’s the only way this doesn’t all go to s***.

Collectors are going to feel so screwed and the nostalgia will DIE FAST if they can’t get use Topps retro brands, designs, and product lines.

I have ZERO interest in owning Fanatics branded products. Nostalgia is a MAJOR part of what and why I collect.