Topps out---Fanatics in

[Zauron]

Originally Posted by ClipsandVols

Lots of bad analogies on the board this week with this news and the PWCC news. Here's one that I think is pretty spot on...@GeechQuest

After sleeping on it and thinking, this really is reminiscent of when Vince McMahon took over all the small wrestling territories and unified the wrestling world under WWF/WWE.

Obviously good and bad has come of that from the wrestling world, but the one thing he was able to do is turn a bunch of little thiefdoms into an international wrestling kingdom. It’s called the WWE Universe for a reason.

The current hobby structure is basically just a bunch of tiny, independent businesses and because of this their lacks uniformity and real oversight. It’s the Wild West. These tiny conglomerates benefit from keeping the hobby in the stone ages and making their baby cut of revenue from the machine. This Fanatics deal should change that.

We have a hobby that is potentially worth billions of dollars being held down to millions because it benefits the old guard legacy systems at play.

I’m sure Fanatics see’s, the same way many do, what the hobby could truly be worth with a little innovation and consolidation.

It’s a double edged sword obviously. Fanatics, should they be interested in ever producing cards, will likely want to be volume of product at low prices. Think how Amazon works. The current hobby structure is predicated on purposefully controlling supply and massaging demand and pricing. Big business doesn’t do this.



https://www.blowoutforums.com/showpo...6&postcount=97

If you think Fanatics will want a bunch of low price cards out there, think again. They will probably want to maximize their profits the best they can. Probably sell exclusively off their website, so they get the most profit. They already sell blasters/megas of some products.

The main thing about all this, are they going to manufacture their own cards, or will they lease from Topps/Panini/etc?

It sure sounds like they will go their own way, but they will never be able to use a Topps brand/logo, and come up with their own shtick.

[JRX]

100% they could. I was saying that using the vince analogy as a sign of optimism should be careful because while he made a ton of money he also destroyed his own industry and now lives purely on nostalgia. Not to turn this into a wrestling thread, but it was prob bound to happen with the rise of the internet regardless.

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[ClipsandVols]

Originally Posted by pewe

If you want to pull them in, then it’s like Vince founding the XFL to fit next to WWE… adjacent businesses that got limited value from each other

Or would be like the “champion football league”, or whatever they wanted to call it, bringing the top teams from European Football League. Which was torpedoed


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I get what you are saying. The analogy really only works if think about the territories being gobbled up and consolidated (rather than the analogy being long time Pro Wrestling owner Vince McMahon/Fanatics who have never produced cards).

[ClipsandVols]

Originally Posted by JRX

100% they could. I was saying that using the vince analogy as a sign of optimism should be careful because while he made a ton of money he also destroyed his own industry and now lives purely on nostalgia. Not to turn this into a wrestling thread, but it was prob bound to happen with the rise of the internet regardless.

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One thing everyone can agree on in this thread. WWE sucks balls now.

[JRX]

Here's the thing if fanatics owns all the major sports, do you think there will be more variety in cards or would they just make the same type of cards across all three to cut costs. If anything having one owner may bring some innovation at first, but I would think it's over after that. They're going to be a massive monopoly, those types of companies generally dont change things up since there is no competition.

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[Mandy1320]

Just so I get this right (and please correct me if I'm wrong):

Topps has the MLB license until the conclusion of 2025 and the MLBPA license until the conclusion of 2022. So for Topps, it will strictly be retired guys and players not in the union for 2023-2025. After 2025, they lose everything.

Fanatics is going to start a card company with full MLB/MLBPA licensing rights starting in 2023.

This is all assuming they just don't buy out Topps.

[ClipsandVols]

Originally Posted by JRX

Here's the thing if fanatics owns all the major sports, do you think there will be more variety in cards or would they just make the same type of cards across all three to cut costs. If anything having one owner may bring some innovation at first, but I would think it's over after that. They're going to be a massive monopoly, those types of companies generally dont change things up since there is no competition.

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Let's just hope there is no Market Pantry/ Great Value type of product.

[Zauron]

Originally Posted by JRX

Here's the thing if fanatics owns all the major sports, do you think there will be more variety in cards or would they just make the same type of cards across all three to cut costs. If anything having one owner may bring some innovation at first, but I would think it's over after that. They're going to be a massive monopoly, those types of companies generally dont change things up since there is no competition.

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100% it would be the same design over all sports. Just like Prizm is the same for Panini.

Originally Posted by Mandy1320

Just so I get this right (and please correct me if I'm wrong):

Topps has the MLB license until the conclusion of 2025 and the MLBPA license until the conclusion of 2022. So for Topps, it will strictly be retired guys and players not in the union for 2023-2025. After 2025, they lose everything.

Fanatics is going to start a card company with full MLB/MLBPA licensing rights starting in 2023.

This is all assuming they just don't buy out Topps.

We honestly have no idea if Fanatics will have a new manufacturing company, or if they will still lease out to Topps/etc

[SupermanBrandon]

For those that are quitting the hobby over something they read yesterday, that will go into effect in 5 years and potentially look exactly what it looks like right now…I say, STOP BEING DRAMATIC. You’re not going anywhere.


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[ForceChange77]

Mudricks public offering of Topps has been terminated , per rovell

[JRX]

Well it's really 2 years. Next year is topps last of fully licensed cards. Also even if fanatics buys topps theres no guarantee theyll keep making the topps products that they collect. People are allowed to be pissed. Manfred and the pa pissed all over their fans again.

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[Mandy1320]

Originally Posted by Zauron

We honestly have no idea if Fanatics will have a new manufacturing company, or if they will still lease out to Topps/etc

Every article that I've read says it's going to be a "Fanatics-founded" company.

Still wouldn't rule out the possibility of a Topps acquisition though.

[Raleigh504]

Remember, fanatics have their own slabs too... Will they release cards already graded (buy or create its own grading sub-brand). For instance, lets use Wander Franco for this example and next year....

I can see Fanatics releasing his rookie card within boxes/cases, slabing x amount of them with FAN 10 (their grading company) at inflated prices and even have exclusive ones be slabbed.

[mwash1983]

Originally Posted by Raleigh504

Remember, fanatics have their own slabs too... Will they release cards already graded (buy or create its own grading sub-brand). For instance, lets use Wander Franco for this example and next year....

I can see Fanatics releasing his rookie card within boxes/cases, slabing x amount of them with FAN 10 (their grading company) at inflated prices and even have exclusive ones be slabbed.

Topps already did that on their website so nothing new.

[Mandy1320]

Originally Posted by SupermanBrandon

For those that are quitting the hobby over something they read yesterday, that will go into effect in 5 years and potentially look exactly what it looks like right now…I say, STOP BEING DRAMATIC. You’re not going anywhere.


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They are going to push Topps aside starting in 2023. But you are still right, I will be here for it.

[ForceChange77]

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.mar...lic-2021-08-20

Now fanatics can buy Topps cheap. At this point, they have a couple licenses left - Star Wars, wwe, soccer, gpk come to mind. No idea how long those licenses last

[DetroitFan14]

IMO, this entire Fanatics takeover will be a net positive for the hobby.

[Skipscards]

Originally Posted by ForceChange77

Mudricks public offering of Topps has been terminated , per rovell

Yep. https://finance.yahoo.com/news/mudri...ycsrp_catchall

[JRX]

Originally Posted by DetroitFan14

IMO, this entire Fanatics takeover will be a net positive for the hobby.

Putting your entire industry from cards to possibly grading under one house is a receipe for disaster imo.

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[Skipscards]

Looks like 1976 Heritage may be the last Heritage. And 1974 Heritage may be he last with current players.

[wood minis]

There's been plenty of times that I've not intended on collecting a certain release and then I see a parallel I like so work on the set.

I could see the same thing happening here.

We'll just have to wait and see how it all plays out.

[DetroitFan14]

Originally Posted by JRX

Putting your entire industry from cards to possibly grading under one house is a receipe for disaster imo.

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I understand that aspect, and as of now, that is the only fair skepticism. Too much $$$ and bright minds heading this to fail. I'll bet it's a net + overall.

[spuds1961]

Originally Posted by SupermanBrandon

For those that are quitting the hobby over something they read yesterday, that will go into effect in 5 years and potentially look exactly what it looks like right now…I say, STOP BEING DRAMATIC. You’re not going anywhere.


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Might not go into full effect but there will be changes you will notice gradually. You are not going to wake up 5 years from now and see your Walmart fully stocked with fanatic blasters and megas. Prices will go up as topps tries to get as much as they can while they still have the contract and expect the sticker autograph dump products circa topps football 2015. I will be honest I am as you young folks like to call a boomer and don’t really adapt to change well can you tell me how having fanatics have the exclusive licensing for 3 major sports will benefit today’s collectors.

[ewokpelts]

Originally Posted by Glowbug27

Buy them for what exactly, to get a confection business that they have no interest of being involved in? They are getting everything else of value with the exclusivity deals they worked out with MLB and MLBPA. If fanatics is so inclined they may choose to work a licensing arrangement with Topps and Panini further down the road to use the product names of the various brands, Chrome, Select, in the same way that Upper Deck bought the Fleer name and Panini bought Donruss, Playoff etc.

A licensing arrangement is NOT the same as buying.

[JRX]

Also keep in mind, the mlb and mlpa dont care what happens with the card industry, they only see a licensing fee. So if fanatics decides to sell graded rpa on their site for thousands of dollars and doesnt sell a bunch of wax products, they wont care. They do not care about your hobby, they care about making money.

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