Leaf issues statement on its Mapp policy

[BlowoutBuzz]

FYI ... Leaf issues statement on its Mapp policy

GREETINGS DISTRIBUTORS,

Over the last few months we have had a growing problem of dealers that buy from distributors are not honoring the MAPP policy Leaf has in place. We actively police those who buy direct, but for many of these dealers who buy from you, we must rely on your contact as we have no direct relation with them.

I am relaying this MAPP policy below for clarity:
(this MAPP policy is a condition of purchasing our products directly or from our authorized representatives)

For 30 days after release: No product should be advertised on any public forum (including ebay) for less than 20% over factory cost. Let it rip auction listings that end under this level are violations in addition to listings soliciting with a price below 20% over. A let it rip auction that ends under this 20% threshold will have never achieved that threshold, which means they were never advertised within the guidelines.

For 30 days after release: No product should be advertised on any private dealer forum (including dealernet b2b) for less than factory cost.

For 30 days after release: Leaf's distributors nor legacy or direct accounts are permitted to supply product to any party listed on Leaf's active MAPP policy violations list.

*** note, Leaf and its distributor's customers have no restriction on what they can sell for. But merely, what they can advertise for and whom they can sell to in the event a dealer is placed on the violators list.

On August 1st, we will regularly supply our distributors and all parties who purchase directly from Leaf with a list of parties who they may no longer sell or supply product to for violations of MAPP Policy.

DISTRIBUTORS:
PLEASE SHARE THIS WILL ALL YOUR ACCOUNTS WHO PURCHASE LEAF TO MAKE SURE THEY ARE AWARE OF THIS MAPP POLICY.

WE ARE ENFORCING THIS TO PROTECT THE SOLID CUSTOMERS WITH A VESTED INTEREST IN BOTH THE SUCCESS OF THE HOBBY, THE BRAND AND THEIR RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE BRAND.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT.

[anusinha]

I remember when Panini/UD did this in the mid 2010s to keep products from bombing out waaaaayyyy below factory cost at release. Sign of the times, I guess.

[seanbros55]

People still pay for Leaf?

[bravesfan#1]

Happens with retail for Topps/Panini for those with retail accounts. Makes it impossible for me to sell a lot of retail cases online because people use secondary eBay accounts or consignors to auction off their cases below cost. Good for Leaf for going after people.

[ewokpelts]

Translation:

Please don’t make our products even more worthless

[preakness]

Leaf is 2,7 offsuit

[80pc]

Originally Posted by bravesfan#1

Happens with retail for Topps/Panini for those with retail accounts. Makes it impossible for me to sell a lot of retail cases online because people use secondary eBay accounts or consignors to auction off their cases below cost. Good for Leaf for going after people.

Why would someone auction/sell for less than cost right after release? Do they need the cash flow? Do they think the product is a dud and just want it gone? Are they paying less than "cost" as you used it here? Just curious, I have no idea how the distribution of cards works and it's a fascinating subject to me.

[callou2131]

Originally Posted by preakness

Leaf is 2,7 offsuit

This is amazing.

[ATLOTP]

Originally Posted by preakness

Leaf is 2,7 offsuit

that's my signature hand

[Hail2TheVictors]

Originally Posted by preakness

Leaf is 2,7 offsuit

You were just added to the list of MAPP violators, lol

[kingofsnake]

Leaf is the worst.

[bravesfan#1]

Originally Posted by 80pc

Why would someone auction/sell for less than cost right after release? Do they need the cash flow? Do they think the product is a dud and just want it gone? Are they paying less than "cost" as you used it here? Just curious, I have no idea how the distribution of cards works and it's a fascinating subject to me.

Cash flow or just wanting to be rid of it I assume. Most Panini baseball products are hot garbage and a lot of guys will take a loss on it when released just to be rid of it. The money is in Panini football/basketball right now but we have to take baseball too. Topps baseball is getting to be a tough move too with the increases in MSRPs. 2021 Mosaic baseball was a great example, someone was auctioning off hanger box cases for about 60-70% of wholesale cost and destroyed the eBay market for the few sellers on eBay with other cases.

I can’t speak to hobby products, but with my retail account we sign a contract that we sell at MSRP or higher, never below or the account faces termination. Upper Deck also has strict policies on the resale of their products online.

[Trueblue]

I used to work for Amazon.com retail and we would have literally told them to go to hell. Lol

You don't need MAP if you know how to channel control and exercise business 101.

[80pc]

Originally Posted by bravesfan#1

Cash flow or just wanting to be rid of it I assume. Most Panini baseball products are hot garbage and a lot of guys will take a loss on it when released just to be rid of it. The money is in Panini football/basketball right now but we have to take baseball too. Topps baseball is getting to be a tough move too with the increases in MSRPs. 2021 Mosaic baseball was a great example, someone was auctioning off hanger box cases for about 60-70% of wholesale cost and destroyed the eBay market for the few sellers on eBay with other cases.

I can’t speak to hobby products, but with my retail account we sign a contract that we sell at MSRP or higher, never below or the account faces termination. Upper Deck also has strict policies on the resale of their products online.

Thanks. So in order to get the good stuff you have to buy the bad stuff. Do you have to buy every release in order to be allocated for the good stuff?

[bravesfan#1]

Originally Posted by 80pc

Thanks. So in order to get the good stuff you have to buy the bad stuff. Do you have to buy every release in order to be allocated for the good stuff?

Yup, we can choose to get Panini, Topps, Upper Deck, or all. Within each brand, we can't say, "oh I just want Prizm or Optic but skip all of the collegiate releases". It makes sense from the distributor's POV so they don't get stuck with all the junk.

[AnthonyCorona]

Originally Posted by 80pc

Thanks. So in order to get the good stuff you have to buy the bad stuff. Do you have to buy every release in order to be allocated for the good stuff?

My LCS use to sell Stars and Stripes baseball for like $30 just to get rid of them. He said he had to buy x amount of them to get access to better releases. Kinda weird but I kinda get it


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[whitmm]

Originally Posted by 80pc

Thanks. So in order to get the good stuff you have to buy the bad stuff. Do you have to buy every release in order to be allocated for the good stuff?

Their statement seems to say that they don't have a problem with a dealer selling it for under the 20% over factory cost, or even selling for a loss right away. Their memo is about what it's being advertised for in a public forum. So, while they might sell every box for only 5% over cost, they aren't allowed to advertise that as the price. And with the auctions, it seems like they are saying that total of the starting bids has to be at the 20% over number.

The one LCS owner I knew said that with Flagship at times, he would have to buy 2 or 3 hobby boxes for every jumbo. And in other cases it was having to buy a certain amount of one product in order to get the allocation for the next product.