First Buzz: 2025 Topps Archives baseball cards

[majestik101]

Originally Posted by hermanotarjeta

That’s ridiculous.

I bet your shop won’t even willingly buy the cards back from you.

Oh they will, but just Ohtani. Not even Judge. Just Ohtani because they hoard them and stash them away until Spring Training.

Ironically, I watched a guy grab two boxes of 2025 Leaf Baseball Nation at $175 each, pull not one but two Ichiro autos, (one of them was a 1/1) and offered to sell one to the clerk—only to be told the shop doesn’t buy Leaf cards.

[hermanotarjeta]

Originally Posted by majestik101

Oh they will, but just Ohtani. Not even Judge. Just Ohtani because they hoard them and stash them away until Spring Training.

Ironically, I watched a guy grab two boxes of 2025 Leaf Baseball Nation at $175 each, pull not one but two Ichiro autos, (one of them was a 1/1) and offered to sell one to the clerk—only to be told the shop doesn’t buy Leaf cards.

That’s unfortunately just a bad excuse.

If we are going to buy wax from you and open it at the shop, they should as a courtesy buy back the cards, if even at a low enough percentage, for the shop to make a profit the second time.

It’s baffling why they say no.

[majestik101]

Originally Posted by hermanotarjeta

That’s unfortunately just a bad excuse.

If we are going to buy wax from you and open it at the shop, they should as a courtesy buy back the cards, if even at a low enough percentage, for the shop to make a profit the second time.

It’s baffling why they say no.

I’m not sure, but when shipments come in, this same shop will open boxes so customers can buy loose packs, but only after taking out the box toppers or bonus packs, setting them aside, and placing them in a display case for individual sale.They do the same thing with leftover promo packs (Father's Day, Trading Card Day, etc.). Instead of giving them away like they’re supposed to, they will only hand out 1 pack with every $20+ purchase.

And this isn't some shop that's only been open for a few years, this place has been around since the 90's

[Asian62150]

Originally Posted by majestik101

I’m not sure, but when shipments come in, this same shop will open boxes so customers can buy loose packs, but only after taking out the box toppers or bonus packs, setting them aside, and placing them in a display case for individual sale.They do the same thing with leftover promo packs (Father's Day, Trading Card Day, etc.). Instead of giving them away like they’re supposed to, they will only hand out 1 pack with every $20+ purchase.

And this isn't some shop that's only been open for a few years, this place has been around since the 90's

That's terrible business. Can't they get their allocations/direct access cut if Topps/Panini finds out they're doing that?

[majestik101]

Originally Posted by Asian62150

That's terrible business. Can't they get their allocations/direct access cut if Topps/Panini finds out they're doing that?

They were blacklisted by Topps/Fanatics back in March for not participating in Rip Night.

The shop owner had been breaking the rules for a while, but that incident was the final straw.

[timber63401]

Originally Posted by majestik101

$250 at mine, so out the door with tax, looking at $285

Would have liked to open a box, but I'll pass for now

How are they selling any at that price?

[Asian62150]

Originally Posted by majestik101

They were blacklisted by Topps/Fanatics back in March for not participating in Rip Night.

The shop owner had been breaking the rules for a while, but that incident was the final straw.

And they're still able to do enough business to stay open with elevated wax prices, too? Wow.

[majestik101]

Originally Posted by timber63401

How are they selling any at that price?

Originally Posted by Asian62150

And they're still able to do enough business to stay open with elevated wax prices, too? Wow.

On something like Archives, they will sell, but very slowly. These days, they rely mostly on the shelves and shelves of hundreds of marked-up retail boxes and blasters to get them by.

Edit: Without retail/blasters and Pokemon, they'd be toast

.
.

[hermanotarjeta]

Originally Posted by majestik101

I’m not sure, but when shipments come in, this same shop will open boxes so customers can buy loose packs, but only after taking out the box toppers or bonus packs, setting them aside, and placing them in a display case for individual sale.They do the same thing with leftover promo packs (Father's Day, Trading Card Day, etc.). Instead of giving them away like they’re supposed to, they will only hand out 1 pack with every $20+ purchase.

And this isn't some shop that's only been open for a few years, this place has been around since the 90's

Of course they aren’t taking into account the topper when calculating the individual pack price.

They sound like total scammers.

[yoyosh]

Originally Posted by cruiserdaddy7

Yes, although most of mine shipped on Thursday from my App orders.

My 6 boxes just shipped.

[CowboyDan]

Picked up a box at my LCS today for $155. Hit a Witt Stand-Ups Auto Red /10.

[base set]

I always figured the silver packs being placed inside the boxes was because of shops selling them individually, often straight out of the 100 count sleeve Topps shipped them in.


No lunch boxes this year? I wish I picked up an Aaron the first year. Got a Ripken via random selection last year; underwhelming.


How do the other Hobby foils compare to the black foil in retail?


Pulled a Kurtz RC pop-up from my 2nd blaster. Did I win? No, nobody cares about RC inserts. Usually. ?

[J1L]

Late to the party here - but love the inserts this year. Stand up and cyber stats are amazing imo.

[pfb11]

Originally Posted by shoguncards

Call Topps about a sealed case I got. Label was created. Never checked in. I called and my ONLY options was a refund. No other options given. I think they oversold.

Looks like this is what happened. There are no worse companies.

[hermanotarjeta]

Originally Posted by pfb11

Looks like this is what happened. There are no worse companies.

That’s horrible that it happened.

Yet, we continue to purchase regardless.

It’s the ultimate sign that they frankly don’t care.

[yoyosh]

Originally Posted by hermanotarjeta

That’s horrible that it happened.

Yet, we continue to purchase regardless.

It’s the ultimate sign that they frankly don’t care.

There's absolutely no recourse because we're all the problem.
Going to any threads about a Fanatics drop and it'll be the same people complaining.

First we complain about the price, shrinkflation, and lack of timely checklists

Then, we complain because even with all of the issues we can't buy these crap products at inflated prices because so much of it goes to the breakers.

Rinse, repeat. Over and over!
Only way it ever changes is if the government starts to consider that this is truly unregulated gambling OR if we let product sit on shelves/online.
Neither of those things are happening

[hermanotarjeta]

Originally Posted by yoyosh

There's absolutely no recourse because we're all the problem.
Going to any threads about a Fanatics drop and it'll be the same people complaining.

First we complain about the price, shrinkflation, and lack of timely checklists

Then, we complain because even with all of the issues we can't buy these crap products at inflated prices because so much of it goes to the breakers.

Rinse, repeat. Over and over!
Only way it ever changes is if the government starts to consider that this is truly unregulated gambling OR if we let product sit on shelves/online.
Neither of those things are happening

Fanatics knows they have our compulsive addiction by the coconuts.

At least that dude can chalk it up as an eBay deal gone bad. It happens.

[base set]

Originally Posted by yoyosh

There's absolutely no recourse because we're all the problem.
Going to any threads about a Fanatics drop and it'll be the same people complaining.

First we complain about the price, shrinkflation, and lack of timely checklists

Then, we complain because even with all of the issues we can't buy these crap products at inflated prices because so much of it goes to the breakers.

Rinse, repeat. Over and over!
Only way it ever changes is if the government starts to consider that this is truly unregulated gambling OR if we let product sit on shelves/online.
Neither of those things are happening

Happened somewhat well enough with 2024 HHN. Shops put out rekease day boxes at $200-$220, with public big 3 buy-ins at $140. Within a few months it was selling for $140, or less. Don’t know other examples, don’t follow box prices all that much. But perhaps other recent products have had a similar trajectory?

[Americards]

Originally Posted by base set

Happened somewhat well enough with 2024 HHN. Shops put out release day boxes at $200-$220, with public big 3 buy-ins at $140. Within a few months it was selling for $140, or less. Don’t know other examples, don’t follow box prices all that much. But perhaps other recent products have had a similar trajectory?

That's because Topps put out wave 2 at $180 a box to direct accounts on release day and they can't say no, without worrying if they will lose their MVP account by not buying it.

[base set]

Originally Posted by Americards

That's because Topps put out wave 2 at $180 a box to direct accounts on release day and they can't say no, without worrying if they will lose their MVP account by not buying it.

That’s good details on the selling side, thanks. What intrigued me was the eventual drop in price, seemingly traced to buyer decisions to just wait. Maybe the unusual lateness of the release contributed to that. I eventually got the one box I wanted for $110, exactly half of what I declined on day of release.

The results on this year’s HHN may also be reflected in that customer mass saying yeah, no, last year. Perhaps. Although I didn’t understand the no-retail decision there, as 24 HHN moved quickly in retail from what I saw.

Anyhow, wrong thread somewhat. I felt this year’s Archives was another easy pass at $150-ish. I spent about half that on retail though, to get a good sampling for mapping out what I will really want to complete from it, which will be the 2005 style cards, a few pages of black foil cards, and probably the 64 Stand-Ups too.

I was pleased Miguel Cabrera was on the 95 checklist, along with Kershaw. That probably drops Miggy to about 6 or so Topps designs, 1952-2024, for which he still doesn’t have a card appearance. Maybe as high as 8. Probably similar #s for Kershaw. Progress is progress though 96-99 might take - 4 more years of Archives?


Miscellaneous 2005 note: one of my favorite recent discoveries is a set of 5 or so 2005 style cards from a Throwback Thursday release, where the player’s last name is replaced by his famous nickname. I am quite looking forward to receiving a card that declares it to be “MR. OCTOBER” on the top.

[yoyosh]

Any suggestions on easily finding the image variations? Are they flipped/in middle of packs? I

[yoyosh]

Originally Posted by yoyosh

Any suggestions on easily finding the image variations? Are they flipped/in middle of packs? I

OK I am three boxes in and this might be the best value *hobby* product that I've opened in 2025.

Best hit so far is a Yamamoto Stand Up Auto /10 but a ton of other really solid stuff.
I found Elly and Jackson Merrill design variations, but don't think I hit any image variations. Could that be right?