First Buzz: 2025-26 Topps Chrome NBA cards

[jmarascojr]

Originally Posted by Coach Ditka

Did anyone on here actually want a box to bust? I'd assume nearly everyone would have stashed and/or flipped.

Had I won, which I did not, I would have been tempted to bust them...

However, if you're telling me I could spend 2k and walk over to say We The Hobby or the boys in Buffalo and get 5k, yes I would have flipped.

Couple hundred dollars, meh.... But 3k is an entirely different story for just putting my credit card number into a website..

[beavers]

Originally Posted by Coach Ditka

Did anyone on here actually want a box to bust? I'd assume nearly everyone would have stashed and/or flipped.

I would have ripped both boxes if I had won. The only sets I’m interested in are Chrome, Sapphire, and Triple Threads if it happens. I’m not going to pay a secondary price though so it looks like singles will be the way.

[RainCityShecks]

Originally Posted by beavers

I would have ripped both boxes if I had won. The only sets I’m interested in are Chrome, Sapphire, and Triple Threads if it happens. I’m not going to pay a secondary price though so it looks like singles will be the way.

yeah same. I might have flipped 1 to lower my price on the one I opened had I won. Funny how it seems inconceivable to some on this board that folks actually want to open and collect some cool cards........

[Braves420]

Originally Posted by Coach Ditka

Did anyone on here actually want a box to bust? I'd assume nearly everyone would have stashed and/or flipped.

I would have ripped, this isn't about setting up my kids college fund (529 is it's own account), or my retirement. It was about when opening cards used to be fun, versus now needing to consult a financial advisor to be able to purchase sealed wax.

[Datboibird]

Originally Posted by hermanotarjeta

Let’s extend this question and ask the peanut gallery :

If you knew a big box retailer was buying these boxes from the public for $2500, and you found one for $2000 at your local shop, would you open it or flip it/stash it for resale?

Not absolute, but I’d likely be collecting the $500 or setting it aside to sell unopened at a later date.

My frustration arises when the breakers/shops get gifted thousands of dollars via re-sale markup, where they pay Fanatics $1,000 or less for these Sapphire boxes then immediately charge us 8x that. I don’t see how that helps Fanatics nor the aversion to an auction format to set the market price immediately at the correct level.

[Datboibird]

To be clear, when everyone says “likely bust”, you’re opening a $5,000 box even though you paid $1,000. I’m not calling anyone a liar and think I’d have gone 1 sell 1 open, but $4,000 or so is a lot to pass on for me.

[hermanotarjeta]

Originally Posted by Datboibird

Not absolute, but I’d likely be collecting the $500 or setting it aside to sell unopened at a later date.

My frustration arises when the breakers/shops get gifted thousands of dollars via re-sale markup, where they pay Fanatics $1,000 or less for these Sapphire boxes then immediately charge us 8x that. I don’t see how that helps Fanatics nor the aversion to an auction format to set the market price immediately at the correct level.

Fanatics forces shops to buy everything or get cut off - so they’ll get gifts every once in a while, but it’s at the expense of buying all the junk, at the fanatics secondary price, too.

I would definitely bust the box. Boxes were meant to be opened.

[Braves420]

Originally Posted by Datboibird

To be clear, when everyone says “likely bust”, you’re opening a $5,000 box even though you paid $1,000. I’m not calling anyone a liar and think I’d have gone 1 sell 1 open, but $4,000 or so is a lot to pass on for me.

Correct, you may not call me a liar, but you can infer it. Go buy stocks if you want an investment. $4000 used to be life changing yes, but today it's a fraction of a percentage point of my portfolio movement. And even with that capability I find the hobby becoming too expensive.

[Datboibird]

Originally Posted by Braves420

Correct, you may not call me a liar, but you can infer it. Go buy stocks if you want an investment. $4000 used to be life changing yes, but today it's a fraction of a percentage point of my portfolio movement. And even with that capability I find the hobby becoming too expensive.

I think you meant imply, but that was not my intention. Sealed wax is a fun investment! It’s been enjoyable to try and find hangers in the wild, set them aside, list a few, open a few, etc. no life changing money as you said, just off setting costs and having fun. Maybe I’m a bad person for grabbing the One Piece packs if I see them and listing for sale, but it also feels stupid to leave a $100 bill sitting on the shelf. I also get in on breaks, perhaps I am the flipper boi demon destroying everyone’s hobby….

[Braves420]

Originally Posted by Datboibird

I think you meant imply, but that was not my intention. Sealed wax is a fun investment! It’s been enjoyable to try and find hangers in the wild, set them aside, list a few, open a few, etc. no life changing money as you said, just off setting costs and having fun. Maybe I’m a bad person for grabbing the One Piece packs if I see them and listing for sale, but it also feels stupid to leave a $100 bill sitting on the shelf. I also get in on breaks, perhaps I am the flipper boi demon destroying everyone’s hobby….

I wouldn't be able to sleep at night if I found $1000 a box a exorbitant purchase price for a box, and then contributed to it becoming 5x as expensive. Having just been through Chrome Basketball releases and seeing the scraps the collectors are "granted", I will be sitting out of all the football releases this spring.

[cjstark72]

Good video by Neo about the Sapphire EQL and why none of us had a glimmer of hope of winning the EQL.

https://youtu.be/xBCWv16KYxI?si=niRiET4rUPFmCkyO


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[atomic619jd]

If I got 2 from the EQL I'd sell one and rip one. Scratch the itch and still walk away with more money than I paid by selling one.

[Bob Ross]

Originally Posted by cjstark72

Good video by Neo about the Sapphire EQL and why none of us had a glimmer of hope of winning the EQL.

https://youtu.be/xBCWv16KYxI?si=niRiET4rUPFmCkyO


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Maybe I should make a Youtube. I've been saying this ad nauseam for a year.

[crdbored]

Originally Posted by Bob Ross

Maybe I should make a Youtube. I've been saying this ad nauseam for a year.

I'd subscribe for happy trees.

10x!!!

[yoyosh]

Originally Posted by cjstark72

Good video by Neo about the Sapphire EQL and why none of us had a glimmer of hope of winning the EQL.

https://youtu.be/xBCWv16KYxI?si=niRiET4rUPFmCkyO


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This is very well done.
If anyone wants to actually see changes, I'd recommend to start getting organized for The National.
It would get a lot of attention if the line to complain/boycott/loudly was longer than the line for "promo packs". Imagine a picket line with signs and bullhorns in front of the Topps booth!

But no one is willing to speak with their wallets in this "hobby", so get used to the new normal fellas!

[hermanotarjeta]

Originally Posted by yoyosh

This is very well done.
If anyone wants to actually see changes, I'd recommend to start getting organized for The National.
It would get a lot of attention if the line to complain/boycott/loudly was longer than the line for "promo packs". Imagine a picket line with signs and bullhorns in front of the Topps booth!

But no one is willing to speak with their wallets in this "hobby", so get used to the new normal fellas!

LOL, box flipper bois protesting at the National that they’re not getting a fair chance to purchase boxes to flip for profit - that will go well!

Box flipper bois wanted higher prices for their boxes? They got it.

[TraderJake]

This may be the product that causes the dam to break. Breakers prey on the gambling nature of this hobby but at a certain point the ROI has to matter. There is a huge difference between spending $450 on the Nats in a case of Bowman Draft and $200 on a single random team in a 32 box of Sapphire. At a certain point it cant keep going up right? By no means do I think a market "crash" is coming but I hope we can weed out the nonsense.

[weatherwarrior]

Originally Posted by hermanotarjeta

Let’s extend this question and ask the peanut gallery :



If you knew a big box retailer was buying these boxes from the public for $2500, and you found one for $2000 at your local shop, would you open it or flip it/stash it for resale?

Easy im ripping.but you know that Hermano!

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[hermanotarjeta]

Originally Posted by TraderJake

This may be the product that causes the dam to break. Breakers prey on the gambling nature of this hobby but at a certain point the ROI has to matter. There is a huge difference between spending $450 on the Nats in a case of Bowman Draft and $200 on a single random team in a 32 box of Sapphire. At a certain point it cant keep going up right? By no means do I think a market "crash" is coming but I hope we can weed out the nonsense.

I would love watching the random team price get up to $1000/team.


That would be awesome!

[patchgenie]

Originally Posted by TraderJake

This may be the product that causes the dam to break. Breakers prey on the gambling nature of this hobby but at a certain point the ROI has to matter. There is a huge difference between spending $450 on the Nats in a case of Bowman Draft and $200 on a single random team in a 32 box of Sapphire. At a certain point it cant keep going up right? By no means do I think a market "crash" is coming but I hope we can weed out the nonsense.

I thought prices were in the nosebleeds in 2020 and look where we are now.

[h00perstar34]

Originally Posted by hermanotarjeta

I would love watching the random team price get up to $1000/team.


That would be awesome!

This is what was happening over and over last night on WTH on fanatics. It’s gotta sting paying $3500 to get the Bulls Pacers and Hawks.

[weatherwarrior]

I think what is lost here is so many assume that everyone here is in this to make money.

For some $1k is a lot. For others its a Tuesday. I think too much is lost on ROI.. what happened to entertainment value?

I get that money can be made in this hobby. However, there are plenty of clear cut money opportunities in this world.

Sports cards are a way for us to relive being 10 years old again. Can it be expensive? Yes! Could we all spend more energy developing relationships with local shops to avoid aome of the markup? Yeah we could.

Maybe if some wpuod buy those products that dont sell the best and actually collect the cards, then those shop owners would feel like they have kill it on this type of release. Maybe just maybe a symbiotic relationship could be beneficial for both parties.

But the key here is the word collecting.... Not flipping, Not scalping.... but actually collecting.. what a novel idea.

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[imbluestreak23]

man, my $1000 is going towards a ski trip, lodging/airfare/passes/rentals.

I cannot imagine blowing that much opening scratched up off centered corner dinged, back gashed cardboard where the thrill ends in 10 seconds and I leave with a feeling worse than blue balls.

To each their own. Guess the hobby needs to lose weight collectively. Then they too would enjoy the slopes more.

[IronCladLou]

Originally Posted by Bob Ross

Every other Topps country website had EQL's as well. International EQL's are a bit better odds wise to hit.

So I used the wrong EQL. Great FML

[hermanotarjeta]

Originally Posted by weatherwarrior

I think what is lost here is so many assume that everyone here is in this to make money.

For some $1k is a lot. For others its a Tuesday. I think too much is lost on ROI.. what happened to entertainment value?

I get that money can be made in this hobby. However, there are plenty of clear cut money opportunities in this world.

Sports cards are a way for us to relive being 10 years old again. Can it be expensive? Yes! Could we all spend more energy developing relationships with local shops to avoid aome of the markup? Yeah we could.

Maybe if some wpuod buy those products that dont sell the best and actually collect the cards, then those shop owners would feel like they have kill it on this type of release. Maybe just maybe a symbiotic relationship could be beneficial for both parties.

But the key here is the word collecting.... Not flipping, Not scalping.... but actually collecting.. what a novel idea.

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If more people simply opened boxes that they purchased for fun and collected, our hobby would be in a much better place.