So how is everybody feeling about the Topps era?

[dizzy4111]

Originally Posted by tjforce

Some of y'all think these are nice?


This is AI slop of guys smelling their own farts.

LMAO

Good lord, how did I miss this one?

[fabiani12333]

Originally Posted by armyml

Give Topps more time with the licenses and there will be plenty of SSP inserts for people to drool over. They also seem more involved directly with the hobby(whether thats good or bad) in the form of the annual rip nights and community events.

With Topps, the desirable cards are nearly impossible to obtain or extremely expensive on the secondary market -- think Debut Patches and such. They exist to drive product sales through group breaks. With Panini, they actually made desirable cards that were obtainable to collectors and not stupid expensive, whether it was case-hit inserts or gold parallels.

You're likely going to continue to get AI-slop designs with Topps with a small number of big product chase hits that won't be obtainable.

[fabiani12333]

Originally Posted by hermanotarjeta

I think the initial excitement has come and gone.

If people approach this with tempered expectations, it won’t be as disappointing.

Feels like we are at a post hype low right now.

I was excited about buying chrome.

Now it will take something extra- spectacular until dynasty releases.

Oh well, it’s a whole lot of money saved for other things.

I have to ask -- why was there excitement to begin with? Did these people not see the ugly designs of the partially-licensed basketball products Topps put out in the lead-up to producing fully-licensed products?

Dynasty is a high-end breaker product. We'll see if they actually have game-used patches or not.

[fabiani12333]

Originally Posted by tjforce

I continue to believe that the Topps Era is going to be very good for the Pre-2019 Panini Era.

Looking back all the things Panini launched from 2012-2018:
-Prizm Golds
-Kabooms (and Kaboom Golds)
-Downtowns
-Certain other case hits

This era is going to be looked at sort of in the way the mid-late 90s are going to be looked at: Amazing parallels/inserts that were almost impossible to pull from easy to afford products. As opposed to the 00's, which was mostly about Exquisite and doing napkin patches to death.

What I do know about Topps:
-TC Gold's /50 are still what people chase. Most of the other parallels are watered down to death and these Golds/50 will out sell some of the /10 parallels.

-They are desperately trying to create the next Kaboom case hit hype.

What we still don't know: How will Topps handle what the go to RPA will be. I'm interested to see how that plays out, since every year since 2003 has had one (Exquisite on top NT).

Topps taking over the NBA licenses puts a cap on the Panini stuff, which should shore up their perceived values. If Panini had kept the licenses, they would have printed all their case-hit inserts to death -- they practically did the last couple of years, but now it's over.

Topps won't be able to recreate the Kaboom case hit phenomenon because it was a product of the pandemic boom. Kabooms and Downtowns were targeted during the boom and they exploded in value as a result. You're more likely to get a downturn in the foreseeable future than another boom.

[fabiani12333]

Originally Posted by hermanotarjeta

Yes, it will be very interesting to see as Topps has never done high end right in any sport.

Dynasty will be nice, but there will be too many versions of each player. Will be definitely interesting to see if the do a “supreme” RPA/99 to be the go to card.

Topps is going to emphasize high-end to maximize the returns on their licenses. If they can't make quality high-end products -- they mostly can't -- they'll make bland high-end products, because the licenses are expensive. And they'll need their network of breakers to continue to pass on the high prices to consumers.

[hermanotarjeta]

Originally Posted by fabiani12333

I have to ask -- why was there excitement to begin with? Did these people not see the ugly designs of the partially-licensed basketball products Topps put out in the lead-up to producing fully-licensed products?

Dynasty is a high-end breaker product. We'll see if they actually have game-used patches or not.

I think there was the perception that topps chrome was going to be a winner and it was. In my opinion, the product development team put their best efforts into that one and you can see the results. It all goes downhill from there until their super-premium breaker product dynasty.

They also can’t really screw up something like heritage, could they? I mean, they are using a predetermined, well-established design and just selecting the player list.

Of course, this doesn’t take into account the prices of the products, only design and structure.

[fabiani12333]

Originally Posted by hermanotarjeta

I think there was the perception that topps chrome was going to be a winner and it was. In my opinion, the product development team put their best efforts into that one and you can see the results. It all goes downhill from there until their super-premium breaker product dynasty.

They also can’t really screw up something like heritage, could they? I mean, they are using a predetermined, well-established design and just selecting the player list.

Of course, this doesn’t take into account the prices of the products, only design and structure.

I mean, they just re-used the designs from baseball. Ultra Violet and All Kings were also recycled designs -- they do look nice, though.

[hermanotarjeta]

Originally Posted by fabiani12333

I mean, they just re-used the designs from baseball. Ultra Violet and All Kings were also recycled designs -- they do look nice, though.

In our hobby, there is some comfort with familiarity. They can only do it for a limited number of products though, so most products will be losers.

Which may not be a bad thing if you happen to like one of those loser products, you’ll have a lot less competition for the cards you want, which is always a good thing.

[threepointplay]

I am not sure you can judge an 'era' based on five products released over five months. Like most commentators, I was comfortable with Flagship;it was readily available at a reasonable price point. The four subsequent releases have though been sold at a price that is way beyond what I would consider purchasing the boxes at.

But, on the basis that the prices for all these releases, have substantially increased (from the initial RRP) on the secondary market, I simply have to accept that I am out of line with a good portion of the modern basketball collector base. Plenty of individuals seem willing to drop $800 for a box of cards, featuring a couple of sticker auto cards and a handful of numbered cards, in the hope that they find a golden ticket.

I am still intrigued about what the next six months hold; I am interested to see what a full year of Topps versus Panini releases actually looks like.

[sethc1020]

There are some nice cards sprinkled in but I haven't bought a single topps or chrome card at all. Chrome singles are WAY over priced right now especially the autos and color.

[Asian62150]

Originally Posted by sethc1020

There are some nice cards sprinkled in but I haven't bought a single topps or chrome card at all. Chrome singles are WAY over priced right now especially the autos and color.

Agree but I think that's largely because there are no other good options. The other releases have been terrible, by and large.

We'll see how a high-end products affects Chrome prices, but they might stay relatively high until the summer or until the hype train starts for next year's rookie class.

[kwamebrown]

Underwhelming so far. The only insert set that stands out for me is All Kings from flagship. Everything else lacks creativity and has lackluster design. Initially I thought The Man inserts from Finest looked nice but then upon closer inspection, it reminded me of a common insert you can find in Donruss.

[Asian62150]

Originally Posted by kwamebrown

Underwhelming so far. The only insert set that stands out for me is All Kings from flagship. Everything else lacks creativity and has lackluster design. Initially I thought The Man inserts from Finest looked nice but then upon closer inspection, it reminded me of a common insert you can find in Donruss.

Agree that All Kings looks cool. But they copied that from baseball already. So really there's been zero original cool concepts from Topps.

If they were going to recycle ideas/designs they least they could have done a retro version where they made cards of current players using their respective rookie card logo designs from baseball. Jokic from 2015, Luka from 2018, etc...

That would have made the 2018 design even more memorable with Luka, Ohtani, Acuna, Soto, etc...

[Bob Ross]

The Topps Fanatics era is simply a monopolistic price gouging fest that caters directly to their own breakers with little care for the common casual collector.

Your friend,
Bob

[Asian62150]

Originally Posted by Bob Ross

The Topps Fanatics era is simply a monopolistic price gouging fest that caters directly to their own breakers with little care for the common casual collector.

Your friend,
Bob

Sad, but true.

I feel like if this question is asked every year, general collectors will be less enthusiastic or will just leave the hobby. The amount of money it costs to keep up with new offerings is criminal.

[hermanotarjeta]

Originally Posted by Asian62150

Sad, but true.

I feel like if this question is asked every year, general collectors will be less enthusiastic or will just leave the hobby. The amount of money it costs to keep up with new offerings is criminal.

Especially with $7/gallon gas!

[ZappBrannigan]

I want mirror ball cards I can hang from the ceiling and have disco card parties.

[kingofsnake]

......

[msink28]

There are no retail Topps products (maybe a little base Topps I guess) anywhere to be found in the middle of basketball season. That's how it's going right now.

Even Panini, as dumb as they were, found a way to release a bunch of products everywhere during COVID and managed to capitalize on Wemby by getting retail everywhere during his rookie year. Yet here Topps is, squandering Cooper Flagg and Kon Kneuppel by not putting anything into the 5000 Walmarts and 2000 Targets in America. But I'm sure we'll see a gazillion varieties of 2026 Series 1 Topps baseball and an excruciating number of 2025 baseball products released.

[h00perstar34]

Originally Posted by msink28

There are no retail Topps products (maybe a little base Topps I guess) anywhere to be found in the middle of basketball season. That's how it's going right now.

Even Panini, as dumb as they were, found a way to release a bunch of products everywhere during COVID and managed to capitalize on Wemby by getting retail everywhere during his rookie year. Yet here Topps is, squandering Cooper Flagg and Kon Kneuppel by not putting anything into the 5000 Walmarts and 2000 Targets in America. But I'm sure we'll see a gazillion varieties of 2026 Series 1 Topps baseball and an excruciating number of 2025 baseball products released.

even flagship is completely wiped everywhere near me. The only thing i've seen anywhere the past month is the holiday megas at walmart and barnes

[msink28]

Yeah I get that Fanatics wants to 10x the hobby or something like this but you've gotta get product to the big boys. Focusing on breakers and whales is great when the market is hot but you've gotta be able to grab some revenue from the ultra-casual collectors from time to time. No reason not to have basketball cards in retail stores right now.

I mean, look at Pokemon, they print the ever-living snot out of that stuff but it's in stores so people buy it all.

[spurs50fan]

It was never the "player" ie company...it's the "game" ie grift

[KaponoCollector]

some of the most bland and uninspired cards have come from topps the last year or so. its either bland or the most gaudy, cheesy art you've ever seen. topps/fanatics sucks

[Ericc5Bears]

It's still wayyyyy too early to even begin to judge how the topps era will truly stack up. A lot of people are saying that nothing will compare to prizm, kabooms, downtowns, etc but it's important to remember that even though panini first got the nba license in 2009:

The first prizm set wasn't until 2012

The first kaboom wasn't until 2013

The first downtown wasn't until 2016

The first kaboom gold/green wasn't until 2018

The first downtown gold wasn't until 2021

It took years and in some cases a decade+ for panini to really hit their stride and create the cards that would end up being "iconic", impossible to say within the first few months what is/isn't going to be important from topps. Sure, they've has had the license before so it's a pretty safe bet that something like a topps chrome superfractor is going to be incredibly important, but all the new releases are pretty uncharted territory.

[kwamebrown]

Originally Posted by Ericc5Bears

It's still wayyyyy too early to even begin to judge how the topps era will truly stack up. A lot of people are saying that nothing will compare to prizm, kabooms, downtowns, etc but it's important to remember that even though panini first got the nba license in 2009:

The first prizm set wasn't until 2012

The first kaboom wasn't until 2013

The first downtown wasn't until 2016

The first kaboom gold/green wasn't until 2018

The first downtown gold wasn't until 2021

It took years and in some cases a decade+ for panini to really hit their stride and create the cards that would end up being "iconic", impossible to say within the first few months what is/isn't going to be important from topps. Sure, they've has had the license before so it's a pretty safe bet that something like a topps chrome superfractor is going to be incredibly important, but all the new releases are pretty unchartered territory.

That's a good point and if I'm remembering correctly, everyone bashed panini products when they released also. Prizm was just a cheap, generic knock off of topps chrome, cartoon designs on kabooms looked like trash, etc etc.