Disheartened by Topps and their monopoly...

[bonzomoretti]

When I plop down $117 for a box of cards, I expect to be WOWED!

My back was hurting so bad this morning that I stayed home from work. Figured it to be a good day to open up a box of the latest Gypsy Queen product. Called up the local Hobby shop to see if they had them in and he said yes, $110 a box plus tax. WOW! I do support my local shop to help keep them in biz so I asked them to put a box aside for me. Did a quick search on Ebay to see the going prices and saw I could get a box for $95 w/shipping but I understand the whole business of a hobby shop and I do support them whenever possible. Stopped at the bank on the way and picked the box up and headed home.
Most of you know me as a Mets collector. Now I don't expect to get every Met in a box but I do expect to get enough trade bait to get the Mets I do need, usually from the fine traders here at the Bench and some other sites I belong to.
I heard about the short print variations and the mini variations so I get the web page up on my computer to make sure I don't miss any as I open the cards up. It wasn't needed. No sp variations. Did get the allotted 6 sp's, 2 autos and 2 relics.
My autos- Alex Wood and Branden Maurer. Nothing exciting as I doubt I could trade either of those for a David Wright or Zack Wheeler Mets auto.
My Relics- Adrian Beltre and Hunter Pence...again, nothing special and really not worth the $110 price tag...plus tax! (Topps must have hundreds of Beltre's jerseys lying around as I get 1 of his in every set it seems)
Blue Framed- only 499 of each made and did get 1 in my box...Patrick Corbin...yipppee! oh, wait a minute, he's the guy having Tommy John surgery. ho hum!
SP's- best base sp I got was the Puig, next best, Warren Spahn.
Mini Variation Box- best card- Ripken Jr, the rest were pretty much commons (CC Sabathia, David Ortiz?)
Mini Base- all commons
Mini Black- 3 commons
Sepia- did get 1- Matt Garza

I got ZERO Trout Cards except for a N174, Zero Bogaerts, or ANY other big RC to use for Trade Bait. Best star card was a Manny Machado base card. No other superstar base cards. Unfreakin' believable. For $110? Never again. I am Ebay bound from now on for my singles. Why waste my $$$ on stuff no one can use.
I was considering 3-4 boxes of A&G this year as I was trying to complete the run of sets. That WILL END this year.
Sorry Topps, and it wasn't just this box. Same thing with my Heritage this year. But luckily those didn't cost 3 figures!

Topps, I understand the "luck of the draw" but it it also YOUR job to keep ME coming back for more. You are NOT doing it especially at that cost...and my LHS is the one that suffers!!!!

Mike Napoleon, Pennsauken, NJ (I am in your files Topps!)

OH, and for the Mets...1 Bartolo Colon base, Colon mini, Daniel Murphy base and Seaver N174.....That's IT! Cost me $117 for those 4 cards!

 

[Champs96ws]

I know what you mean. From the financial side it makes no sense to bust a box because 9.75 times out of 10 you lose.

This year I opted to buy the 2014 Heritage set with all the SP's on ebay. Cost me less than busting 2 boxes, and with perfect collation that would still have me 50+ SP's short of the set. If I would be lucky enough to pick the rest of the SP's at $2 each which will not happen...I would be another $100+

The trading part of the hobby is withering away. The postage increases are not helping.

 

[bonzomoretti]

I know what you mean. From the financial side it makes no sense to bust a box because 9.75 times out of 10 you lose.

This year I opted to buy the 2014 Heritage set with all the SP's on ebay. Cost me less than busting 2 boxes, and with perfect collation that would still have me 50+ SP's short of the set. If I would be lucky enough to pick the rest of the SP's at $2 each which will not happen...I would be another $100+

The trading part of the hobby is withering away. The postage increases are not helping.

You are not kidding about the postage. For $117, I expect to get at least 1 card I could saw WOW about!

 

[fatrat]

Mike - I can use your Phillies base if any survive any trades you might have, if I can help you recoup your losses!! LMK!!

Thanks (and condolences)!

John

 

[hurls88]

I'm going to make this worse for you sorry but Spahn is Base and 42 Rivera is SP. I got 8 autos and non very good. Variations reverse image fall 2 per case. I agree not a lot of bang for your buck in this product.

 

[cjay101]

Trust me, don't even play around with any hobby boxes in the high-level tiers!

I do know what you mean. I understand that for every product there has to be dud boxes. Those boxes allow the 'good' boxes to have their value. It is very depressing when you get one box and it is utter junk. It happens often in the football world, as too much is focused on rookies and most of them aren't worthwhile to begin with. I don't have any hobby opportunities back here, the closest hobby product is 2+ hours away and it's well overpriced there. The reasonable hobby product is 4 hours away in Kansas City.

That being said, I'm essentially a retail guy now. This is depressing, but it keeps my costs down substantially. I can much easier pass on a blaster or two over a hobby box of brand new releases.

With the advent of COMC (who is going to struggle temporarily while they build their catalog) and other sites, I think singles is about the best way to go. I equate boxes with lottery tickets, except instead of throwing it out once it is scratched, it sits around in your closet as you try to piece it off.

 

[pmanningsfan73]

I'm sure the bigger wholesalers, retailers & other big buyers already got all the front loaded cases/boxes leaving the small time LCS with the rest. Sorry bout the box man. I do love supporting local business & regional business but maybe you can save a twenty or so & order from DA or BO or another online retailer you prefer.

 

[mm1sub]

I will buy a Topps Series I and II hobby boxes from my local card shop but that is it. I would LOVE to see Fleer come back. Of all the manufacturers they are the one that I miss the most. I go to my local shop and buy the boxes because he gives such good deals on singles. I have picked up a lot of early 1970's cards from him for a lot of traders on here s well as myself but my days of buying boxes of other stuff are long gone.

 

[Beachbum]

Agree with everyone....if the bricks and mortar stores don't figure out how to sell online (even if they keep their storefront) then their days are numbered anyway.

 

[Jaybo374]

Before my wife had our daughter, I used spend one day a week at my LCS spending about $50 on boxes. Now, I'm lucky if I can get down there twice a year and spend substantially less than before.

 

[David K.]

Its a lottery for sure! The major hits at my hobby store are the big spenders. Best regards, David

 

[metsman1986]

Its a lottery for sure! The major hits at my hobby store are the big spenders. Best regards, David

And unfortunately they priced the younger collectors out of the market...............The sustainability of our hobby, in my opinion, is questionable...........

 

[scc76]

Hate to hear about a box such as that. Makes one rethink about buying one themselves.

 

[bonzomoretti]

Mike - I can use your Phillies base if any survive any trades you might have, if I can help you recoup your losses!! LMK!!

Thanks (and condolences)!

John

John, My Phils are your Phils. I have these:11 36 128 204 218 258
I'll send them tomorrow.

I'm going to make this worse for you sorry but Spahn is Base and 42 Rivera is SP. I got 8 autos and non very good. Variations reverse image fall 2 per case. I agree not a lot of bang for your buck in this product.

OUCH!!!...and I thought it could get no worse!!!

Trust me, don't even play around with any hobby boxes in the high-level tiers!

I do know what you mean. I understand that for every product there has to be dud boxes. Those boxes allow the 'good' boxes to have their value. It is very depressing when you get one box and it is utter junk. It happens often in the football world, as too much is focused on rookies and most of them aren't worthwhile to begin with. I don't have any hobby opportunities back here, the closest hobby product is 2+ hours away and it's well overpriced there. The reasonable hobby product is 4 hours away in Kansas City.

That being said, I'm essentially a retail guy now. This is depressing, but it keeps my costs down substantially. I can much easier pass on a blaster or two over a hobby box of brand new releases.

With the advent of COMC (who is going to struggle temporarily while they build their catalog) and other sites, I think singles is about the best way to go. I equate boxes with lottery tickets, except instead of throwing it out once it is scratched, it sits around in your closet as you try to piece it off.

In this case, I can not afford to keep plopping down all this money and get ****** boxes. It's Topps' job to keep me coming back for more, it's only good business. They've lost me as a customer.

Its a lottery for sure! The major hits at my hobby store are the big spenders. Best regards, David

...if that is consistently the case, then Topps isn't doing their job. I have a choice to buy, or not to buy, and I have HAD IT!

Hate to hear about a box such as that. Makes one rethink about buying one themselves.

Good thing I am not the guy that does the "critiques" on these boxes. Gypsy Queen, Heritage and it looks like A&G will be the "same old stuff"! Same inserts, same guys on GU/Autos (I'll have enough David Wright GU pieces to put a whole jersey together before too long). Same old "legends" in these sets (c'mon, how many Bob Gibson, Willie Stargell, Tom Seaver, Warren Spahn, Ripken Jr., Duke Snider and the like). These guys have more cards NOW tthan when they were playing. I understand Topps has to get their money back with the contracts they sign with these players and MLB, but seriously. If you are going to fill these sets with legends, how about Marv Throneberry, Don Mossi (who could turn down a shot of that face), Eddie Gaedel, John Roseboro, Bill Dickey, Jim Piersall and other "characters" of the game. They missed a chance this year to do an all-time "all-beard/hair" subset or sp set that would coincide with the Bosox championship team. Throw Brian Wilson, Oscar Gamble, Rollie Fingers and other 1973 Oakland A's into the mix and that would have been a real interesting set to collect...and fun and different. I guess that's the MONOPOLY business...

 

[fatrat]

Mike - thank you!!!

John

 

[Beachbum]

Good thing I am not the guy that does the "critiques" on these boxes. Gypsy Queen, Heritage and it looks like A&G will be the "same old stuff"! Same inserts, same guys on GU/Autos (I'll have enough David Wright GU pieces to put a whole jersey together before too long). Same old "legends" in these sets (c'mon, how many Bob Gibson, Willie Stargell, Tom Seaver, Warren Spahn, Ripken Jr., Duke Snider and the like). These guys have more cards NOW tthan when they were playing. I understand Topps has to get their money back with the contracts they sign with these players and MLB, but seriously. If you are going to fill these sets with legends, how about Marv Throneberry, Don Mossi (who could turn down a shot of that face), Eddie Gaedel, John Roseboro, Bill Dickey, Jim Piersall and other "characters" of the game. They missed a chance this year to do an all-time "all-beard/hair" subset or sp set that would coincide with the Bosox championship team. Throw Brian Wilson, Oscar Gamble, Rollie Fingers and other 1973 Oakland A's into the mix and that would have been a real interesting set to collect...and fun and different. I guess that's the MONOPOLY business...

Mike,
You're obviously more creative than Topps, they lost me years ago...now the only way I buy Topps is through 3rd party boxes and thats just because I like to open cheap stuff from time to time. Sorry about your experience but it seems more the rule these days than the exception.

 

[tim815]

A wasted box is a turrible thing.

I go away. Then I come back.