Flippers at it again

[Kirbyfan34]

So as I am doing my job at a local Walmart, I noticed there 8s a collection of folks hanging around the card aisle, which mind you has been empty for 2 weeks. I walk past and two of them are talking about selling products they don't even have in hand yet. I knew instantly they were waiting for the vendor and making no attempt to hide what they were doing. I find it very disappointing that these people are muscling in and clearly just trying to make a quick buck. It's honestly making me rethink what I would like to continue buying new product or just focus on what my collection to be. I've said it before, this summer in a rant on Facebook but, for 90 percent of us, it's a hobby. If you want to make a business out of it, do it the right way, dont hog all the retail so no one else can buy any.
I feel like its going to get to the point where, Walmart, Target, Meijer stop carrying cards. I know it's been discussed as nauseam this year, but like everything else this year, its getting old, quick...

 

[metsman1986]

I hear you...........There are some guys in Memphis that do the same thing, swoop in, buy it all up, then sell it at the card shows..........It's pretty disgusting...........I don't even go to those tables.........

 

[Trishlp]

I went to a local target at lunch today and while there was no new cards they did now have a sign saying limit of 2 sports cards per person. Maybe this will make it easier for more people to buy some.

 

[pac_rat_76]

I went to a local target at lunch today and while there was no new cards they did now have a sign saying limit of 2 sports cards per person. Maybe this will make it easier for more people to buy some.

Doubt it. The flipper's will still get their mitts on it.

 

[chief wahoo]

I went to a local target at lunch today and while there was no new cards they did now have a sign saying limit of 2 sports cards per person. Maybe this will make it easier for more people to buy some.

My local Target just put a sign limiting to 4 per family per day.

 

[David K.]

I'll be checking out Target tomorrow....to see if anything came in.....But I'm sure the flippers got it...........Best regards, David PS for a second I thought this was about flipper the dolphin! Old TV series in the 50's and 60's.....

 

[littleredjacks]

hi,
was at local walmart, found 4 packs of topps update, as i was leaving, the vendor showed up with 2 flippers in tow, watched them scoop up pokemon, football, basketball, ect. she even was showing them her schedule of where she would be all week and next week, they were buying anything that makes a profit on ebay. they had the app on their phone and even showed me how to scan with their phone to see if worth buying to resell even offered a couple box's out of their basket full musta been over 100 box's and still adding as she put them out. even had their friend picking up cards at another location text if they wanted more box's from that location.
gotta love them for leaving high dollar mega box's on the shelf (till i left i'm sure)
God bless
david

 

[Chavezforprez]

I was at our local target the other day and seen a line of about 12 people by the cards. Asked the last guy in line what the line was for and he said he didn't really know. I asked if he usually stands in lines that he doesn't what they are for and he was quite. I asked if it was for cards and he nodded yes. Guess he thought I was competition. I just walked away and figured I won't have a chance to buy retail cards for a long while.

 

[zlw1]

At the targets in central MD ( Montgomery/PG ) most don't restock by more than 1 time a month. Usually when they restock, it's all gone minus the junk within a few hours. I caught one of them in action where they'd take boxes around the store and leave them. What honestly does that do? There is no limit to what you can buy at the time at least. I ended up snagging a box of Topps Update like that. I found it burried behind Sorry! and Connect 4 board games..

 

[katester44]

Haven't found any retail here in central PA since lockdown started. Don't expect to see any for a long time. I have been content to just buy finished sets off of ebay. Not as much fun as busting wax and putting sets together, but way less clutter and way cheaper.

feel like it is going to be kicking a dead horse regarding retail flippers until this little card bubble bursts. As with every bubble, it will burst, and someone is going to end up with a bunch of retail stuff that they can't flip and don't want and than it will be a buyers market. Just have to have patience.

 

[Kirbyfan34]

I agree it's a dead horse issue, and that the retail managers really don't give a crap. It's just irritating, and even though I've gotten really pretty lucky with pulls from the retail that I have been able to get this year. (Sheffield/Lux auto's several relics) but in general the big hits are a little harder to get in retail, and set builders are a hobby dinosaur anymore it seems.
And for those Targets that have put limits on the items, it just seems like those are not helping either. All in the Milwaukee area have instituted limits and the shelves are still empty.

 

[GotMelky]

I've given up on finding retail at this point - if I ever luck into any of it there will likely have been some divine intervention. I've been buying direct from Topps when I can but have been focusing on singles/lots a lot more.

The problem is that just like everything else, the market for sealed wax has exploded. There's money to be made and these guys are putting their hustle in while most of us have regular jobs and or other obligations. I have a feeling money is being passed hand to hand for the schedule information, etc. I also think there are certain stockers who may not even be getting things on the shelf. When there is money involved, there's usually shenanigans happening.

My goal is to not let these changes steal my joy in my hobby - I miss grabbing a hanger or blaster on grocery day to open with my kids for sure but it's the current situation. We've been finding other ways to get new cards - Craigslist, Starstock, COMC, eBay, Sportlots, forums. I'm not going to play ball with the wax flippers, so I'll just play a different game. Still miss those cheap blaster fixes though.

 

[t.rooster]

It's the ugly side of capitolism....

 

[pootshwan]

Used to be able to walk into any Target or Walmart and walk out with blasters. Now absolutely nothing. Just more money for singles I guess but I did like busting some retail every once in awhile...

 

[waltbfree]

lots of backdoor dealing as well. Vendors meeting resellers in back of store, product never getting to shelves.

 

[RickB81]

So as I am doing my job at a local Walmart, I noticed there 8s a collection of folks hanging around the card aisle, which mind you has been empty for 2 weeks. I walk past and two of them are talking about selling products they don't even have in hand yet. I knew instantly they were waiting for the vendor and making no attempt to hide what they were doing. I find it very disappointing that these people are muscling in and clearly just trying to make a quick buck. It's honestly making me rethink what I would like to continue buying new product or just focus on what my collection to be. I've said it before, this summer in a rant on Facebook but, for 90 percent of us, it's a hobby. If you want to make a business out of it, do it the right way, dont hog all the retail so no one else can buy any.
I feel like its going to get to the point where, Walmart, Target, Meijer stop carrying cards. I know it's been discussed as nauseam this year, but like everything else this year, its getting old, quick...

Boston area Walmarts and Targets are starting to keep them behind the service desk, 2 per person. And everyone knows whos buying to rip and who's buying to flip

 

[ripahl]

Whooo Cool a retail rant thread.... Here is mine. I use to go to target\walmart to buy product to build my sets. Haven't seen anything much since early 2020 when Bowman was the rage and the chase for Jasson. Anyways, I almost got lucky, I approach the cards section and one guy whom needed a basket had all the blasters and packs from the recent stock. I asked if he left any for the rest of us as (I lied) wanted one or two packs for my kid for Christmas. He did not want to engage as he was looking a little embarrassed and trying to get 6 feet away. I asked him if there was any more baseball and he said maybe (he knew there was not). I asked him if he liked basketball and he said he only was interested in baseball. I yelled out WOW, I found a couple of boxes pretending to poke in the back. His head turned thinking if he missed something. I said never mind. It was basketball and I told him dang, he does not collect basketball. I pretended to mispronounce Mosaic and said something like Musak. I did not pull them all the way out and just shoved them back in. I started to walk away, muttering under my breath that how disappointed my kid will be. I turned and watched as I walked toward the register to pay for a coke or something and the guy rambled back to think he was going to get the Basketball. I saw him try to hold his take while pushing away boxes to find those Mosaics I left behind. I began laughing, knowing there wasn't any and the guy only interest in baseball just fumbled what he was holding to the ground. If I thought I could get back over there, I would have scoop up anything he could not quickly recover. screw him and anyone like him. They are driving the set collectors out. It only will push up the prices more and more and that packs will be $10 and boxes will be $40 if they aren't already.

 

[dragonslayer913]

I know the vendor at my Walmart notifies a guy ..he meets her there and she doesn't even bother putting the product up all she does is display
the box holder thing--I don't even waste my time anymore going over to the cards--What's even funnier there's a sign please only 1 per customer
what a joke--I will now most likely only buy hobby whenever possible.

 

[bblair_2002]

The cards at my local Walmart are behind the Customer Service desk and there's a limit to 1 box/pack per product per customer.

 

[SymphonicMetal]

Am I the only one who thinks the bubble is going to burst on this hobby in the not too distant future? I actually thought it would happen by now. Sports cards were ice cold for decades and suddenly they are the hottest thing going like it is the late 80s-early 90s all over again.

I'm not just talking about the new stuff (which I know nothing about). The older cards have had mind blowing price rises as well. Some cards have gone up so exponentially, it is like we are talking Monopoluy money. It is beyond strange that the hobby exploded in the midst of a bad economy. When the economy tanked in 2008, people were giving their cards away. This time it is just the opposite.