Topps Auto'ed Gold Infused Baseball Redemption - SHOCKING UPDATE!

[Keyser Soze]

To be honest, when it comes to "Value" - Topps really sets the Value. What it sold for on the secondary market doesn't dictate to Topps what should be assigned the the item. Does it suck? Yes. Will it still happen? yes.

Topps only has to say "Hey, this is the value we put on th eball according to the costs associated with manufacturing it and the cost of what it woul dhave taken to get it signed."

But collectors don't buy an item for the value "associated with manufacturing it and the cost of what it woul dhave taken to get it signed." They buy it for a price dictated by the secondary market and Topps should take that into account. Topps needs to look at the sales of all of the balls and come up with a fair value and offer a replacement based on it. Collectors should be insulted that all they offered as a replacement was a case of one of the lower-end products. IMO, it's indicative of how little they appreciate and respect the fact that collectors spend a lot of their hard-earned money on their products. That's what bothers me, the overall lack of respect for their customers

 

[MansGame]

I agree 100% but keep in mind the signer is in part to blame also. I just dont understand knowing what an ass he could be why they didnt send to him first.

I don't blame Mays in this case honestly...... if he doesn't sign baseballs with other guys on it, thats his deal..... Talk about missing the boat for Topps.....

I'll give you an example.... I have heard Rickey Henderson doesn't sign bases... it's just his thing and he has the right to now want to sign certain items.... so can Topps go out with a promotion for a signed base by all-time great base stealers (including Rickey Henderson) and then we can blame Rickey for not signing the base when it gets passed to him?!?!?!

The answer is NO...

 

[A_Pharis]

Yeah. Topps doesn't look at it that way. "This is what I paid for the redemption" is a tale as old as time.

 

[MansGame]

To be honest, when it comes to "Value" - Topps really sets the Value. What it sold for on the secondary market doesn't dictate to Topps what should be assigned the the item. Does it suck? Yes. Will it still happen? yes.

Topps only has to say "Hey, this is the value we put on th eball according to the costs associated with manufacturing it and the cost of what it woul dhave taken to get it signed."

There is a difference between "cost" and "value"

 

[MansGame]

Yeah. Topps doesn't look at it that way. "This is what I paid for the redemption" is a tale as old as time.

Leave it up to Topps to really undercut what the "value" of the item sells for on the secondary market...

 

[Keyser Soze]

Yeah. Topps doesn't look at it that way. "This is what I paid for the redemption" is a tale as old as time.

What you paid shouldn't be the only part of the equation, but what they regularly sell for should be. Topps should expect collectors to be up-in-arms when they attempt to replace an item that sold for $1750 - $3400 (according to Sports Card Radio) with an item that sells for $650.

 

[MansGame]

What you paid shouldn't be the only part of the equation, but what they regularly sell for should be. Topps should expect collectors to be up-in-arms when they attempt to replace an item that sold for $1750 - $3400 (according to Sports Card Radio) with an item that sells for $650.

 

[A_Pharis]

What you paid shouldn't be the only part of the equation, but what they regularly sell for should be. Topps should expect collectors to be up-in-arms when they attempt to replace an item that sold for $1750 - $3400 (according to Sports Card Radio) with an item that sells for $650.

I don't disagree.

 

[uniquebaseballcards]

What you paid shouldn't be the only part of the equation, but what they regularly sell for should be. Topps should expect collectors to be up-in-arms when they attempt to replace an item that sold for $1750 - $3400 (according to Sports Card Radio) with an item that sells for $650.

Ball = $149
Mays = $250
Aaron = $150
Griffey = $75 (?)

Total = $624

I could be wrong here, but I also thought multi-signed balls were worth less than single signed balls.

No manufacturer is responsible for crazy things that happen on the secondary market, and $1800+ isn't exactly within normal reason... even if three people apparently wanted to pay this much for it. See my sig with regard to Topps' statement regarding value.

 

[MansGame]

Ball = $149
Mays = $250
Aaron = $150
Griffey = $75 (?)

Total = $624

I could be wrong here, but I also thought multi-signed balls were worth less than single signed balls.

No manufacturer is responsible for what happens on the secondary market within reason, and $1800+ isn't within normal reason... even if three people apparently wanted to pay this much for it. See my sig with regard to Topps' statement regarding value.

Topps should be held responsible for producing what was a TOP promotional item released in a product of their cards last year.......

 

[uniquebaseballcards]

Topps should be held responsible for producing what was a TOP promotional item released in a product of their cards last year.......

I don't think many people knew or remembered the promotion, I didn't. I knew Topps was keeping to a gold theme in 2012 though.

Its kind of an odd item anyway, it would've been much more interesting if they had intended to fill up the baseballs with dozens of autos. But in the end top promotional items should cost more than $600 to make.

 

[MansGame]

I don't think many people knew or remembered the promotion, I didn't. I knew Topps was keeping to a gold theme in 2012 though.

Its kind of an odd item anyway, it would've been much more interesting if they had intended to fill up the baseballs with dozens of autos. But in the end top promotional items should cost more than $600 to make.

Obviously if they would of said they'd fill the ball with dozens of auto's , that'd be a different story but three of the greats of the game on a gold infused baseball... I think that's a really rare item and something I'd love to have... I think most people would love to have that item... no?

Obviously people just go on with their lives and forget about promotions, etc. but can you imagine if Pepsi or Coke did this with a promotion? 20 people won some super awesome prize (like a rare pop machine or something) which people were trying to buy-up online for a few thousand dollars and then come to find out a year later Pepsi or Coke can't complete the promotion and instead sends everyone a crate of soda as a replacement? I guess there is a differnece when it comes to a company which has a monopoly and is always screwing up and now it's just normal course of business to scew up...

Keep in mind this is arguably their biggest promotion of 2012 and they aren't able to fill the promotional item and instead are sending out cases of their lowest end product to those who have the golden tickets.

 

[uniquebaseballcards]

Obviously if they would of said they'd fill the ball with dozens of auto's , that'd be a different story but three of the greats of the game on a gold infused baseball... I think that's a really rare item and something I'd love to have... I think most people would love to have that item... no?

Obviously people just go on with their lives and forget about promotions, etc. but can you imagine if Pepsi or Coke did this with a promotion? 20 people won some super awesome prize (like a rare pop machine or something) which people were trying to buy-up online for a few thousand dollars and then come to find out a year later Pepsi or Coke can't complete the promotion and instead sends everyone a crate of soda as a replacement? I guess there is a differnece when it comes to a company which has a monopoly and is always screwing up and now it's just normal course of business to scew up...

Keep in mind this is arguably their biggest promotion of 2012 and they aren't able to fill the promotional item and instead are sending out cases of their lowest end product to those who have the golden tickets.

I just can't see getting worked up over a $600 replacement, there are dozens of people who will spend that much on a single card today on this board. I guess we'll just agree to disagree

 

[MansGame]

I just can't see getting worked up over a $600 replacement, there are dozens of people who will spend that much on a single card today on this board. I guess we'll just agree to disagree

Fair enough.

 

[ronfromfresno]

How would the IRS value this prize or gift? Would they use production costs or fair market value? My guess is they'd use fmv and use actual sales of the item to determine what fmv is, kinda like using bluebook for the value of an older car. So in a way Topps needs to compensate consumers for the fmv of the promised item, not their production costs or their internally determined price. If not, a claim could be made that Topps is attempting to cheat the public by falsely advertising items in order to drive sales. Heck Weights and Measures in California is at my Target constantly trying to catch Target charging more for advertised items, and then fining the store if they find something ringing for a higher price then listed on the tag.

 

[phillyfan0417]

Is there anyone left on this earth that still thinks Topps give a rats behind about the secondary market?

 

[uniquebaseballcards]

Is there anyone left on this earth that still thinks Topps give a rats behind about the secondary market?

(Since those silly Bowman guarantees anyway)

We should be happy Topps doesn't think of themselves as a company that "prints money".

 

[phillyfan0417]

(Since those silly Bowman guarantees anyway)

We should be happy Topps doesn't think of themselves as a company that "prints money".

they havent really been secretive about it. I've heard them say it more than once. the secondary market is not their concern....

 

[uniquebaseballcards]

they havent really been secretive about it. I've heard them say it more than once. the secondary market is not their concern....

Agreed - and this is a really really good thing for the hobby. The hobby would become completely corrupt if otherwise.

For one eBay isn't a real market that's nearly sophisticated enough for Topps (or really anyone else) to rely upon.

 

[sportscardtheory]

I just can't see getting worked up over a $600 replacement, there are dozens of people who will spend that much on a single card today on this board. I guess we'll just agree to disagree

You wouldn't be worked-up if you bought a very specific thing for almost $3,400, but instead received something with a value of just over $600?