So HOW LOW are the Five Star boxes going to fall?

Maybe we should ask Mr. Lawyer what his markup is, because we all know lawyers aren't worth what they charge per hour.

Bob Loblaw said:

This is, for 99% of us out there, an investment. Very different than a consumable.

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Wait. Cards are an investment? Why am I just learning this now?

It's just incredibly sad to me that a $500 box of cards is now considered gambling.

Whatever you pay for a sportscard product should be what the cards inside are worth, jmho.

ChasHawk said:

It's just incredibly sad to me that a $500 box of cards is now considered gambling.

Whatever you pay for a sportscard product should be what the cards inside are worth, jmho.

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some do have the money in it


some don't


nothing new, it's been that way since sports cards morphed into what they are today.

ChasHawk said:

It's just incredibly sad to me that a $500 box of cards is now considered gambling.

Whatever you pay for a sportscard product should be what the cards inside are worth, jmho.

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All wax is gambling.

George_Calfas said:

All wax is gambling.

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Not true.

George_Calfas said:

All wax is gambling.

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All wax is entertainment. For some yes its a gamble going for the big hit. For others its just the pure enjoyment of opening wax as they are a collector and dont care about resale value on their hits.

People have every right to slam a product that is this bad. Terrible out-of-the-box condition coupled with an inflated price and tons of supply on lower-tier and "high end" hits? What ISN'T there to trash about this product? People don't have to like it just because others have bought it and "enjoyed" getting ******.

sportscardtheory said:

People have every right to slam a product that is this bad. Terrible out-of-the-box condition coupled with an inflated price and tons of supply on lower-tier and "high end" hits? What ISN'T there to trash about this product? People don't have to like it just because others have bought it and "enjoyed" getting ******.

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No one is saying anyone has to like it.

Those that like it are simply stating why they like it. People that don't are doing the same.

For those old enough to remember..........."can't we all just get along".

Not sure why there is so much negativity on this board lately (not just in this thread), and GILMO, man chill out a little. Some of your responses sound as if you bankrolled 5-star for Topps. I know you're one of the last card shops in town, but geeezzz.

Without the derailment of the ***-for-tat between Chris and Jeff, the thread seemed more a question of when will 5 Star settle to a price that seems more in line with the actual value coming out of the boxes consistently. While not everyone buys boxes for the purpose of flipping for a profit, nobody wants to see their $500 box yield $200 worth of hits even if they never sell. The condition of the product for the price is one of the key issues for me. As for the cost of the product, I will agree with Chris, that isn't mine or anyone's business, unless it truly is your business (ie hobby shop, distributor, etc.).

To see this hobby, this product as a gamble, is just ignorant...

To see this hobby, this product as a investment, is just ignorant...

To see this hobby, this product as just a hobby, is ignorant...

See what I did there? Everyone has the right to view this there own way and none would be considered wrong as it's part opinion and part truth for all of them. Sure, you can dig your feet in the ground and argue the single angle you want to, but in the end YOU are the ignorant one failing to consider other truths and perspective/opinion. "Look at me, Look at me, I can make an argument and sound cool!!!" Well thats just fine and dandy, I love credible debates, but good god. At some point everyone needs to acknolodge differeing view points and truths. Not everything is a matter of winning.

As far as Card shops akin to newspapers and such, stating that they are a dying breed, that is just a bitter but hurt statment of spite. Sure there are many less than in past decades, and sure some simply do not have the business sence to keep one afloat, but the ones that do suceed, the ones that do stand based off of market equilibrium are flourishing! My LCS is constantly PACKED with business. It offers a haven for hobbiests and collectors/investors alike to gather, in actual real life, and consume the hobby as to their needs. All walks of life and wealth go there to expierence the hobby in real time, face to face, and this is something the internet will NEVER replace, and it the backbone of said hobby. Sure, if your entire exposure to this craziness is behind a computer screen scouring eBay and frequenting message boards, you may not know or understand the validity of a hobby shop, and thats unfortunate because when implimented correctly they are invaluable.

jimmyjam1973 said:

For those old enough to remember..........."can't we all just get along".

Not sure why there is so much negativity on this board lately (not just in this thread), and GILMO, man chill out a little. Some of your responses sound as if you bankrolled 5-star for Topps. I know you're one of the last card shops in town, but geeezzz.

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See

You know me and you still make that argument.


I am not and have never been financially involved with the topps company.

I really like what this product does for the hobby in terms of excitement. That is all I have said.

cgilmo said:

See

You know me and you still make that argument.


I am not and have never been financially involved with the topps company.

I really like what this product does for the hobby in terms of excitement. That is all I have said.

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Chris - I know you've never been financially involved, I was just saying some of the responses were pretty harsh.

5 Star did excite the hobby up until people started opening it and to quality control is bad, and the value just wasnt there.

jimmyjam1973 said:

Chris - I know you've never been financially involved, I was just saying some of the responses were pretty harsh.

5 Star did excite the hobby up until people started opening it and to quality control is bad, and the value just wasnt there.

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My responses are to Jeff


It's his native tongue.

Here are my issues with it and how to correct it.

1. Quality control. I think most of the issues involves the cards not being protected when being packed out or autoed. Each card needs a holder to protect it while being packed and sent out for autoing. Hell top loaders works for me.

2. Remove all bae jersey auto and bat auto cards from the product. I would rather have a base auto card than a balsa wood looking "bat" chip or plain jersey auto. Make all the memorbillia autos patch autos or at least jumbo the sase of the bat piece and use the polished side of the bat so it doesn't look so cheap.

3. MAKE THE DESIGN COOLER!!!!!! Seriously have one or two auto sets that are different, duffex it up, chrome it up shiny it up to the inth degree. I look at the 57 Chrome Patch Autos in this years 2012 TC Football product. Now think of a similar retro design in baseball with patches and on card autos in a product like this. It all doesn't need to be exquisit knock off designs.

I just did some searching on Ebay looking at scans and all the cards are in miserable shape. Just because a manufacturer produces thick cards, does this qualify for a higher price point on the product?

This was purely a money grab on Topps' part.

Chris, it's hard to defend a product when it was executed terribly.

The two major flaws with Five Star poor quality control and lack of patch cards. Its strong point is a quality on-card autograph checklist featuring plentiful amounts of elite players such as Aaron, Koufax, Harper, Trout, Pujols and Ripken. Five Star is stronger than most ultra high end products when it comes to autographs of veteran and retired stars.

Without the ability to juice a baseball product with "event worn" patch autographs of rookies, a product like this is going to struggle on a ROI basis. Topps cannot produce a /99 autograph card from this product that will sell for $1K plus. Football will have two of those cards this year in Luck and RGIII. Even in the other sports, ROI on Exquisite or National Treasures can be rather sketchy. If you pull a second-tier patch auto RC from one of those products, you are almost certainly going to max out at about 50% ROI.

Overall, Five Star is a good faith effort at an ultra premium product that is undermined by condition problems and a lack of patch cards.

cgilmo said:

I am not and have never been financially involved with the topps company.

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Yeah this would be in conflict with his I ownership of leaf. The joint venture they have in this board. And the pack searching baby they raise in a secret military installation south of miami.