- Thread starter
- #1
BBCgalaxee
Well-known member
- Sep 9, 2011
- 6,475
- 59
Disclaimer: Links on this page pointing to Amazon, eBay and other sites may include affiliate code. If you click them and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission.
Thanks for posting this, as I have only pieced together what has happened with this card through message boards.
It makes sense that the author would frame this from the point of view of collector/investor, but he needs to expand more on the "Topps is not responsible for secondary values" point. He seems to understand the upside for Topps in doing this, which is that they may have figured out a way to even out their case sales. If the first Bowman product of the year pre-sells at a lower level because of this, it should even out over increased sales for the rest of the year. The problem for Topps is that, having set this precedent, they almost have to follow through with the same practice next year, or the result could be lower case sales throughout the year. Only time will tell.
I wish that Topps was more forward thinking, and perhaps they have become so since I left over ten years ago. I just fear that this decision was made with the foresight of the next few releases, not the next few years. Of course, at its heart, Topps is just putting out a baseball product. I think most employees there don't ruminate over this stuff nearly as much as us message board geeks do.
For years, it's like topps goes with their first thought without thinking of the consequences.
1. "Hey, let's do bowman chrome wrapper redemptions, that'll give our customers a freebie"
When in reality, they neglect to understand that announcing it several days after release only pisses off the collectors who have trashed wrappers already.
2. "Ok this year we will announce the wrapper redemption ahead of time"
But the outcome still pisses off customers because they get shut out due to large breakers coupled with a limited amount of packs....Putting the waves in packs INSTEAD was always the way to go.
3. "Let's hide 1/1 cards inside the box LIDS and plan on NOT announcing it for at least five days, more extra bonuses for our customers"
W..T..F? Really? Why would you plan to wait SEVERAL DAYS at minimum to inform your customers (in actuality, brentbecca tweeted it before topps mentioned it)? Why take the chance of pissing off your customers who trashed their boxes days prior?
4. "Let's surprise our customers by secretly producing Kris Bryant 2013 cards and including them in all 2014 bowman products....WIN WIN EXTRA BONUS for our customers"
Reality check: all this did was piss off your customers/ investors who spent hundreds/ thousands on not only the '14 Bryants (1st bowman chrome logo'd), but the first wave of '13 bryant cards which all since plummeted despite him winning POY.
If history repeats itself, Topps will save the top two picks (Kolek/Rodon) for next year's Bowman, not Schwarber.
Either Topps does not understand the value of its own cards, or the company is assuming that collectors are stupid. Because what’s happened is that Topps is creating risk in the marketplace, which (unless collectors are, in fact, stupid) will ultimately impact the initial value of every Bowman Chrome RC auto issued in its spring Bowman releases until the day that Topps promises to quit the practice.
Sounds about right. When I used to write for Consumer's Digest, I wrote a story about the current state of card collecting. When I interviewed Clay Luraschi from Topps he pretty much told me flat out that Topps didn't care about secondary value and it was in their best interest to not concern themselves with it.
Which is completely understandable. They don't care about what happens as soon as the product leaves their warehouse, they aren't selling the individual cards on eBay after the fact. They are worried about their bottom line when it comes to selling unopened product and loading Bryant autos is a brilliant idea to sell more cases across the board, throughout 2014. And honestly... even as a Cubs fan and prospector, I can't understand in the least bit how people can pay that much for a chrome auto and expect it to retain or increase in value over time. It sucks if you did buy and had to watch the value plummet, but that's a risk you have to take in this hobby/investment.
Either Topps does not understand the value of its own cards, or the company is assuming that collectors are stupid. Because what’s happened is that Topps is creating risk in the marketplace, which (unless collectors are, in fact, stupid) will ultimately impact the initial value of every Bowman Chrome RC auto issued in its spring Bowman releases until the day that Topps promises to quit the practice.
Sounds about right. When I used to write for Consumer's Digest, I wrote a story about the current state of card collecting. When I interviewed Clay Luraschi from Topps he pretty much told me flat out that Topps didn't care about secondary value and it was in their best interest to not concern themselves with it.
Which is completely understandable. They don't care about what happens as soon as the product leaves their warehouse, they aren't selling the individual cards on eBay after the fact. They are worried about their bottom line when it comes to selling unopened product and loading Bryant autos is a brilliant idea to sell more cases across the board, throughout 2014. And honestly... even as a Cubs fan and prospector, I can't understand in the least bit how people can pay that much for a chrome auto and expect it to retain or increase in value over time. It sucks if you did buy and had to watch the value plummet, but that's a risk you have to take in this hobby/investment.
I think some of you who say Topps has never cared about secondary value of its prospect products either didn't collect in the '90s, or forgot about Topps' "value guarantee" on their Bowman sets.
Beginning in 1996, and lasting a few years, Topps guaranteed their Bowman sets would hold a secondary value of at least $125, or Topps would buy them back.
The guarantee had an expiration date of three years.
Of course, Beckett over-values everything, so I don't know if anyone ever cashed in on the guarantee.
I think some of you who say Topps has never cared about secondary value of its prospect products either didn't collect in the '90s, or forgot about Topps' "value guarantee" on their Bowman sets.
Beginning in 1996, and lasting a few years, Topps guaranteed their Bowman sets would hold a secondary value of at least $125, or Topps would buy them back.
The guarantee had an expiration date of three years.
If the value (I think determined by Beckett) dropped below $125, collectors could send the complete set and a certificate found in packs to Topps, and they'd receive a $125 check in the mail.
Of course, Beckett over-values everything, so I don't know if anyone ever cashed in on the guarantee.