Nearly five years since Topps got exclusive

BBCgalaxee · Apr 26, 2014

Come this summer, it'll be five years since mlb announced topps will be the exclusive licensed maker of baseball cards.

We've all touched on this before but how do you feel about it now AND how has it impacted your collecting?

No surprise here that I own a card store and also no surprise that my sales have been negatively impacted.

For three decades, there were several companies making cards and for nearly twenty years, there were many many choices and variety for collectors to choose from.

And then, poof, one company making all niche products.

As a store owner, many times a month I have regulars who don't buy because there's nothing new out, or don't buy because it's another prospect or vintage or crazy high priced product....niche.

You can't go from MULTIPLE new baseball products EVERY WEEK for 15 plus years to TWO new ones a month.....and they happen to be niche-y.

Now, for the collector in me, it's hurt me as well.

Outside of bowman and eee products, I used to open stuff like Donruss, certified, prospect premieres, champions, diamond kings, sp prospects, etc etc.

Now, I only open MAYBE one or two boxes (with packs) a year and that's because I zero interest in topps niche products and $50 packs.

And it really is annoying because I want to open cards!!!!!

What do you all say?

RiceLynnEvans75 · Apr 26, 2014

I think one additional company would be good, put out about the same amount as Topps does.

Leaf puts out very nice cards. Wouldn't have an issue at all if they got a license and had a few non prospect sets.

Austin · Apr 26, 2014

Wow, time sure flies. It was the worst, least thought-out decision in the hobby in the 30 years I've been collecting.
It killed competition, causing Topps to be lazy and have poor quality control.
It severely limited my set collecting since I don't want entire sets of hundreds of players in blank caps and uniforms.
Logos are what gives teams and players their identities.

Competition is what makes products better. It forces companies to be creative and make sure their products are top quality.

dano7 · Apr 26, 2014

I would like to see one more licensed company, also, to compete with Topps. That would keep both companies on their toes. Right now, Topps is only competing with itself....and its losing.
DANNY

ThoseBackPages · Apr 26, 2014

i think its fantastic.

Plenty of things to collect other than modern baseball cards.

IUjapander · Apr 26, 2014

I went from spending $300 a month on wax in 2009, to opening four boxes last year.

Super Mario · Apr 26, 2014

The hobby would be infinitely better with Upper Deck still having a license.

And if DLP were still in existence with a license as well.

Panini, Razor and all of these other second rate products wouldn't be around.

And the card collecting world would be a much better place for all of us.

I yearn for the times when I had never heard the name Brian Gray.

SteelBrad · Apr 26, 2014

Honestly, it was getting out of hand with how many sets were being produced with all the companies in the game.

That being said, I'd prefer all the companies back but for MLB to limit the releases per company to 3-5 releases a year. This in turn would force the companies to be creative or be out of business in a short period of time.

bobthewondercat77 · Apr 26, 2014

I would prefer that DLP and UD still be in the game and releasing products like they did in the 2000s.

However, the Topps exclusive hasn't been as crappy as I thought it would be.

Despite terrible customer service and redemptions galore, the products themselves have mostly been decent.

Brewer Andy · Apr 26, 2014

I too still miss DLP a ton. I always enjoyed their designs the most and they consistently put out mid-level boxes with value. Upper Deck I was almost solely a singles buyer, probably because I personally just never had much luck with their wax. I don't know quantitatively how much worse Topps' customer service and quality have gotten since they went monopoly or if it's just magnified by going solo.
I suppose not having one or two new releases every week has saved me money on some level and made it easier for me to find collecting focuses

studioclint · Apr 26, 2014

I used to spend way more on cards before the exclusive. So my collection suffers some, but my wallet thanks me.

mmier118 · Apr 26, 2014

For me it's just caused me to buy singles. I've only bought four boxes of cards since 2010. I do wish they would let leaf and panini offer licensed product and honestly I may have bought few more boxes if leaf and panini's last few products had been licensed. But on the bright side my collection has probably benefitted from the exclusive as money that would have been wasted on wax has gone towards some nice sets and singles.

BBCgalaxee · Apr 26, 2014

About a decade ago, as a retailer it was awesome.

Topps fleer ud and Donruss all making cards.

There actually was a choice.

If I knew I wouldn't be able to sell the $100 E-x PACK, that's ok because that same week diamond kings was coming out.

UD espn? Yeah no thanks, especially since that same week stadium club arrived.

Choices for me, choices for my customers. Always something new and exciting with the companies battling each other for our money.

Sent from my HTCONE using Freedom Card Board mobile app

Juan Gris · Apr 28, 2014

Adam Dunn has only had 2 Topps autograph cards since they took the exclusive (2013 Tribute and 2013 Million Dollar Chase, which almost doesn't count). If Topps wants my money they need to insert Dunn autos in new products.

weight333 · Apr 28, 2014

I miss the late 90s, early 00s when there were many companies/products to chose from. Fleer, Upper Deck, Donruss, Pacific all had their specific qualities. Monopolization does nothing but hurt the hobby.

theplasticman · Apr 28, 2014

I used to open 5-10 cases a year. Haven't done a case or even any boxes since summer 2012.

nkdbacks · Apr 28, 2014

I've cut back significantly on my collection in the last 5 years. The lack of choices are just depressing to me. As a team collector, I'm limited to about 3 or 4 players having 97 different autographs come out every year. No variation in player selection, and it gets really old, especially when half of them are unproven prospects I'm not interested in. I have no choice but to collect modern cards, my team has only existed since 1998.

I have saved a lot of money though, so I guess that's good. I long for the days of DLP and products like Leaf Certified.

Johnny G · Apr 28, 2014

Used to crack 2-3 boxes of wax a month and it has dwindled way, way below that. Not even a box a month lately. It completely stinks.

sabrgeek · Apr 29, 2014

From your point, I understand about the lack of new products coming in but from the licensor's viewpoint going to an exclusive was needed. Almost everything else MLB does has an exclusive license so this move made sense on that level. In addition, what MLB wanted, and again this makes sense, is time for each product to sell through and even possibly be re-ordered. We had gotten to the point of nearly two products a week circa 2004 and no one could keep up except for stores which worked on tight margins. That did nothing, however, to keep collecting interest up. Most people would like time to breathe. To open Heritage and then try to finish their set with another box, etc. Why give them a week and then something else. This takes away from the "gamblers" and gives to the collectors. And frankly, as a hobby, we are better off with collectors.

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