Is Blowout Cards paying off National Execs for Topps promos?

It sure looks like something is up with this.
http://www.blowoutcards.com/forums/news ... d-set.html

Why would Topps put up with this. They cannot be stupid enough to think that Blowout Cards will be actively buying these sets at the National especially considering that they had hundreds of the Topps sets last year in Cleveland and never had a single buy sign up the entire show(or at least until Saturday afternoon). The guys running the National Convention have always been viewed as a "shady" bunch and when they get together with Thomas Fish and his "shady" group it is a match made in heaven. This is an absolute outrage and all of us collectors should call/tweet/email Topps now to vent our frustrations. In my humble opinion, when Topps can stop the payoff before it even happens why would they not go ahead and do it. I am done with Blowout forever.

Maybe being a corporate sponsor they are getting sets?
Maybe they will be buying 30 VIP tickets?

Not everything in this industry is corrupt



Baltimore Orioles Day at the 31st National to be sponsored by Blowoutcards.com

General Admission Attendees at Sneak Peek Get Tickets for Orioles-Angels Game on 8/4

The National Sports Collectors Convention is pleased to join with Blowoutcards.com and the Baltimore Orioles in a series of promotions for the National to be held at the Baltimore Convention Center, August 4-8, 2010.

The 31st National opens with the traditional “Sneak Peek” on Wednesday, August 4 at 4-8 PM. Dealer and Corporate booths will be set up and open for business. All attendees entering the show with a single day general admission ticket for the Sneak Peek will also receive a ticket to the Orioles Wednesday evening game against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim at Camden Yards courtesy of Blowoutcards.com. Game time is 7:05.

This marks the very first time that any sponsor of the National is taking everyone to the ballgame! Thomas Fish and Chris Park, owners of Blowoutcards.com state: "it truly is a pleasure to invite all Wednesday night National ticket holders to a night at Camden Yards. We are thrilled to have the Orioles tickets reserved just for our promotion. We welcome all sports memorabilia and card collectors to enjoy the game, on us

All In Cards


do the math on 30 VIP tickets.


I don't see any other possibility than these cards being sold to blow out after they were supposed to be exclusively in the VIP packages.


It would be like topps giving this site something to give out to the members, and whoever runs this place selling it instead.

IMO, its a slap upside the head to anyone who bought a VIP pass.

120 x 30 = 3600

case and 1/2 of 2010 bowman jumbo

if anything they got them from the National people.

Yes, I realize that they got them from the people running the national.


I just can't believe that they would make a vip exclusive set, no longer a vip exclusive.


Oh well, I have already bought my VIP pass.

Must be tough to realize, just now, that you're not THAT important

I'll stick to paying $16.50 and not getting a bunch of cards that will be selling for $3 on eBay a few days after the National.

jswaykos said:

Must be tough to realize, just now, that you're not THAT important

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yeah, it kinda does... SIP packages Sortof Important Person



and it isn't about what the cards sell for, I like the VIP experience and the preview day. I like the free autographs for VIP, I'm excited to get a guy like Mosely's autograph. I am normally such an easy guy to please.

It's possible that the National did sell Blowout the sets. If so, your problem is with the National, and not Blowout. Instead of 'being done' with Blowout, vote with your feet and boycott the National. Any promises of the set being VIP exclusive were made by the National, and not Blowout.

Of course, there are lots of alternative explanations too. Maybe Blowout is bringing a big contingent with them? Not an outrageous assumption since the show is in their backyard and they're a large hobby presence. Maybe they bought 15 Super VIP packages at $160 per (each with double VIP cards)?

The more likely scenario is that because Blowout is a big corporate sponsor of the show, the National just comps them a bunch of VIP memberships. Thus, the cards would still be VIP exclusive...

While I agree that it's mainly the national's fault, this is just another brick in the wall for blowout.

maxpower said:

It's possible that the National did sell Blowout the sets. If so, your problem is with the National, and not Blowout. Instead of 'being done' with Blowout, vote with your feet and boycott the National. Any promises of the set being VIP exclusive were made by the National, and not Blowout.

Of course, there are lots of alternative explanations too. Maybe Blowout is bringing a big contingent with them? Not an outrageous assumption since the show is in their backyard and they're a large hobby presence. Maybe they bought 15 Super VIP packages at $160 per (each with double VIP cards)?

The more likely scenario is that because Blowout is a big corporate sponsor of the show, the National just comps them a bunch of VIP memberships. Thus, the cards would still be VIP exclusive...

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I think logic will be lost in this thread. It's much easier to buy the fact this is a conspiracy than it would be to use common sense and think they are asking those who they paid for to give them the sets and also arranged to buy sets from folks they know.

CardboardLegends said:

While I agree that it's mainly the national's fault, this is just another brick in the wall for blowout.

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What else has Blowout done, if I may ask?

maxpower said:

CardboardLegends said:

While I agree that it's mainly the national's fault, this is just another brick in the wall for blowout.

Click to expand...

What else has Blowout done, if I may ask?

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Hot item out of stock, then relisted with a higher price. Your credit card refunded.

Retail gouging on stuff that was ment for walmart (eh, not really a big one there)


I'm not gonna go into much here as I am sure the management here does not want too much mud slinging. You do not have to look very far until you find something to hate on them for.

CardboardLegends said:

maxpower said:

CardboardLegends said:

While I agree that it's mainly the national's fault, this is just another brick in the wall for blowout.

Click to expand...

What else has Blowout done, if I may ask?

Click to expand...

Hot item out of stock, then relisted with a higher price. Your credit card refunded.

Retail gouging on stuff that was ment for walmart (eh, not really a big one there)


I'm not gonna go into much here as I am sure the management here does not want too much mud slinging. You do not have to look very far until you find something to hate on them for.

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Ah. Sorry you had a bad experience with the hot item. My own experience has been the opposite. I've never had an order cancelled, even when 2010 Bowman wax just came out and the prices were blowing up.

As for the retail boxes, I can't really agree with the characterization of 'retail gouging'. That's just the secondary market at work. Happens all the time with wax. Manufacturers put out an SRP and the market determines how much people will pay for it. If Blowout can find buyers for a product, why not stock it?

Anyhow, I'm not trying to change your mind... you've obviously had some bad experiences with Blowout. Just thought I'd offer my own experiences for comparison.

maxpower said:

It's possible that the National did sell Blowout the sets. If so, your problem is with the National, and not Blowout. Instead of 'being done' with Blowout, vote with your feet and boycott the National. Any promises of the set being VIP exclusive were made by the National, and not Blowout.

Of course, there are lots of alternative explanations too. Maybe Blowout is bringing a big contingent with them? Not an outrageous assumption since the show is in their backyard and they're a large hobby presence. Maybe they bought 15 Super VIP packages at $160 per (each with double VIP cards)?

The more likely scenario is that because Blowout is a big corporate sponsor of the show, the National just comps them a bunch of VIP memberships. Thus, the cards would still be VIP exclusive...

Click to expand...

This is exactly what I said last time this was brought up as a "conspiracy." Everyone's always wanting to jump to conclusions that it's "shady", when it could EASILY have a logical explanation...but does anyone care to contact Blowout and ask them? Of course not.

Maybe...JUST MAYBE...they did get these legitimately (via PURCHASING VIP passes for employees and friends, or as a major sponsor). And at the end of the day, who really cares, I'd bet that 75% of these sets are going to end up on ebay either way. "VIP Exclusive" my ass...they'll be "Ebay Exclusive" soon after August 8th. And even then, say there were only 1000 sets made (yes, I'm making the number up), who gives a damn if Person X is selling them or Person Y is selling them...there are still only 1000 sets.

At the end of the day, the ONLY beef should be with Topps if they produced more than they stated they'd produce...which my guess is that it was never stated as to how many were going to be available...

There is no way blowout purchased a single VIP pass.

People on this board are so uninformed and have there head so far buried in the sand that they will never see all the bad things that Blowout Cards has done to our hobby. Keeping on supporting them and they will continue to play games with you and products you are interested in buying.

Blowout Cards only mistake is to actually presell the sets before the National and before they handle the cash transaction to purchase the sets from the National Excutives. They are flaunting in the face of those of us who bought VIP passes and now our sets will be all but worthless. If he would of waited until after the show and after the payoff had been made like he did last year then at least we would feel that our sets were worth something.

just contacted them, we shall see what they say

goldincardboard said:

People on this board are so uninformed and have there head so far buried in the sand that they will never see all the bad things that Blowout Cards has done to our hobby. Keeping on supporting them and they will continue to play games with you and products you are interested in buying.

Blowout Cards only mistake is to actually presell the sets before the National and before they handle the cash transaction to purchase the sets from the National Excutives. They are flaunting in the face of those of us who bought VIP passes and now our sets will be all but worthless. If he would of waited until after the show and after the payoff had been made like he did last year then at least we would feel that our sets were worth something.

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Could you elaborate on "all the bad things Blowout Cards has done to our hobby"? Some concrete examples would be nice. If I owned an LCS or distributorship, I might not like them too much because of the competition, but from a buyer standpoint, they've expanded my ability to purchase wax because (a) they have a bigger selection than my local LCS and (b) they're way cheaper.

As far as the VIP exclusives go, as has already been pointed out, Blowout doesn't owe you anything. Your relationship as a VIP is with the National. If the people running the National have done something to upset you, you could take it up with them.

Why does 'he' (I'm assuming you're talking about Chris at Blowout) owe you the duty of waiting to presell?

I don't have a dog in the fight... I'm just trying to understand the anger. Seems to me that this is like Topps telling people that a product will be hobby exclusive, then turning around and selling it through Target. How can you blame Target for selling it? They're not the ones that made any representations about it being exclusive.