The increasing value of retail

Not long ago, it was hobby or bust. Retail product could offer the occasional hit, although it was often rare and rather low-end. I've had success with retail myself over the years (my best pull, a Bonds on-card autograph /5, came from retail in 2006), but I've always knew the odds were low compared to hobby. Lower price, lower odds of getting something good. Collectors have even been ridiculed on some forums for "wasting money on retail".

However, things have been changing within the past two years, especially with Topps products. More - and better - hits have been found in retail products at a greater rate.

Both 2010 Bowman and 2010 Bowman Platinum were hits among many collectors. Bowman offered exclusive purple refractors in rack packs; if you were looking for lower-end Strasburg, retail offered just as good a chance as hobby. Collectors found retail Bowman Platinum to be fairly loaded with autographs. A few FCB members even pulled Strasburg patch autographs from retail. From 4-5 blasters and several rack packs, I pulled 4 autographs myself.

The trend has continued into 2011. Topps (Diamond Anniversary, Sparkles, Diamond Giveaway), Heritage (SPs, the occasional autographs from retail, and hobby packs in Topps Value Boxes), Gypsy Queen (numerous GU and autographs), and, of course, Bowman (with retail exclusive Harper autographs).

Do you expect the potential for retail products to continue to climb? Do you enjoy seeing some of the value passed on to retail customers, or would you rather see it concentrated all within hobby products? Myself - I love it.

I'll buy what I feel is the best value. If Topps decides to load up retail some more and neglect hobby (though that wouldn't be wise), I'll just buy more retail.

Topps isn't stupid (well, actually...). The brick-and-mortar hobby shops are few and far between--some people don't even live within driving proximity to one.

But guess what everyone lives near? A Targer, or Walmart, or Toys R Us or other retail outlet.

Being involved with an actual brick-and-mortar hobby shop, I HATE retail.
1) Of late, product has been available in retail too far in advance.
2) The retail product is too similar to hobby.

Both of those factors lead to dad buying junior a Topps blaster while they're shopping for patio furniture at Target rather than making a separate trip to the LCS.

I think retail will continue to get stronger and stronger....As the number hobby shops decreases and the number of Wal Marts, Targets, etc. increases, it's only inevitable

With the drastic decrease in hobby shops it seems that soon enough the only place to buy hobby boxes will be online

Most of what I buy is retail I like parallels and stuff, so its perfect for me, the occasional auto is nice too!

I hate when hobby carries high-end or rare cards retail doesn't or vice versa as I don't think of retail customers as being inferior to hobby customers!

emarc27 said:

I think retail will continue to get stronger and stronger....As the number hobby shops decreases and the number of Wal Marts, Targets, etc. increases, it's only inevitable

With the drastic decrease in hobby shops it seems that soon enough the only place to buy hobby boxes will be online

Click to expand...

In some ways it's already like that. There isn't anything around here other than retail. Unless I buy online.

retail is garbage, Gypsy Queen was a screw up and topps is going lose some money on it by having to replace a ton
of autographs, you can be assured that won't happen again. Retail heritage sucked and the only hits people were pulling
were from the special hobby packs that topps made that were obviously loaded coupled with the diamond code. There
is still plenty of heritage and series 1 laying around. It is hard for bowman retail to increase in price when topps is
selling it on their site for 72.99/ 19.99 a box.

I do like retail exclusives and topps has kept this up.

Kevin

i buy mostly retail. i am a fan of quantity. Retail GQ @$2.50 a pack is fantasticly fun to rip. Hobby GQ @$7+ a pack? not so fun.

Retail Heritage is also awesome for those of us that build the set and arent worried about "hits" Retail Heritage also has three of the four of the hardest sets to put together, TINTS!

I think the lack of competition has actually brought collecting back. Because it is impossible to aim for premium auto and jersey cards with tops, I find it more fun to try and complete sets. Maybe we were all spoiled by Donruss, UD, and Fleer in the past. I'm content, for now, just buying and a blaster and sorting my cards, which I haven't don't in years. I don't go crazy anymore spending a few hundred dollars on boxes.

I pulled this bad boy from a retail pack. Best $3 I ever spent. Super fast turnaround from Topps then to fulfill the redemption.

http://cardmagnet.info/memorabilia/topp ... nowbat.htm

Card Magnet said:

I pulled this bad boy from a retail pack. Best $3 I ever spent. Super fast turnaround from Topps then to fulfill the redemption.

http://cardmagnet.info/memorabilia/topp ... nowbat.htm

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Ummm....you still have that?

ffgameman said:

Card Magnet said:

I pulled this bad boy from a retail pack. Best $3 I ever spent. Super fast turnaround from Topps then to fulfill the redemption.

http://cardmagnet.info/memorabilia/topp ... nowbat.htm

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Ummm....you still have that?

Click to expand...

Sure do . I think there were five redemptions inserted across the board in 2007 Topps Retail (Wal Mart only).

Congrats to you! Loving the Wright, of course.

Thanks

ThoseBackPages said:

i buy mostly retail. i am a fan of quantity. Retail GQ @$2.50 a pack is fantasticly fun to rip. Hobby GQ @$7+ a pack? not so fun.

Retail Heritage is also awesome for those of us that build the set and arent worried about "hits" Retail Heritage also has three of the four of the hardest sets to put together, TINTS!

Click to expand...

topps lineage retail should be a great value compared to what hobby is going for now also.

I've been into cards for over 25 years, but I never understood the reasoning for having Retail and Hobby anyway.
What's the reasoning? Seems like it'd be easy enough to just make it the same packs with the same odds across the board. Sell some 8 pack blasters, some 20 pack boxes, single pack blisters, but whatever.. what's the need for "different" packs anyway? I should be able to walk into walmart and get the same box as I do going to Homerun Sports Cards..

Anyone care to explain?

Kevbo said:

I've been into cards for over 25 years, but I never understood the reasoning for having Retail and Hobby anyway.
What's the reasoning? Seems like it'd be easy enough to just make it the same packs with the same odds across the board. Sell some 8 pack blasters, some 20 pack boxes, single pack blisters, but whatever.. what's the need for "different" packs anyway? I should be able to walk into walmart and get the same box as I do going to Homerun Sports Cards..

Anyone care to explain?

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Pricing. It would be hard for the Wal-Marts and hobby shops across the country to agree upon a set price.

And, if you could get the same pack for $2.98 at Wal-Mart that would cost you $4.98 at the hobby shop - that would mean the death of the LCS and even some online stores.

Kevbo said:

I've been into cards for over 25 years, but I never understood the reasoning for having Retail and Hobby anyway.
What's the reasoning? Seems like it'd be easy enough to just make it the same packs with the same odds across the board. Sell some 8 pack blasters, some 20 pack boxes, single pack blisters, but whatever.. what's the need for "different" packs anyway? I should be able to walk into walmart and get the same box as I do going to Homerun Sports Cards..

Anyone care to explain?

Click to expand...

Hobby is/was a way to drive traffic to hobby stores. Also some hobby hits wouldn't be as "appreciated" by retail customers - retail customers may not know what they've pulled or understand its value as much as a hobby customer probably would.

Retail prices are also a little more kid friendly, and help bring them into the market until they're old enough to afford/appreciate and upgrade to hobby.