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I'll be Topps & Panini for a sec regarding redemptions

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BBCgalaxee

Well-known member
Sep 9, 2011
6,475
59
Before I go on, I'm NOT siding with Topps or any other company when it comes to redemptions.

But for a moment, I'm donning a Topps and panini ceo hat.

Tell me why I'm wrong.

Hi, I'm the CEO of Topps and six months ago we paid prospect x $8k to sign 2000 bowman chrome cards.

Now it's time to package the product and he hasn't returned the cards so what are we, as a business supposed to do?

If we don't use redemptions, that means we will have to produce 2000 less boxes.

And as a business, that's not going to happen.

And that's just ONE guy. Multiple that by a few and suddenly there's 6000 less boxes or approx $300,000 lost.

Here, take my Topps CEO hat and tell me what you would do.
 

matfanofold

Active member
Aug 10, 2008
7,645
1
As a business you are NOT suppose to advertise and pre-sell merchandise that you do not have in hand.


/end thread
 

gt2590

Super Moderator
Aug 17, 2008
38,655
3,239
Near Philly
Plus, avoiding sending out Redemptions in the live product will save you the cost of a whole dept. (or at least greatly reduce it) needed to: follow up on/handle CS/get cards back/ship/deal with hassle, all that stuff.

And they wouldn't have to make more or less product. Just put the odds on there with a certain % of the autos not expected to be there and IF you get more back than expected, then you add some value to the box and collectors beat the odds, pleasing them.

As for the "unused" auto cards, IF you get them back, Topps Online or Vault would work easily I'm sure...
 

VandyDan

New member
Dec 5, 2011
865
0
Also, I was told by a Topps rep that they inserted redemptions into a product after only having sent (sent!) requests to the player's rep for autographs.

It's one thing if you have to put in redemption cards because a player that has signed a contract has not yet returned his cards. It's another altogether if you put them in after only having sent a request for them to the player's rep.
 

rsmath

Active member
Nov 8, 2008
6,086
1
Here, take my Topps CEO hat and tell me what you would do.

Assuming the player is inked to a contract (not just asked), replace the redemptions of that athlete with stickers of an athlete that are already in-house or create relics of that athlete to insert in place of autos since you'd think getting a jersey top or pants to cut up should be more doable in a pinch than getting the athlete to sign autos on time.

The athlete who hasn't fulfilled their auto contract can go in a near future product when the stickers come in (and use the base and parallels of that athlete to drive product in lieu of autos).
 

Anthony

Member
Nov 20, 2008
673
0
San Diego area
Dear Athlete,
Thanks for agreeing to sign all these cards for $8,000. We will send you that $8,000 check upon our receipt of these cards, signed by you, by the date of xx/xx/20xx. We look forward to adding your autographed cards to our products after that date.

Sincerely,
Topps CEO

Before I go on, I'm NOT siding with Topps or any other company when it comes to redemptions.

But for a moment, I'm donning a Topps and panini ceo hat.

Tell me why I'm wrong.

Hi, I'm the CEO of Topps and six months ago we paid prospect x $8k to sign 2000 bowman chrome cards.

Now it's time to package the product and he hasn't returned the cards so what are we, as a business supposed to do?

If we don't use redemptions, that means we will have to produce 2000 less boxes.

And as a business, that's not going to happen.

And that's just ONE guy. Multiple that by a few and suddenly there's 6000 less boxes or approx $300,000 lost.

Here, take my Topps CEO hat and tell me what you would do.
 

RStadlerASU22

Active member
Jan 2, 2013
8,881
11
Agree to most of this ,

1) Don't advertise what u don't have where possible
2) NEVER advertise or use redemptions for people you don't even have contracts with
3) More or less dint need to be made, just adjust ratios based on the cut off date when u start presales
4) Don't pay before job is done
5) Use all signed cards that came in after product is released in future products somehow as an update to the set
6) Anything they get in after presales start but before packaging can be used to drive sales further w promotions

I'd say sure the companies get frustrated w those under contract that don't do their side if the deal on time, but some of it is smoke n mirrors with people that aren't under any contract yet getting promoted as being in the product

Ryan
 

Ty Hope

New member
Aug 7, 2008
10,619
2
Dear Topps: If you insert redemptions for an on-card auto in 2010, DO NOT put out on-card autos of the same person in 2013 LIVE before fulfilling what you owe.
 

nappyd

Active member
Sep 24, 2012
1,207
0
i thought Topps said they witness every signing in person?

Yes and panini mails off stickers that players can let others sign or robosign them

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Freedom Card Board mobile app
 

Leaf

New member
Aug 7, 2008
3,855
0
Agents will never go for the hard return deadline...

So if we don't package the redemptions, we end up with 500 signed cards of a guy with no product to insert them in..

Plus, we have to presell the products to allow distributors time to solicit stores prior to release...
Do you really want no draft products till 2014? BG
 

katieneack

Member
Apr 7, 2012
651
0
Northern Kentucky
Here's one:

Don't auto-replace 7 Barry Larkin Auto's that I spent over $700 on with 7 crappy autos of players I don't care about, that I can't sell for more than $10 a piece. If you have to have redemptions and sometimes you can't come through on them, at least make an attempt to give the customer sonmething equivalent.
 

Bob Loblaw

Active member
Aug 21, 2008
11,214
5
Bright House Field
Agents will never go for the hard return deadline...

So if we don't package the redemptions, we end up with 500 signed cards of a guy with no product to insert them in..

Plus, we have to presell the products to allow distributors time to solicit stores prior to release...
Do you really want no draft products till 2014? BG

For once I agree with him.
 

BowmanChromeAddict

New member
Aug 8, 2008
4,202
0
Downingtown, PA
Dear Athlete,
Thanks for agreeing to sign all these cards for $8,000. We will send you that $8,000 check upon our receipt of these cards, signed by you, by the date of xx/xx/20xx. We look forward to adding your autographed cards to our products after that date.

Sincerely,
Topps CEO

EXACTLY! Don't give them the money until you've got your cards back. Or at least part up front, part on return. Makes no sense to pay them up front and then you are in chase-them-down mode afterwards...trying ever so cautiously not to piss them off in case they become a big star and you need them later.
 

KLARNOLD

Well-known member
Sep 17, 2008
1,409
147
Owensboro, KY
Agents will never go for the hard return deadline...

So if we don't package the redemptions, we end up with 500 signed cards of a guy with no product to insert them in..

Plus, we have to presell the products to allow distributors time to solicit stores prior to release...
Do you really want no draft products till 2014? BG


If you got the 500 signed cards after a deadline, why not insert them in a future product as a bonus (box topper, unannounced insert, etc...)?
 

muskiesfan

New member
Aug 7, 2008
12,531
0
Murfreesboro, TN
Here are my thoughts. Topps releases their sets around the same time each year. Topps S1, Opening Day, Bowman, Bowman Chrome, etc, etc. Since they always release around the same time frame, why not plan in advance?

These are the players we would like to have sign for Product X this year. Lets schedule a signing in the offseason, Spring Training, or something similar and have the cards ready to go before the product goes live. Most of our products look the same or are regurgitated, so product design should not be a problem. When it comes to Heritage, where we are doing dual signed cards, 1 is retired and 1 is active. If we follow this model (offseason, ST, so on), we could get both players to sign well before the product releases.

To add to this, we will not list potential hits on sell sheets when we have no contract for said player. Unless a deal is in place, stickers are in stock, or a date has been set for a signing, we will not cheat our customers by promising the opportunity to pull something that will never be made available.

Instead of using time and resources to create autographed sets that will never see the light of day, unless we XXXX someone over on their redemptions, we will make more of an effort to improve our product lineup and make a more conscious effort to get these same players to sign cards they are already contracted to sign.

Thank you,
Topps CEO
 

BBCgalaxee

Well-known member
Sep 9, 2011
6,475
59
Dear collectors
Thank you for your input.

Unfortunately, using the initial example, we simply can't "eat" $300,000 worth of inventory if players don't return on time.

And because of past examples of companies promising payment after autos are received, yet never paying (fleer the most recent), players demand payment up front. That has become the norm.

Love n kisses
Fantasy ceo
 

Bob Loblaw

Active member
Aug 21, 2008
11,214
5
Bright House Field
EXACTLY! Don't give them the money until you've got your cards back. Or at least part up front, part on return. Makes no sense to pay them up front and then you are in chase-them-down mode afterwards...trying ever so cautiously not to piss them off in case they become a big star and you need them later.

Don't give them the money up front and they'll simply not do it.
 

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