Albert Belle Redemption - What To Do?

[MansGame]

As most of you all know, I collect Albert Belle exclusively and really don't mess around too much with new wax or other cards but sometimes I will open some new stuff for fun, etc.

Belle was reintroduced to the hobby back in 2011 after being out of the hobby since 2001. This got me back engaged in the new age hobby and cards of his I wanted to chase, etc. Well, this also introduced me to the vicious redemption game that Topps has and I think I have met the fate of many others on this board.

Specifically, I have two "open" redemption's from 2014 Topps Museum Collection. I paid for the actual redemption cards which were for relic/auto's of Belle to be redeemed. I need to pull the $ amount but didn't pay an arm/leg for them but still.

Well, it has been four years and counting and nothing from Topps. I called Topps to inquire about the redemption's and they pretty much told me 0% chance they ever make that card and it is in my best interest to request a sub. Here is my ax to grind...

1. I asked about other Belle cards they have and they just have crappy regular autos of his which are no where near what the cards are that I have been waiting four years for

2. They don't care what I paid for the redemption's or what I think the cards I am waiting for go for, they just tell me some BS price value and I have to pick some sort of card to replace the redemption's

3. I ONLY collect Albert Belle, so I am pretty well screwed when they asked to pick another player and they can see what they have for that player

What do you all think I should do? Do you really think there is a 0% chance because I will just keep waiting if there is a chance they will be made. Not sure what others experience here, I obviously do not deal in new wax and this sort of thing I am not really up to speed on.

Any tricks I can play with Topps or do I have any leverage?

This entire thing sucks but just looking for any advice or guidance anyone on the board has since I am sure this is just normal course of business in the hobby but something I (a '90s player collector) doesn't normally deal with and am somewhat confused for what I should do.

Thanks guys!

 

[AnthonyCorona]

Maybe get another player and try to trade for big Al? Most Topps stories don't turn out well if you're waiting unfortunately

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[MansGame]

Maybe get another player and try to trade for big Al? Most Topps stories don't turn out well if you're waiting unfortunately

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This is what I figured. I also thought to just take another Belle auto and move on down the road even though I'll have it already.

Do you think there is any way they redeem it or when they tell me there is no chance they are shooting me straight? Just trying to figure out if they tell everyone that because they would rather clean up their back-log or what.

 

[michaelstepper]

that's crazy. I just had a 5 yr old felix hernandez "teir one" auto show up.

they should have some sort of legal obligation for the stated card.

 

[AnthonyCorona]

This is what I figured. I also thought to just take another Belle auto and move on down the road even though I'll have it already.

Do you think there is any way they redeem it or when they tell me there is no chance they are shooting me straight? Just trying to figure out if they tell everyone that because they would rather clean up their back-log or what.

I dunno, that's 4 years and its not done? Definitely not looking good. I usually read it's done quickly or it's a replacement. Topps really needs to get their act together

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[Letch77]

I wonder how they'd react to a class action civil suit...
I've never had a redemption card so I don't know what sort of legal verbiage they contain, or what's on the website when you go to redeem.

 

[joey12508]

If you have a dog, get one of his turds and mail it to topps. THEY SUCK WHEN IT COMES TO REDEMPTIONS.

 

[KLARNOLD]

If you have a dog, get one of his turds and mail it to topps. THEY SUCK WHEN IT COMES TO REDEMPTIONS.

Don't give Topps any ideas for a new pet used insert

 

[ThoseBackPages]

ask for Trout

 

[nosterbor]

Read the back good. Take what you can get and move on.

 

[mrmopar]

I think if you have been buying cards for any amount of time since the 90s, you have probably been screwed with a redemption. All of mine have been purchased secondary for the specific reason that I collected the subject. I got burned extremely hard with 6-7 Fleer redemptions, which was my first experience. They never made the product and I probably paid a fair amount for the redemptions.

I will go to my grave with a grudge against Fleer for their bankruptcy redemption fiasco and although an effort to make things right after the fact resulting in something rather than nothing, I would have rather have my redemption cards back.

Upper Deck screwed me next with a redemption that was never made. I contacted them and kept getting the runaround, then right before the card was due to expire, I asked once more and they suggested I redeem it and hope for the best or get a replacement. I opted to keep the redemption card unscratched. They had me over a barrel with no good answer on what I could expect. To this date, I have never seen a card from the set. It was supposed to be a dual auto #'d to 10 signed by Ron Cey and Steve Garvey. Total bull**** that they couldn't make that damn card.

I have never pulled a single redemption that was active, but stopping the purchase of new packs in the early 00s helped keep me safe from them. I did pull a few neat expired ones from old cheap boxes, including the ultimate groin lick, a Bill Russell (Celtics) autograph from Action Packed. This was before Russell was signing a plethora of cards.

I have some TriStar redemptions that I have had for over a year and have been debating if I want to keep them unscratched, but they are a bit more valuable, so I'd probably bite the bullet and redeem these. They expire next February. I have read the terms on these and they suck, like any other dirtbag company that gives you an expiring IOU! They say they can substitute anyone for the cards if the item is not available. Great, sell me a bill of goods and then switch it around later if you feel like it.

Consumers should not stand for redemptions. I would love to see a lawsuit filed against all of the card companies who have used a redemption in the last decade or more and would love it even more to see them lose and take a serious reaming in turn for all the reaming they have done to consumers year after year.

 

[rsmath]

It's clear if you are a player collector, don't buy a redemption card of that player but rather wait and buy the live copy if it ever goes live.

 

[Austin]

In these situations I blame the players much more than Topps.
The players sign a contract to provide a certain number of signatures. If they blow off that obligation, Topps should threaten legal action. Maybe that would light a spark under the ass of some of these players who are too lazy to do the job they promised.

Sure, it’s Topps’ fault for stringing along collectors for years, but if players would sign the damn cards and stickers, there would never be this problem, except in very rare occassions.

Topps’ executives need to stop being ******* and letting players get away with not signing when they signed a contract to do it.

However, there has probably also been times when Topps released redemptions of players who they didn’t yet have under an autograph contract. In that case, it’s 100% Topps fault.

 

[rsmath]

In these situations I blame the players much more than Topps.
The players sign a contract to provide a certain number of signatures. If they blow off that obligation, Topps should threaten legal action. Maybe that would light a spark under the ass of some of these players who are too lazy to do the job they promised.

or the players have done nothing wrong because there was never a contract with Topps.

As someone pointed out in another thread, I doubt Topps is going to take legal action if there is a contract because why would they want to piss off an athlete so that the athlete would never want to sign for Topps ever again.

I think there should be some kind of FTC investigation of a sample of Topps products to see how many of the auto subjects are under contract and tell Topps to stop deceiving consumers by putting athletes on auto checklists who are not under an obligation to sign.

 

[Letch77]

Everyone who feels duped by Topps redemption program should file a complaint with the BBB. Not sure if they’d do an investigation, but with enough complaints, you never know. I’d say anyone who’s been waiting more than a year for their redemption should file a complaint.


Collecting ‘96 Select Certified Mirror Gold baseball. Let me know whatcha got for sale/trade! [emoji846]
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[Austin]

or the players have done nothing wrong because there was never a contract with Topps.

That's what I wrote in my last paragraph.

 

[joesoper]

Honestly, I wish they would ban redemption cards. I just opened a box of 2014 Donruss and my auto was a redemption card (Mookie Betts). Of course the timeframe to submit has long since past. Companies should forgo the redemption scheme and remove those cards they dont get back in time from the checklists. If they receive the cards back after boxes have been sent out, randomly insert them into other products (no odds, no fanfare, just a bonus, would be great if they dropped them randomly into some of the low value sets as well.) Redemptions seem to be like broken promises.

 

[bstanwood]

^^that last point is very interesting. For Topps specifically they could do a complete box set, they do what feels like dozens of different boxes each year with themes whether it's the orange border parallels, holiday parallels or whatever, they could do a limited release that has 3 autos in it and jack the price up a bit, that could be kind of cool. I agree the redemption is lame, but if they have already released a checklist and they pull certain players after preorders are done that could potentially be a bigger fiasco.