Do you think Topps is storing any sticker auto's for the long-term?

[MansGame]

After watching the movie Blood Diamond and the movie essentially highlighting that diamond dealers essentially control the market prices and supply of diamonds by just storing tons and tons and tons of diamonds in vaults to control the supply, it made me think.... do you think Topps is storing auto's of some of the greats for a later release? For example, think of Stan the Man - do you think they have pages and pages and pages of his sticker auto's to keep using for either years to come or in 25 years, have a release with his sticker autos to be one of the only ones who can do that other than using his cuts? It's an interesting though and curious what others think. I bet their doing it but maybe not... maybe they just figure they'll move to cuts if stickers dry up and the player stops signing?

 

[gojacks63]

I wouldn't doubt it.


Collecting everything Astros!!!!!

 

[kerryfan5]

I doubt Topps thinks 5 days ahead let alone 25 years. They can't change uniforms on players from release to release.

 

[MansGame]

I wouldn't doubt it.


Collecting everything Astros!!!!!

You got to think it'd be a good investment for them to store at least a page or two of the older greats or something.

 

[Whitesox27]

I HATE sticker autos. I don't see the point in them.

 

[gojacks63]

As soon as athletes pass away, it would be a great idea to start limiting the autos they produce of that athlete. Storing them would be one way to do this.


Collecting everything Astros!!!!!

 

[MansGame]

I HATE sticker autos. I don't see the point in them.

I couldn't agree with you more but unfortunately it's been adapted and proven as something we'll all buy :benson:

 

[Whitesox27]

I couldn't agree with you more but unfortunately it's been adapted and proven as something we'll all buy :benson:

Haha, true. I don't see why Topps can't just get the players to sign on-card, but they don't really care since we buy stickers anyway. It saves them a lot of time/money.

 

[MansGame]

Haha, true. I don't see why Topps can't just get the players to sign on-card, but they don't really care since we buy stickers anyway. It saves them a lot of time/money.

Yea, I agree. I guess the reason they had gone to it is they can get a player to sign 1,000's of stickers and then they can be "done" with signing for the season or maybe ever? I guess previously they couldn't actually sign the card until the card(s) were created... which would mean they'd have to probably pull back on the number of auto's they have in products and also take SO much time away from the players on an ongoing basis? Just an idea.

 

[Whitesox27]

Yea, I agree. I guess the reason they had gone to it is they can get a player to sign 1,000's of stickers and then they can be "done" with signing for the season or maybe ever? I guess previously they couldn't actually sign the card until the card(s) were created... which would mean they'd have to probably pull back on the number of auto's they have in products and also take SO much time away from the players on an ongoing basis? Just an idea.

I bet that's what it is. A guy probably signs 10,000 stickers at one signing and then they're done. That way, Topps only has to pay them once. I'd actually like if the decreased the number of products out there. The autos would be more desirable.

 

[gojacks63]

This does sound like something Topps would do.


Collecting everything Astros!!!!!

 

[mrmopar]

If i were a famous celebrity, I would be signing stuff all the time for my family to use later. How many 3x5s could I sign while i am watching NCIS for example? If the card makers have extras it is probably not a stockpile concept, but rather they didn't use all that was planned for whatever reason. Stockpiling for the sake of selling later is equal to carrying inventory that they can't sell right away, as they are paying for those signatures. Most businesses are not stockpiling inventory for the future, they want to sell it fast and make their profit.

 

[DaClyde]

I bet that's what it is. A guy probably signs 10,000 stickers at one signing and then they're done. That way, Topps only has to pay them once. I'd actually like if the decreased the number of products out there. The autos would be more desirable.

Yes, if Topps didn't immediately use those stickers on a dozen parallels and printing plates in their very next release, they might be able to make them last. But then there might be some kind of limit on their contracts with certain players, forcing them to either use them up in a certain time frame or let them go to waste. Either way, I think they probably lost a fortune on Alex Gordon stickers.

 

[cstmleather]

See Johnny Podres(passed away 2008). Not the type of great Stan Musial is but there's still autos being released by Topps this year. If Topps has them they will keep using them. Wouldn't surprise me if they have a similar stockpile of Gary Carter, Musial and others.

 

[Topnotchsy]

I've spent some time thinking about this, both about whether I think the companies have done so, and how the market might respond to such an idea.

My first thought is that I believe the companies do have such autographs laying around, whether it be intentionally or unintentionally as it was just old stock. I would not be surprised if the companies have done this, but I wonder whether the market reaction to a sticker autograph of a long since deceased player would be received well, and whether it would damage the perceived scarcity that comes when a player passes, and destroy the cut autograph market to the point that it makes it not really worth doing.

It's kind of morbid to do, but in my mind it would be smarter for a company to pay a player to sign index cards for cut autographs than stickers if they are hoping to store them for the long run because that would allow them to create cut autographs without them having to be concerned about the consumer response to them storing stickers and the impact it may have on cuts.

 

[ASTROBURN]

Its an interesting concept... I couldnt imagine them not doing something like this.

 

[SteelBrad]

When sticker autographs started to pop up on the scene I made a comment on the old Beckett boards that every sticker should still be tied to a product.

Donruss was notorious for the shiny stickers that they would insert in to every product and number the stars to 15 or 25 to increase scarcity even though all of the stickers were signed at once.

I hope I'm making sense. Basically what I'm saying is that Bowman Chrome is using stickers, the sticker should say "2013 Bowman Chrome".

 

[MansGame]

I bet that's what it is. A guy probably signs 10,000 stickers at one signing and then they're done. That way, Topps only has to pay them once. I'd actually like if the decreased the number of products out there. The autos would be more desirable.

That's exactly right, they do one huge signing and then they're done. Works best for both parties but it does result in NO on card autos...

Yes, if Topps didn't immediately use those stickers on a dozen parallels and printing plates in their very next release, they might be able to make them last. But then there might be some kind of limit on their contracts with certain players, forcing them to either use them up in a certain time frame or let them go to waste. Either way, I think they probably lost a fortune on Alex Gordon stickers.

This is an excellent point, do you think there are rules in the contracts for when, how, etc. they need to use the stickers? Never thought of that...

I've spent some time thinking about this, both about whether I think the companies have done so, and how the market might respond to such an idea.

My first thought is that I believe the companies do have such autographs laying around, whether it be intentionally or unintentionally as it was just old stock. I would not be surprised if the companies have done this, but I wonder whether the market reaction to a sticker autograph of a long since deceased player would be received well, and whether it would damage the perceived scarcity that comes when a player passes, and destroy the cut autograph market to the point that it makes it not really worth doing.

It's kind of morbid to do, but in my mind it would be smarter for a company to pay a player to sign index cards for cut autographs than stickers if they are hoping to store them for the long run because that would allow them to create cut autographs without them having to be concerned about the consumer response to them storing stickers and the impact it may have on cuts.

Excellent point about the signing of index cards... that'd obviously be the best idea ever BUT again, I'm sure signing stickers is easier than index cards or at least time saving, when doing 10,000 lol

When sticker autographs started to pop up on the scene I made a comment on the old Beckett boards that every sticker should still be tied to a product.

Donruss was notorious for the shiny stickers that they would insert in to every product and number the stars to 15 or 25 to increase scarcity even though all of the stickers were signed at once.

I hope I'm making sense. Basically what I'm saying is that Bowman Chrome is using stickers, the sticker should say "2013 Bowman Chrome".

Another really great point. Didn't they do this at one point? I thought I remembered seeing stickers which had the hologram of the company like Topps or something on the sticker but another great point is making it tie to the product but then that'd make it tough to store or keep them, which I'm sure they do. Maybe it would have something to do with the contract of the player. Maybe the player doesn't want to sign a sticker and then have it show up on some product in 20 years?

 

[Champion]

If i were a famous celebrity, I would be signing stuff all the time for my family to use later. How many 3x5s could I sign while i am watching NCIS for example? If the card makers have extras it is probably not a stockpile concept, but rather they didn't use all that was planned for whatever reason. Stockpiling for the sake of selling later is equal to carrying inventory that they can't sell right away, as they are paying for those signatures. Most businesses are not stockpiling inventory for the future, they want to sell it fast and make their profit.

If your watching every season of NCIS you will have a ridiculous amount of autographs. Your family would have to slowly release them so they wouldn't devalue your autograph. Greats show btw. Got the first couple seasons on DVD for Christmas.

 

[MansGame]

If your watching every season of NCIS you will have a ridiculous amount of autographs. Your family would have to slowly release them so they wouldn't devalue your autograph. Greats show btw. Got the first couple seasons on DVD for Christmas.

Kind of off topic but I've heard the Mantle family buys up some of his autos to control supply or maybe it was buy up the redic auto's he has out there to destroy and help with his image? Either way, one example of a family being involved with someones autos.