etopps done?

[Tomlinson21RB]

I wonder if over 50% of etopps cards have a value less than the $1.75/card shipping. I feel like there is a good chance of it.

 

[ebechols]

What is really incredible is that for me to get the 43 cards I currently have in my portfolio:

Amount Paid for Cards: $247.00
Shipping Costs(USPS): $ 73.95
Total Costs: $320.95
Cost of Delivery @ Card: $1.72

Current Value In Portfolio: $194.49

I think they are making the right choice by not releasing any more cards, because at those shipping rates I don't believe that many people would be buying.

The cost per card isn't too bad if you get them all at once, but when you start talking about taking delivery of a sub $1 card and adding $1.72 to the cost, the resale value is less than zero.

 

[200lbhockeyplayer]

And for those with higher dollar portfolios, the UPS insurance only covers up to $100 per order, and no way to increase it.

 

[AMAZIN HOF COLLECTOR]

Fom SCD

eTopps Program at Standstill

The eTopps platform turned 10 years old last year. Collectors are wondering if it will live to see 11.

The program that allowed collectors to buy in to a limited quantity of cards that could be left in an online 'portfolio'', shipped in physical form or sold online by collector who bought them is in limbo. Prices were generally around $5 per card.

After issuing just 37 cards during the current football season and causing unrest among collectors through increased shipping rates and other changes to its rewards program, the company announced that no more cards would be forthcoming.

On Monday, Topps posted a message on its eTopps website, indicating the regular weekly releases of new cards (IPOs as they were referred to) was coming to an end:

Dear eTopps Community,

Thank you for participating in this year’s NFL football release as well as your continued enthusiasm for eTopps card offerings over the past ten years. Moving forward, we no longer plan to offer new cards each week. For now, we will continue to offer weekly catalogs and a baseball fantasy game, and we will maintain trading, selling and shipping services for eTopps cards.

The shipping and handling rate increases announced on December 20, 2011 are now in effect. Additionally, at this time, eTopps rewards points will no longer be redeemable for shipping and handling charges.

We look forward to sharing new digital developments with you in the future, and thank you for your support of eTopps.

Sincerely,
The Topps Company

eTopps began in 2001 and the program saw the bulk of its weekly offerings issued from 2002-2006 when over 100 new baseball cards were issued each year. However, that number dipped to barely over one-third of that total during the past two seasons. Its football offerings played out in roughly the same fashion.

In all, Topps produced more than 1,000 baseball eTopps cards during the program, with slightly fewer numbers in football, 500 basketball and only about 145 hockey cards. The huge profit margins some collectors may have envisioned as players performed rarely materialized, except when tiny quantities were produced. The 2006 A.J. Hawk eTopps rookie card was limited to just 183 copies and carries a value of around $250.

Often times, however, a player's performance did send prices upward. A 1,200-card Aaron Rodgers issue has been selling for $65-70 per card. eTopps produced a special Rodgers Super Bowl card after the Packers defeated the Steelers last February.

The most popular baseball cards were the 2001 Albert Pujols rookie card, listed at $68.45 and the Derek Jeter card from the same inaugural issue, limited to 1,041 copies and currently valued at $57.23. A 349-card Vernon Wells offering has paid off for those lucky enough to buy them. It has a listed value of over $54.

However, there are many cards purchased for $5 upon release that bring less than $2, when buyers can be found. Hundreds have become a losing proposition for collectors, especially those who opt for delivery and must pay shipping costs that are currently three to seven times as much as the value of the card. However, in some cases, Topps lists cards purchased more than a year ago as "unavailable" for shipment.

Some collectors began selling off their eTopps portfolios in recent weeks. Others have opted to hang on and see what happens with the electronic element of Topps' sports. In July of last year, Topps hired Michael Bramlage as Vice President, Digital. Bramlage was to be responsible for overseeing and developing the company’s future digital

 

[P_Manning 18]

Speaking of AJ Hawk.... is that card now worthless?

 

[js0000001]

I'm glad this happened because now my collecting has more focus

From now on I am the world biggest Leaf/Panini collector

 

[cmnkb8]

I'm glad this happened because now my collecting has more focus

From now on I am the world biggest Leaf/Panini collector

That wouldn't leave you with a whole lot to collect unfortunately

 

[js0000001]

I'm glad this happened because now my collecting has more focus

From now on I am the world biggest Leaf/Panini collector

That wouldn't leave you with a whole lot to collect unfortunately

I could throw in old Donruus, Fleer and Upper deck.

I like Historic autographs but I just don't consider them baseball cards

 

[cmnkb8]

I'm glad this happened because now my collecting has more focus

From now on I am the world biggest Leaf/Panini collector

That wouldn't leave you with a whole lot to collect unfortunately

I could throw in old Donruus, Fleer and Upper deck.

I like Historic autographs but I just don't consider them baseball cards

Old stuff is cool, especially 90's inserts, if collecting older players is your thing. With younger players though, the choices are slim aside from Topps.

 

[Tomlinson21RB]

The least they could do is either properly devalue reward points on the trading post or remove all the rules for trading.

 

[mrwhitesox30]

I bought a bunch in 02 and 03, but sold them off years ago. I haven't paid much attention since then, and after checking some of the prices of common players I couldn't believe how low they've fallen. I have a few in my collection, but they're physical cards that I purchased off Ebay, which is much cheaper than having them shipped to you.

The price that Topps charges for shipping reminds me of the old mining companies that paid employees in money that could only be spent at the town grocery store that the mining company conveniently owned. Even if Topps decided to issue more cards there would be a lot less buyers because now they know how much they charge for shipping.

 

[ebechols]

I bought a bunch in 02 and 03, but sold them off years ago. I haven't paid much attention since then, and after checking some of the prices of common players I couldn't believe how low they've fallen. I have a few in my collection, but they're physical cards that I purchased off Ebay, which is much cheaper than having them shipped to you.

The price that Topps charges for shipping reminds me of the old mining companies that paid employees in money that could only be spent at the town grocery store that the mining company conveniently owned. Even if Topps decided to issue more cards there would be a lot less buyers because now they know how much they charge for shipping.

Without being able to use the reward points for shipping, it really takes the lipstick off of the pig that was eTopps. The only reason I kept cards in my online portfolio was to gain enough points the next year to get them shipped for free. eTopps is officially dead, I won't be buying any more, unless they are the in-hand autograph cards.

 

[Casebusters]

Maybe checkoutmycards could make a deal with Topps and they could take over etopps portfolios

 

[cmnkb8]

Maybe checkoutmycards could make a deal with Topps and they could take over etopps portfolios

I would rather burn the worthless etopps cards I have (just those, not the few good ones LOL) than pay a monthly fee to have them "In-port".

 

[rsmath]

Maybe checkoutmycards could make a deal with Topps and they could take over etopps portfolios

There's a company that knows how to keep shipping costs low... NOT!

This thread is the whole reason I never got involved in etopps IPOs - the shipping would make getting the card in-hand so not worth it. The few etopps cards I have in my collection were purchased from the auction site where other suckers paid the IPO and high shipping price.

 

[schmidtfan20]

Gotta give it to topps, they are freaking geniuses. Sell cards without even having to make them!

I was with etopps on day 1. The site crashed hours into the first IPO. Everyone had their CC charged but the website
disappeared....for weeks! LOL I remember ripping a certain topps employee a new one over the phone.

Can you believe that there was once a time where topps printed up the cards first, and then sold them, and whatever
didn't sell they burned? Now they sell the entire season and print them up later. I mean where else can you take
a guys money week after week and not produce anything until months later?

but of course the timing was key, wait until after the season to make the cards almost insuring that 99% of the cards
would not be worth anything.....

but that is what topps wanted...the shipping fee was raised so you couldn't stomach getting the cards delivered! I can
tell you that 97% of all the etopps cards are worth less than 80 cents! Many of those cards are worth less than two
quarters!

cards that topps sold for 4.99 and 8.99!

Did I mention genius?

They preyed upon stock guys and business guys who thought this was better than sliced bread. Guys had the Tony Banks card priced at 285 dollars! It wasn't about who was on the card, but about how rare it was. Pujols and Ichiro were not the highest priced cards in 2001, not even close.

Beckett used to price them, but would of become even more of a laughing stock if they had to list these prices.

Topps made hundreds of thousands of dollars and only had to run a website to do it. The cards they sold were not only
fictitious, but their values were non existent held in constant check by ludicrous shipping fees.

Genius.

Kevin

 

[Casebusters]

Gotta give it to topps, they are freaking geniuses. Sell cards without even having to make them!

I was with etopps on day 1. The site crashed hours into the first IPO. Everyone had their CC charged but the website
disappeared....for weeks! LOL I remember ripping a certain topps employee a new one over the phone.

Can you believe that there was once a time where topps printed up the cards first, and then sold them, and whatever
didn't sell they burned? Now they sell the entire season and print them up later. I mean where else can you take
a guys money week after week and not produce anything until months later?

but of course the timing was key, wait until after the season to make the cards almost insuring that 99% of the cards
would not be worth anything.....

but that is what topps wanted...the shipping fee was raised so you couldn't stomach getting the cards delivered! I can
tell you that 97% of all the etopps cards are worth less than 80 cents! Many of those cards are worth less than two
quarters!

cards that topps sold for 4.99 and 8.99!

Did I mention genius?

They preyed upon stock guys and business guys who thought this was better than sliced bread. Guys had the Tony Banks card priced at 285 dollars! It wasn't about who was on the card, but about how rare it was. Pujols and Ichiro were not the highest priced cards in 2001, not even close.

Beckett used to price them, but would of become even more of a laughing stock if they had to list these prices.

Topps made hundreds of thousands of dollars and only had to run a website to do it. The cards they sold were not only
fictitious, but their values were non existent held in constant check by ludicrous shipping fees.

Genius.

Kevin

Sounds like the stock market!
Maybe you can talk to your Topps guy and get this resolved...

 

[BBCgalaxee]

and I thought finally, this would be the month which topps doesn't pis[flash=][/flash]s off collectors or frack something majorly up.

With no new jan products coming out, I thought no way they could screw the pooch.

 

[AndruwHRJones]

Will this increase the value of cards already in hand now and in the future? I know I rarely see the 2002 and 2003 Andruw Jones cards. I doubt many people are going to pay the price Topps is asking to ship Andruw Jones cards. So the cards in hand right now are likely to be the only ones on the market for a great while.

Not sure how etopps works, but are all of the cards produced already and waiting to be shipped? Or are they produced as people request them? The reason I ask is that if the cards are already produced, I am sure they will make their way into the market one way or another. I highly doubt Topps is going to destroy these cards.

Either way, sucks for those of you with cards in your account. Very shady situation!

 

[cmnkb8]

Will this increase the value of cards already in hand now and in the future? I know I rarely see the 2002 and 2003 Andruw Jones cards. I doubt many people are going to pay the price Topps is asking to ship Andruw Jones cards. So the cards in hand right now are likely to be the only ones on the market for a great while.

Not sure how etopps works, but are all of the cards produced already and waiting to be shipped? Or are they produced as people request them? The reason I ask is that if the cards are already produced, I am sure they will make their way into the market one way or another. I highly doubt Topps is going to destroy these cards.

Either sucks for those of you with cards in your account. Very shady situation!

All of the older (pre-2010) cards were already produced and in storage at a Topps warehouse. Some newer (2010-2011) cards are yet to be produced (and might never be produced IMO). I would think at some point down the line, Topps will give portfolio owners a choice: to either take it up the ass and pay for shipping to get their cards, or "exchange" them for Topps store credit or something. Topps will then "liquidate" the unclaimed cards, most likely by putting them into a "Million Card Giveaway" type program.