Topps Complaints

[mchenrycards]

There is a small but vocal group here on FCB as well as Blowout that constantly complain about Topps and their redemption practices and their general all around "care less" attitude about the collector. But lets be honest here in that Topps' main focus of business is not the hard core collectors like many of us but the man or woman who will buy an occasional pack or two at the card shop or the random few packs at Wal Mart. I would venture a guess that any petition would have a hard time gathering more than 5K of signatures as the average passive collector just doesn't care all that much about the hobby they dabble in. I know many many people who will buy a full set of Topps cards and put them away because this is what they have done for a decade or two. They don't care about the Topps redemption process or how they may be potentially screwing collectors. Others who but that occasional pack and actually do hit a redemption may or may not mail it in but it will soon be forgotten and will be a surprise in the mail if they ever do actually receive anything. Others just do not care enough about Topps' business practices because they only buy a few packs to relieve childhood memories and they too do not care about how Topps runs their business.

What I am saying is that yes, many collectors spend big bucks on Topps products and while I am sure Topps kinda cares about pleasing you their business focus is selling massive amount of product to the Wal Marts and Targets of this world who cater to the occasional collector. I think many collectors on this board and on Blowout live in a fish bowl and see only their world and how Topps sucks but to the rest of the general collecting public, which in my estimation probably amounts to the "other" 85% of collectors Topps is doing just fine. It is the 85% that pays the freight for Topps and the remaining 15% is the vocal minority who they are not all that interesting in appeasing. Face it guys....Topps is making their profits from Wal Mart sales and not from hobby sales to you and me. They will listen to the voice that feeds them their major profits and not those who take the crumbs that fall off the table.

 

[BBCgalaxee]

Unfortunately, a boycott of any Topps product will not work even if everything falls exactly in place.

Case in point is the first issue of gypsy queen.

While it certainly wasn't boycotted, it was very very lightly pre ordered due to extreme lack of "need" of another retro product.

Dealers, distributors and collectors had grown tired of these types of products and because of that, very little was pre ordered and eventually made.

So what happened?

Well the product blew up in value because it was hard to find DESPITE being a lackluster issue.

You know the drill, when people want something and supply is low, prices explode. Simple supply and demand.

Well THAT'S what will happen with any boycotted product.

 

[1st4040]

All a waste of time.

+1000000

if you could get every dealer and casebreaker that is presold to before they put their money down.. you might stand a chance of at least getting noticed. Otherwise your petition will be nothing more than a wasted tree waiting to be recycled again.

 

[notjomommasclint]

A few complaints here and there is not going to get much done but thousands of collectors united should get the ball rolling.

You're going to need a whole bunch more than thousands! Any change made with topps will not be from the collectors. It will come from the distributors and the major outlets.

You get Walmart or target boycotting topps and you'll be better than some random people sprinkled about the Internet.