[rjcj2017]

Was at Target tonight … saw they just released 2021-22 Mosaic NBA Basketball.

Two thirds of the way through the 2022-23 season.

[hempick]

Right? So ridiculous. People complain about Topps a lot, but Panini is so much worse in every way.

[rjcj2017]

Right?  So ridiculous.  People complain about Topps a lot, but Panini is so much worse in every way.

Topps had 2023 Series 1 Baseball in retail stores as of yesterday out here - about two weeks before the start of spring training.

That's why they've been in business for 70+ years and these other clown show companies have come and gone.

It's - wait for it - because they care.

Could their redemption and damage replacement process be more efficient?

Sure.

Would I love it if they stopped trying to have it both ways with their "Bowman prospects" and their "Topps RC logo" cards?

Absolutely.

But by and large, I think every redemption I ever sent to them came back as promised, they eventually made good on their damaged cards and, as mentioned above, deliver their products in a timely fashion.

(Kerry's Gold Label order notwithstanding, LOL)

[hempick]

There's definitely something to be said for that, but there's also something to be said for the fact that literally EVERY aspect of the hobby was better when exclusive licenses weren't a thing.

I get that like... Pacific made something like 12 or 15 football sets in 2002, for example, and that the NFL was cranky about the number of total sets being produced (and same for the MLB, NBA, and NHL) so they decided to do exclusive licenses in order to cut down on the amount of product being made.

It didn't, though, because we now have Topps making like 30 sets for MLB, Panini making 30 or so for NBA and NFL, and Upper Deck making about the same for NHL.

The better idea would have been to allow multiple licensees, BUT have a limit to them. Allow Topps, Panini, Leaf, Upper Deck, etc to make licensed baseball cards, BUT limit them to 5 or 7 sets per year.

I guarantee if that happened we'd have more interesting insert sets, better quality control, better customer service (redemptions, etc), and lower prices.

There's currently no incentive for any of the card makers to push the envelope in terms of innovation, customer care, pricing, or anything like that because they know they're the only game in town.

For a country that used to pride itself on not allowing monopolies, the sports card industry is an outlier and a perfect example of why monopolies are bad for consumers. (...cable companies are another great example).

[rjcj2017]

Agreed 1,000 percent.

I have always said to give full licenses in all four sports to Topps, Upper Deck, Panini (I guess) and maybe one more (Leaf or somebody).

Allow each of them to produce a low end/flagship set (like Topps Baseball), a mid end set (like Prizm or Chrome) and then a high end set (Exquisite or National Treasures) per sport per company.

(If they choose to, not required.)

That way collectors have 10 to 12 sets to choose from per year per sport they collect.

Something like that threads the needle between variety and saturation, and would also force these companies to try harder if they knew collectors could take their money elsewhere.

Example - I am primarily a basketball and football collector.

My choices are Panini and Panini, meaning take it or leave it.

I’d love to be able to say sorry, Panini, but your customer service sucks, I’m going to buy Topps Basketball instead or whatever.

[hempick]

Ahh, yes. I do recall you mentioning that idea before (a base tier, mid tier, and high end product).

You totally hit the nail on the head, too, with what you said about your choices being Panini and Panini. I agree and that is why for the longest time I didn't collect NFL or NBA cards at all.

That is precisely what the bigwigs don't understand.

They (apparently) think that because Panini makes football and basketball but not hockey and because Topps makes baseball but not football or basketball that there isn't a monopoly and that consumers DO have choices, but they're wrong.

I suppose their logic is that anyone who collects sports cards must collect every sport and while that might be true for some people it certainly isn't true for all people. I'm sure there are plenty of people who only collect hockey. Maybe they are greatly dissatisfied with Upper Deck. They're out of luck, unfortunately.

[rjcj2017]

Ahh, yes.  I  do recall you mentioning that idea before (a base tier, mid tier, and high end product).

You totally hit the nail on the head, too, with what you said about your choices being Panini and Panini.  I agree and that is why for the longest time I didn't collect NFL or NBA cards at all.

That is precisely what the bigwigs don't understand.

They (apparently) think that because Panini makes football and basketball but not hockey and because Topps makes baseball but not football or basketball that there isn't a monopoly and that consumers DO have choices, but they're wrong.

I suppose their logic is that anyone who collects sports cards must collect every sport and while that might be true for some people it certainly isn't true for all people.  I'm sure there are plenty of people who only collect hockey.  Maybe they are greatly dissatisfied with Upper Deck.  They're out of luck, unfortunately.

Facts

[rjcj2017]

Allegedly ... my damage replacements have moved on to Tier 2 status!!!

What does that mean?

I have no idea.

It's only been 14 months.

[ZSDOne]

Allegedly ... my damage replacements have moved on to Tier 2 status!!!

What does that mean?

I have no idea.

It's only been 14 months.

I think it means that they are putting it in the second priority group - expect an answer in between 4 months to 8 years

[rjcj2017]

I think it means that they are putting it in the second priority group - expect an answer in between 4 months to 8 years

The funny part was I originally got an email this morning asking for my name, email and ticket numbers ... ?

Then when I replied, I got an email saying that the email address I replied to would not be monitored ... ?

So I called and a different guy told me they would be getting to 2021 football replacements in 2 months ... ?

I then told him that was not what I was told when I called back for the third time a month ago at their request and could I speak to the guy who sent me the email ... ?

He said that guy didn't take phone calls, then I pointed out the irony of not monitoring the email box he sent me the original message from and what exactly was I supposed to do ... ?

So this new guy said he would ask his manager and see what he could do, so then I asked if I could just speak to said manager ... ?

He then said that manager didn't take phone calls either ... ?

So then I gave him the timeline of how many times I had been asked to call back over the last 14 months and that it was really "starting to feel" like they were just trying to get me off the phone, and what was both his name and his manager's name ... ?

So he gave me both names, read my name and phone number back to me and said he would be in touch ... ?

Then a few minutes later I got another email from a different rep from the "unmonitored" email address saying I had been escalated to the Tier 2 team for further assistance ... ?

So the take home point of this story is ... ?