OT New $22,000.00 set from Topps..

[bigfanNY]

Got a marketing email for a new set offered from Topps called Transcendent. It comes in a silver briefcase with about 170 cards with about 40 autographs for $22,000. I saw a few already on ebay with a Christy Mathewson 1/1 boxtopper listed currently for $19,000. Only 65 sets available and I think they already sold out. I will wait a bit and try and get at least 1 as a type just to tell the story of the $22,000 set.

[conor912]

Manufactured scarcity, at it's finest. I swear that shouldn't even be legal.

[irv]

http://www.net54baseball.com/showthread.php?t=230598

[swarmee]

The design of the cut box topper cards are awful, and some of the frames are falling off the cards right out of the box. Biggest hit in most boxes is the ability to have a night hanging out with Kris Bryant in Las Vegas (on a Wednesday).

[asoriano]

Originally Posted by swarmee

The design of the cut box topper cards are awful, and some of the frames are falling off the cards right out of the box.

Couldn't agree more. For anyone interested in seeing this hideous creation...

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[sycks22]

Chopping up a historical document to fit into a card is tough to see. What a waste.

[D. Bergin]

Originally Posted by asoriano

Couldn't agree more. For anyone interested in seeing this hideous creation...

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That's pretty disgusting.

............and somehow it's worth more because now it's part of a "card".

I don't get this hobby sometimes.

[bn2cardz]

Originally Posted by asoriano

Couldn't agree more. For anyone interested in seeing this hideous creation...

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I saw this also. The original was 4x6, topps could have designed the oversized "card" around this. I don't see it stated anywhere but it appears they box toppers may be 5x7 so they could have still done a nice matte with frame.

If you are going to cut it up why not take the time to make a nice presentation with a photo of the player. Some of these do have photos and some don't. The original sold for $7170 in Heritage last year. We will see what the new value is after this sells.

[RichardSimon]

Originally Posted by asoriano

Couldn't agree more. For anyone interested in seeing this hideous creation...

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Insanity reigns supreme.
This is repulsive.

[slidekellyslide]

Originally Posted by asoriano

Couldn't agree more. For anyone interested in seeing this hideous creation...

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WTF?

I mean WTFF??

Criminal

[mighty bombjack]

A few thoughts:

I think most of you are looking at this from the point of view of net54, that is, vintage collectors, and not the point of view of the modern baseball card hobby. It has changed . A LOT. This is a bout gambling and flipping, not just to make money (because it is mostly losses), but rather as the hobby itself.

To the question about why they offer Mathewson to people who collect Trout: it's because the person who won that card in a case break did so for 179 bucks. There was never any doubt that it would be put up for sale immediately, because that is the modern hobby. They likely hope to sell it to someone here (looks like a long shot) and buy a bunch of trout, as all as copious spots in future case breaks of this ilk. The hobby, like everything else, continues to evolve.

As to cutting up a document and putting it on a baseball card, it should come to no one's surprise here that there are many people out there who like baseball cards and prefer them to anything else. It has been pointed out that, often times, a card with a piece of bat or jersey sells for near the price of an entire GU item, and this is very common with cut autos. I would much rather have the document and am sad that they cut that Matty up, but then the person who now owns it and is hoping to profit mightily (as a milestone part of their hobby) would never had had a shot at doing so.

Seeing all of the cries of "insanity" and "ridiculousness" here make me want to remind everyone that we are on a board that celebrates the spending of tens of thousands (hundreds, even) of dollars on tiny pieces of colored cardboard, something that 99.99 percent of the history of humanity would themselves judge to be "insane," and probably rightfully so. Or not. It's all relative, know what I mean?

Collect what you like is the mantra that cuts throughout the hobby ages.

For full disclosure here, I used to work at Topps.

[packs]

I see your point. I guess the heart of the beast is what is considered a baseball card. The Mathewson card in this case is just a cut out signature. There's not even a photo of him. Again to each their own, but if you collect cards because you like cards, wouldn't you be pretty disappointed in that one?

[mighty bombjack]

Originally Posted by packs

I see your point. I guess the heart of the beast is what is considered a baseball card. The Mathewson card in this case is just a cut out signature. There's not even a photo of him. Again to each their own, but if you collect cards because you like cards, wouldn't you be pretty disappointed in that one?

No, because they didn't want it. They wanted its related profit. Nobody bought this product (or, realistically, bought into a case break of the product) with their sights on keeping the major "hits" within. The current hobby is "rip and flip" (which is only very distantly related the same hobby that the people on this board are in, even if they both vaguely involve cardboard).

[mighty bombjack]

Craziest thing of all, to me, is that Topps actually SOLD OUT OF THESE CASES

Next one will cost 75k and have this Mathewson card encased within a larger one.

I'm only half joking. But which half?

[conor912]

I wish card collecting was more popular. There's gotta be a dozen great SNL skit ideas buried in this thread alone.

[Snapolit1]

Originally Posted by mighty bombjack

Craziest thing of all, to me, is that Topps actually SOLD OUT OF THESE CASES

Next one will cost 75k and have this Mathewson card encased within a larger one.

I'm only half joking. But which half?

Wayne, thanks for your perspective. Really interesting. Sounds like it might as well be bitcoins people are bidding for. Just an economic vehicle to maybe luck out and make a score. You are right, this world is far from the realm most of us vintage guys operate in. Thanks.

[conor912]

It really makes you wonder about the knuckleheads they have designing these cards. I'd think this would have had much more potential for something nice looking.

[swarmee]

http://www.blowouttv.com/houdini-on-vaughn/

Next break starts in 10 minutes at the link. Saw the Dizzy Dean cut auto boxtopper get pulled this afternoon, and it was actually done well. The card looks like it was designed for that cut.

[EvilKing00]

Yesh 22k?? Lol maybe $220

[Fred]

Seeing the cut up Matty auto really makes you wonder WTF those idiots were thinking about when they destroyed that piece. It's on fleabay for $19,999.95.

If it sold for $7170 last year at auction, does anyone think it has more value to it now that it's been defaced, phuc'd up and stuffed in a stupid topps holder? Still can't believe those idiots cut it up....

[bigfanNY]

Well for the folks that bought these sets for an investment the market seems to have crashed. I won two cards on ebay one for $750 less than the highest sale of 6 days ago and another about $500 less than the highest sale of 8 days ago. Most cards can be had for far less than the price you would pay to get in on one of these breaks. The invitations to the Topps 65th anniversary party with Kris Bryant sell for over 3 grand. And a couple of the complete base and sketch sets sold for $6,500. But day by day the prices keep dropping. And for me anyway fun to watch..if anyone cares I got a Ichiro /25 and a Bonds /52. I wanted to spice up my 3000 hit and 500 HR displays..Happy Holidays..

[KingFisk]

Set break was tonight, streamed online. I had never done one before. It was pretty thrilling, which I wasn't expecting. The host was engaging with a touch of Don West DNA. The two biggest pulls in the case featured baseball icons Tupac Shakur (cut auto from a personal check) and Daisy Ridley (1/1 autograph...which gets the kids excited). I actually did very well with my two slots, getting limited parallel autographs of a soccer legend and a Cubs wunderkind. I checked ebay and both are currently going for crazy prices...So if I cashed in now, financially I could make a really nice gain and buy vintage with the profits. That sounds like a plan to me. This experience was like I imagine bungee jumping is like...a lot of fun to try once but kinda stupid and not worth the risk.

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[swarmee]

Originally Posted by KingFisk

Set break was tonight, streamed online. I had never done one before. It was pretty thrilling, which I wasn't expecting. The host was engaging with a touch of Don West DNA. The two biggest pulls in the case featured baseball icons Tupac Shakur (cut auto from a personal check) and Daisy Ridley (1/1 autograph...which gets the kids excited). I actually did very well with my two slots, getting limited parallel autographs of a soccer legend and a Cubs wunderkind. I checked ebay and both are currently going for crazy prices...So if I cashed in now, financially I could make a really nice gain and buy vintage with the profits. That sounds like a plan to me. This experience was like I imagine bungee jumping is like...a lot of fun to try once but kinda stupid and not worth the risk.

You're looking at it the way many who play in those circles do: for a nominal amount, it's possible to get a card worth thousands (sometimes tens of thousands) or at least break even or make money with a high draft slot. Congrats on hitting a Pele auto. The Daisy Ridley would probably go for a couple thousand.

[KingFisk]

Originally Posted by swarmee

You're looking at it the way many who play in those circles do: for a nominal amount, it's possible to get a card worth thousands (sometimes tens of thousands) or at least break even or make money with a high draft slot. Congrats on hitting a Pele auto. The Daisy Ridley would probably go for a couple thousand.

Thanks! I can see the allure of participating in these now having done one (and batting 1.000). God bless those who do them all the time but for me it felt just a few steps away from a casino game. Definitely fun though for a one shot...I would probably feel differently if I walked away with a Dwight Gooden sketch and a Harmon Killebrew base.

[bnorth]

Originally Posted by KingFisk

Thanks! I can see the allure of participating in these now having done one (and batting 1.000). God bless those who do them all the time but for me it felt just a few steps away from a casino game. Definitely fun though for a one shot...I would probably feel differently if I walked away with a Dwight Gooden sketch and a Harmon Killebrew base.

From someone who was in on 2 set breaks and got commons you would have felt different.

Like the lottery there are a few winners a boat load of losers and the person running it makes out like a bandit.