Perhaps the most unethical thing I've seen in our hobby. Topps should be ashamed

[the 'stache]

Originally Posted by h2oya311

Admittedly, I got completely lost after the words "Bowman Chrome"...

Unethical, yes, but "most unethical" in our hobby, I think not.

As far as the big card companies are concerned, I did miss a few decades, but what have they ever done where they deliberately misled the consumer like this? That's about as bad as it gets.

[packs]

Dang those are some rough hits. When 2006 Bowman Chrome Draft came out I must have spent like $125 on a box right after it was released hoping for the Longoria. I scored a Cody Johnson. Looked him up and saw he was a first round pick. Not bad right?

Well...Cody Johnson spent most of 2013 hitting a robust .229 in independent league baseball before getting the boot from the Atlantic League.

To be honest I haven't ever gotten the "hit" in any modern box. But I still like to gamble every now and then. Best pull I ever had was Jon Lester's rookie auto but then I sold it not long after his diagnosis. Would like that one back.

[HOF Auto Rookies]

Originally Posted by packs

To be honest I haven't ever gotten the "hit" in any modern box.

My best was a Joe D bat card when I was like 14 or so, then was so turned off my never getting anything in boxes I stopped buying them.



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[the 'stache]

Ya, they were pretty rough. Cutter Dykstra's two claims to fame are going to be his daddy going to jail, and dating Meadow Soprano. You don't want your two claims to fame being things other people did. In his seventh year in the minors, he made it to AA finally, where he rocked a fat .740 OPS. But you know that AA money supports a baby mama well, right?

I always wondered when she would dump him, but he knocked her up, and they have a kid now. I guess that Sopranos money is pretty fat. She can afford to be with a career minor league scrub. But Beau Kyle Dykstra will be making more than his daddy soon.

Edit: Wow, she dated Mark Sanchez, formerly of the Jets, before Dykstra. She has a thing for horrible athletes, it seems. Hey Meadow, I played some Park Rec baseball when I was 15.

[Rich Klein]

Who in the heck is Meadow Soprano and are her photos safe for work?

[the 'stache]

Originally Posted by Rich Klein

Who in the heck is Meadow Soprano and are her photos safe for work?

Jamie Lynn Sigler played Meadow Soprano on the Sopranos.

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by Rich Klein

Who in the heck is Meadow Soprano and are her photos safe for work?

I guess if you do baseball cards 24/7/365 you miss out on even the best-known cultural phenomena like the Sopranos.

[Peter_Spaeth]

"He knocked her up..."

Who on earth talks like this in this day and age??

[slipk1068]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

"He knocked her up..."

Who on earth talks like this in this day and age??

Probably nobody in your social circle, but I know this vernacular works with Kim Kardashian/Lenny Dykstra crowd.

[hangman62]

its pretty bad if you care about newer stuff

Im glad I don't collect anything newer then 70s

[Rich Klein]

Looks like all photos safe for work -- and I should have said who or what is a Meadow Soprano. Sounded like a porn star to me

[the 'stache]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

"He knocked her up..."

Who on earth talks like this in this day and age??

It just popped into my head. Sorry, Peter. By the way, I also will break out the occasional "groovy", and I have been known to say "fosro-far out, solid and right on", though I realize neither of those are offensive.

Originally Posted by Section103

I wont necessarily get into details, but anyone who is buying cards from packs and expects those packs to be fairly, equally, and randomly distributed should give pause to think. I can not speak for every card company, but I can speak of one certain company which specifically did NOT distribute 2007 NFL Rookie auto cards (numbered to 10) in a fair manner. You can believe me or not. Im just here to warn you.

Rich, after those three boxes, I wised up fast. I had nothing at all against breaking a box once in a while, purely for the fun factor (bringing back memories from my childhood). But in order to put together the collection I wanted, I started buying the cards individually. And I was rather successful. I subscribed to Baseball America, MLB.tv, Milb.com...I scouted minor league players, did spreadsheets ranking the prospects based off of Baseball America, MLB.com, and a site called Baseball Prospect Nation. And I watched a lot of film, when it was available. There are some guys I've been pretty high on before they became the flavor of the month-Joc Pederson of the Dodgers and George Springer of the Astros were top 100 prospects, so I didn't pull them out of mid air, but out of those prospects, I really liked their upside more than most. These are two guys with impressive power-speed combinations. Their athleticism should make them both 30-30 players in the Majors, and soon. Springer by 2016, and Pederson possibly a year after that. It depends on when the Dodgers finally bring him up. They'd be nuts to trade him. He's blocked in the Majors right now, but they need to make room. If Kemp will rework his contract, keep him. Otherwise find a way to move him, and eat most of his contract if you have to. Joc Pederson's ceiling is high.

Originally Posted by Rich Klein

Looks like all photos safe for work -- and I should have said who or what is a Meadow Soprano. Sounded like a porn star to me

Ya, I'm sorry, Rich. I should have been more clear. I can see how that would give some people room for cause.

[bnorth]

Originally Posted by the 'stache

As far as the big card companies are concerned, I did miss a few decades, but what have they ever done where they deliberately misled the consumer like this? That's about as bad as it gets.

I would have to say this is not even in the top 10 worst things Topps has done.

Topps test Super Refractor sheets leaving by the truck load. Although Beckett giving # grades to handcut cards that are from those sheets is also pretty slimy.

Accidently releasing more than 1 1/1 card, this happens fairly regular.

Topps not serial #ing cards so they can release more that stated.

Topps not honoring redemptions because the person never signed the cards.

Seriously this list could go on and on. Plus anybody paying more than $20 for a card from a new product get what they deserve. When you can buy a nice Mickey Mantle card for less than a guy that has never played a Major League game you know someone is getting it without the aid of Vaseline.

[the 'stache]

Originally Posted by bnorth

I would have to say this is not even in the top 10 worst things Topps has done.

Topps test Super Refractor sheets leaving by the truck load. Although Beckett giving # grades to handcut cards that are from those sheets is also pretty slimy.

Accidently releasing more than 1 1/1 card, this happens fairly regular.

Topps not serial #ing cards so they can release more that stated.

Topps not honoring redemptions because the person never signed the cards.

Seriously this list could go on and on. Plus anybody paying more than $20 for a card from a new product get what they deserve. When you can buy a nice Mickey Mantle card for less than a guy that has never played a Major League game you know someone is getting it without the aid of Vaseline.

I agree that the redemptions not being honored really stinks, but they are supposed to substitute with a card of equal value. Not that it matters, because you might have bought the redemption for a certain player. And you should get that player. I don't know if that's unethical, though. Bad business practice? Yes. Unethical. Maybe. They shouldn't release a player as being part of a set unless they guarantee to sign.

Ya, I guess that is unethical now that I think of it. But I don't think it's as bad as knowingly pushing the 2014 Chrome cards when you have 2013 cards waiting in the wings that will completely destroy the value of the 2014 cards. That's theft, imo.

[Section103]

I wont necessarily get into details, but anyone who is buying cards from packs and expects those packs to be fairly, equally, and randomly distributed should give pause to think. I can not speak for every card company, but I can speak of one certain company which specifically did NOT distribute 2007 NFL Rookie auto cards (numbered to 10) in a fair manner. You can believe me or not. Im just here to warn you.