Anyone changing their collecting plans when Topps is gone?

[ASF123]

Originally Posted by packs

Lucky for you, maybe. But aren't those people who grew up with wax packs the same people who now run these companies and have decided to shift the market to adult-only consumers?

I don't think they're the ones "deciding" to shift the market. They're responding to structural changes.

[packs]

Those changes are driven internally. No one asked for products that cost 300 or more per box.

[deweyinthehall]

Originally Posted by packs

Those changes are driven internally. No one asked for products that cost 300 or more per box.

Correct, but there seem to be more than enough willing to buy them - a fact which will confound me to my dying day.

[Bigdaddy]

So a couple of predictions:

• The Topps name will live on, either bought out by Fanatics or licensed by them. It has value, but only if it is producing cards
• Fanatics will not produce cards for the demographic on Net54
• Fanatics will not produce cards for kids
• Fanatics will go in directions that Topps has started, but with vigor - severely limited releases, shiny stuff, NFTs, electonic cards, etc.
• We (Net 54ers) will clamor for the good ol days, but it is demand from collectors that forced the market to where it is today

[deweyinthehall]

Originally Posted by Bigdaddy

So a couple of predictions:

• The Topps name will live on, either bought out by Fanatics or licensed by them. It has value, but only if it is producing cards
• Fanatics will not produce cards for the demographic on Net54
• Fanatics will not produce cards for kids
• Fanatics will go in directions that Topps has started, but with vigor - severely limited releases, shiny stuff, NFTs, electonic cards, etc.
• We (Net 54ers) will clamor for the good ol days, but it is demand from collectors that forced the market to where it is today

Pretty much. The only thing I might quibble with is the use of the terms "demand" and "collectors". The hobby has created at least some of the demand themselves in the same way the tobacco industry creates "demand" for that next smoke or the gaming industry creates "demand" for that next spin of the wheel or roll of the dice. Like an earlier commenter said, few if any "collectors" were sitting there saying - "what this hobby needs are some hyper expensive offerings and an end to real distribution". Though I have strong personal feelings on this, I really don't mean it prejudicially when I say the people in the market for these $$ things and for the lottery mentality aren't collectors in any sense of the word as it's been used in this hobby. They're investors or, perhaps less kindly, if not more accurately, gamblers. A Venn Diagram would should show some overlap between them and the traditional collector base, but I'm not certain it's significant.

It would be interesting to see what would happen if, after Fanatics takes over and does whatever they're going to do, some company could get the rights to produce a single, comprehensive (say, 800 or so cards) with wide and varied distribution channels, a handful of inserts, a few autos, a few parallels, and a traditional, almost Topps Heritage-like quality - I think there'd be a HUGE market for it.

[clydepepper]

I have never been so glad to be a 'little fish'.






.

[Bigdaddy]

Originally Posted by deweyinthehall

Pretty much. The only thing I might quibble with is the use of the terms "demand" and "collectors". The hobby has created at least some of the demand themselves in the same way the tobacco industry creates "demand" for that next smoke or the gaming industry creates "demand" for that next spin of the wheel or roll of the dice. Like an earlier commenter said, few if any "collectors" were sitting there saying - "what this hobby needs are some hyper expensive offerings and an end to real distribution". Though I have strong personal feelings on this, I really don't mean it prejudicially when I say the people in the market for these $$ things and for the lottery mentality aren't collectors in any sense of the word as it's been used in this hobby. They're investors or, perhaps less kindly, if not more accurately, gamblers. A Venn Diagram would should show some overlap between them and the traditional collector base, but I'm not certain it's significant.

It would be interesting to see what would happen if, after Fanatics takes over and does whatever they're going to do, some company could get the rights to produce a single, comprehensive (say, 800 or so cards) with wide and varied distribution channels, a handful of inserts, a few autos, a few parallels, and a traditional, almost Topps Heritage-like quality - I think there'd be a HUGE market for it.

I think you're Venn diagram comment is spot on. In earlier times, there was much more overlap between collectors (the majority) and investors/gamblers (the minority). But as $$ have flowed into the hobby, those two circles have separated and now the overlap is much smaller. And if the investors become disillusioned with their returns or distracted by some other shiny object, their money will flow out of the hobby, distressing prices. I think the modern market (and somewhat the high end vintage market) is the most prone to this occurrence. And it's not a matter of if, but rather when.

[skil55voy]

I started collecting in 1962. I had completed sets from 1960 thru 1986 (Partials 1954-1959) I sold all my sets in 1986 to purchase my first house. I kept my Post Cereal and Jello cards and a few oddballs. (Goudey Wide Pens, Topps World Series cards, Butterfingers etc....) After I got settled I decided to build only Detroit Tiger team sets and finish my Post and Jello sets. So, I have been buying new cards and and rebuilt the Tiger team sets from the Fifties up. I tried to build a couple of Heritage sets but, all the SP's and everything... I gave up. I am now working on a 2012 Topps Gypsy Queen set (my 50th year of card collecting) I like the new cards but building a set is way to hard. So, I stick to Tiger Team sets including Heritage, A&G and Gypsy Queen. If the Topps brand stops or gets transferred I will probably quit because whoever ends up with it....well there would be huge changes given the current market. I would probably work on vintage Detroit Red Wing cards. (Sorry for the length of this)

[Bcwcardz]

Originally Posted by deweyinthehall

Correct, but there seem to be more than enough willing to buy them - a fact which will confound me to my dying day.

The people buying now just look for “hits”. They are looking to make $ only. There are people who actually trash the base cards. These aren’t collectors coming into the hobby. They are gamblers looking to make money.


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[robert67]

Just before the craziness of 2020, I sold or gifted almost all my modern cards.

Unfortunately, I liquidated my vintage cards many years ago. Not my brightest moment.

Now, I am 100% collecting vintage items.

As for Topps, I would consider 2022 the end even if Fanatics purchases Topps.

As stated above, it won't be the same.