Maybe they just realized we are all just taking way better care of our products than we used to, so they had to adjust. That's gotta be it, right?
Sports Cards Mania
- Thread starter brandonchristensen
- Start date
Would appreciate suggestions/advice on two failed Topps redemptions...
1.) Submitted a redemption over 10 months ago for a 2022 Update Series Mike Trout Major League Material Autograph Card. They're telling me it's not currently available, but Topps is telling me I can wait, or accept a substitute "of comparable value" at their discretion with no returns. I'm totally expecting they'll send me a Giancarlo Stanton or something if I give in. The redemption card is valued at $325 at Sportscardspro.com. There's an actual card listed on eBay for $400, so I know it exists. It's numbered to 25, so I'm not sure how it's not currently available -- did they have him sign 15 of them, and now think they'll go back and get the last 10? Anyway, do I a.) cave and accept their substitute, b.) try to sell the redemption card (maybe I clear $250, maybe I don't), or c.) just hang on and continue to send them impatient emails every couple of months that get cheerfully answered by their A.I. bots?
2.) Smaller scale, but similar poor customer service. I have a redemption card entitling me to a Topps Now card valued at $9.95. The limitations are a.) it has to be a Topps Now baseball card, and b.) I need to redeem it by 12/31/23. Only problem is, since I started trying to redeem the card about a month ago (post World Series), the Topps site has yet to make available any Topps Now baseball cards priced at $9.95. Actually saw one on the site today for the first time (ironically, a "Mike Trout Makes History" card), but when I clicked on the link I got a "403 Forbidden" message. Again, I've emailed Topps Customer service several times and gotten very cheerful and not useful responses from their A.I. bots.
So, what would you do?
1.) Submitted a redemption over 10 months ago for a 2022 Update Series Mike Trout Major League Material Autograph Card. They're telling me it's not currently available, but Topps is telling me I can wait, or accept a substitute "of comparable value" at their discretion with no returns. I'm totally expecting they'll send me a Giancarlo Stanton or something if I give in. The redemption card is valued at $325 at Sportscardspro.com. There's an actual card listed on eBay for $400, so I know it exists. It's numbered to 25, so I'm not sure how it's not currently available -- did they have him sign 15 of them, and now think they'll go back and get the last 10? Anyway, do I a.) cave and accept their substitute, b.) try to sell the redemption card (maybe I clear $250, maybe I don't), or c.) just hang on and continue to send them impatient emails every couple of months that get cheerfully answered by their A.I. bots?
2.) Smaller scale, but similar poor customer service. I have a redemption card entitling me to a Topps Now card valued at $9.95. The limitations are a.) it has to be a Topps Now baseball card, and b.) I need to redeem it by 12/31/23. Only problem is, since I started trying to redeem the card about a month ago (post World Series), the Topps site has yet to make available any Topps Now baseball cards priced at $9.95. Actually saw one on the site today for the first time (ironically, a "Mike Trout Makes History" card), but when I clicked on the link I got a "403 Forbidden" message. Again, I've emailed Topps Customer service several times and gotten very cheerful and not useful responses from their A.I. bots.
So, what would you do?
Got back my frame for my Ortiz auto from my buddy. I think its a great idea to frame them instead of sitting in your safe. Check it out if you have a chance: https://www.leafdweller.com
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Get a gun.
In unrelated news, did anyone rip Topps Series one this year? I'm short card #289 (AL AVG Leaders - Arraez/Judge/Bogaerts) for my Red Sox team set.
Shoot me a PM if you're willing to toss one in the mail for me.
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I love me some redemption questions. First, are you sure it's a 2022 Update Series that you found on Ebay? I'm finding recent sales for that card from 2023, but can't find anything from 2022. Recent sales of the 2023 are all in the $250 range, like this one:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/186092757508?hash=item2b53fe2204:g:yeQAAOSwoB1k920o&amdata=enc:AQAIAAABAGfqoJWx9InNWKcfGBAkIwKVfK1DrobcjfiPkj6/7tuInjqO9200rK+Gvda5p0ocmhqACbCccihSiNo4qEEfafyEMrbVI2udGM8oEUbSeBECYDy/ySqWMsMNDDym1J+nBcQE61rcVT9a5NUK8qCC6S5EMCF7aPsjuI9EvuF7VyXKNgrkHTZjSTS4jlZ4iwa54hpeXsTvTNTLR60C3j3qsZUNeGFM1QrX3y0FmbndgyiPv+bk33CxRZBfQl11yKEbJ53izgcLgsrHrfvABC5Ln0Q5No3kmgmlAd8vU3mhPSTrxsxC5J4G9BXzq5S/Qac7bnnGXfhdKv2H5ZcKDCBjlVE=|tkp:Bk9SR7iFpdmIYw
That said, would it surprise me if they only bothered having 15 of them signed? Not at all, nothing surprises me. They suck, all of them. Redemptions are complete and utter horseshit, and is the thing that has soured me on this hobby more than any other. It wouldn't surprise me if they never made the card at all (which is the case with a ton of cards over the years, including about 20 redemptions that I ultimately took substitutes for about two months ago). Topps is generally better than Panini, so if you're this far out since you submitted the redemption, chances are you're not getting it, so cut the losses and take the substitute, but some folks may have a different impression.
I don't think you have the option of selling the redemption card at this point. Once you've scratched off the redemption number and submitted it to Topps/Panini, nobody in their right mind would buy it. Because if Topps does end up filling the redemption, they're mailing it to you. How do you get that card to the buyer? Or how can the buyer protect against you just keeping it when you get it?
I can't answer the Topps Now question, never got involved with them. They all suck.
Here's the 2022 Topps Major League Materials Trout Autograph I saw on eBay. Card number syncs with what my redemption card says, MLMA-MT.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/275489618434?hash=item402475fa02:g:MIIAAOSwuQhjPtTy&amdata=enc:AQAIAAABEG0qW2drFFD995IOPQXdQZEB159PfoaYcl0AJtJCbkjvosYvYplxlhT/+BCfQNXOQ7lL9bZ8dQxQrAYzLg1CK885IHb0mYz4YjltjJbjY+U2y+s/j+2204z9sSTnhKBxbjLwOMJVlK/bYz4Rrgg6GrtxRMGL9HjVHvBiS/ea36ddAEAPX0UIbxoJmQmojbCWJHJBjJTpQu6btu//NaETSBCyPWCp3TgyQC93OLRMb87O2etyd0wM+g65VK4sYVDbI+wpEi5tL/Au+6S+jc/l0nguhSrY6eK1cyMRTsPwrXn2dPElScvCXOlMtfL1+glLRF3cE4qC2GlybJqP7Ik5R7GxJ0mNdDiXE3Q5g2EnQl8H|tkp:Bk9SR_z76-SIYw
Here's the value for the Redemption Card from sportscardspro.com...
https://www.sportscardspro.com/game/baseball-cards-2022-topps-update-major-league-material-autographs/mike-trout-mlma-mt
How did you find the substitutes you received? Am I more likely to get Shohei Ohtani or Kike Hernandez for my Mike Trout card?
Gotcha. I don't know anything about sportscardspro.com. IMO, the market is set by Ebay. The sale prices of comparable cards are the closest approximation anyone will find for what a card is worth, because that's where most cards are sold in the secondary market. The last three from this season 2023 Topps Series Update ML Materials /25 sold on 10/1, 9/14 and 11/6, and sold for $248.35, $255.00 and $283.50. The last one was actually #'ed to 50 and the seller was smart as he showed a picture of the redemption and the card in the sale listing. So I think your card value is probably between $250-$300, but every time a new product/set hits the market, there's more Trout autos out there.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/285541118582?hash=item427b93b276:g:E2gAAOSwR6FlQvX4&amdata=enc:AQAIAAABADPsrAy4gWxrDuhToPY1kRvpuJ8hAZMGSzefs7bKzK6d0iYYPi0l82JQnxp6b8WJc99ENsxMDlMEYYwcnsxjzBszY9Q4vncEvMXH0Eni2FjzjPbEQXXVeyvf70ByTQD+YYLO8nQWwfUi8ZzN8IZQUWO82lgOc1mubX3MmpWZNKuFvOu8X/BbxbO5sS4lXZfjedjZpwVeleQ1DIxy40uKlpccEhKguhIZ3JBgNNBhj0kgcHWshATweDBdATnRvrbTwPBBm4oNxmH7IeRYkujL3LGRGUoHj/jg/jvBWDPLFr7CglFzzqm7v+N5mP6fE5LyUm7m7zGRhB/Mth2bRRXCU08=|tkp:Bk9SR4ido-WIYw
In my situation, I had a bunch of outstanding redemptions with Panini. They are listed below. After waiting for like 5+ years on them, I finally got someone on the phone at Panini, who basically went in and put in for replacements of all of them. I ended up getting an RPA for Lamelo Ball #49, a rookie auto of Kenny Pickett from Contenders, a bunch of sparkle packs (if you go to post #2,198 in this thread, you'll see photos). I wasn't unhappy with the return, but when the cards I was waiting on included Jaylen Brown RPA's, a 1/1 Logoman from National Treasure for Demarre Carroll, Joey Bosa auto /17, Jamal Murray RPA, it just sucks waiting years, and never getting the cards you actually want.
Thankfully, those cards had actually retained some value (although Panini was supposed to be sending me one of their 1/1 White Boxes, but they didn't), as does Mike Trout, but how they really fuck you is sitting on a redemption for years until a guy fizzles out and sending you a replacement for the current value, as opposed to the value of the card when you actually got the redemption. For example, a Markelle Fultz RPA redemption was worth a metric fuckton of money before he played a game, than it was 3 years later when he was basically a bust. That's why I'm of the mindset to just take the substitute card at this point. Do I think you'll get an Ohtani, probably not, but I think you'll probably get close to the value of the card. If you wait another 2-3 years, and let's say Trout gets hurt again, or doesn't return to form, and that card becomes worth $100, you'll be getting one worth $100 at that point.
2017 Panini Impeccable (17-18)
Elegance Veteran Jersey Autographs
Redemption Code :
(/ 99)
Allen Crabbe
2017 Panini Immaculate Collection
Immaculate Shadowbox Signatures
Redemption Code :
(/ 10)
Marcus Mariota
2017 Panini Immaculate Collection
Immaculate Honors Signatures
Redemption Code :
#2(/ 17)
Joey Bosa
2016 Panini Spectra (16-17)
Rookie Jersey Autographs Neon Blue
Redemption Code :
#109(/ 99)
Jaylen Brown
2016 Panini Spectra (16-17)
Rookie Jersey Autographs
Redemption Code :
#137(/ 300)
Jamal Murray
2016 Panini Spectra (16-17)
Rookie Jersey Autographs
Redemption Code :
#109(/ 300)
Jaylen Brown
2016 Panini National Treasures (16-17)
Colossal Jersey Autographs
Redemption Code :
#40(/ 49)
Patrick Ewing
2016 Panini National Treasures (16-17)
Signatures
Redemption Code :
#52(/ 49)
DeMar DeRozan
2016 Panini National Treasures (16-17)
Colossal Jersey Autographs Platinum Logoman
Redemption Code :
#28(/ 1)
DeMarre Carroll
2015 Panini Luxe (15-16)
DeLuxe
Redemption Code :
#77(/ 25)
Chuck Person
2016 Panini Impeccable
Rookie Autographs
Redemption Code :
#120(/ 99)
Kamalei Correa
2017 Panini Encased (17-18)
Scripted Signatures Green
Redemption Code :
#23(/ 5)
Richard Jefferson
For #1, I'd hold out for Trout. Topps /Fanatics is better than Panini and Leaf at getting close to matching value but I don't think you can guarantee they'll give you another S Tier auto in return and Trout signs for Topps consistently. I've seen people get very great value in exchange and ones who didn't, my best guess is they sub in a desirable low numbered A tier auto and something else but that's not Trout. I think selling the redemption is out of the question since you redeemed it, doubt they let you take it back.
Trout will likely be signing stickers for Topps Series 1 2024 and Big League, at least hold on until then.
This is an example of a higher end exchange someone wasnt happy with. I generally would wait out a very high end player
https://www.reddit.com/r/baseballcards/comments/17fixa6/am_i_the_crazy_one_here_topps_redemption/
I have a much lower stakes sticker auto in the same spot as you. I feel it.
For #2, I'm not as sure. I redeemed mine for a Topanga card and had to be fully logged in and such but it went okay. Might be worth Tweeting?
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Well, it’s not Topanga but I finally saw a Topps Now baseball card I could redeem. The bad news is it was a ”Soto traded to the Yankees” card. I’ll give it to my Yankee fan son, I guess
If the Sox sign Yamamoto, I’ll regret not having hung onto this. But I’ll be happy enough for other reasons to get over it.
Based on who was on the 07 team, and that the auto starts with the weirdest W ever, I am going Wily Mo Pena.
But I also am 100% positive that isn't correct.
Anyone looking for an auto Tom Brady Montreal Expos card
Great commercial that I'm sure someone has posted elsewhere (with HoF appearances of some other famous Expos as well)
View: https://twitter.com/TomBrady/status/1734589718434648084?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1734589718434648084%7Ctwgr%5Ec74e59bb103757ab4b6a18fe2eb7deaf064e52ec%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fd-971104709798726527.ampproject.net%2F2311212202000%2Fframe.html
Great commercial that I'm sure someone has posted elsewhere (with HoF appearances of some other famous Expos as well)
View: https://twitter.com/TomBrady/status/1734589718434648084?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1734589718434648084%7Ctwgr%5Ec74e59bb103757ab4b6a18fe2eb7deaf064e52ec%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fd-971104709798726527.ampproject.net%2F2311212202000%2Fframe.html
So uh...check your redemptions portal on Topps. I saw a post that someone got a forced exchange on a very recent product and now my one outstanding redemption vanished from the portal too
Thanks for the heads-up... looks like my redemption is still there, but I'm still sure dubious.
I've reached out to customer service. If this doesn't work out, I hope to figure out a way to get an email (Tweet maybe?) to Michael Rubin, whom I just heard bloviate at length on the Bill Simmons podcast about his commitment to 100% customer satisfaction.
Will keep this space informed.
Phew. Mine came back, so might've just been a glitch.
Please keep us informed on yours, it's slightly more interesting than a $10 Topps auto that I have haha.
The Tom Brady hunt has driven people insane. Odds are super long in the product itself - I did the calculation on a 200 box break (napkin math puts that at around $100k worth of product), and the odds of getting a Tom Brady Expos card in that entire break was about 59% for an unsigned card and 9% for a signed card. Someone on eBay dropped about 12k on that chance.
I watched a break last night (I'm bought a couple cheap slots for fun in smaller breaks but none in this one where the entry fee was about $200 per slot) for drafted players in the "HTA" product which is basically a three autograph box with nothing else. Tom Brady went first overall over pretty much every monster pick from the 2023 Draft. The "top guy" in the product had four massive autos pulled and most top guys had at least one. Brady, of course, got skunked.
The hype is bonkers on these, I'll give Fanatics credit, they know how to drive that. The 1/1 Auto has already been pulled though so that should calm that down a bit - once the 12/50 is gone it'll be more normal
If anyone is interested, here is the pull of the Tom Brady 1/1. Cover your ears:
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9j_Xzi9k9OI
Whose trading cards did PSA grade most this year? Ohtani leads, Griffey Jr. and Wemby in Top 10
The Top 10:
The list of PSA’s most-graded NFL rookies is the most interesting of the major sports:
The Top 10:
- 2018 Bowman 49 Shohei Ohtani
- 2022 Bowman Chrome Prospects BCP50 Elly De La Cruz
- 1989 Upper Deck 1 Ken Griffey Jr. Star Rookie
- 2023 Topps Now Draft D1 Victor Wembanyama
- 2022 Bowman Paper Prospects BP50 Elly De La Cruz
- 2018 Topps Update US285 Shohei Ohtani
- 2018 Topps Update US1 Shohei Ohtani Pitching In Red Jersey
- 2022 Topps Update US44 Julio Rodriguez
- 2018 Topps 700 Shohei Ohtani Pitching
- 1990 Fleer 26 Michael Jordan
The list of PSA’s most-graded NFL rookies is the most interesting of the major sports:
- Kenny Pickett
- Brock Purdy
- Desmond Ridder
- Garrett Wilson
- Sam Howell
A non-idiot could figure this out by Googling, but I figure I'll get a better answer here...
My traditional gift for new babies is a set of Topps flagship cards from their birth year, with a "Welcome to the Rookie Class of xxxx" note. And everyone I've given that to loves it. [Feel free to steal the idea.]
An English colleague of mine is having a child next month, and I'd like to do the same thing with a set of EPL cards. But I'm not easily finding if sets like that exist, and/or when they're released.
If they aren't produced, a hobby box is an adequate substitute -- what brand set is considered the most "flagship"?
bz
My traditional gift for new babies is a set of Topps flagship cards from their birth year, with a "Welcome to the Rookie Class of xxxx" note. And everyone I've given that to loves it. [Feel free to steal the idea.]
An English colleague of mine is having a child next month, and I'd like to do the same thing with a set of EPL cards. But I'm not easily finding if sets like that exist, and/or when they're released.
If they aren't produced, a hobby box is an adequate substitute -- what brand set is considered the most "flagship"?
bz
I don’t believe I’d ever bought a sports card before picking up these two pieces of baseball history as gifts for friends. Might as well show them off during this brief period they're in my possession.
Not my forte at all so some soccer collector is going to come in and destroy me, but from watching breaks I believe the following is true
* Panini owns the EPL license at least as of earlier this year. They produce a handful of sets per year - they don't really have a "flagship" equivalent like Topps Series 1/2/Update.
* For 22-23, they had Score which is the most budget friendly item and Prizm and Select for that next level up. For other sports Prizm tends to be the "flagship" equivalent but also runs way pricier than Topps flagship, I think Score is probably the most logical equivalent in card quality, hit quality , etc.
* Panini isn't nearly as big on factory complete sets as Topps is for flagship (I've seen them for NFL Prizm but usually with some kind of expensive twist), my recommendation would be to go to Ebay and pick up one of the full base sets collectors sell on there if you're okay with a basic cardboard box with all the cards. Complete sets of recent product often run really cheap as breakers use it to buff up their margins or collectors trying to get hits are finding ways to pawn off base cards.
* A retail box for at least Score will generally run you about 2x or so the price of a complete set shifted - same number of overall cards (so whoever is opening it can likely build most of the set) but with some parallels and insert. Similarly, a Hobby Box of Prizm will cost you more than a collector built set but with the upside of parallels, inserts, and autos.
Personally, I'd probably just go for the Score Set for like $50 shipped from a collector off Ebay (even across the pond, if you can find a way to get them to ship direct it may even be cheaper) and maybe add in a box with it if you did Score, they aren't insanely pricy.
Thanks, @Fishercat and @NJ_Sox_Fan . I saw those Topps hobby boxes as well, but they bust my budget! Gonna check out the ebay collector sorted sets and will report back.
Appreciate your lending a hand!
Appreciate your lending a hand!
Thanks to a generous XMas gift my wife and I have tickets to the National and will have the spending budget I was hoping/planning for. As I prepare for the show I am curious if anyone here has thoughts on something, TIA.
For anyone who collects pre-war baseball cards, how do you protect them? I know some prefer raw and others slabbed. Never having held one I worry about damaging raw cards and am leaning slabbed just for protection. Am I over worrying? Thoughts?
For anyone who collects pre-war baseball cards, how do you protect them? I know some prefer raw and others slabbed. Never having held one I worry about damaging raw cards and am leaning slabbed just for protection. Am I over worrying? Thoughts?
It's not a realm I've gotten into muchm but I know a notable wave of newer collectors are extremely hesitant to buy unslabbed mid or high end vintage cards. Frankly, I'd have no confidence in myself to identify reprints or forgeries, so that tips me a bit towards preferring them to be slabbed. With that said, they do make tobacco card toploaders (small ones) as well as full sized toploaders with tobacco sized inserts that are pretty neat. I think a toploader/sleeve is sufficient at least for protection for normalish pre-war.
I say all this and the very minimal pre-war I have are a few boxing cards I picked up on a whim and they're in normal sized toploaders and seem fine so (shrug)
Not card related, but baseball memorabilia. Found this guy while doing some thrift store hunting on the Cape this past week. I am familiar with Barnstable Bats, but I cannot seem to find a reference to this particular bat anyplace. It is a full size 34" stick, not a mini or kids size. Any ideas? I am into it for a whopping $4.99.
It's obviously some sort of commemorative issue recognizing the 2004 WS championship. The fact that there's nothing to be found on this bat seems to signify that it's scarce. But either way seems to be a pretty cool find for $4.99. Are there any sort of markings on the knob?
Part of me wants to offer 5¢ on the dollar for something like this:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/175709242200
https://www.ebay.com/itm/175709242200
That’s a listing. They won’t ever get that price. Similar one recently sold for about 10% of that figure and I don’t think it will be worth even that for long.
I think even $200 for a base auto is bonkers at this point. You can get some incredible cards for $200. Do you really want to bet on this bozo to make it worth it.
And the OJ thing is insane too for what it's worth.
Question to those smarter than me. Dave & Adams has this presell. Obviously in high demand for the Bedard young gun. I'm guessing this isn't retail as previous years were in the $30-50 range. My question, will these be cheaper in stores if I'm lucky enough to find them?
I don't know hockey cards at all but you won't find Hobby Boxes anywhere but card stores (either online or local). Retail is a somewhat different product. Usually a hobby box includes guaranteed autos, relics, or limited prints not available in retail boxes. What you find at Target and Walmart are usually "blaster" boxes at a $30-$50 price point. They usually include say 4-8 packs depending on the product, no auto guarantee, and usually longer odds of a "hit".
Whether this product goes up or down is anyone's guess. Some products for a variety of reasons sell out quickly and are near impossible to come by outside of a massive premium when they are released. Other less desirable sets may get liquidated. Generally if there is a chase card the product will retain or increase in value so long as say the player doesn't get hurt or suck.
TL;DR - Dave & Adams is a reputable retailer. I probably wouldn't bank on the price decreasing much based on what you have written. And I would buy if I wanted the product at this price.
It is often and almost always the case to wait if you want a single card and buy it on ebay after the season or whenever some new chase rookie hits and the old guy gets forgotten about. If it is the card you are after, singles are almost always the best bet. Buying boxes is just gambling.
Thank you. I did a quick google on retail vs. hobby and that makes sense. The kids like ripping packs, so we'll probably wait to catch the retail stuff. I'll likely grab any of the singles I want off ebay and stash them away.