Dear Fanatics, From Collectors

[TAB1980]

Even if they were able to print Jordan parallels or case hit inserts, that would drive significant demand and help to hold up the price of their products which is currently tanking right now.

I'm tipping Revolution will be gone soon if the standard price remains at $75US per box which is what it's got down to now on ebay. The card stock/ designs would be too expensive for that price.

 

[TAB1980]

I have another idea which evolves around encouraging base set collecting.

Base sets these days are generally not that popular or don't hold much value. However this is exactly how the hobby started in the first place.

To make base set collecting more appealing, perhaps for every base set that has both a hobby and retail element to it, a handful of cards in the set could be short printed to 499.

These handful of cards would be non-numbered and never communicated to the public. The only way they become apparent is when people are trying to complete the set.

Completing the set would be much more rare and more valuable. It also encourages collectors to get back to the roots of collecting. It would make retail products a little more popular as it is an additional chase for those that don't have big budgets.

Imagine a Mike Conley base card being worth $20!

Panini did this once before with the Kobe Anthology set. The average base card was only worth a couple of dollars as expected but as for the rare 4 or so non-numbered cards, they would sell for hundreds of USD each even though they were just like every other base card.

 

[ozsportscardcollector]

Make game worn NBA patches rare again....... get rid of the "This Relic is not associated with any player, league, sport, human, planet, universe" crap and make sure the jerseys are game worn and rare.

Make them actually worth collecting again.

Make game worn NBA patches rare again....... get rid of the "This Relic is not associated with any player, league, sport, human, planet, universe" crap and make sure the jerseys are game worn and rare.

Make them actually worth collecting again.

Player worn is bad enough as it means they have put 100 of them on and off in their loungeroom - if they even do that which I suspect they don't. It's just a straight up lie.

But stating that the material's providence is not even known is beyond the pale.

Unfortunately the hobby relies heavily on addicts just as the horse racing industry runs off the backs of punters. No addicts - no sports card industry.

If you banned, or severely restricted breaking, prices for wax would drop sharply.

 

[ozsportscardcollector]

To add to the list,

- Reduce the number of parallels to less than 10. We don't need 50+ parallels just to appease everyone. Keep the player/set chasers involved in the hobby.
- No sticker autos at all. If the players can't sign all of the cards on card, then don't release as many autographs. This will keep the value higher in the secondary market which will actually attract more people.
- Only one 1/1 per player per card set (if it is required at all). No more Black 1/1, Black Disco 1/1, Nebula 1/1, Monopoly 1/1, Green 1/1, Platinum 1/1 etc etc etc etc.

Finally, Fanatics need to understand who are those who are in the hobby for the long haul. If they try to appease the latest 'in thing' they will run themselves into the ground. If you can please the collectors who have been around for 15-20 years and will still be here for the next 15-20 years then you will be able to withstand any criticism from those who blow out of the hobby as quickly as they blew in...

They could do worse than learn from Upper Deck and their handling of their flagship brand. They only put 6 base rookie cards in a hobby box. There are also relatively few parallels: the Exclusive /100 and the High Gloss /10. There is a non-numbered French parallel( introduced in 2020-21). There is also a Clear Cut and a Clear Cut Exclusive /100. And there is the Acetate Young guns which varies from the clear cut as the image on the back differs from the image on the front but this card is found in a different product.

They have a non-numbered SP Canvas Young Guns which uses a different image from the base YG. This is a great idea. Having the exact same imagine on 45 parallels is boring. There is also a non-numbered Canvas Parallel( introduced in 2021-22). There is no genuine 1/1. They do have a 1/1 - or at least they did - but it's a buy back from the previous year and therefore not a rookie card.

All up there are around 8 parallels( if you count the 2 Canvas ones which many don't). The Exclusives /100 are very hard to hit. You get one Young Guns Exclusive /100 per 5 cases. The High Gloss /10 is a massive chase card. I think the McDavid /10 YG was around the 300K mark

They will no doubt add another YG parallel to cash in on the Bedard mania which is coming for 2023-24 but all up I think they have done pretty well in protecting their flagship brand from being 'paralleled to death'.

I doubt Fanatics would be open to any of this.

 

[ozsportscardcollector]

I want to emphasize these three points again as they are the biggest issues for me:

- Only player game/event worn materials - absolutely no "not associated with any player" product

- Sticker autos as a last resort or only in low end

- Pack odds on the packs/box

Pack odds is an absolute must.

 

[ozsportscardcollector]

One thing they should have done prior to buying the license is buy out Upper Deck and know that they are able to print Michael Jordan cards again as well as Jordan and LeBron auto's. This would be the best way to maximise their return.

The fact they haven't done this says to me that they have purely gone into this with $$$ in mind and not the collector. Either that or they're just plain dumb! In addition, imagine having licensed Exquisite and UD Black back again! Or even Fleer Retro!

Instead, they will have to continue doen the path of cheap, non associated memorabilia crap and other tactics to cheapen the manufacturing costs of products and maximise profits.

There's no point for wishlists, Fanatics will only care about what maximises their bottom line.

I have my issues with Upper Deck but they are far and away the best manufacturer imo. Perhaps a case of the best out of a bad bunch scenario but they are still better. If Fanatics bought them out and controlled all 4 major sports I'd be gutted.

Perhaps they could get the Michael Jordan contract from Upper Deck so that licensed Jordan basketball cards can be produced in future NBA exclusive products - not just having Jordan in an off brand sports& entertainment set like Goodwin's Champions.

 

[ozsportscardcollector]

I have another idea which evolves around encouraging base set collecting.

Base sets these days are generally not that popular or don't hold much value. However this is exactly how the hobby started in the first place.

To make base set collecting more appealing, perhaps for every base set that has both a hobby and retail element to it, a handful of cards in the set could be short printed to 499.

These handful of cards would be non-numbered and never communicated to the public. The only way they become apparent is when people are trying to complete the set.

Completing the set would be much more rare and more valuable. It also encourages collectors to get back to the roots of collecting. It would make retail products a little more popular as it is an additional chase for those that don't have big budgets.

Imagine a Mike Conley base card being worth $20!

Panini did this once before with the Kobe Anthology set. The average base card was only worth a couple of dollars as expected but as for the rare 4 or so non-numbered cards, they would sell for hundreds of USD each even though they were just like every other base card.

Topps do this with their Heritage products. For MLB the base set is 400 with 301-400 being SP. Heritage has a very loyal collector base but I doubt it's much of a money spinner for Topps. It's one of the few brands that consistently drops in price after release( sealed wax). I personally dislike the idea of having to pay extra bucks for a journeyman that has played for half the clubs.

Heritage minor league is better where it is a 220 card set with the cards from 201-220 being Short printed and unlike MLB Heritage the better names are the ones that get SP'd. The majority of short printed cards in the MLB Heritage set are journeymen and 3rd tier rookies.

 

[TAB1980]

Also another idea but this could be more so for Upper Deck.

I know Upper Deck can't show logo's but i'm not sure what other restrictions there are so maybe this is not possible... i'm not sure.

But they could do a Portraits set.

Basically it would be in game, close up portrait shots of players similar to Photogenic where it's not necessary to show uniforms but would have more relevance than what they currently produce.

They could do parallels, dual or triple portraits with auto's etc

 

[ozsportscardcollector]

Wrong thread.

 

[GarnettFan4Life]

Say to sticker autos!

 

[Hornso]

Fanatics fill me with less confidence than Panini.

 

[drobfan8]

Fanatics fill me with less confidence than Panini.

That's what everyone said when Panini took over in 09/10.

Panini have done plenty of good stuff.

Fanatics may start slow, or even with a bang. They have 30+ years of designs to rip off and a young star to push.

They'll be fine. And if not, we'll buy the old stuff.

 

[taffster74]

Improve the collation on your higher level products. Otherwise, you're a, failure.

 

[GarnettFan4Life]

This info on the back is getting there!