In my job, I work with some component and cost variances - and the more you study those numbers, the more you realize that successful companies have EVERYTHING accounted for and built into some sort of cost matrix.
How does that relate to cards?
I actually got to thinking this morning about the cost to the consumers for redemptions - because they are EVERYWHERE.
I watched two box breaks this morning on youtube - both Panini products - and both had redemption cards.
And that's nothing surprising. It just isn't anymore, is it?
So I did some more digging and went on blowout forums to browse a few case breaks.
A case break of Panini Prizm had 6 redemptions. Two case breaks of Contenders had 5 and 6 redemptions respectively.
Does this mean I'm picking on Panini and not Topps? No, not at all. Topps has redemptions as well. But the eyeball test seems to skew to a heavier load on the Panini side. I could be wrong.
For example, on ebay if you type "Panini Redemption" - you get 1036 search results. And if you type "Topps Redemption" - you get 2444 search results. BUT, scrolling though the results on the Topps side you see that there's more wrapper redemptions than anything else now that 2013 Series 1 has landed.
Even my new blogger buddy at Cardboard Hogs just busted a box and got a redemption.
These things are rampant.
And what bothers most people is the waiting for a hit. And I get that.
But what about the cost? Do we think that these companies will just ship us these cards for free - out of their profit margins? If somebody redeems those thousand plus redemptions from Panini on ebay they have to ship the card ($2-$3) and pack the card with protection and a bubble mailer ($1). I guess we always did just assume that they did that out of their pocket. But knowing business, I doubt it.
I would venture to guess that we pay for future 'redeemed card expenses' with each and every box we purchase. So even if you get a box with no redemptions, the price is built into that box to cover the other redemptions in that case. That's how business keeps their profit margins - they make the consumer pay for it all.
And now I'm starting to see why they don't release total cases produced to the public (unless it's an advertised short print run) - and why they don't release the total number of redemptions that were packed out in that product. After all, every redemption has a code - so the manufacturer knows EXACTLY how many redemptions they put out in each product. And by the look of things, certain products probably have thousands of redemptions that we're not only having to wait for - but we pay to have to wait. How much sense does that make?
I'm just one blogger after all. But I feel that more people should be asking the hard questions.
And how bad is it? Look at these listing for "hot packs".
We have now moved past the hot pack scandals of autos and relics and have just decided to make redemption hot packs.
Somebody needs to take this hobby back from people who don't give a shit about their consumers.
Part of the problem with cutting out children from the hobby is that you've made your consumer base into a group of adults who have a mind to think.
So I was just wondering - does anybody know how much they're charging us for their lazy practice? Where can we find the print runs and the redemption quantities? How long will we let this be the status quo?
Is it corny to say this hobby needs to be redeemed?
4 comments:
At one point in my life... redemption cards pissed me off (especially after my Montana debacle). However, I've stopped busting new wax which prevents me from pulling redemption cards. So I guess what I'm trying to say is... they suck, but since they don't affect me too much... they don't piss me off as much as they used to.
-The selfish collector who loves busting junk wax ;-)
I read this post last night and wanted to ruminate on it a bit in hope of coming up with the perfect answer...but i don't have one.
My experience with the redemption cards has not been great, mostly because of the player quality i've received. The most frustrating thing for me is the wait. I've been waiting since late August for a Panini redemption card. That's 5 months of waiting and I don't even care about the player...not really sure i remember who it was actually. I've noticed the Topps redemption cards i've pulled in the past have been returned much more quickly than Panini, so maybe your personal frustration with Panini is justified. The wait for me is the killer though, at some point I just lose interest and move on with my life.
As for the business side, i'm simply not savvy enough to understand where price points and production levels come from or are generated. I would be surprised if these companies didn't have the redemption card shipping costs built in the price of their Hobby boxes and probably retail as well. They are no doubt taking in to advantage the staff for mailing these cards as well. The technology of cards isn't that far beyond what is was 10 years ago, yet boxes are 2 and 3 time more expensive. Maybe that was where the MAPP pricing all started, as a way to lock in a certain price point from Panini...i don't know.
Unlike Fuji, i'm not ready to bail on new wax...i love it and i want it. I wish these companies would realize that the redemptions are terrible and simply get rid of them. There is no reason for them to exist. Players sign enough stickers and there are plenty of manufactured jersey cards to have designed and inserted in packs prior to releasing to the public.
Since Panini is a privately owned company they probably don't have to release any type of production numbers unless they feel it necessary. The only real way for this to change is for people to stop buying new packs or packs that have redemptions. I personally am not ready to cross that bridge, but i commend Fuji for doing so.
I don't think this answers any of your questions, maybe it creates more...
Really good post though. I like the topics of your last two and questioning the hobby's practices. It needs to be done. I hope these posts is being read by the card companies and taken in to serious consideration.
I read this post last night and wanted to ruminate on it a bit in hope of coming up with the perfect answer...but i don't have one.
My experience with the redemption cards has not been great, mostly because of the player quality i've received. The most frustrating thing for me is the wait. I've been waiting since late August for a Panini redemption card. That's 5 months of waiting and I don't even care about the player...not really sure i remember who it was actually. I've noticed the Topps redemption cards i've pulled in the past have been returned much more quickly than Panini, so maybe your personal frustration with Panini is justified. The wait for me is the killer though, at some point I just lose interest and move on with my life.
As for the business side, i'm simply not savvy enough to understand where price points and production levels come from or are generated. I would be surprised if these companies didn't have the redemption card shipping costs built in the price of their Hobby boxes and probably retail as well. They are no doubt taking in to advantage the staff for mailing these cards as well. The technology of cards isn't that far beyond what is was 10 years ago, yet boxes are 2 and 3 time more expensive. Maybe that was where the MAPP pricing all started, as a way to lock in a certain price point from Panini...i don't know.
Unlike Fuji, i'm not ready to bail on new wax...i love it and i want it. I wish these companies would realize that the redemptions are terrible and simply get rid of them. There is no reason for them to exist. Players sign enough stickers and there are plenty of manufactured jersey cards to have designed and inserted in packs prior to releasing to the public.
Since Panini is a privately owned company they probably don't have to release any type of production numbers unless they feel it necessary. The only real way for this to change is for people to stop buying new packs or packs that have redemptions. I personally am not ready to cross that bridge, but i commend Fuji for doing so.
I don't think this answers any of your questions, maybe it creates more...
Really good post though. I like the topics of your last two and questioning the hobby's practices. It needs to be done. I hope these posts is being read by the card companies and taken in to serious consideration.
Man great article seriously. I currently have 8 outstanding redemptions. The problem also is customer service for these companies. They treat you like 2nd class citizens.
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