[barrassohof35]

just wanted to let everybody know something i learned today. i often see people talk about missing hits out of panini, upper deck, and for baseball, topps, and how you can often call the companies and they will supply you with a missing hit card as a replacement. while sometimes i see people complain that their replacements aren't very good, be glad those companies give you one. i recently bought a box of btp from my lcs and only pulled one auto. at a rate of 1:7 packs in an 18 pack box, you often beat the odds, but almost always get what you pay for. well i emailed dr. price, the owner of itg today to inform him of my missing hit and asked if there was anything he could do, he quickly responded and stated those odds aren't a guarantee, they have no replacement policy for missing hits, and said "i'm sorry". sort of disappointing that a company that seems to pride themselves so much on quality doesn't honor their advertised odds. and it's not like btp's auto checklist is that great, 70% of the prospects will never be in the nhl, and even the retired "stars" aren't that great as i pulled jimmy waite as my lone auto. unless you're hitting hofer's or guys like richter, beezer, or barrasso, it's not a headline auto product. while it won't keep me from buying their products in the future, it does drop my opinion of them. just thought i'd give people a heads up in case this happens to you.

[hckydv7]

Probably don't keep anything back for replacements if needed.

[barrassohof35]

well that's the thing, if your card is damaged, they state that they do have replacements on hand for possibly two years (if i remember it right from website), but they don't "guarantee hits" as i was told, so they don't replace anything missing.

[mnc99]

Love ITG products, but this does make me think twice about future purchases.

[irbefan4life]

To play devil's advocate on both sides of the table on this one here are my two cents:

On one side, the ITG products Heroes and Prospects and Between the Pipes almost always have extra hits in each of their boxes. Nobody complains that they got more than the stated odds in a box. A very common issue is that the autograph cards from BTP (since they switched to stickers in 2005) stick to the backs of the base cards in front of them, so sometimes you might just flip through the stack and think that you got an all-base pack when in fact, you may have just skipped by an auto card. They would never send a Patrick Roy or Ken Dryden autograph as a replacement for a missing hit, most likely one of the "prospects" would be sent out if they ever did and as you said, most will never make "the show" and will end up in a 50 cent bin at a card show. I know its the principle that matters, and less the hit, and I agree with you, but sometimes we just need to take our losses and hope for better luck the next time. The stated odds are there, though, and the message that there is no guarantee of odds does legally absolve them of the responsibility to send out a replacement.

I have had Upper Deck tell me that I am out of luck, because of a box with missing hits, or expired redemptions. Sucks, but I move on, and have never stopped buying any company's cards as a result. I get 'em all, UD, Panini, ITG, even the older Topps stuff.

A company like ITG that consistently jam-packs their products with greater than stated odds hits has a company policy that is infrequently inquired about, and people are already reconsidering purchasing from them. It's not like they told the OP to jump off a roof or that they hate their customers. They were perfectly reasonable as the product is not hand-sorted and mistakes can occasionally occur.

On the other side of the table, missing hits are an annoyance, especially when purchasing a full box at a price of least $85-$100. The prospect of a big auto among the less famous names is part of the fun and to be missing the chance is a small kick in the teeth for sure.

[jaykayzee]

A very common issue is that the autograph cards from BTP (since they switched to stickers in 2005) stick to the backs of the base cards in front of them, so sometimes you might just flip through the stack and think that you got an all-base pack when in fact, you may have just skipped by an auto card.

I second this 1000%. It's happened a few times at least to me with ITG products. I thought I got nothing from a box, only to find the auto stuck to the card in front while sorting out for a base set.

I've had so many good dealings with ITG and Dr. Price, it's sad to hear he was unable to help out here. But, it's the industry I guess, and as mentioned, ANY odds "reflect over the course of the entire print run". Meaning, sometimes you lose and the next guy hits it big.

I can remember a Panini product a few years back. The guy before me was having fits over getting only 1 hit in a box that advertised 4. I bought the next box out of the case and hit 7........it just happens.....

I still totally feel your pain..

[snobles]

Yeah, I don't think there are any of us that would not be upset about this and it is sad to hear ITG can't help you with this one. Sadly I think people who "claim" to have not received the stated odds have caused them to have to adopt this policy.

Sorry for your luck and I hope the next box of whatever product you open is loaded.

[bigbadbert44]

I have mixed feelings on ITG. They make some cards that I'm super greatful for - without them my McLean PC would have been over with years ago - and there is also some areas I'd like to see them pick up there game with (like placing serial #'s on cards etc)

I would like to see a MFG step up and actually say and stand by hits per box, as opposed to per so many packs. (save for the rarer stuff that's inserted at less than one per box) We are already rolling the dice with our money that the "hits" themselves might not be worth any more than base cards. This is almost contradictory to my own beliefs that we are putting too much emphasis on the "book value" that comes out of each box - it wasn't THAT many years ago there was no re-selling of cards on the internet! I think it's ridiculous when people refer to buying boxes and cards using the word "investment".
However, we are shelling out good money for the boxes, $70-$250 or more per box, and I feel that there should be a better guarantee than "stated odds". Like say for sure there is two jersey, two auto, and one "wild card" mem that could be anything - plus this inserted at 1:50, this at 1:250 etc.

[barrassohof35]

snobles-i agree, too many people have probably taken advantage of it and honestly it does surprise me that so many companies do give you the benefit of the doubt and send something. maybe it is bc they have more capital behind them so it's less of a loss.

bigbadbert-i agree with you as well, i would like itg to step up their game. i find the no serial numbering on their basic products annoying. i have to go to the website to see what a silver or gold version is supposed to be out of, sometimes gold 1/1, 1/3, 1/10, never know the print run. i pulled an emblem auto from 08/09 that actually was hand serial numbered which i found strange and it's still the only serial number i've ever pulled.

i also agree that book value and investments are basically hypothetical numbers that realistically don't mean much. i buy boxes like people buy lottery tickets, i hope i win big but realize i'll probably lose money. but it's fun to open that next pack hoping to pull something. but i also realize what i pull isn't worth anything bc i have no intention on selling it.

and while yes, i have had great boxes of itg stuff that have beaten the odds, i do expect that i get what i'm paying for, so it would be nice to have real insertion ratios rather than standard odds.