[rjcj2017]

Friends, this is what I sent today to Panini. Will let you know if anything comes of it:


Good afternoon!
 
Long time no talk and I hope you are well.
 
I am hoping you can help with something, or at least tell me who to contact.
 
I have been a collector for 30+ years and a Panini customer since my first case of Panini Basketball way back in 2009.
 
I primarily collect retail and have run into a major problem the last few months.
 
All over the country there are people who now literally stalk the card distributors (Excel for Target, not sure of the company for WalMart) from store to store and clear out the entire card display the moment it hits the shelves.
 
Then, they go online and sell products (that normally retail for $19.99 or less) marked up all the way up to $185 for Mosaic basketball blasters, for example.
 
They literally spend all day, all week, going from store to store, texting each other and checking inventory numbers on apps on their phones to be able to tell which store to go to next.
 
The card lady was still there at my local Target after they had left the other night and we struck up a conversation.

Some nuggets from our conversation:

- Some people had loitered in the card aisle for several hours that day; this is common at each of her seven stores
- Security had to be called over to the card aisle while she was putting product out to deal with the throng
- She has people that actually know and follow her car from store to store
- One guy offered her $40 cash to let him know when and where she’s going next
- She usually eats lunch in her car between stops and has had people knock on the window asking for certain products … while she’s eating in her car
 
Based on that conversation, I see at least three actual crimes being committed simultaneously:

- Loitering
- Stalking
- Unemployment fraud – they are supposed to be out looking for work, not using their unemployment funds to pay for gasoline to buy cards
 
Although I collect all sports, my favorite – by far – to collect is basketball.
 
I haven’t been able to find a new basketball blaster since the end of February – no Optic, Mosaic or Chronicles whatsoever.
 
This has been beyond disappointing and frustrating.
 
While I’m sure the bottom line has been healthy for Panini during this pandemic, the fact is that longtime collectors like myself are being turned away and won’t be coming back if there continues to be a lack of oversight on this issue.
 
I appreciate your time and would really appreciate a reply.
 
Thank you,
 
RJ

[bonds20001]

Nice letter...but they have no control over the people out there..they are providing a product for the hobby stores and the retail stores..although your thougths are to be admired, I do not think they can do much about it.EXCEPT..offer these products directly from the company..like Topps..

BUT!!!..I have been sold out of most Topps products this year..and last as well..they last about 24 hrs and then disappear only to be found at the big guys places..so this may not be the answer..

NOW..if I owned the company..I would offer a service..for $$..to be a member and have the chance to buy these first..for an small amount of time and then the remaining amount taken to retail..that may be the solution..

However!!! this may lead to the overproduction we saw in the 80--90s..glut that no one wants..

Fine edged sword my brother!!!

Thanks for making me think about this awful practice!!

[rjcj2017]

Well, I thought I'd give it a try.

Maybe if they read the part about how these people are actually committing three crimes simultaneously - and to me, the worst one is terrorizing the card lady - perhaps they'll at least have a dialogue about it.

One point that I intentionally did not address was their culpability in all this, because I wanted to see what they say first.

(If they say anything ... but I figure the diplomatic approach is best to go with first rather than just punching them in the face my first time out.)

Part of the perceived "value" of retail is because of the absurd prices they are asking - and getting - for their direct products online.

So in that sense, yes, they have no need to worry about chumps like me; and, with retail selling out all the time, doubly so.

But ... here's the tipping point.

If new collectors, mistakenly thinking that they can pull Zion Williamson autographs out of retail products, keep paying $80 to $150 for $20 blasters and keep getting the same stuff we usually get - fewer cards, way longer odds on hits, etc. - even they will eventually figure out the Doosh Bag Network is full of s--t when it comes to what is actually in these relatively worthless boxes.

It may take a while, but they will move on.

Or, like you said, the companies will go "aha!" and print a ton more cards.

So then the doosh bag who has stood in line at Target all day (instead of looking for a job or a girlfriend) will now have to figure out if he really wants to buy all 20 worthless Topps Series 2 blasters when he usually only hoards 6-8 of them.

Either way, those two parallel tracts will intersect at some point.

Meanwhile, I've all but stopped going into Target and WalMart ... there's no point.

So the chicken-or-the-egg thing there is, how will I know when this bubble has burst?

I won't ... and they won't get my money after the sharks have died off because I am no longer going in those stores.

See how that eventually works out to where chumps like me actually matter?

We just have to make a pact, no matter how lame/boring it may be, to absolutely NOT support this by buying the marked-up retail stuff.

My favorite sport to collect is basketball, and I haven't opened a new blaster since the end of February.

Does it suck?

Yes, beyond words.

But I refuse to participate in the dooshery by buying marked-up retail.

If I can do it, everyone else can, too.

[bonds20001]

Great resolve my man!!  I did buy after market Topps 206 to see what was there and got a nice parallel Griffey..but no more than that..will not spend my $$ on this stuff..

I think it will even out and the product will be available..but not at the price it was intended..for retain buyer who do not have $120 for a hobby box..but have $20 for a blaster..sad times.but they will pay the "piper" so to speak..

Thanks for this thread..has to be said and you did it so well!!!

[hckydv7]

For me the problem is not the guys buying these up so much, but the people the sell to who pay the marked up price. Where I live several people stock the stores, buy what shows up, and then sells then to the LCS. Seems to me that all product has been shortprinted this year both hobby and retail. Also, it is NOT a crime to spend unemployment on cards. They can spend the money on whatever they want.

[jack pfiester]

I heard from a local card store owner that there won't be blasters sold at retail outlets anymore after the first of the year. Not sure how companies are going to sell products, but it may be strictly online.

[rjcj2017]

I heard from a local card store owner that there won't be blasters sold at retail outlets anymore after the first of the year.  Not sure how companies are going to sell products, but it may be strictly online.

I'm not surprised.

Thanks, doosh bags.

Oh well, they'll just move on to the next scam, they don't care.

The good news is, karma will take care of them.

Then again, it's entirely possible the card store guy is just making it up so that you'll shop at his store after he buys the product online and marks it up.

Any LCS owner that buys and sells marked up retail is just as prominent a member of the Doosh Bag Network.

[7whodey]

I (unfortunately) think the solution is to just raise the blaster prices to $40. Takes the profit margin away from the a-holes and there will be product for others to buy.

[rjcj2017]

I (unfortunately) think the solution is to just raise the blaster prices to $40. Takes the profit margin away from the a-holes and there will be product for others to buy.

They will definitely figure out a way to drastically or totally eliminate the Doosh Bag Network's profit margin, for sure.

And then they'll be stuck with a bunch of worthless blasters on the shelves.

These things are a very shaky value at $19.99 ... I will not be buying them at $39.99, I can assure you that.

I absolutely refuse to support dooshery, whether it's some scumbag flipper or the card companies themselves.

[notjomommasclint]

These manufacturers don't care how collectors feel. They simply want to move product and consider it sold when it hits the retail shelfs.

Unfortunately their solution to our current situation will be to crank up the presses and provide more product. Unless of course the products stop moving and it backlogs the outlets. Which won't happen.

The great news is by the time this "new money" into the hobby realizes that the market correction is coming it will already be here and they'll be stuck selling into a buyers market.