[jonathani]

Just imagine what would happen if anyone other than Topps was allowed to sell cards. There would be actual competition, and Topps might finally be held accountable again. As it stands now, we have no choice, and they can do whatever they want. What are we going to do, stop buying baseball cards from Topps-owned products? They know the answer to that. Why put out a good product when you are the only one allowed to sell that product and you are absolutely assured of sales to people like us?

[doublexthebeast]

Actually, Walmart and Target don't distribute the cards themselves. They have an outside vendor - Excell Marketing (I believe that's what it's called) - that comes in and does it for them - kind of like the greeting cards and magazines. I'm not sure how other retailers do it, but if you look at a Target or Walmart receipt it usually rings up as Excell misc. or something similar. It could be a regional thing as well, but I know that's how it works in the MN, SD, Wisc. area.

Ok, I actually know exactly what you mean. My sister used to work for the company that did the greeting cards. She went around to several of the Wal Marts. That makes since, so I would be curious if they- the indivduals that stock the shelves- get the cards direct or from a big distributor. I need someone to test this theory by traveling the US and buying blasters from 100 different retail stores.

[jaredhuizenga]

With the sports cards I'm almost positive they come from a warehouse - most likely regional ones for each area, much like Target, Walmart, etc. have. The magazines I'd guess come directly to the person or a local office since they're timely.

That's often why you don't see a Target or Walmart with a well-organized, well-stocked card area and also why it's easy for pack searchers to go through everything - the store leases the space to the vendor and that's where their money comes from.

I'd imagine companies like this - assuming there's more than one for the various retailers - orders and moves a lot of product, but Topps would probably be less concerned about getting big hits to them. Toss in some base autos, a few higher-end hits here, some redemptions, patches, etc. ... just enough to keep those of us without a good nearby LCS coming back for more.

[DrMitchJ]

I'd be pissed! Now if it was A Harper auto 3 times I wouldn't complain but that would never happen lol.

Oh yeah, that happened .... In my dreams.

I'm not pissed, since it was better than NOT getting an auto at all, but even if it was the same auto / player but a different color, or from a diff serial # distribution. ... Tgen i could collect a rainbow of Holmes, But no, it was the same non-serialized version!

---

I'm having the same issue with Platinum. I'm working on finishing two base sets and out of 10 blasters and 20 rack packs I have yet to pull a Nelson Cruz. Also only hit on one Bryce Harper, but have 10 Pujols and Ichiro. There's a couple other guys I haven't pulled that I've had to trade for as well.

In terms of the autos, my nemesis has been Dillon Maples. I'd pulled one of his from a blaster and one from a rack pack. The other day I found the $5.99 rack packs at Target, opened it, saw the auto and it just happened to be Maples.

Trade you a Nelson Cruz base + Holmes auto for a Maples auto ...

[dpatera]

I'm not sure about Bowman, but I'm pretty sure a lot of what you're talking about is by design, and even quietly advertised. In particular, many of you have probably noticed that Topps Jumbo is often referred to as HTA. That stands for Home Team Advantage. I buy most of my cards locally, and there is a definite lean toward Tigers. It's not necessarily the huge hits, but many of the SPs. It's not that there are no non-Tigers, just that it's weighted slightly toward the Tigers. I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing, either. If I'm buying cards in a given market, there's a pretty good chance I'm more interested in the local team, than any other.

I haven't noticed it as much when buying online, but I also don't pay as close attention to where the cards are physically coming from when I do, either.

[nyyankeesfan28]

I buy Jumbos, and I never get Padres anything living in San Diego, dpatera.

[jaredhuizenga]

Trade you a Nelson Cruz base + Holmes auto for a Maples auto ...

[/quote]

I'm getting my org back up and going tomorrow. I'd definitely do that ... my Maple autos just sit there mocking me because they outnumber me. lol