[dogger99]

As I mentioned in another post, my WalMart now carries cards again.  Turns out after the remodel was finished about 1 1/2 months ago, they decided to resume selling them (learned from the store manager I talked to today.



Anyways, I went there today to make a return/exchange.  So while walking by the aisle with the cards to the return center, I saw 3 guys standing there talking.  Didn't spot anything new when walking by.  So they were still there while I am waiting in line to make my return and I was getting suspicious.  Wanted to get over there and take some pictures, but of course the line was slow.  Then I saw this lady bring one of those big shelving racks over there and saw the guys start unloading.  So I was thinking, oh I guess they are there to help (how naive of me).  Finally got over there before she left.  Mentioned to one of the guys (when I still thought they were helping) that I thought they were retail sharks.  Then she left, but they remained.  Saw one basket filled with Mosaic basketball hangers, bunch of Pokemon, and have no idea what else.  Before she left one of them asked if she usually comes on Friday and she said yes.  I saw 2 of them checking out, didn't see the one that asked.  Maybe he was going to follow her to the next WalMart (just speculation).  The 2 checking out did get a lot Pokemon, but they didn't clear everything out.  Didn't bother with the Bowman Planinum baseball, still some Donruss football, Contenders Basketball (got 1 box just to open something) and don't remember what else was there.  I just wanted to open something new to me.  When I walked by 2 of them, I said "I guess you are retail sharks, a$$holes".  No response.  Don't know the total for one of the guys, but the other rang up $530 (again a lot of Pokemon).  This was in the self checkout.  The lady manning that area at the time said to him "More Pokemon?"

[ZSDOne]

Duh Dum

Duh Dum

Duh Dum

Retail Shark

Retail Shark

Duh Dum

Duh Dum

Duh Dum

I think I've only seen someone out stocking cards once - back in the pre-shark days - she politely warned me that the Rookies and Stars retail boxes were $50 a piece and told me that if I was looking for something else, there were more cards in the toy section

The innocent days of 2019

[rjcj2017]

Wow, at least they left some Contenders basketball.

Basketball is my favorite to collect (by far) and I haven't opened anything new since the end of February.

That's the thing ... they never defend themselves because they know they are doosh bags.

[dogger99]

I forgot to mention above that I talked with the Store Manager who was on the floor. I mentioned to him the whole shark business. He said he would talk to the lady and change days. That would be great. Let those 3 idiots stand there all day next Friday and get nothing. Also mentioned to him that some of the Targets are posting limits on product.

[rjcj2017]

I forgot to mention above that I talked with the Store Manager who was on the floor. I mentioned to him the whole shark business.  He said he would talk to the lady and change days. That would be great.  Let those 3 idiots stand there all day next Friday and get nothing.  Also mentioned to him that some of the Targets are posting limits on product.

The sharks in my area somehow track what product is new in stores on the store's app.

So they know exactly what day and what product is coming out.

The card lady always stocks in the middle of the day, on a weekday, while I am 30 miles away at my JOB.

Glad to hear your situation is better than mine ... like I said, our stores don't give two s---s about this, so I just have to wait it out.

[dogger99]

Went out for a haircut today. Stopped at Target. Must have had some product, but like RJ's Target (think he mentioned this) there were only 6 fat packs of Topps Update baseball. Grabbed 3 just to open something tonight. Then hit Sam's/WalMart. As I expected, almost everything I saw on the shelf yesterday was gone. There were 2 display boxes of Bowman Platinum baseball, completely empty, more than likely a single shark attack. All that was left was a blaster each of Contenders Draft basketball and baseball and about 6 blasters of Topps Update. Grabbed one of those to open with the 3 fat packs.

When I was talking to the store manager yesterday, he mentioned he has been monitoring the sells to see if he needs to order bigger shipments. I should have told him, he can stock the shelves full 3 times and week and it will all sell out quickly.

[savagenate]

It's a seller's market. If you have stuff to sell, do it now. The card bubble is headed to a blow up...I would guess before next season. I'm going to sit down and reevaluate my collecting, and try to pick just a few things to work on. I can't afford even singles today often times lol.

[jaderock]

As a retailer, a big box retailer no less, all they care about is sales. To me, at least they are paying for it.


Capitalism at it's finest. If we made the playing field equal for all, that would be "socialism"

[rjcj2017]

Went out for a haircut today.  Stopped at Target.  Must have had some product, but like RJ's Target (think he mentioned this) there were only 6 fat packs of Topps Update baseball.  Grabbed 3 just to open something tonight.  Then hit Sam's/WalMart.  As I expected, almost everything I saw on the shelf yesterday was gone.  There were 2 display boxes of Bowman Platinum baseball, completely empty, more than likely a single shark attack.  All that was left was a blaster each of Contenders Draft basketball and baseball and about 6 blasters of Topps Update.  Grabbed one of those to open with the 3 fat packs.

When I was talking to the store manager yesterday, he mentioned he has been monitoring the sells to see if he needs to order bigger shipments.  I should have told him, he can stock the shelves full 3 times and week and it will all sell out quickly.

But ... tell him hell yes, flood the market.

The idiot "new collectors" think retail is just a cheaper version of hobby, so they think they're slick by saving money, even at jacked-up prices.

They don't understand the difference in insertion rates, hobby only autos, etc.

The only way this is going to end is when the DBN sees its margins shrink ... One great way to do that is to flood the market with extra product.

Then they come to a fork in the road, because the choice is either buy all of it, sit on it and hope the bubble doesn't pop, or leave it on the shelves and risk the new idiot collectors realizing they can walk into a store and grab a blaster for $19.99 that they were buying online for $60.

If that is an option, yes, please tell your store manager to order 10 times what he normally does!

[ZSDOne]

Yes, tell the manager to order more

Panini is making more anyway - and sending some of the big online retailers (the legal version of Retail Sharks that has developed into a pretty nasty oligopoly) or selling it direct at inflated prices online - they get more orders from old fashioned retailers maybe it will help.

If not, i'd rather see money going to the people who employee people who actually work out in the public and sell necessary items than some people who hide away in a warehouse and sell the completely frivilous item of sportscards online - sure, its weird saying that Target and Wal-Mart are the lesser evil, but 2020 is weird