Wednesday, May 29, 2024

Topps will exploit the Collector again by announcing short prints of Paul Skenes and Jackson Holiday in Series 2

 You know this is coming.

This is why there has been no promo cards of these top 2 prospects in Series 2 (also nothing for Jackson Chourio and Jackson Merrill.)

The lead promo card for series 2 is Pete Crow Armstrong - can you believe it. Give me a break.

So this is to cause the collector to chase after series 2-  Topps will probably (85 percent chance my prediction) short print Skenes, Holiday and Chourio.

The Topps Now cards are so convoluted that I am waiting for one that shows Paul Skenes taking his first crap as a major leaguer. 

This might be the title of my next post.


Thursday, May 9, 2024

Will Paul Skenes get a 2024 Topps Rookie Card - Will Oliva - Are they Travis and Taylor of MLB

 

So Many Questions

Paul Skenes is scheduled to make his first MLB start this Saturday. But more importantly:

Will his world famous Instagram model NCAA national champion girlfriend Oliva Dunne be there?

Will Topps make a Topps Now card of Oliva if she attends the game? 

Will Oliva and Paul become bigger than Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift?

Will Paul Skenes receive a rookie card in Topps Update and Topps Heritage? (Last year Elly De La Cruz made his debut in May and dud not make in in the 2023 sets)

So Many Questions. 

Saturday, May 4, 2024

TOPPS Fraud - "I am shocked" there is gambling going on here


Fraud is intentional deception to secure unfair or unlawful gain.

That is the definition you will find on internet.

A few days ago an article in the Athletic stated Topps conducted an audit of their practices and they told the Athletic that the auditor "gave them a clean bill of heath"

The reason for the audit was the concern that on-line breakers were given loaded boxes.

There are 2 issues here.

The Athletic mentioned one - Do card manufacturers identify which boxes have the hottest cards and set them aside for celebrities and breakers? Or does every box and pack have the exact same stated odds of containing a collecting jackpot?

Topps says the auditors confirmed that the cards were independently inserted at random.

O.K. there is another issue here manipulating perception

The on-line breakers who get these rare cards are used to give the average collector the unfair impression that they can get these rare cards (or the golden ticket from Willy Wonka) 

Manipulation - exerting shrewd or devious influence especially for ones own advantage.  

While the audit assures you that Topps is not committing fraud - there is nothing stating they are not manipulative.

When Topps promotes a new set issues they show you 5 or 7 cards in the promo. One card is a regular base card (which represents 99.9999 percent of the cards you will get) but pictures of the other 4 to 6 cards are the super hits (which represents 0.0001 percent of the cards you get).

You have to ask yourself why does Topps promote the cards you have 0.0001 percent chance to get five times over the cards you have a 99.9999 percent of getting.  Makes me think of the movie Casablanca