Screwed By Topps!!!!

[theantiquetiger]

I use to collect baseball/football cards back in the 90's. I realized that industry is a complete rip off, not having the same meaning as when it began many years ago. I quit collecting years ago, it is a consumer rip off.

As you know, I collect LSU. I bought a Bowman Glenn Dorsey rookie autograph redemption card and claimed it back in January. Well, today, I get may card in. It is some joke of a player from Oklahoma named Malcolm Kelly, plays for the Redskins.

I just got off the phone with the idiots at Topps. Their excuse, "They are out of that player's autograph, so please enjoy the autograph this player, it is equal in value to the one you were supposed to receive."

I ask them whose value are you going by? Their answer is of course is Beckett. I told them they are rip off artists, full of ****, and on every box/pack thy produce, it is stated they do not claim any monetary value to the cards present or future (or something along those lines), so how can they put a monetary value on this card?

Then I tell them if you are putting monetary value on the cards, lets look it up. I pull the card I received up on eBay, it sells for 99 cents all day (if it sells). Then I pull up Dorsey's autographs, $15-$25 (even higher for the really rare ones).

They offered to mail me more stuff, etc. I told them I would be happy with the autograph of any LSU player, but they said they could not do that, they substitute by book value only.

I know i am beating my head against a wall, but if this post stops one person from buying anymore new Topps (or any other card company's product), I will be happy.

Do not buy this crap thy are selling. You want to collect baseball cards, spend the time putting old sets together.

[domino]

That really sucks. Their line of thinking just blows my mind. "Equal value"?? what a joke.

I for one havent bought any cards for along time and dont plan to. You would think that the way the economy is and the fact that tons of business are going bankrupt, they would place a little more effort on customer service. Its obvious that Topps doesnt care about the customer at all.

[thomasjo_2093]

I know the feeling. I bought a box of 2009 Topps baseball a couple of months ago and it was supposed to have one auto card in the box. I opened up all the packs and nothing. I call them up and they tell me to mail in my empty box and all the wrappers and they will see what they can do...I am still waiting. When they are charging $3.00-$4.00 a pack they damn well better honor what they say on the box. Card collecting is not for kids any more, the days of spending your loose change and getting some of your heroes on cardboard died years ago. It is all about the all mighty dollar now and that just sucks!!!!!

John

[txteach]

Cards were supposed to be for kids. When you are only into collecting for the money that kind of stuff happens. Sorry to say that but It's true.

[samurainoir]

From the sounds of things, the card collecting hobby got more messed up in the nineties than the comic book collecting hobby. At least with comics, they could refocus on the readership of comic books and improve the quality of the writing and artwork beyond the "value" gimmicks of multiple covers and foil/diecut/glow in the dark/autographs etc. Not sure collector's cards can do the same thing, from the looks of things they have shifted into the limited edition mentality even more, particularly around autographs and the sketch card movement.

[Cosmicman]

For a minute there, I thought this was some kind of homoerotic post from the title.

Nevermind....my bad.

[toys2cool]

I know the feeling. I bought a box of 2009 Topps baseball a couple of months ago and it was supposed to have one auto card in the box. I opened up all the packs and nothing. I call them up and they tell me to mail in my empty box and all the wrappers and they will see what they can do...I am still waiting. When they are charging $3.00-$4.00 a pack they damn well better honor what they say on the box. Card collecting is not for kids any more, the days of spending your loose change and getting some of your heroes on cardboard died years ago. It is all about the all mighty dollar now and that just sucks!!!!!

John

I've heard of this happening before,a couple of collectors got busted here in Miami doing that,they would buy the boxes and as soon as they'd hit the auto card they would stop opening packs and add other sealed packs from other boxes and re-seal it and return it.They knew the signed card was gone so nothing else was worth getting,I think K-mart and Target won't return cards anymore

[toys2cool]

That sucks Chris,I've heard of that happening a lot as well.That's why a lot of collectors got screwed and learned,so they sell the redemption cards on ebay.If you don't redeem it with in like a month after the cards were released,they pull this crap on you

[theantiquetiger]

My biggest argument with the Topps morons was how can they put out redemption cards without having the product.

It reminds me of Seinfeld's episode about the reservation on the rental car:

"You know how to take a reservation, but you don't know how to hold the reservation!!! This is the most important part!!"

What stops them from putting redemption cards of some rare signatures (Ruth, Mantle, etc), putting it all over the box to get people to buy it, and in the end, "Sorry!!!"?

[saildog]

If eBay is your guide for gauging the price, type in "Glenn Dorsey autograph" and sort from highest to lowest. Then, type in "Malcolm Kelly autograph" and sort the same way.


malcolm kelly autograph, Sports Mem, Cards Fan Shop, Rookie items on eBay.com

glenn dorsey autograph, Sports Mem, Cards Fan Shop, Autograph items on eBay.com

[toys2cool]

If eBay is your guide for gauging the price, type in "Glenn Dorsey autograph" and sort from highest to lowest. Then, type in "Malcolm Kelly autograph" and sort the same way.


malcolm kelly autograph, Sports Mem, Cards Fan Shop, Rookie items on eBay.com

glenn dorsey autograph, Sports Mem, Cards Fan Shop, Autograph items on eBay.com

It's not that big of a difference,it's just the Glenn is way more popular and well known

[saildog]

It's not that big of a difference,it's just the Glenn is way more popular and well known

True, but it's not as bad as stated.

I did a search among message boards and the problem seems to be that Glenn didn't sign a lot. There are several people that had the same problem and the general consensus was they actually came out ahead in the deal.

I understand that AT wanted a certain card and if you don't get that, well, nothing can make up for it. But, searching for a specific card against an autograph is not equal and will make it seem like you really got screwed.

Then I tell them if you are putting monetary value on the cards, lets look it up. I pull the card I received up on eBay, it sells for 99 cents all day (if it sells). Then I pull up Dorsey's autographs, $15-$25 (even higher for the really rare ones).

(emphasis mine)

Not equal search terms. Equal search terms show that Malcolm Kelly's autograph is an equivalent.

[Bionic Joe]

I know the feeling. I bought a box of 2009 Topps baseball a couple of months ago and it was supposed to have one auto card in the box. I opened up all the packs and nothing. I call them up and they tell me to mail in my empty box and all the wrappers and they will see what they can do...I am still waiting. When they are charging $3.00-$4.00 a pack they damn well better honor what they say on the box. Card collecting is not for kids any more, the days of spending your loose change and getting some of your heroes on cardboard died years ago. It is all about the all mighty dollar now and that just sucks!!!!!

John

That is why i stoped buy by the unopened boxes and i just buy the factory set and just go on E-BAY if they have an insert card that i got to have then i just bid on it as chances were i would get the player i wanted the autograph card to start with