Checklist: 2018-19 Clear Cut

I have a case pre-ordered from Maple Leaf way back in March!

It's been a very long wait..... Can't wait to open them.

Too bad that it is showing out of stock everywhere though.
 
odjickfan said:
I think it's good for the hobby to have some limited products that are selling out quickly.
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or is it distributors holding back to justify a price increase when they magically get more but at a higher price within a few days of release? I hope I am wrong but we see this with certain hot products.
 
pwag31 said:
or is it distributors holding back to justify a price increase when they magically get more but at a higher price within a few days of release? I hope I am wrong but we see this with certain hot products.
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We've seen it frequently with products like SPA and some years of UD1.

But, I think Clear Cut is a different animal, more like UD Buyback.

When I saw the sell-sheet, I had a feeling that it could be a product that goes up in price quickly, but I was always pushing later buying a presell, and finally when I was ready, most stores presells were already completed.
 
odjickfan said:
I think it's good for the hobby to have some limited products that are selling out quickly.
Click to expand...

I don't think it is.

When UD releases a product that is both affordable and "good" or popular, it typical means the distributors will hold back and raise the prices shortly after. To the point where the product price is too high to justify buying the product.

There is one reason of many on why Tim Horton's cards are so popular. The price stays the same throughout the entire run. Can you imagine if the Tim Horton's packs price went up in the 2nd week? Or they were all sold out the first week, but then they restocked in the 2nd week for 50% higher price?

But time will tell with Clear Cut, whether the majority of the product will make it to the consumer hands or whether it will be sitting shelves at a significantly higher price point.
 
To play devils advocate can you really fault them for this horrid practice. After all, how many products are duds that they have inventory lingering in the warehouses. I know sometimes these products are use as hostages to negotiate on popular releases which then leaves the burden on the B&M shop to sell, and probably mark up the prices on their end to cover the costs.

aflamesfan said:
I don't think it is.

When UD releases a product that is both affordable and "good" or popular, it typical means the distributors will hold back and raise the prices shortly after. To the point where the product price is too high to justify buying the product.

There is one reason of many on why Tim Horton's cards are so popular. The price stays the same throughout the entire run. Can you imagine if the Tim Horton's packs price went up in the 2nd week? Or they were all sold out the first week, but then they restocked in the 2nd week for 50% higher price?

But time will tell with Clear Cut, whether the majority of the product will make it to the consumer hands or whether it will be sitting shelves at a significantly higher price point.
Click to expand...
 
Excon said:
To play devils advocate can you really fault them for this horrid practice. After all, how many products are duds that they have inventory lingering in the warehouses. I know sometimes these products are use as hostages to negotiate on popular releases which then leaves the burden on the B&M shop to sell, and probably mark up the prices on their end to cover the costs.
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Yes, we can blame them. Card shops are now required to send in pre-orders well in advance. Distributors don't need to worry about being stuck with wax when they know what each of their clients will be buying months before release date. However, once they see a product is hot, they cut pre-orders to make it seem like they don't have enough inventory. Then, somehow a week or 2 later, they have more but it's 20-30% more expensive. It's ridiculous and I wish Upper Deck would step in and do something about it.
 
frankiefives said:
Yes, we can blame them. Card shops are now required to send in pre-orders well in advance. Distributors don't need to worry about being stuck with wax when they know what each of their clients will be buying months before release date. However, once they see a product is hot, they cut pre-orders to make it seem like they don't have enough inventory. Then, somehow a week or 2 later, they have more but it's 20-30% more expensive. It's ridiculous and I wish Upper Deck would step in and do something about it.
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Maybe it would be time to get rid of distributors and make a more direct chain of distribution.
 
Excon said:
To play devils advocate can you really fault them for this horrid practice. After all, how many products are duds that they have inventory lingering in the warehouses. I know sometimes these products are use as hostages to negotiate on popular releases which then leaves the burden on the B&M shop to sell, and probably mark up the prices on their end to cover the costs.
Click to expand...

No, I don't fault them because they are doing what they are legally entitled to, and they are doing what will make them the most profit while taking the least amount of risk.

I feel for the retail store as they get stuck in the middle. They are the ones that have to deal with the customers.
 
aflamesfan said:
No, I don't fault them because they are doing what they are legally entitled to, and they are doing what will make them the most profit while taking the least amount of risk.

I feel for the retail store as they get stuck in the middle. They are the ones that have to deal with the customers.
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If you cut pre-order numbers to then turn around and offer more at a higher price, that's not ok. Unfortunately, this happens all the time.
 
frankiefives said:
If you cut pre-order numbers to then turn around and offer more at a higher price, that's not ok. Unfortunately, this happens all the time.
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Don't get me wrong. I think the practice is horrible for the hobby as a whole. $200+ Series 1 Hobby boxes should not happen on the primary market.

It is obviously "legal" since it's been happening for many years now. Or UD doesn't have the means to enforce their rules if it is not legal.

I don't know, I have no insight into the inner workings of this.

All I know, is that in my field, this does not fly. Our distributors actually compete with each other to provide a competitive price for us to resell to our clients.
 
aflamesfan said:
Don't get me wrong. I think the practice is horrible for the hobby as a whole. $200+ Series 1 Hobby boxes should not happen on the primary market.

It is obviously "legal" since it's been happening for many years now. Or UD doesn't have the means to enforce their rules if it is not legal.

I don't know, I have no insight into the inner workings of this.

All I know, is that in my field, this does not fly. Our distributors actually compete with each other to provide a competitive price for us to resell to our clients.
Click to expand...

With the new B&M rules, the distributors have too much power. Anyone who isn't a Diamond Dealer cannot sell UD Products anywhere until months after release. Distributors can now control the supply. They can make the demand seem higher than the supply in many cases which artificially inflates pricing.

If UD wanted to fix this, they could very easily. Make it a rule that distributors cannot increase pre-order pricing until 30 days after release date. Also, no Diamond Dealer can be charged more than pre-order pricing on any product until his pre-order numbers have been fulfilled.
 
McDavid YG tribute already up on eBay

s-l1600.jpg
 
Just watched a case break and it didn’t have a tribute auto. I realize it’s 1/16 for one and only 15 boxes come in a case but that’s some bad luck.
 

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