Prices of products

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Superdoup

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Hi collectors,

I am not sure if this can be done or not here but I am taking a chance anyway.

It seems that for some products, the price per box will not be the same and sometimes there's a major diff between local shops and I was wondering if we can use this thread to post the price of products in your area.
This will help us shop at the right place since the websites can only sell the products 3 months later now...
(if there's already one thread like this let me know)

ps. OK. we have to say that Canadians will pay more for everything even if the money rate is almost the same. shoes, cars, etc...and I don't think cards are an exemption.

This idea came to me when I saw a post that said that Dominion was 280$ and my local shop sells it for 370$. that's 90$...so even with the shipping from US, It still cheaper.

the worst was 08-09 SPX. I saw the boxes gone from 140 to 75$ and now back at 100$. this is worst than gaz!

I am just wondering if some seller are to greedy or maybe they pay to much for the products from the suppliers. No one can tell me how it works until I open a shop!! :|

Thanks!
Yan
 
If you want to order products as a dealer in Canada, you HAVE to deal with one of the authorized distributors... if you want to remain up to date and current with new product. And you have to adhere to the rules set out by Panini and/or Upper Deck
 
I'd like Scott, Wayne, Derek or anybody that owns a shop to weigh into this. I will say that yes, there are absolutely some greedy dealers out there (or those unwilling to take a loss on products they've had sitting on the shelves for years) but with the amount of tax, shipping, freight, etc...prices are what they are because of these additional charges, and not so much greed. It costs more for items to be shipped to Canada from the US than US to US for one. Then you have to factor in brokerage fees, taxes, etc etc from vendor to vendor.

Frustrating as it is, the additional "red tape" is what causes these products to increase in price.

I used to hear from customers all the time that our prices were more expensive than our US equivalent, even though the Canadian Dollar was at par. There's very little that could be done in that sense because our overhead prices were so much higher than our American counterparts, and realistically, it was at marginal cost. Even better, if these people were going into the US, buying these products and coming back, they'd end up having to pay duty most of the time, which would have eaten away any savings they assumed they were getting.
 
If your local card shop sells Dominion at $370, that's tax in. If you buy it from a US shop at $280, you will pay shipping PLUS duties and taxes when it arrives. Once all is said and done, you won't save much and you'll wait 2 weeks to get your box
 
Superdoup said:
Hi collectors,

I am not sure if this can be done or not here but I am taking a chance anyway.

It seems that for some products, the price per box will not be the same and sometimes there's a major diff between local shops and I was wondering if we can use this thread to post the price of products in your area.
This will help us shop at the right place since the websites can only sell the products 3 months later now...
(if there's already one thread like this let me know)

ps. OK. we have to say that Canadians will pay more for everything even if the money rate is almost the same. shoes, cars, etc...and I don't think cards are an exemption.

This idea came to me when I saw a post that said that Dominion was 280$ and my local shop sells it for 370$. that's 90$...so even with the shipping from US, It still cheaper.

the worst was 08-09 SPX. I saw the boxes gone from 140 to 75$ and now back at 100$. this is worst than gaz!

I am just wondering if some seller are to greedy or maybe they pay to much for the products from the suppliers. No one can tell me how it works until I open a shop!! :|

Thanks!
Yan
Click to expand...

If you are buying from a legitimate source who does not commit customs fraud and shipping is $20 you are at $300 and if you pay the tax when it crosses the border you are at $339.

If they use a courier instead of USPS there will be brokerage fees, which can go as high as $35 with UPS so you are now at $374.00 and you have not helped our economy what so ever.

It is all relevant, so it is best to just ignore the US-Canada pricing and focus just on the local markets and shop where you find the best prices locally. Sure the initial price seems exceptionally better but once you do the math, you are no further ahead, and like another member posted you have to wait for the products to ship.
 
Is it cheaper on ebay... yup... on the surface anyway.

We buy from 2 distributors (it used to be 3 but the one has been omitted in the UD deal) and I generally buy direct from ITG on big orders.

Are we more expensive than what you see on-line from the states....? absolutely. But when I quote a price, it is the final price and as already mentioned, once you get the product accross the border, we are often close if not cheaper ... and that is to our regular price (mark up of 30% + HST).

We have been told that our pre-order prices can't be beat - so I assume you can work out a similar deal with your local card shops. Our mark-up is 10-15% on pre-orders (based on how often people shop with us) + HST (because we are using your money to buy the product). And it can't be that bad as some of the lesser volume stores used to buy off me versus buying from the ditributor (when you could do that type of thing).

Point is - ask your local card shop. By the way, if your local shop says he can't compete withthe Candian on-line dealers - move on... You need some boots.

as for product prices - don't forget price is often based on what we pay for it. If we get it on sale, you get it at a better price. 08/09 Spx has been as low as $49 to buy and also over $100.... I think today it costs us around $70... Last year it was $50... That is why you see fluctuation.

We dumped the last of our Dominion for $300.. Because it was not selling and it is just better to get the $$$ versus collecting dust. It is easier to have a $60 box sitting on the shelf versus something that cost me $265. Look at the group-break sites trying to use it up that way....

Some items move real well - some are dogs in certain areas. One thing is for sure, pre-ordering product is the absolute least expensive way to buy product.

Develop a relationship with your local card shop. It can be very worth it in the end.

Friendships are rewarding.

As for Matt's post - we do get very frustrated with how pricing seems to increase on the hot products and never decrease on things you can use... but that seems to be the world we live in.

Sometimes you have t make your own momentum on products... Take the gamble and buy lots and you can keep your price level while your competitors keep raising theirs... Only problem is when it turns out to be a dog..... Then you have a pet sale... LOL OPC anyone????

It's a funny business but to me, the worst part of this business is not the difference in pricing - it's the uncertainty of when a product is coming out. Wayne pre-ordered a case of Contenders it seems a year ago. Marco has a case of SPA and Spx pre-ordered. Tommy has a case of SPA... I used to say 1/2 up front but now I can't because who the heck knows when the product is coming out??? Mel's case of the CUP might be out this year.... Mick is the only safe one - he has a case of BTP's coming. ALthough he has been waiting on his SPGU since December.... Clint only buys UD and UD2... LOL smart guy. Steve buys for the expo (that should speak volumes in itself)... The cases of OPC we sell is mind boggling... and we are just a small operation....

funny business. Find an honest dealer and benefit from the friendship.
 
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Scott is right bang on and that is how he taught us to do business the same way. Friendships in the hobby will last a lifetime. We have many people pre-ordering cases and as Scott has said that is the hardest, because pre-orders which usually are only a month before release has now moved to 2, 3, 4 and even6 months.
We have had customers buy off Ebay as well and when all is said and done some have saved a couple bucks, some have spent a few more dollars but the wait for their product sometimes is longer than 2 weeks.

As Scott said become friends with your LCS and they will or at least should take care of you. Good Luck and have fun......after all it is a hobby!!
Dan
 
Thanks a lot for all your comments. It really helps to understand more stuff...

The only thing I will never understand no matter what is this :
''as for product prices - don't forget price is often based on what we pay for it. If we get it on sale, you get it at a better price. 08/09 Spx has been as low as $49 to buy and also over $100.... I think today it costs us around $70... Last year it was $50... That is why you see fluctuation.''

This must be very frustrating for local shop...You almost have to guess what product will be ''on sale'' to make more money. Or to make any money at all!! I think the product should never go higher but I guess it's because the distributors takes all the chances by buying more cases...

I tough they were reps and they could just return the spare to the companies (and they will absorb the lost) but if they have to buy and take a risk, I understand I guess.. :)
Thanks again!

PS. I have a really good relationship with the owner of my local shop and I can pre-order with a 10% off also. I was just trying to understand the fluctuation because it seems worst than fuel. :)
 
Super... The hobby for the most part (wax wise anyway) is driven by the newest products so when the 08/09's are put on sale, we grab them up and they are a bonus for our customers... When they are regular price, they are of no use to us as we don't want to have product bought and paid for sitting too long on the shelfs.

Happy collecting.
 
The one statement I used to love from one of from my local shops was the justification of raising prices on hot products.

The owner always said that the price went up because he would have to pay more to re-stock the item. And then when you asked about a product that was not moving - he always said that he paid '$x for it and could not sell it for less.

Sounds a lot like the oil companies - snicker.

When it comes down to it - there are great shops like some of the member owners here...

But there are a whole lot of shops that are idiots and marginally shaky in the honesty department. While one would like to think that the bad shops would be weeded out - that can only happen when there is competitors around so that the consumer can see the difference.
 
And now with all these redemptions from Panini especially, I hope that the products will go way down after they expired. 10-11 playoff contenders is a great exemple. The Paajarvi SSP RC numbered to 99 is a redemption and will expired in November 2012...let see if the product goes down even if it did a bit recently. bought my first box of this product at 145$ and now they are 100$.
But there's not point of buying this product after november if Panini doesn't honour the redemptions and local shop and distributors will be stuck with the product.
 
It all comes down to the fact that those shop owners you are speaking of, have no business sense.

Sure you can have a business model, where you like to sell very few products with high margins and have very little customer support... OR you can sell loads of product with smaller margins, making many customers happy, and bringing in new customers due to extremely competetive pricing strategies.

To me the latter of the two makes sense, but to some I guess it does not. With anything in life sometimes you are best to cut your losses and make room for growth and freshness.


suitman19 said:
The one statement I used to love from one of from my local shops was the justification of raising prices on hot products.

The owner always said that the price went up because he would have to pay more to re-stock the item. And then when you asked about a product that was not moving - he always said that he paid '$x for it and could not sell it for less.

Sounds a lot like the oil companies - snicker.

When it comes down to it - there are great shops like some of the member owners here...

But there are a whole lot of shops that are idiots and marginally shaky in the honesty department. While one would like to think that the bad shops would be weeded out - that can only happen when there is competitors around so that the consumer can see the difference.
Click to expand...
 
back from the local shop and 11-12 Upper Deck series one is at 125$ now instead of 85$ a few weeks ago...so I will buy series 2 instead...
And I am 99% sure that it's not the owner that wants to make more profit.
Is it UD that decided that the product should be more expensive?...if it's not the case, we are down to distributors that wants to make more profit because they see the product is in demand (there's a fine line between marketing and scams). And if all the local shops are selling UD1 at 125$ a box, it means that distributors will talk together before selling more?? Help us understand Stadium Sports ! Thanks!
Why was I able to buy 7 boxes at 80-85 and now I have to pay 125 for the exact same box.
and if the local shops bough more cases from the beginning, they can just wait until the price goes up before they start selling and they will make more profit.
 
Superdoup said:
back from the local shop and 11-12 Upper Deck series one is at 125$ now instead of 85$ a few weeks ago...so I will buy series 2 instead...
And I am 99% sure that it's not the owner that wants to make more profit.
Is it UD that decided that the product should be more expensive?...if it's not the case, we are down to distributors that wants to make more profit because they see the product is in demand (there's a fine line between marketing and scams). And if all the local shops are selling UD1 at 125$ a box, it means that distributors will talk together before selling more?? Help us understand Stadium Sports ! Thanks!
Why was I able to buy 7 boxes at 80-85 and now I have to pay 125 for the exact same box.
and if the local shops bough more cases from the beginning, they can just wait until the price goes up before they start selling and they will make more profit.
Click to expand...

It's pretty simple. Supply vs demand

When a product first releases, there is plenty of it to be found. Distributors have no choice but to honor pre-order pricing. However, once the "initial" orders have been fulfilled, distributors get a feel for how popular the product is on the market. If they deem it to be "hot", they instantly raise prices. Hobby shops have no choice but to follow suit. Also, once the product begins to dry up, prices increase significantly

In a perfect world, UD and Panini would cap prices distributors can sell their products for but unfortunately that will never happen.
 
My buy price for ud1 is almost what I sold it for when it came out. But 125 is brutal.

We all have our mark ups but that too can be the hang up. And any business owner who tells you they need this for that,,, tell the, cash flow is what they need. It may kick some reality in them.

Why hold on to a dog? Something is better than dust...

Lol. Or maybe not.

One thing people forget is that you can buy from other sources..
 
thanks Franks and Stadium. I tough distributors were cap for prices of boxes but I think the answer is clear now. some local shop will look for the highest sell price in term of profit margin but the big issue is with distributors and I think this need to change. I might go back collecting Stamps ! lol

PS Forgot to mention that 120-125 for UD1 is tax included. but it still 40$ higher!
 
This is sort of out of left field but what do you shop guys do about Bowman Chrome baseball? The price fluctuates like crazy down here. Same thing there? Hard to get? Impossible to get?
 
Kyle said:
This is sort of out of left field but what do you shop guys do about Bowman Chrome baseball? The price fluctuates like crazy down here. Same thing there? Hard to get? Impossible to get?
Click to expand...

You preorder. Plain and simple. If you miss out, you miss out. If you have been in business long enough, you have a general idea of what your customers like.

Look at last years ud2. We bought a ton at preorder and could sell it all day long at 80 while our competitors were whining we were dumping it and they were charging 100 or more. Simple fact is we preordered 8 cases and 30 percent profit on 8 cases is better than sitting on 100 boxes. Know your customers. They should be your friends after all
 
Well said. Couple other things:
Dealers, like it or not, frequently get saddled with buying products they don't really want. Dogs like Contenders or Luxury Suite leap to mind, BAP Portraits and Sweet Shot as well. The products aren't movers, aren't hot, and dealers hope for cost recovery. When a Cup or a Score shows up that EVERYONE likes and wants, it's a chance for the dealer to make up ground lost to those dogs. I don't LIKE that this happens, but I understand now how it comes about.

And as much as I may have vilified dealers for this in the past, it's misplaced. Distributors bear some of the responsibility - but not a ton. They're in the same position as the dealers quite often, only on a much larger scale.

Ultimately, responsibility for the bow-wows comes home to roost where it belongs: manufacturers. It's their responsibility to try to innovate, satisfy customer wants and demands in a reasonable way (i.e. No, you can't have a Crosby auto in every pack of a $4/pack product), and respond appropriately to feedback. UD's done this variably well. Panini's done this exceedingly poorly until relatively recently - really, they all but threw Luxury Suite under a bus rather than admit error. ITG continues to lead in this regard, but even they've had some disappointing sales figures: Brian, IIRC you weren't entirely happy with sales on Superlative Franchise for example.

Short story long, pricing is partly a matter of supply and demand, partly one of "I need to free up my capital" and partly one of product quality. You can bet your bottom dollar that if they could, Best Buy and Future Shop would be marking up iPads through the roof to make up for Touchpad and Thrive sales if they could.
 

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