This (insert %^$*%^&$&* here) - no SPX for me it looks like.

S

suitman19

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Lets see - told one shop owner I would take any he could get. No problem - he was going to sell me all but one - and then he gets his delivery today and he gets stiffed. Yep - not one box!!!

Called the next shop - yep just came in - let's see we are figuring out what the price is (and we have to raise it - cause our next orders will cost us more-WTF??). Okay Store member price is $155 (US$$)
You have got to be kidding me ????

Called the last store around here - and they have to get a case off of DealerNet. Yup - it will be in Friday. How much - um let's see - about $168 a box.

You know what - it is just not worth it. I have supported the heck out of these stores - and those of you that know me will attest that I break more than my fair share of new wax - and I am not a happy camper. So there will be no breaking in Mudville this time around. It is not that I cannot pay the price - it is that I refuse to line someone's pockets to the point where the boxes are now 50% over the initial price. Absolutely ridiculous. I see some of the breaks - and a lot like Trilogy, there are some absolutely BRUTAL rips. These Auto RC's #/1499 cannot possibly hold the price levels. There will be a whole lot of $25-$35 BV Auto RC's out there.

Seems like this is the beginning of a new chapter.
It is not nearly as much fun if you cannot be a part of the initial releases and bust new product.
This is really depressing!!!

bruce
 
Bruce!
Sorry to see ya sad like this. :( It's no fun when ya get shut out of having a good time. This is the problem with distributors now. They just gouge the crap out of people. It ****s! :mad:
 
Nope - not buying the singles either, at least that is how I feel tonight.
Most likely it is time to start selling at least part of the quantity of tradepage items that I have amassed. I probably have 3 times what is even on my tradepage. I will keep all of the yzerman's - zetty's - datsyuks and decide what to do with the shanny's and lids.

Sorry to hear about Palffy Ken!!!! Sounds to me like he was playing in pain for th last 2 years. Pain is one of those things that waers you down very quickly, it takes the joy out of even the most passionate people. Believe me - I understand this concept.

bruce
 
vegaspuck said:
Get used to the price hikes with no competition. Not necessarily UD's fault, but definitely something shady goin' on with dealers and distributors. It's amazing how products like UD Series 1, Artifacts, and Black Diamond "sell out" the first week, but then come back down to earth and are readily available months later.
Click to expand...

Has nothing to do with a Monopoly.
Even if there was ITG product out there, the demand is driving the prices.
If people don't buy it, it'll go down.

But people can't get enough, so the prices go up.




Anyway,
it's 170$ CDN at the local today,
probably going up.
I can't be bothered paying 170 for it, rather buy 170$ worth of singles.
 
First off - thanks for the comments. I am in no better mood about it this morning than I was last night.

Second - I made calls from Detroit to Lansing to Grand Rapids area where I live.
I talked to at least 12 hobby shop owners. I was the one getting an earful - not them. They are all PO'ed like the rest of us. If your shop was lucky enough to get their initial boxes at the release price - grab all you can.
Yes it is not UD's fault that prices are skyrocketing, they did not raise the prices, the 7 or 8 major distributors are the ones doing it. But then again they are the ones losing their behinds on the dog releases on other sports as well.
Seems as though for every hit there is a release like UD Baseball Whatever that sells for 50% of its release price.

Third - Yes competition would alleviate at least some of the problem - but Chris is correct - it is demand that drives the price up. Simple Economics will tell you - if the price is too high than the consumer will not buy it. SPX Football was very similar with the Big Ben RC's selling in the Ovechkin neighborhood of $650. The prices went from $115 to $160 a box in a month.

Oh well - golf season is only 2 months away......
 
suitman19 said:
Lets see - told one shop owner I would take any he could get. No problem - he was going to sell me all but one - and then he gets his delivery today and he gets stiffed. Yep - not one box!!!

Called the next shop - yep just came in - let's see we are figuring out what the price is (and we have to raise it - cause our next orders will cost us more-WTF??). Okay Store member price is $155 (US$$)
You have got to be kidding me ????

Called the last store around here - and they have to get a case off of DealerNet. Yup - it will be in Friday. How much - um let's see - about $168 a box.

You know what - it is just not worth it. I have supported the heck out of these stores - and those of you that know me will attest that I break more than my fair share of new wax - and I am not a happy camper. So there will be no breaking in Mudville this time around. It is not that I cannot pay the price - it is that I refuse to line someone's pockets to the point where the boxes are now 50% over the initial price. Absolutely ridiculous. I see some of the breaks - and a lot like Trilogy, there are some absolutely BRUTAL rips. These Auto RC's #/1499 cannot possibly hold the price levels. There will be a whole lot of $25-$35 BV Auto RC's out there.

Seems like this is the beginning of a new chapter.
It is not nearly as much fun if you cannot be a part of the initial releases and bust new product.
This is really depressing!!!

bruce
Click to expand...

I feel for you Bruce.. It's sad how the guys who have been supporting hockey wax for the last 10 years are now getting the shaft due to the "Crosby-Ovechkin Gold Rush", it's just like a few years ago with Lebron and Carmelo. The sad thing is this is only going to get worse with SPA and Ultimate coming out. The new business model of UD products will be print the hell out of all rcs except for the Big 3 or 5. I have a feeling SPA this year will have a tiered RC Auto system for the 1st time in hockey! Crosby, Ovechkin, Carter to 500 and the rest of the guys to 1000-1500, it's the only way to maximize wax sales. If that's the case I think I'll pass on my obligatory case of SPA this year. It's sad when you can buy the wax the 1st day at 120, but the next day it has jumped to 145.. God I wish there were some other products to buy from ITG or Topps, monopolies are only good for the companies who have them, everyone else suffers.. Hope you get some Bruce at a decent price!
L
 
I appreciate the comments and several of the offers I have received in emails and PM's.
Couple of points - as I have said before. I don't buy just 1 box, I buy between4-6 of a new release at first and more if it is fun and worthwhile, so getting them from outside my areas involves 2 problems. First I do not get them on the release date and second I have to add in Shipping/Handling Charges. Even though I am a trader and a collector - I will put brand new releases up for auction in the first 2 days of release - this helps defray the costs of the Hobby. I can't do that as successfully 2 weeks after the release date.
And as Lionel says - when you support your local Hobby shop as we do - and then this happens - it makes you step back and think.

Thanks again,

Bruce
 
Same around here Bruce........I move here last month and was quoted a price on 3 boxes of Trilogy.................got jacked when I went to pick them up........so I ended up with only 1 and I'm currently looking for new shops.
....................Drew.
 
this does make it easier for me to concentrate on my player collections
actually went to go nab a box of spx yesterday -----sold out--
should be in tomorrow--- price will be higher, just went back to
my favorite searches with 200.00 to spend, anyone got an orr auto to sell?
thanks keith
 
suitman19 said:
You know what - it is just not worth it. I have supported the heck out of these stores - and those of you that know me will attest that I break more than my fair share of new wax - and I am not a happy camper.
Click to expand...

Bruce, I'm on board with you man and your quote above will sum up this season in the hobby for alot of the past die-hards. IMO the distributors, dealers and manufacturers are all shooting themselves in the foot squeezing every dollar out of the customers this season. I predict more people will leave the hobby due to the reasons you elude to above (rising costs, less available product, lower return for your dollar) than enter the hobby due to a few young stars.
 
Ferris said:
I predict more people will leave the hobby due to the reasons you elude to above (rising costs, less available product, lower return for your dollar) than enter the hobby due to a few young stars.
Click to expand...
I was talking with mtroads today(who has quit the hobby) about the mess that is SPx. Basically I was going on about how the out of 1499 cards were completely worthless while Crosby is going $1000+.

Anyway it led to this comment by me:
Crosby combined with Upper Deck stupidity have completely ruined the Hobby for everyone. And if I wasn't so lazy, all my cards would be listed right now.

To which he replied:
didn't you see this coming? As soon as ITG lost their license, you had a feeling that this would start happening

So what are the morals to this story.

1) I saw it coming.

2) I'm quitting the Hobby
 
The problem is, there seems to be more money out there this year with speculators and investors buying into the hype. So everyone seems to be grabbing the easy money without considering the consequences... the problem of course, is the life blood of the hobby is mostly made up of people with limited disposable income who do this for fun. They have been pushed aside for the easy money, and when the speculators and investors disappear after the hype dies, there will be NO money because lifebloods have all quit and moved on.

I'm contemplating moving on as well, but since the only card I have to chase this year comes in a bag of oranges, I may stick around and see what happens.

Cory
 

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