ITG’s Made To Order Program Coming To An End

[pwaldo]

I was always under the impression that Leaf wasn't a company that would be 50-50 if they combined with ITG. Leaf has stuff in football, basketball, baseball, wrestling, entertainment, etc. They seemed like a bigger company that had their hands in everything except for hockey. So to the logical thing would be to "combine" with that hockey company rather than competing with them in my opinion.

[TRDouble]

I am a little nervous about the future of ITG.

Usually we have heard of new product for the upcoming year now (sometimes we even have it by now), and there has been nothing since Draft Prospects and nothing new is listed on the ITG or the Leaf website. Leaf doesn't even have a hockey link!

Most ITG box prices usually do drop, but the last two years has been brutal! H&P was as low as $33 a box (now it is pretty much $40). BTP 13/14 is around $45, but last years is around $40 too. Game-Used? $70. Even Draft Prospects has dropped, down to $56.

But the 13/14 stuff has dropped in price quickly and that can't be good for future orders. Panini hockey stuff drops too, but with all the licenses they have and brands to pick from, I am sure it barely affected them (or maybe it did, since they lost the license?). But I would think that it has to affect ITG, especially when it affects their two annual brand name products, H&P and BTP. The loss of the AHL license really hurt those brands.

Maybe they will just do Superboxes for those brands this year and have a few unique products like Captain-C and StickWorks.

[pwaldo]

I am a little nervous about the future of ITG.

Usually we have heard of new product for the upcoming year now (sometimes we even have it by now), and there has been nothing since Draft Prospects and nothing new is listed on the ITG or the Leaf website. Leaf doesn't even have a hockey link!

Most ITG box prices usually do drop, but the last two years has been brutal! H&P was as low as $33 a box (now it is pretty much $40). BTP 13/14 is around $45, but last years is around $40 too. Game-Used? $70. Even Draft Prospects has dropped, down to $56.

But the 13/14 stuff has dropped in price quickly and that can't be good for future orders. Panini hockey stuff drops too, but with all the licenses they have and brands to pick from, I am sure it barely affected them (or maybe it did, since they lost the license?). But I would think that it has to affect ITG, especially when it affects their two annual brand name products, H&P and BTP. The loss of the AHL license really hurt those brands.

Maybe they will just do Superboxes for those brands this year and have a few unique products like Captain-C and StickWorks.

Leaf has one of the worst websites on the web. It is NEVER updated which is baffling for a smaller company that wants to grow. We want to know what your products are and get information why can't you provide us with that? All you need is one person to do it. They have the budget to do so but them being so nonchalant about it is pure stupidity. Newer collectors who don't know who they are will just go to the website and think they are going out of business or already under with cobwebs all over the place.

[subban7677]

I have stated in other threads that I am very concerned about what is to come from Leaf/ITG. I honestly believe these will simply be Leaf releases going forward, with the ITG logo on the cards. I hope I'm wrong, but I don't think I am. But, I guess there's a first time for everything, right? ;)

[subban7677]

I want to actually rephrase what I said in my earlier post. I am "very concerned" about war, famine etc. I am mildly perturbed about what Leaf/ITG hockey cards might come next.

[brian045]

What the prices of boxes are now , doesn't really have to do with ITG. We see that draft prospects didn't do well, but ITG SOLD all the boxes. In financial aspects, they didn't lose any thing, they sold all that product before it was out. Im guessing the distributors are the ones losing money right? But on the other hand, stick work sold out quickly as well, and the distributors bumped the price up, thus they made money on the product. I don't see money being an issue for them.
Maybe they are waiting to throw tons of vintage game used at us? Either way, an update would be nice. Dr price in the past was always generous in providing pictures of product that was being made, and updating us.

[TRDouble]

What the prices of boxes are now , doesn't really have to do with ITG. We see that draft prospects didn't do well, but ITG SOLD all the boxes. In financial aspects, they didn't lose any thing, they sold all that product before it was out. Im guessing the distributors are the ones losing money right? But on the other hand, stick work sold out quickly as well, and the distributors bumped the price up, thus they made money on the product. I don't see money being an issue for them.
Maybe they are waiting to throw tons of vintage game used at us? Either way, an update would be nice. Dr price in the past was always generous in providing pictures of product that was being made, and updating us.

I guess my point was that even though ITG sold through a product like Draft Prospects, if the distributors are stuck with a product even when they drastically lower the price on it, I doubt they will be clamoring for a new edition of Draft Prospects. That affects ITG.

I get the StickWorks point. And that makes sense. But it just seems like that was the exception, rather than the norm. Unfortunately.

[brian045]

It does affect ITG, this was the 2nd version of draft prospects. They made less of the newer product knowing not as many people would be buying it. If a product isn't popular, distributors will not buy as much future product. Simple case of supply and demand.
ITG now has a huge following for its vintage game used. License or not, if they focus on that, they will be successful. ITG is successful because they cater to the other half, the half that doesn't collect rookies, the half that values hockey history.