State of the hobby

[michaelpatko]

I’m disgusted, disheartened, and angry.
Upper Deck and/or the distributors are taking advantage of us.
Looking at Presells today:


$276 for SP Authentic
$135 for Allure
$149 for Extended series
$179 for Ice


Fights in the aisles at Target and Walmart because the retail product is 3 times the price on the secondary market.


With hundreds of YouTube breakers buying product for their channels, and all the Group breakers buying product regardless of price, it’s getting ridiculous.


UD / GTS Distribution are testing the waters while everyone has been stuck at home for a year.


I really don’t believe things will return to anything near normal once the pandemic has completely passed.


2 years ago you could buy a hobby box of Series One on release day for $80, so @ $3 pack.
Now the presell is $6 pack?!?! Their costs did NOT go up THAT much.



I love busting product, but I WON’T be bent over. The past year I’ve simply purchased the cards I want on eBay. For LESS than if I hit everything in a hobby box.


C’mon $276 for SPA??


Enjoy your breaks, I’ll be watching...

[odjickfan]

Wow, 149USD for a box of Extended Series!! I got my preorder at 140CAD taxes-in and delivered.

I was a fun of buying older discounted wax, this option is gone. This year, I broke a couple of UD1 megas 20-21 during a Walmart sale, a bunch of 19-20 UD1 megas during another Walmart sale, a hobby box of UD2 and a couple of blasters of UD2. My next break will be my preorder for a hobby box of Extended Series, and then after I'll wait for SP retail and then UD1 21-22 and the Caufield mania!

I miss the days of cheap Pacific and ITG wax. but it was still a good year for me. I had a lot of fun picking up a bit of vintage.

[BigBarracuda]

Yup it’s absurd now. The rare time that I buy a box it’s not about return on investment, rather just the ripping of packs. And at these prices, ripping isn’t worth it.

Glenn

[10-4 collector]

I just can’t believe that people are buying at those prices! Ridiculous! It’s really sad, it has become a breaker’s $$$ hobby. Regular people like me who like breaking boxes and cases just can’t do it anymore. I don’t mind being short a few bucks on a case when I’m having fun ripping, but can’t afford to lose a grand on a case of overpriced UD! Even Leaf products, which I enjoyed have gone up.

[doniceage]

Fights in the aisles at Target and Walmart because the retail product is 3 times the price on the secondary market.

I have not seen any fights and I think if you try you will find some retail product. Might have to make some adjustments but the product is out there if you want it. I have yet to see any of the UD hockey be x3 of retail and only a few products mostly basketball goes for the ridiculous product. I pick up retail product for a few people from time to time and without a mark up. I wish more of the folks on here would do it with others who are unfortunate to find stuff.

DON

[Xspyrit]

It's not really just the hobby

I was paying 20$ for a haircut not that long ago, last time I went it was 35$, The time before, it was 55$ for the whole barbershop service

My house took 150K in value in less than 2 years.

Try to get a large pizza delivered and it's 40$+


We could go on and on

[odjickfan]

It's not really just the hobby

I was paying 20$ for a haircut not that long ago, last time I went it was 35$, The time before, it was 55$ for the whole barbershop service

My house took 150K in value in less than 2 years.

Try to get a large pizza delivered and it's 40$+


We could go on and on

I think that the inflation rate is much higher than what is stated. I wonder how they do to make the numbers.

[cardscardscards]

UD and the distributors will get exactly what they deserve when people start spending on vacations, venues, parties and restaurants again. This was never sustainable and greed is running high.
UD's been absolutely atrocious on QC and ePack is nothing short of a disaster with all the COMC troubles. It's class action worthy.

[KingKuba]

That's still cheap. Don't try and collect football or basketball.
I still got Series 2 hobby box this year for $85 usd. That's dirt cheap.

You forget to realize that singles say higher than before so no one is going to give away sp authentic for $150 and if they did it would get flipped on Ebay for more.
If the market does not pay it will drop simple as that.

[KingKuba]

UD and the distributors will get exactly what they deserve when people start spending on vacations, venues, parties and restaurants again. This was never sustainable and greed is running high.
UD's been absolutely atrocious on QC and ePack is nothing short of a disaster with all the COMC troubles. It's class action worthy.

These prices are not much different than pre-covid.
Wait till a hobby box is $1000 for Series 1 then we can talk.

They can just sit on wax till players get hot and sell then.
You think you'll get older wax again for cheap....
Yes i'll take 05-7, 13-16 for $80...