Originally posted by wolfie: The thing I am missing here is this. If the company has a product which is in such massive demand that it is being allocated all over the place why not just double the print run and then everybody can have what they want and the company makes twice as much money.
While that may seem logical, don't forget that it is not just a matter of doubling or tripling base card production, which is easy enough. The guaranteed premium hits of autographs, costumes, and those random sketch cards also have to made in ratio to the increased number of boxes or else the box construction will contain less value.
As it is autograph lists have been fairly short and there was a thread where Crypto made a comment about not having enough assets for a product. I think they were refering to images, but they would need more autographs and more swatches for any production increase. They would have to invest more money in getting those things and maybe they can't do it, even though they would make more money in sales.
Some companies fail because they just can't handle their success. I hope that's not the case here, but the comments made by dealers who are used to the business end of card distribution is even more telling than that of the collectors.
Posts: 10529 | Location: New York | Registered: November 20, 2007
I disagree. Every box/case sold is $. It is proven the market is there. CZE is not making more money by allocating. I doubt people would be complain this much about lesser known/popular actors or lower odds at this point. Just look at Bowen Designs for example. They played games with collectors. Then raised prices to compensate for lower sales. They us to sell 5000+. Now it is around 1500.This message has been edited. Last edited by: Tattoox,
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Posts: 1619 | Location: Oregon | Registered: August 25, 2004
As a collector and a dealer, why would I buy product that I or my customers don't want, for a POSSIBLE CHANCE of getting the product we want? Just like with Bowen Designs, people will give up on this company no matter how good/desirable the product is.
I personally have experienced it as far back as TWD season 1 with both CZE and GTS shenanigans.
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Posts: 1619 | Location: Oregon | Registered: August 25, 2004
Originally posted by Byrna: Finally got around to reading this thread and I will absolutely concur with what TWS originally posted.
My distributor, who does NOT sell to the public has carried Crypto's gaming products for years, and then carried their nonsports. My distributor has 3 warehouses. They now cannot get Crytozoic product.
Now, running a full-time business, I have many customers who preorder thru me. I base my buying decisions mostly on their preorders. And I generally guarantee my pricing.
So...when I was allocated on the first BBT albums from 1-1/2 cases to 1/2 case - I had to go out and pay $50 each to a distributor who had gambled (not having preorders)..and I still charged my customers the $28 I had originally solicited with. I took a beating on that. But my business relies on my regular customers - not ebay to whoever has the most money, but to folks who buy from me day in and day out.
Now, I can't guarantee them anything. I've been told I have to order album by the case (of 10). Great, so if I only have orders for 3 albums, I have to eat 7 of them?? And, I'm allocated to who knows what on product. Do I end up with more albums than boxes? Do I end up with one case instead of four? Which one of my customers do I screw over..or do I have a raffle??
This is insanity. My customers are very UNhappy. I'm very UNhappy. And I guarantee you 98% of my customers are not going to go to eBay to spend $100 on a box of anything, never mind $150. They will quit first. They've done that before with other pricey product.
They will be unhappy. I will lose business. Crypto will eventually lose business. They're already losing album business because dealers can't simply pick up a 1/2 dozen or so...
And though I used to carry all of their products, even if only a small amount if I didn't have overwhelming orders - I will be damned if I'll do that any more. I can't and won't support them if they won't have policies that support me and my customers. Bad enough that they started out not giving dealers promo cards to give to customers who were interested in their product. But now they don't want to deal with dealers at all. Not in email, not on the phone....
Have a problem with their product,and want to take care of it for our customers - no way can we do that any more.
From my business viewpoint, it's arrogant and nasty. I've never seen a company so unwilling to hear/deal with what customers and dealers want. It's all bean counting.
AND NOW they want dealers to place orders thru a couple of distributors WITHOUT HAVING ANY IDEA AS TO WHAT IS GOING TO ACTUALLY BE IN THE PRODUCT.
The solicitations for many of their series are due this month - and I have no idea what I might be buying, if I buy it. Never mind how much I might get of it.
You know, autos and costumes to be announced, place your order now.
IMO, Crypto does not understand nonsports cards. It is NOT anything like gaming cards.
And it is ONLY dealers that carry their product to their customers. Dealers who break the product. Dealers who presell the product. And dealers who 'eat it' if a series doesn't sell. As we all know, comic stores carry very little nonsports, and generally don't break it.
This comes on top of Upper Deck not selling to dealers who don't have brick 'n mortar stores. And brick 'n mortar stores are NOT supposed to sell sealed product to us dealers. How many brick 'n mortar stores sell nonsports cards?
Geniuses, all of them.
Byrna B&B Grrrl AF & Cards
Well said and totally agree.
GTS billed and later refunded me on TWD season 1 albums. I got 0. I don't know the ratio of albums to boxes are, but season 2 I got half my albums, and 1/3 of my boxes. I guess the extra commons are suppose to go into the spokes of your bike.
GTS recently had me up my small order of albums for another product (another manufacturer) up to a full case, because no one at all ordered any. Unbelievable! They have 9 locations nation wide. I know people order direct with this company and there's other distributors for their product. But I just can't grasp that little ol me was the only one that ordered, yet I have checked with other dealers that deal with GTS, and they didn't.
THIS IS THE BEGINNING OF THE END.... AGAIN. How many times will I see this in my life time.
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Posts: 1619 | Location: Oregon | Registered: August 25, 2004
It's quite simple - I won't be paying $150 a box. I understand why companies don't increase production as people would soon complain if Capt Sweatpants signed another 2000 cards!!! If people pay silly money for boxes then the Selling policy of the Distributors is justified. If people don't buy it the prices will/might come down.
Posts: 12188 | Location: England | Registered: September 16, 2003
Originally posted by hammer: It is still an impressive auto line-up with 6 of the 7 main cast signing
Yes, but no one ever discloses just how many cards any of them signed. The most I ever saw was break reports of one or two per case and I don't know if that's accurate.
As a proud owner of a Captain Sweatpants signature, I think I'll wait to be impressed after I pull one of them, if ever.
Posts: 10529 | Location: New York | Registered: November 20, 2007
Originally posted by Tattoox: I disagree. Every box/case sold is $. It is proven the market is there. CZE is not making more money by allocating. I doubt people would be complain this much about lesser known/popular actors or lower odds at this point. Just look at Bowen Designs for example. They played games with collectors. Then raised prices to compensate for lower sales. They us to sell 5000+. Now it is around 1500.
Your darn right they are not making more money by allocating. Crypto should be increasing production while the demand is there. But they aren't.
Crypto shouldn't be outsourcing distribution to third parties that are shutting out formerly regular customers on hot products. But they did.
Success can kill a company just as easily as failure if it's not handled right.
Posts: 10529 | Location: New York | Registered: November 20, 2007
Originally posted by Chuck Bartowski: This new policy is pretty silly though. I was fortunate to get 2 cases of BBT season 5 at decent prices, and I'll be able to get a case of TWD Season 3 part 1 and one of part 2 for decent prices, but I do purchase a lot of product from the same person so I was able to get decent deals, but I really can't imagine what the people who only purchase these products will do because it will just be difficult for them to get them.
Hey Chuck! I really hope that you get what you want and are not disappointed if your contact tells you he was suddenly allocated. We were not told what The Walking Dead Allocations are yet. The Big Bang Theory we were just told when I started the thread. I have to tell all of my customers that I cannot get them the cards that they wanted due to GTS Distribution allocations. Like I can afford to lose all my customers as a business owner but I don't even get to open any for the collector side of me! I have to disagree that Crypto is the best company out there, sorry. They have some of the hottest licenses but the low production makes it a nightmare for collectors and dealer alike. GTS Distribution was who slammed and cut my orders by 98% so I don't know what Diamond is doing.. Now my orders are at 0%.. Hey Raven in the last releases with everyone signing I only got one main cast member in a case but I bet this time it will be less than that but Crypto never says how many are signed, how many are pack inserted and how many are held back.
Posts: 2099 | Location: none | Registered: September 05, 2003
Crypto shouldn't be outsourcing distribution to third parties that are shutting out formerly regular customers on hot products. But they did.
Success can kill a company just as easily as failure if it's not handled right.
Well said Raven... The former Cryptozoic regular customers are shut out of all their Products and not just the hot ones.. Playing damage control right now with everyone who hoped we could get them a box or so of the Big Bang Theory and The Walking Dead. They're taking this business and their other business elsewhere because we can't get anything. Guess we'll be going out of the trading card business. We had just started rebounding from what Inkworks did to the hobby when everything was dumped on the market and their cards tanked. I already miss breaking boxes.. Thanks for everyone's support on this.. The emails and posts are Phenomenal. I really appreciate it..
Posts: 2099 | Location: none | Registered: September 05, 2003
Probably too much trouble with too many to chase after, at too high of a price. Cards are going right into that category. Big time, long time Marvel card collector here. Given up on it because of Upper Deck. Not much of a TV/Movie card collector, but a big time TWD series fan/collector. Cryptozoic is ruining that for me too. Thanks manufacturers.
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Posts: 1619 | Location: Oregon | Registered: August 25, 2004
I hate to see this thread go into the past on Card Talk but I have one final comment regarding this. When I first started this comment I got a few emails from Cryptozoic questioning what had happened and a couple emails and a phone call from GTS Distribution questioning my posts. I explained how myself, other collectors and dealers felt about the ridiculous allocations plus the termination of all Cryptozoic Dealers in favor of the few "Special Dealers/Distributors". They seemed interested for the first day but now they just want the thread to die and go away.. It's not going to help the problem at all but I see many collectors and dealers leaving the hobby out of frustration and disappointment.
Posts: 2099 | Location: none | Registered: September 05, 2003
Originally posted by TWS: I hate to see this thread go into the past on Card Talk but I have one final comment regarding this. When I first started this comment I got a few emails from Cryptozoic questioning what had happened and a couple emails and a phone call from GTS Distribution questioning my posts. I explained how myself, other collectors and dealers felt about the ridiculous allocations plus the termination of all Cryptozoic Dealers in favor of the few "Special Dealers/Distributors". They seemed interested for the first day but now they just want the thread to die and go away.. It's not going to help the problem at all but I see many collectors and dealers leaving the hobby out of frustration and disappointment.
I agree. And both parties don't like talking to me either. Yet, conversations were upbeat at first, and they were the ones that slacked on communication, their product went down after that.
I just saw this on their site, which made me laugh.
Dedicated to the concept, "Fans First"
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Posts: 1619 | Location: Oregon | Registered: August 25, 2004
Crypto shouldn't be outsourcing distribution to third parties that are shutting out formerly regular customers on hot products. But they did.
Success can kill a company just as easily as failure if it's not handled right.
Well said Raven... The former Cryptozoic regular customers are shut out of all their Products and not just the hot ones.. Playing damage control right now with everyone who hoped we could get them a box or so of the Big Bang Theory and The Walking Dead. They're taking this business and their other business elsewhere because we can't get anything. Guess we'll be going out of the trading card business. We had just started rebounding from what Inkworks did to the hobby when everything was dumped on the market and their cards tanked. I already miss breaking boxes.. Thanks for everyone's support on this.. The emails and posts are Phenomenal. I really appreciate it..
Everyone else has been more eloquent on this subject than me, but let me just add my voice to the chorus of I agree with everything you've posted, TWS.
____________________ Anne Welles - "You've got to climb Mount Everest to reach the Valley of the Dolls."
Originally posted by TWS: I hate to see this thread go into the past on Card Talk but I have one final comment regarding this. When I first started this comment I got a few emails from Cryptozoic questioning what had happened and a couple emails and a phone call from GTS Distribution questioning my posts. I explained how myself, other collectors and dealers felt about the ridiculous allocations plus the termination of all Cryptozoic Dealers in favor of the few "Special Dealers/Distributors". They seemed interested for the first day but now they just want the thread to die and go away.. It's not going to help the problem at all but I see many collectors and dealers leaving the hobby out of frustration and disappointment.
Of course Crypto wants the discussion to die. They want everyone to put up and shut up. Great way to run a business.
The thing is, I wanted to buy a box each of BBT and TWD. After reading all of the comments and seeing that the company has no response, I've decided against the purchase. I won't leave the hobby, but I will spend my money on releases from other manufacturers.
Posts: 1065 | Location: Massachusetts | Registered: July 27, 2004
I still can't believe all the doom and gloom talk here. I was direct with Crypto; now I go through GTS; absolutely nothing has changed (so far) for me.
Posts: 47 | Location: indiana | Registered: August 03, 2012
Originally posted by snoopy351: I still can't believe all the doom and gloom talk here. I was direct with Crypto; now I go through GTS; absolutely nothing has changed (so far) for me.
Yeah...I don't get it either. People basically want their stuff for free and with as little effort as possible. Heck I don't buy a ton, and I was still able to get two cases of BBT, and a case each of TWD Season 3 Part 1, and Part 2. Did I have to pay a little extra for those cases? Sure, but I expected too given they are the "hot" products from CZE.
Posts: 860 | Location: Alaska | Registered: May 28, 2009
