Seth Mates

I hear the frustration about box prices. Believe me, I share it. My own kids constantly want to rip boxes. And I often find myself wincing at the prices and telling them no. So when collectors ask why card shops like CardsHQ don’t sell more boxes at MSRP, I think that’s a completely fair question. Let me pull back the curtain on how this actually works… Take Topps Cosmic Chrome Baseball. Topps initially released a very limited supply at around $500 per hobby box on their website. CardsHQ is selling it today for $999. Why on earth are we charging double? Here’s why: Card shops receive extremely limited “Wave 1” allocations from Topps. Sometimes just a few cases. Nowhere CLOSE to enough to meet customer demand. So we have to go out and buy more inventory. We buy from the secondary market (eBay, DealerNet, etc.), and we buy additional “Wave 2” inventory directly from Topps, often at MUCH higher prices. Could we sell our small Wave 1 allocation at MSRP? Absolutely. We’d sell out in two minutes. Then what? We’d have a line of customers waiting, and suddenly we’d have to DOUBLE the price on them. Or sell those additional boxes at a loss. Neither is a feasible outcome. But here’s the part of this business that most collectors don’t understand: The profits we make on those limited Wave 1 allocations help offset the razor-thin margins, and sometimes massive losses, we take on the rest of our inventory. And I’m not talking about hypothetical losses. CardsHQ LOST $1 Million Dollars on Topps Chrome Football and Bowman Basketball this year. Yes, a MILLION dollars. We received very limited Wave 1 allocations, so we invested heavily in Wave 2 and secondary market inventory to meet customer demand. Then prices tanked. Suddenly, we were sitting on thousands of boxes worth significantly less than what we paid for them. That’s the risk card shops take when they stock heavily to make sure customers can actually buy the products they want. And yes, even in a booming hobby, those losses can be enormous. So when you see us making a big markup on Cosmic Chrome, understand that it’s not all pure profit going into our pockets. Those margins help keep the overall business viable when other releases go sideways. Now, is Topps to blame for all of this? I don’t think so. If Topps sold larger quantities to shops at the original low price, much of that inventory would immediately end up in the hands of flippers, who would capture the profits instead. I’d rather see Topps capture more of that upside and reinvest it into growing the hobby through better products, innovation, and marketing. And to their credit, I think they’ve done a tremendous job on those fronts. But I DO think there’s something that needs to change. Some products, including flagship products, need to be made widely available at MSRP. Shops should be encouraged to cut seals and implement purchase limits to discourage flipping. And we need blasters, megas, and other affordable formats that actually deliver an exciting collecting experience, with worthwhile cards inside. Topps has been making progress in these areas, and I hope they keep pushing. Because at the end of the day, here’s what I believe: A collector should be able to walk into a card shop with $20, $50, or $100, rip some packs, and have a legitimate shot at pulling something exciting. And a parent shouldn’t have to cringe every time their kid asks to open a box. That’s the hobby I want for my kids. And that’s the hobby I want CardsHQ to help build.

Looks like the drop is late

⏰RELEASING THIS WEEK ⏰ 2025-26 Topps Merlin UCC - Pre-Order ⚽️ Mon. 11/2 - 11 AM EST Hobby Box: $219.99 18 packs per box, 4 cards per pack 1 autograph per box 2026 Topps Chrome Update Series Baseball - Pre-Order ⚾️ Mon. 11/2 - 12 PM EST Hobby Box: $239.99 20 packs per box, 4 cards per pack 1 autograph per box 2026 Bowman U Signature Football - Pre-Order 🏈 Mon. 11/2 - 1 PM EST Hobby Box: $379.99 6 packs per box, 5 cards per pack 6 autographs per box 2025-26 Topps True Football - Bundesliga - Pre-Order ⚽️ Tues. 11/3 - 11 AM EST - EQL release Hobby Box: $369.99 7 cards per box 5 autographs and 2 autograph relic or relic cards per box 2025-26 Stadium Club Chrome UCL ⚽️ Wed. 11/4 - 11 AM EST Hobby Box: $249.99 20 packs per box, 6 cards per pack 1 autograph per box 2026 Topps Cosmic Chrome Baseball ⚾️ Wed. 11/4 - 12 PM EST Hobby Box: $499.99 20 packs per box, 4 cards per pack Look for autographs 2026 Topps Mint Disney 🏰 Wed. 11/4 - 2 PM EST Hobby Box: $379.99 1 pack per box, 10 cards per pack 1 encased card per box 2026/27 Topps Flagship Basketball 🏀 Thurs. 11/5 - 12 PM EST Hobby Box: $179.99 20 packs per box, 12 cards per pack 1 autograph or relic card per box 2026 Topps Inception Football 🏈 Fri. 11/6 - 12 PM EST - EQL release Hobby Box: $379.99 1 pack per box, 7 cards per pack 1 autograph per box

Baseball America subscribers can track the 198 debut patches in 2026 Topps Chrome Update with the full list below: buff.ly/aiyLQP9

DUTCH AUCTION: 2026 Topps Chrome® Update Series Baseball - First Day Issue starts at 11am central. The price will drop every few minutes until sold out. #ad thetoppscompany.sjv.io/B5aYX… 3 Autographs per Box, including 1 First Day Issue Molten Mercury Autograph Numbered to 20 2 First Day Issue Molten Mercury Parallels Numbered to 13 per Box #sportscards #topps