Does Fritsch Sell Unopened Stuff?

BobS

I've heard the stories of them buying boxcar loads of Toppps extra inventory in the 1970's, and everyone says they have so much un-opened stuff that they could virtully change the market if they wanted to. So what gives? What are they doing with all of it? Sell it privately if you contact them? Let small chunks go every once in a while via major auction houses? Or are they just sitting on it all? Anyone know? Anyone ever make a deal with them?

ping4u43

They sell it. The have ads in SCD. I'm not sure but I think they also have a web site

BobS

Don't get SCD, but the website doesn't have anything at all regarding unopened stuff.

BobS

And - with all that inventory, why is something like this on the front page of their website???????????:




Larry Fritsch Cards recently acquired several 1987 Topps baseball complete hand collated and factory sets. The hand collated sets were professionally put together fresh from unopened material and we grade them in at least Excellent-Mint to Near-Mint condition. The 1987 Topps Baseball set contains 792 cards. The card fronts feature wood grain borders encasing a color photo reminiscent of the Topps classic 1962 baseball set. The key Rookie card in this set is the new home run King Barry Bonds, other rookies include Bobby Bonilla, Will Clark, Bo Jackson, Wally Joyner, John Kruk, Barry Larkin, Rafael Palmiero, Ruben Sierra and Devon White. We have a limited supply of both the hand collated and factory sets available.

leathtech

<< <i>We have a limited supply of both the hand collated and factory sets available. >>



If they run out I think I have an unlimited supply of the sets!!!!!!!!!!!!!

jmoran19

for bob, couldn't find the baseball unopened but they usually have one

unopened football

unopened basketball

jimq112

IIRC they started selling the rare stuff at auction, maybe mile high, a year or 2 ago. I think it was shortly before larry died.

ctsoxfan

<< <i>IIRC they started selling the rare stuff at auction, maybe mile high, a year or 2 ago. I think it was shortly before larry died. >>



It was Mastro that got a lot of those old vending boxes. Many of them went for big money.

brianwintersfan

Their prices on those 80-81 Topps basketball packs shows just how out of touch they are on current prices for some products.
Also this is about a $40 box is it not??

1989-90 Fleer Wax $150.00

cardbender

Agreed. Fritsch is out of touch with what unopened sells for on their web site. Especially on newer products from the 1980's. They must have used pricing from the early 2000 levels on some of that stuff.

But yeah, their older stuff went for huge coin in Mastro's a couple of years ago as others have posted.

vintagechris

They have always priced their stuff high IMO. But if they can get it, why not I guess. $1500 used to be absurd for a T206 Wagner.

My Website

brianwintersfan

<< <i>They have always priced their stuff high IMO. But if they can get it, why not I guess. $1500 used to be absurd for a T206 Wagner.

My Website >>



Well anyone paying those prices needs to have their heads examined.

CDsNuts

You could pull a Bird/Magic/Dr.J out of every other pack and not get your money back.

Treetop

Some of Fritsch's old vending boxes had been opened. Even the graded ones. Fritsch would never say he was selling an unopened or unserached box, just a full box....

brianwintersfan

<< <i>Some of Fritsch's old vending boxes had been opened. Even the graded ones. Fritsch would never say he was selling an unopened or unserached box, just a full box.... >>



Nice!

summerof68

I've heard from a few different sources the story that Fritch obtained from Topps all their unsold 1975 baseball & football cellos cases. I use the word "obtained" because he only had to pay the shipping costs. I've heard that in those days Topps would throw out any unsold inventory so they had no problem giving Fritch the cases as long as he paid the shipping. Of course I can't confirm this story but I personally know an individual who four years ago was working on a deal to purchase 20 cases of '75 baseball cellos paks from Fritch but they couldn't quite come to terms. So at least I know that four years ago Fritch had 7200 factory fresh '75 bb cellos in his inventory--I can only wonder how many more cases he had in his inventory because it was my friend who proposed the number of cases desired at 20--Fritsch simply confirmed he could meet the 20 and would not disclose to my friend how many cases he actually did possess in all!!!

SidePocket

If I'm Fritsch, what exactly am I waiting for?

nam812

<< <i>If I'm Fritsch, what exactly am I waiting for? >>



Too easy.

VitoCo1972

<< <i>If I'm Fritsch, what exactly am I waiting for? >>



Exactly, if I had the ability to effect the market that greatly on a few sets I would get some of it out there before there are no more low pop graded commons to artificially drive up the value of sets. I mean in theory, the value of graded sets will all eventually go down for post war cards where there is a lot of ungraded product out there, right? I'm not a 75 expert, but of someone was sitting on that amount of 71 Topps, theoretically there have to be some PSA 8 Claude Raymond cards in there, and if there are, the overall value of the set decreases as the pop report rises, no?

cardbender

The above examples you guys used, 1975 Baseball and Football products, are not rare or scarce at all. Prices don't seem to be going up either. I'm not sure at this point in time it matters to Fritsch cards if they unload this inventory on the hobby or not.

A smart move would be to do what you've suggested in the previous posts, take advantage of the still low pop cards in some years by grading them now and getting them to the market place while the prices are still somewhat high.

Most low pops from the 1970's especially, become high pops over time. In my opinion, nothing from the 1970's is scarce except for some test issues and maybe a few regional sets.

summerof68

Yes it is logical that as time passes the pops of '75 graded commons will increase and their values should decrease. However we must consider the premium placed on a '75 cello pak that is legitimately unopened. As more and more of these paks are opened the supply of these paks will decrease. So in this regard the value of unopened '75 cellos should increase as pak collectors pursue these paks for their unopened mint status. Perhaps with this in mind Fritsch decided time was on his side in hanging on to his '75 cello cases.

CDsNuts

Sadly, he was wrong about time being on his side.

Too soon? Damn I'm a jerk. You all have free reign to make fun of me after I turn up dead in the gutter reaking of gin.

grote15

The value of a 1975 baseball cello has remained remarkably consistent over the last few years, at least on ebay. I can recall that 5-6 years ago, the average price was around $75 a pack, and it's pretty much the same (with some peaks and valleys here and there) today.

CDsNuts

This thread reminds me of every now and then when I walk into a random out of town card shop and see stuff like a faded box of 1992 Bowman football for $12 a pack. Hey buddy, that Emmitt gold foil is no longer a $60 card.

VitoCo1972

There's a small card shop in Los Angeles, on Robertson, it's almost across from Beverly Hills Baseball Card Shop (Matt at BHBBCS is a good guy), that still sells 1985 Topps baseball packs for $20+. There is so much dust on them that it looks like he hasn't sold one in 15 years.

lsutigers1973

There is a guy at the weekend flea market I visit occassionally that has a handful of unopened boxes. He wants $75 for a wax box of 1987 Topps baseball. Of course he has an EXMT 1985 McGwire for sale for only $300.