Wal-Mart idiocy

steveinphilly · June 6, 2007 7:08AM

I went to a Wal-Mart in a rough section of Philadelphia over the weekend that I happened to be passing through and stopped in to check out the BB card selection. I walked up to the display and was snapped at by two people (a cashier and a manager of some sort), "You can't go back there." So I waited until someone cleared up from the tremendously long lines and asked her to show me certain boxes (that were three feet in front of me with no barrier but their warning between me and the boxes). I was enjoying having her take box after box from the shelf, which i then perused and handed back, saying "How about that one?" I looked at hockey and football cards as well, just for the hell of it before settling on three 2007 Topps $9.97 blaster packs. Then they had to hold them for me while I went to the back of the line. It was the most ridiculous set-up I ever saw. Putting them behind a counter or in a case is dumb, but not as dumb as having them sitting out but a "no touch" rule in place.

It must have been karma, however, that resulted in me getting none of the Jeter/Mantle/Bush cards. I am now 0 for 7 boxes with regard to that card. I know I could have bought a couple or three of them for that $70 expenditure.

But I do have a growing pile of Mickey Mantle HR history cards! (Who cares?)

perkdog · June 6, 2007 7:24AM

The reason you are dealing with people like that is because they work at Wal Mart!

puggy · June 6, 2007 7:34AM

I buy some cards at my wal-mart they don't have there's behind a counter.They are off so you can get to them if there is people in line.I work at wal-mart I am going to be the dept.manager of the meat dept.If me and a couple of guys sees a new beckett box in the back room.Has not been on the shelf yet we open it and see if there is a box of something we want if there is we take it out and go buy it before any one else has a chance to.

Goot · June 6, 2007 7:52AM

Most of the Jeter/Bush/Mantle cards are gone and that is why you are having a tough time finding one.

Morgoth · June 6, 2007 7:54AM

Yeah, what's the trick to finding one. Obviously they can be searched and there is a pattern.

Goot · June 6, 2007 7:57AM

I found my 2 just by opening up rack packs from walmart (no stupid inserts) when they first came out. I wasn't looking for them, I was just building the set.

mreuter · June 6, 2007 8:17AM

I have these cards left to finish my sets, do you have any of them from the boxes you opened? If you have them all, I could trade you a Jeter for them.

Base
29,101

Wal-Mart inserts
2

Own the Game
3,4,9,17,18,21,22,24

1989FleerBillRipkencollector · June 6, 2007 8:17AM

<< Most of the Jeter/Bush/Mantle cards are gone and that is why you are having a tough time finding one. >>

??? They didnt short the print run on it. Yeah, there is patterns so packs can be cherry picked but selaed blasters offer a fair chance. Unless there is a pattern within the case of the boxes that have the Jeter.

Goot · June 6, 2007 8:22AM

<< 

<< Most of the Jeter/Bush/Mantle cards are gone and that is why you are having a tough time finding one. >>

??? They didnt short the print run on it. Yeah, there is patterns so packs can be cherry picked but selaed blasters offer a fair chance. Unless there is a pattern within the case of the boxes that have the Jeter. >>

I thought that they had corrected it but maybe I'm wrong.

1989FleerBillRipkencollector · June 6, 2007 9:35AM

According to Topps (the last I heard) they were only going to correct the card for the factory sets. Im unsure what the team sets include that you can buy at Target/Walmart etc..

Goot · June 6, 2007 9:45AM

The team sets have the corrected version.

1989FleerBillRipkencollector · June 6, 2007 10:01AM

Ahh, I thought they did. Since there was only 2 on ebay. Last release I read from Topps on it was all boxes would have the error in it.

Jdurg · June 6, 2007 10:57PM

The Wal-Mart near me has the baseball cards in a customer accessible area, but right after the registers on the way out the door. It's rarely ever in good shape and you have to basically be in line in order to see the cards. They treat them like Tobacco. There's a different Wal-Mart near me that has them out in the open where you can spend time looking around. That one gets my business much more often.

drewsef · June 6, 2007 11:04PM

Target had tons of the Yankees team set(live in Texas) only there for $4.99 each and had the corrected Jeter card, with a huge sticker on the front saying the corrected version was included, which was stating the obvious since it was the top card in the blister pack.

CDsNuts · June 7, 2007 1:07AM

With all of the people searching and tampering with the packs, they should be behind a counter or in an area where an employee is supervising.

Lee

andywtn · June 7, 2007 1:17AM

I bought a Yankees team set just I could get a corrected Jeter card. The Jeter card in the Yankees set is not numbered 40 it is numbered like Y1. All of the cards in the Yankees set are numbered that way.

Jdurg · June 7, 2007 3:06AM

All of the cards in the team sets are numbered that way. They technically are NOT part of the regular base set due to the different numbering.

DaddyRich · June 7, 2007 3:27AM

How are they even referring to that Jeter card as an 'error'? It is a botched photoshoping job at best that was intentionally inserted. The things they do to get our money...

CDsNuts · June 7, 2007 3:42AM

The whole ridiculousness of the #40 Jeter situation is what's lost here. Everybody is still busting packs looking for this card, regardless of the fact that:

A- It's not short-printed, and in no way is hard to find. There are probably 2,000,000 of this card floating around.
B- You can get one for under $5 on ebay
C- The photoshopping job is completely ridiculous making the card look idiotic
D- Topps seems to be intentionally making an annual "error" card that garners media attention and people keep falling for it

RipublicaninMass · June 7, 2007 4:12AM

Topps seems to be intentionally making an annual "error" card that garners media attention and people keep falling for it

They would never do that Lee!

1989FleerBillRipkencollector · June 7, 2007 4:57AM

To figure print run of 2007 Topps would this work....?

My numbers are guesses as I didnt look them up but think they're close.

Topps Gold serial #d to 2007. One in 8 packs. 792 cards in set. 792 x 2007 divide by 8 =198,693 Jeter cards made. roughly as the hobby odds are smaller so that would increase print run. Am I close?

CDsNuts · June 7, 2007 5:01AM

You're right- I stand corrected. Large companies never trick the public into spending more money. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go fill my tank up at $3.20 a gallon then go to the store to buy some bottled water and $2 energy drinks.

lee

steveinphilly · June 7, 2007 6:59AM

>The whole ridiculousness of the #40 Jeter situation is what's lost here. Everybody is still busting packs looking for this card, regardless of the fact that:
>
>A- It's not short-printed, and in no way is hard to find. There are probably 2,000,000 of this card floating around.
>B- You can get one for under $5 on ebay

You're right, and I am a self-proclaimed idiot for continuing to chase it. Because even though I've spent $70 on blaster packs to no avail, (a) I will still buy the factory set when it comes out, and these cards are more or less wasted and will sit in a box until I die, (b) I won't likely every try to finish the insert sets because I don't collect the Topps base set insert sets, only Heritage, and (c) I should just buy the damn thing on eBay.

But it's like staying at a slot machine after losing $10 of quarters--surely my luck will change soon! I know that my chances of getting it in each blaster pack are nearly 1 in 5, but I say to myself after each one, "Surely this one has to be the one after so many coming up dry." Irrational, I know. Maybe now that Series 2 is out, I'll stop.

At least I'm not buying the blasters on eBay for $12 plus shipping.

Where does the name "blaster" come from, anyway?

stown · June 7, 2007 7:32AM

<< With all of the people searching and tampering with the packs, they should be behind a counter or in an area where an employee is supervising.

Lee >>

Since insert cards are normally thicker and/or heavier, there is absolutely no reason you should touch any packs.

I know it sucks because back in the day, I though that I had the touch; even though it was nothing more than complete randomness and pure luck. I'm willing to give up that right so everyone can have an equal shot.

But maybe that's just me......

TNTonPMS · June 7, 2007 10:50AM

Does anyone out there happen to have the Copper or the Platinum , Jeter/Bush /Mantle ?

I haven't . . Not even a gold yet for crying out loud

SlangNRox · June 7, 2007 11:17AM

Since the printing plates were inserted into packs it seems like there would only be 1 run of these cards made and that the Jeter card wouldn't be any harder to get than any other card in the set. I remember a Jeter printing plate going for around $1500 when there was a lot of hype about the card.

steveinphilly · June 7, 2007 12:28PM

<< I have these cards left to finish my sets, do you have any of them from the boxes you opened? If you have them all, I could trade you a Jeter for them.

Base
29,101

Wal-Mart inserts
2

Own the Game
3,4,9,17,18,21,22,24 >>

I'm not sure how to send a private message, but I have all of these except for three of the OTG's: 9, 18 and 21. PM me if you'd do the trade for 8 of the 11 you need. Thanks.

mreuter · June 7, 2007 1:07PM

You have to turn your PM on, I think it is in your control panel, then I can send you a message.

1989FleerBillRipkencollector · June 7, 2007 4:59PM

<< Since the printing plates were inserted into packs it seems like there would only be 1 run of these cards made and that the Jeter card wouldn't be any harder to get than any other card in the set. I remember a Jeter printing plate going for around $1500 when there was a lot of hype about the card. >>

There was a short mention of plates in Beckett not too long ago saying they either thought or knew ?? they make more than one of ea. color in case of snags.

puggy · June 7, 2007 6:24PM

So why does topps have 2 diffrent series. So I take it series two has the better cards in it.I was looking at wal-mart they had 3 boxes of series one. And 4 season openers.What is the diffrence.Why can't they just put the cards in one series.Well this way they make more money.So which is better topps or topps turkey red.I don't collect much baseball.So What I am trying to say is which one is better to buy.

lostdart58 · June 7, 2007 8:27PM

<< I buy some cards at my wal-mart they don't have there's behind a counter.They are off so you can get to them if there is people in line.I work at wal-mart I am going to be the dept.manager of the meat dept.If me and a couple of guys sees a new beckett box in the back room.Has not been on the shelf yet we open it and see if there is a box of something we want if there is we take it out and go buy it before any one else has a chance to. >>

Don't play with the meat in the back room.

Wal-Mart idiocy

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