Monday I returned home after a weekend getaway that capped off about six weeks of non-stop, non-hobby related stuff I’ll just call “Life.” I’d been thinking about getting back to my writing lately because I miss sharing thoughts and being involved. So when I opened my email this afternoon and saw a message from COMC advertising that it is now accepting returns “no questions asked” I knew I had to sit down and get my thoughts out.
I’ll say this up front: I love COMC. I love having the victual card shop open 24-7 and the idea of taking a break from every day tasks to so what I love — add items to my collection.
That said, I think this announcement Monday is really a step in the wrong direction.
In it’s email, COMC stated that it would accept returns from buyers within 60 days of the original date or purchase, or 30 days from the delivery date of an item, WITH NO QUESTIONS ASKED. The site also says that if someone purchases an item and repriced it (i.e. tried to flip it on the site to no avail) then the returns cannot occur, so that’s good.
While I believe the site decided to do this to improve customer service and grow its footprint in the hobby, I think this advertised policy panders to the ever-growing issue we are facing on other selling platforms such as scams (i.e. cards being switched out), and other unsavory activity, and really opens the door for a lot of uncertainty.
We operate in a very fluid market. The majority of cards are not all that different from one another, with the exception that they may show a photo of a different player. What makes those cards different in value is the demand which is often linked to the player showcased on the cards. And those values fluctuate DAILY based on performance, changes in a team’s standing, any legal issues someone may be facing, and any other reason you can think of. And it is this fluidity that makes the idea of returns an absolutely horrendous idea.
A card that is bought for $100 today and then delivered within a week could lose half of that value by the time it is even in the hands of a buyer. And if that is the case, should that person be able to get their money back no questions asked?
Absolutely not.
When you decide to buy a sports card, regardless of whether you’re buying for your collection, or as an investment, you are taking a chance. Period. This is how collectibles work. You cannot simply just return them when the price dips below the price of what you paid. This creates a very unstable market, and it actually has an adverse affect as a whole because the sellers cannot simply spend that new income, they almost have to let it sit for a while — in this case up to 60 days — before they can be assured the money they are seeing in their account is actually theirs.
And it is at this point that I will point out that COMC is not the only reason I am harping on this topic because other outlets allow for returns, including eBay, which in its present state also fails to recognize the fluidity of the collectibles market as it strives to make buyers happy while not even considering the sellers.
Many sellers such as myself have fallen victim to return policies, and even had eBay FORCE OUR HAND to accept returns even when we check the OPTION as seller which says we do not accept them. I chose not to accept them because the market is fluid. If I offer you an hot item and you buy it at a high price, I should be able to celebrate the transaction without fear that the purchase will be reversed due to BUYER’S REMORSE.
COMC and eBay are not Target and Walmart, and we are not talking about a storage container that does not fit in our garages or a T-Shirt that is one size too small. We are dealing in small pieces of cardboard that appreciate and depreciate in value and if you happen to be on the wrong end of a deal that was done in good faith, then you should have to live with your decision.
As I said earlier, I am sure the return policies were enacted in good faith. And I absolutely believe that if a person receives a card that was improperly portrayed (i.e. a fake card or one in worse condition than described) they should be able to get their money back or be compensated. But such returns should be limited, and the time frame for such returns should be much smaller and ONLY ALLOWED on a case by case basis. Hell, even many big box retailers — which operate on a larger scale and have “loss” factored into their annual budgets — already know how volatile these markets are and typically do not allow returns on cards or collectible toys.
That said, when it comes to COMC’s policy, it really should also protect the seller from financial loss, and any money that is returned to the buyer should be paid for by the company and not the seller, especially if its due to condition reasons since COMC is the entity handling the cards.
I would implore you all to read the policy because the last portion also could have a weird impact for opportunists, The policy now allows sellers to GET THEIR CARDS BACK if they were claim they priced the card wrong and it sold within three hours of listing. In other words, if someone accidentally sells a Michael Jordan autograph for $129 instead of $1299 as intended, they can get their card back. This is insane to me because it takes away one of the charms of COMC, which is the ability to pounce on the error of a careless seller.
“Oh yeah! I got a 1-of-1!” –
Posted in Box / Pack Break, Commentary, Kid Collectors with tags 1-of-1, baseball, baseball cards, DJ LeMahieu, fatherhood, parenthood, Printing Plate, Topps, Topps Chrome, Topps Chrome Update, Yankees on November 6, 2019 by Cardboard IconsTopps Chrome Update Mega Boxes are all the rage right now. And on Thursday night during a stop at Target to get groceries I lucked into a group of four boxes that were tucked behind some blasters.
This is my third time seeing them “in the wild” since their release. And even though I told myself I was done with them after buying a few last week, the fact that they were 10% off This week made me grab the remaining four.
I opened two in car — pulled a Vlad Jr. rookie and a green Refractor Hunter Pence /99 — and decided to keep the other two sealed until I picked up my kids. I figured I’d let me son pick one and open it if he decided to buy one with his birthday money.
I presented the option to him and of course he opted in at the $18 price tag. He looked at the two sealed boxes I had on the kitchen table and held one in his hand, looking at the odds. And then at the last second he switched the boxes with me … which I didn’t mind. This was about HIM, not me.
He used my keys to pierce the cellophane wrapper and then unboxed the seven packs. He grabbed the first one and ripped the back. It was at that moment — at about 8:50 pm Pacific on 11/5/19 — he had a monumental experience.
“Oh yeah! I got a 1-of-1!” he exclaimed as he pulled off the wrapper.
I was shocked. I stood up to get a better look — it was a yellow printing plate for Yankees second baseman DJ LeMahieu’s All Star Game card, #70 in the set. My son puts his cards in binders, sorted by team. Because that’s what you do when you’re new to the hobby — he’s only been actively involved for about a year.
“That’ll go in a holder,” he said as he looked at the metal card.
The moment got be excited, and damn near made my cry. Parenthood will do that.
We high-fived. We hugged. We talked about how hard it is to get one.
And not once — not even to this moment — did we talk about value, worth, resell price, etc.
I was 18 when I pulled my first 1-of-1. It, too, was a printing plate. It was a plate for a 1998 Topps Gallery Nomar Garciaparra that literally fell out of a pack I opened at the register at R&K Comics in Sunnyvale, Calif. I was in college at the time and sold it a few weeks later when I realized the card could net me enough to pay for a semester of books.
The market has certainly shifted over the last two decades — printing plates aren’t nearly as desirable, and more people than before argue against their 1-of-1 status since there are typically four plates for each card, even though they are in different colors thereby making them unique as the card states in the rear.
But the experience is what makes this a huge deal, and it’s these father-son moments of bonding that keep me excited about this hobby.
On a side note, I came home last week with a Mega Box of the same product for him. He opened it and also hit an autograph of Yankees pitcher Chance Adams. He was excited do that pull, but nowhere near as excited as he was in this night with his first 1-of-1.
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