The Razor/Tim Beckham deal is good for The Hobby.
There, I've said it.
Even though I'll never purchase a single pack of Razor -- acquisition of a Major League license notwithstanding -- their exclusive deal with Beckham and two other first-round draft picks is a win-win for everyone in The Hobby. It's a win for Razor for obvious reasons; a once-obscure start-up bought itself instant credibility. It's a win for future first-round draft picks who'll now be able to sell their likeness on the open market to whomever they want (Razor, D'Russ, Topps, et al), for whatever they think they're worth.
Believe it or not it's a win for Topps and Upper Deck, as players like Beckham will now have the novel concept of having their "true" rookie cards issued the same year they make their Major league debut; thereby spurring demand of all Major League products, across the board. This, of course, was the original intent of the Players Association "Rookie Card" rule of a few years ago.
And it's a win for the collector. Based on what they've said thus far, Razor's going to give card collectors what they actually want, instead of what they think they want. Granted, they haven't actually issued anything, and this may be all empty rhetoric. Actions, after all, speak louder than words. But in an era where the legacy companies have skimped on quality and customer service, settled for mediocrity in most of their products (especially on the low-end of the scale), and have put most of their creative efforts into gimmicks, this is refreshing.
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6 comments:
How can this be good for the hobby? For those of us who simply want a card of any player it's horrible. I'm not a junky. I don't slab cards. I don't buy 500 black boxes of cards. I just enjoy opening a pack/box and seeing what's inside. One of my favorite sets is the Bowman draft pick and prospect set because it's fun. Many of those players will never ammount to anything but I enjoy it because I get cards of guys that are on their way up. Sometimes I may follow a player because of the scouting report, or it turns me on to a player I might not know about. Exclusive deals are horrible for the hobby on any level.
I really hope this spurs Topps to axe the Bowman brand. Bowman single-handedly ruined many base sets over the years by just being a dumping ground for any and all "prospects" in A/AA ball who still only have about a 10% chance of making it to the big leagues. It's only common sense that a player should have a rookie card when that player makes a major-league roster. Leave minor-league cards for pure minor league sets.
wouldn't these Razor cards be considered "true RC's" even if they can't but the team logo on the card?
I mean look at last years EE
Neither Razor nor Donruss have a Major League license. Therefore any cards they issue are not considered real rookie cards.
Chris, you say you won't buy the cards . . . but aren't you curious? I mean I am, If I can get a box for 60 bucks and I know that the top minor leaguers signed the cards, why not? Especially if they can do what Tristar did and offer 4 autos and 4 game used per box. 65 bucks doesn't sound too bad when you know only the signed guys are going to be signing.
I don't collect minor league cards.
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