Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Getting cards in my hands???


I have been keeping up with a number of blogs regarding 2009 MLB products. It seems that there are some pockets of the country where product is missing. It is very disturbing to me because this is my livelihood. Its not always a case where product is not there either. Nine times out of ten when I do the research product is in the store its just not on shelf. Therefore it sits in the backroom, closets, locked offices etc. at retailers. Unfortunately this is one of the largest expenses in the business is to have account managers go and place the product on shelf.




Typically each distributor has service people go into each store each week and place product to a plan-o-gram and return old product. This means that if I service a store on Monday morning and product comes in Monday afternoon the product could sit in the backroom until I come back the next week. As the economy worsens the easiest way to cut cost at retail is to cut payroll hours. Which means there are less people to put products on shelf, less time to zone or organize shelves, more dependant on these service people, etc. Not to mention that the trading card section is so overwhelming to people that don't know the product.




Our system is designed to replace everything that sells, 1 for 1. There are many variables that go into it though. First off we dont always know how well a product is going to sell. IF we did I wouldn't be working here, I would be drinking Coronas and fishing in Belize! We have years of sales history but did we know 2008 Topps was going to be a stinker? No, did we know that 2009 Topps was going to do so well? Somewhat but we didn't know to this degree. If you let me know what store you are constantly not seeing product I will do what I can. No promises but I will do what I can.

By the way I added my first picture....I will put up some cards that I think are no brainers.


4 comments:

  1. I haven't been able to find any 09 Upper Deck cards in the Fox Valey Area of Northern Illinos at either Wal-Mart or Target

    Batavia, St Charles, Geneva, Wheaton, Naperville

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  2. I just discovered your blog. It is fascinating reading. I work for Wal-Mart. All of the stores in our area have put cards on the back side of the cigarette register. There really is no way to prevent pack searchers other than to throw them out of the stores, and that won't be done. Technically it is not illegal so what grounds would you use? I personally don't buy individual packs. I am more of a set collector so I go for the most value for the dollar. All of the 2009 Topps that I have bought so far this year have been jumbos and cereal boxes. I tend to go more for the $20 boxes, but I think they would lose too many sales if they dropped the $10 boxes.

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  3. what stores do not have '09 product??? Would Canada be too vague? How about Alberta? Calgary?

    I realize you have nothing to do with this, but I have to continue to vent somewhere...

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  4. Upper Deck is releasing in two waves. The blasters should be out and the single packs shoudl be hitting anyday now.

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