2020 topps project

[Farm_kid]

I feel like I am late to the party, but I keep trying to convince myself to start picking up the rest of the George Brett cards for my PC

Or would I be better off waiting till later and picking these up for $5 a pop in a couple years?

I just checked PSA Population reports and there are already 2 Project 2020 cards graded. PSA 8 Cal Ripken Jr./Fucci and a PSA 10 Ermsy/Ichiro. Slightly interesting that the Ripken card has the player listed first, but on Ichiro's card, the artist is listed first. I wonder if that is how it will show on the flip?

[mferronibc]

Yea the problem I’m gonna have is the discipline to really limit myself to the new releases I love from the get-go (like the Jamieson McGwire) with about 300 still to go but unfortunately finding the more I look at ones I may not instantly want (like Ermsy Gibson) and learn about the artist, the more I want those too!! Damn you Topps and damn myself for being so impressionable!

I do agree though the ship has sailed on the >$100 cards with runs over 10,000 so I think there’s pretty low risk to passing now and buying later if I’m still haunted by having to have one. That being said, I don’t think they’re ever gonna be $5 a pop, should at least retain their $20-30 original price unless truly 400 was too many and big time fatigue sets in when we get into the 200-300 range. We’ll see- wild ride!

[Farm_kid]

Really good point. I like that idea of waiting until the fatigue sets in and the print runs start dropping. That would be the next time to get in possibly. Of course at that point, you would have to wait years before the hobby comes back to revisit the set. Could be 5 years, could be 20 years.

[mferronibc]

Just another observation - I have never seen the dynamic between auction and Buy It Now prices function this way. When it comes to vintage, I would literally never touch a BIN as they are always about 20-50% above what the card goes for on auction and there's absolutely no incentive to do so (except immediate availability). With P2020, literally on an hourly basis sometimes, the current auction for a card exceeds BIN prices out there so in a way the BIN becomes a guaranteed bargain based on immediate market value. And even when you see these outrageous BIN prices start to pop up for sellers to try to stay one step ahead it keeps happening.

[bigfanNY]

I would be very cautious about paying decent money for any project 2020 cards on ebay. Like the previous post noticed the auction pices seem a little hinkey. I voiced the same opinion about Topps Living and the prices for those cards has come down significantly.
I know there are alot of marginal collectors home killing time on ebay driving up some prices. But with these cards there are a few players that own a big piece of the available inventory. And that almost always leeds to prices being manipulated. Look maybe there will be a crossover market with cards and art. I have a couple old Nike posters that were photographed by Jeff Koons ( large metal balloon animals a couple permanent at the Met). So if one or more if these artists moves near the top of the foodchain then all of his cards would do well. But for now I think print runs in the 2 to 3k and 3-4k range produce more cards than there are collectors to buy them. Jmho

[Deadman31]

I’m gonna do a run of the Griffey Jr. and possibly the gold cards by Don C if there are more like the Frank Thomas. So far I have all four Griffey’s (Saladeen and Beck in hand, Taylor just shipped and waiting for Rochester Griffey and the Don C Thomas) I really screwed the pooch at the beginning figuring I could get Saladeen Griffey anytime but then the whole thing took off and I paid a pretty penny for it.

I like a lot of the other cards but financially I have to hold the line.

[mferronibc]

The more I see the hype/greed centered around this whole project (and I'm by no means claiming to be innocent) makes me wish Topps and/or the artisits had partnered up with a charity. Something to promote art education to intercity youth or even some type of Covid relief effort (especially considering the positive impact on sales by so many people being home right now and the well documented re-exploring their childhood passion for cards).

There is a very entertaining thread over on Blowout that I'll admit I read too much of but many just boasting about how much money they are making on the secondary market each day and even some of the artists seem to be capitalizing on the explosion in popularity outside of the project (see "money bear" if you are not familiar). Even in the recent interview on Sports Card Nation podcast, Blake Jamieson (who seemed like a nice enough guy) admitted to how the project is part of his marketing strategy to increase his popularity and drive future art sales. I not saying any of this is necessarily wrong, I have no problem with people making money, especially the artists for their work and if people are willing to pay exorbitant amounts of money for a card they know the seller paid $20 for 3 weeks ago that is their choice. But I think the whole thing would have a slightly less of a "greed cloud" to me if Topps from the get-go had pledged like 20% of profits to some greater good. Obviously the insane secondary market profits would not be subject but they are the biggest driver of the growing popularity of the project on a daily basis and Topps selling more $20 cards each day.

It's not too late, as was said above I agree around card 150-200 I think there is going to be a significant drop in interest due to fatigue especially as the secondary market finally stabilizes for older runs. Topps is going to need some incentive to keep buyers interested and attract new ones. Why not something philanthropic?