Topps continues to innovate and find opportunities to provide collectors new ways to collect.
The Topps Future Stars Club combines the club characteristics of the 582 Montgomery Club with the Subscription features of The Living Set and other on-demand offerings.
The Breakdown
Each month, members will pay $24.99 and receive (1) Trading Card Box, (1) 5-card set, and (1) collectible item. Shipping is free via SmartPost. Bryce Harper was named as the Future Stars Brand Ambassador.
The first three months of contents were outlined on topps.com and can be seen below. The trading card boxes will be an Opening Day Blaster in April, a Big League Hobby Box in May, and a Topps Series 2 Blaster box in June.
Here are the announced contents of the first three subscription boxes via Topps.com.
The theme of the first 5-card set is Left-hand power hitting outfielders and features Bryce Harper, Reggie Jackson, Yordan Alvarez, Christian Yelich, and Cody Bellinger.
Is it a good value?
Time will tell, but based on the first three months, it doesn’t look like a “bad” value. Opening Day Blaster boxes typically run $10-$15. 2019 Big League Hobby boxes are currently $25, but we don’t yet know if the version included in this program will be comparable. Flagship blasters are typically $20.
The 5 card sets seem somewhat comparable to the On-Demand or Montgomery Club offerings. If those values also compare, you could expect to sell singles for $1-$5 each on average and complete sets for $10-$20 depending on the checklist.
Then you add on the token value of the collectible item of the month. Month one is a logo patch, month two is a sticker, and the remaining months are TBD.
For $25 delivered, it seems fair with the potential for a decent return if selling is your kind of thing.
Wrapping it Up
I’m taking a shot on a subscription. I love the Montgomery Club, and I find these small sets kind of fun. The boxes will provide content for me to open on YouTube and write articles about on the blog. I usually buy a blaster of most products anyway, so this will essentially save me a trip to Wal-Mart.
We know the first three months will only be baseball products, but I’m interested to see if any soccer or entertainment products find their way into the club boxes.
Also, if you haven’t heard, I started a new Podcast called the WaxPackHero Sports Card Minute! It’s available here directly on the site at the Podcast link at the top of the page, or on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Play, and TuneIn! Check it out, let me know what you think, and tell your friends!
Here’s the inaugural bundle as shown on Topps.com