My Topps Customer Service Experience & Redemption Mail Day Results

About two and a half weeks ago I called Topps and requested a replacement for an outstanding 2012 Topps Chrome Mark Barron Autograph. 

They said it would take about two weeks for my request to be fulfilled.  They weren't kidding, as last week my mail day arrived. 

My $25.00 Mark Barron autograph was officially replaced with a 2013 Bowman Football autograph of quarterback Mike Glennon.

I think I did pretty good!  I went from a defensive player with little potential for a value in crease, to a QB with potential for a value increase!  Granted, Mike Glennon's days might be numbered in Tampa Bay with the new coaching staff coming in and cleaning house, but he was one of the better performing rookie QBs from the 2013 class.  If he gets put in the right offense and in the right situation, I could see him being a serviceable QB.

I also got my blue wave pack.  I was really concerned that they might not send it or claim that they ran out but lucky for me I got one.  Unfortunately I didn't get any really top players.  I guess Morris Claiborne is the best card of the four that I got.  These are really beautiful cards in person when the sunlight hits them just right.

I had a pleasant experience dealing with Topps customers service, all the way from phone call to receipt of cards.  I can't complain.  I know that a lot of people have said that Topps has some of the worst customer service of all the card companies, but I experienced nothing of the sort.  I'm happy.

Eddie Lacy Mailday From Upper Deck!

About three months ago I hit a Eddie Lacy Greats of the Game redemption in a box break with JD Jammin Sports Cards. 

On Friday I got the signed card in the mail!

This is an awesome card.  I've only seen two other redemptions for this card on eBay.  Both sales averaged $30.  Considering that there are only three in total circulation at this time, I think it should be worth more.  It's going in my PC for now. 

Beckett Grading Services (BGS) Authentic vs. Altered

While perusing the Blowout Cards forums I saw one interesting post in which somebody asked:

What's the lowest grade you can get on a BGS graded card?

Some people will likely say "authentic," but I believe the best answer is "1". 

First, let's look at Beckett's grading scale which is visible for all to see on their website.  It clearly shows that the lowest score you can get on a graded card is a "1". 

Poor 1

Centering: 100/0 or offcut on front or back. Heavy diamond cutting is allowed. Corners: Heavily rounded or heavily notched with noticeable layering. Edges: Destructive chipping, notching or layering. Surface: Severe print spots. Heavy creases. Severe color or focus imperfections. Heavy border discoloration. Severe stains. No original gloss. Heavy scuffing or a severe tear.

I've never seen a modern card graded that low, but in theory such a score can be obtained. 

So what is an "authentic" grade?  An authentic grade is Beckett's certification that the card contained within the slab is an authentic card made by the manufacturer, and that it's not a fake card or has been altered in any way.

How does a person usually get an authentic grade?  Usually an authentic grade occurs when you send your card to Beckett for BGS grading, and you tell them not to put a grade on the card unless it meets a certain grade of your choice, and if it doesn't then it gets the authentic grade and a blue flip. 

For example, most people will send in cards to Beckett for BGS grading and only ask for a grade if the card grades a 8.5 or higher.  This is because a grade of 8.5 is still considered near-mint, and the slab will receive a silver metallic flip in the slab.  BGS grades of 8.0 or less receive the dreaded white paper flip in the slab.  So because people are afraid to get the dreaded paper flip in the slab -- which doesn't look as good as a silver or gold flip and because the low grade reduces the card's value -- people will choose to just get an authentic grade instead.  This way, when the person sells the card later on, at least it has Beckett's certification that the card is authentic, and the buyer is unaware (unless they examine the card closely within the slab) that the card has some sort of flaws which prevented it from getting a higher grade. 

This is a card with a BGS Authentic grade.

The above picture is an example of a BGS Authentic card.  Note the blue flip, and the words "AUTHENTIC" in the upper right corner.  This card has Beckett's certification that the card is an authentic card made by Panini, from the Epix brand, that the card is not counterfeit*, and the card has not been altered.

(*Side Note: the "authentic" grade only pertains to the card and not to the patch inside the card.  Some people try to increase the value of a card when selling it by taking out bland single colored patches, and putting in fake multi-colored patches.  BGS will still give cards the authentic grade even if the card contains a fake patch.) 

It is important to note that an "authentic" grade is different from an "authentic-altered" grade (sometimes just known as "altered.")  The authentic-altered grade means that the card is authentic, but that it has been altered in some way, usually in an attempt by someone to try and get a higher BGS grade. 

This is a card with a BGS Authentic-Altered grade.

The above card is an example of an authentic-altered grade.  Note that the authentic-altered grade still receives a blue flip, but the flip says "AUTHENTIC ALTERED."  This makes it clear that while the card is an authentic card from Topps, it has been altered in some way. 

In fact, when Beckett Grading Services thinks that the card has been altered in some way, they'll even send you a little note telling you what they think is wrong.

This card received an Authentic-Altered grade because of shaved edges.

This particular Joe Montana card received the authentic-altered grade because the grader believed that the front top, and front left edges were shaved. 

So which grade is lower, an authentic grade, an authentic-altered grade or a BGS 1 grade?

Technically, I believe that the BGS 1 grade is a lower grade.  The authentic and authentic-altered grades are not actually grades per se; they're just statements by BGS that the card is authentic or altered.  A card that receives an authentic grade, could still grade out to be a BGS 6.0 (I'm just picking an arbitrary number) but because the person who submitted the card for grading put a grade minimum of 8.5 or higher, that is why it got the authentic grade.  Similarly, a card which receives an authentic-altered grade could still be in much better shape despite its supposed alterations, than a BGS 1 graded card. 

So if you ask me, I believe that a BGS 1 is the lowest grade you can get when getting a card graded.

A "1 Poor" grade is the lowest you can get from BGS or BVG.

Some people claim that some really beat up vintage cards, which are so beat up that they can't even attain a BVG 1 grade, will get authentic grades.  After perusing eBay for some examples, this claim appears to be true.  The picture below is one example. 

This particular card is in such poor condition it cannot even attain a BVG 1 Poor grade.

So in some cases, yes, an "authentic" grade can be the absolute lowest grade you can get.  But keep in mind that what "authentic" really means is just that the card is legitimate, not counterfeit, and not altered.  Some cards with authentic grades will actually be in much better condition than cards which receive BGS 1 or BVG 1 grades (such as the Brett Favre card, above). 

In conclusion, BGS 1 or BVG 1 is the absolute lowest actual grade you can get when having your card graded by BVG or BGS; however, in some instances, an authentic grade can indicate that the card is in even worse condition than a BGS/BVG 1 although not all the time.  Basically, just use your own judgment and don't automatically presume that a card with an authentic grade is in really bad condition.  It could be in very good condition or better, but it just didn't meet the minimum grade requested by the person who submitted it for grading.

My Topps Customer Service Experience & Replacement Redemption Experience

Since I've been in the hobby, I've always heard from others about Topps' horrible customer service.  For the most part, it seems like there are complaints about long hold times on the telephone, getting the run around from whomever they talk to, and getting poorly valued replacements for redemptions.  I've never experienced Topps' customer service because I've never had occasion to... until now.

I've been waiting on a Mark Barron autograph from 2012 Topps Chrome Football.  It's been almost one year and eight months since the product released and he still hasn't signed his cards.  I doubt he will ever sign.  That being the case, I figured I might as well request a replacement autograph.  I also wanted to get my blue wave pack before Topps' ran out of them.  (All 2012 Topps Chrome redemption cards were to be fulfilled with a special pack of blue wave cards.)  In all honesty, I'm more concerned about getting a blue wave pack than getting a good replacement autograph.

So on Friday during my lunch break, I called Topps' Consumer Relation phone number at 1-800-489-9149 and found myself on hold, and second in line for service.  Within 30 seconds, another pre-recorded messaged played telling me I was first in line.  This was a pleasant surprise.  I had heard horror stories of people being on hold for -- literally -- an hour before speaking to someone.  Perhaps I just caught Topps on a good day when they weren't busy, or maybe they were making a very big effort to improve their customer service.

After another 30 seconds a woman picked up the phone.  She introduces herself as "Remy" and asked me my name.  I told her.  I guess she typed it into a computer and named off all four redemptions that I currently had outstanding.  (Impressive!)  Good thing I have a fairly unusual last name.  I can only imagine if your name is something very common like "Mike Johnson" or something, a dozen people might pop up in their database and then they'd have to figure out which one you are.

Next she asked what I was calling for.  I told her I wanted a replacement on my Mark Barron autograph redemption.  She said that was fine and asked me to hold while she looked up "how much the card is going for."

I thought it was a bit funny how they were trying to ascertain a price or value for this card, which never was produced (because Mark Barron never signed it).  At most, whatever value they came up with would only be theoretical.  I suppose you could rely on the sale history of the redemption card, but eBay didn't have any current sales of Mark Barron 2012 Topps Chrome autograph redemptions.

I was on hold for about four minutes when all of a sudden, I heard a click.  She had hung up on me.  It was likely an accident, but still annoying.

So I called back.  This time, I was immediately connected to a different representative.  She was a woman, and took about three minutes taking down my information and request again.  She then put me on hold.  After another minute on hold a second woman came onto the line and said that she was going to transfer me to another representative "to complete this matter."  Could the last person I talked to not complete this matter herself?  Not having much of a choice, I said okay.  Next, a third woman answers the phone, and immediately puts me on hold.  Why?  I don't know.

So at this point, between the two phone calls, I had spoken to four different ladies.  The first one hung up on me, and the next three just kept putting me on hold and transferring me to other people.

Finally, the fourth person (for this phone call) picks up the line, and asks me what I want.  I tell her again, and give her my name.  She tells me she's Remy, the gal I talked to on the first phone call, and that she accidentally hung up on me.  She apologized and noted that she's sitting at someone else's desk right now and this person's phone (or phone line) is messed up and it sometimes disconnects when it shouldn't.  Okay, no biggie.  She then tells me she's going to put me on hold so she can go look up the card's Beckett Value.  Did she not get around to doing that the first time I called?

After being on hold for another few minutes, Remy came back on the line.  She explained that the Mark Barron autograph had a Becket Value of $25.00 and that I would be getting a card of equal or greater value within one or two weeks.  I said that was fine, but I wanted to make sure that I got a blue wave pack too.  She said she'd put a note in the order, and that the orders are processed by a different department so she personally couldn't do anything about it.  Fair enough.  I thanked her for her help and that was it.

Overall I wouldn't say that my experience with Topps' customer service was bad at all.  Sure there was a dropped call, a little bit too much transferring between representatives, but I wasn't on hold for a long time and the representatives were fairly pleasant.

Now, the only question remaining is whether the card I receive from Topps will have an equal or greater value of $25.00, and whether I get my blue wave pack...

2014 Upper Deck Football Blaster Box Break #1

I picked up a blaster box of 2014 Upper Deck Football.  I haven't opened a blaster before.  I have opened up a hobby box of this product and liked it a lot so I figured I'd give the blasters a try too.

The blasters are a little expensive.  They're $19.99 plus tax, for 35 cards and a bonus pack of Johnny Manziel career highlight cards (5 cards).  That's basically $20 for 40 cards, or about 50 cents per card.  That is pretty steep for a low end retail product.  But on the plus side, the blaster box does guarantee you over 35 rookie cards in the blaster.  In other words, you're not going to get a ton of worthless veteran base cards. 

The only notable cards I got were a Blake Bortles rookie card, and a Jordan Lynch rookie card.  I don't have either of those yet, so I was glad to get those rookie QBs. 

I was pretty lucky and also got one SSP card and one SP card.  The SSP card was a Aaron Colvin rookie card, and the SP card was a Martavis Bryant rookie card.  I actually got a SP Martavis Bryant rookie card in my hobby box, so now I have two.

The Johnny Manziel cards were unremarkable.  I don't think they're really true rookie cards so I'll probably sell them. 

Overall, not a bad break.  I got lots of rookie cards, one top QB draft draft pick, a SP rookie card, and a SSP rookie card.  There are worse ways to spend $20.  I can live with the outcome of this blaster. 

2014 Upper Deck Football Box Break #1

I bought myself a hobby box of 2014 Upper Deck Football.  I bought this box off of Blowout Cards for about $90.  The price is a little on the high side for what I think it should be, but I wanted to bust some 2014 product.  Anyways, here's the damage.    

Notable Base Rookie Cards:

Johnny Manziel

Sammy Watkins SP (not pictured)

Jimmy Garoppolo

Tom Savage

Martavis Bryant SP

1994 UD Tribute Star Rookie Inserts:

Marion Grice 

Stephen Morris

Taylor Lewan

College Tribute:

Penn State's White Out

UD Authentics:

Blake Bortles

Bruce Ellington

Jeff Mathews (not pictured)

Upper Deck Letterman:

James White (New England Patriots, 4th Round, 130th Overall)

Stephen Morris (Undrafted)

Rookie Autographs:

Devin Street (Dallas Cowboys, 5th Round, 146th overall)

Post-Break Thoughts: 

Overall, I think this was an "okay" box.  My hits weren't great.  Stephen Morris went undrafted in the 2014 NFL Draft.  It always sucks when one of your hits is an undrafted free agent.  Devin Street isn't a big name, nor is James White.  I wasn't expecting, but I sure was hoping to get at least one big name hit in the box. 

On the other hand, the inserts weren't bad at all.  I did well on the UD Authentics, getting three of them in this box.  I think most boxes only have one or two.  Even better, two out of three were big name players.  Obviously, Bortles is a good guy to get, and Bruce Ellington is supposedly to be a baller. 

The College Tribute cards are cool, and I'm lucky to get one in my box, but I'll probably sell the White Out. 

Would I buy another box of this?  Yes, but only at the right price.  I definitely wouldn't pay more than $100 for a box of this.  A fairer price point is probably around $80.00.

BGS Grading Tip: Ink on Edge Will Result in Low Grade

I was watching a BGS mailday video by UltimateBoxBreaks.com and came across something really interesting. 

One of the cards that was sent in was a Denarius Moore 2011 Panini Prime Signatures 1/1.  Unfortunately, that card came back with a final BGS grade of 5.0!

What in the world caused it to get such a low grade?!   Well, BGS was nice enough to include a note with the card stating why its final grade was so low.  It was because there was ink on one of the edges.

Here's a screen-grab one the ink on the edge.  I've circled it in red.  It's actually a very small ink mark.  It looks like the player (or maybe the owner of the card) accidentally nicked one of the edges of the card with either a sharpie or a ball point pen.  Either way, the results is a really really, and I mean really, bad edges subgrade.

I even looked up the BGS grade online.  Here it is.

The edges got a 4!  This just goes to show how careful you have to be handling your cards, and inspecting them for flaws before you send them in.

(And as a side note, it is worth noting that the card's final grade was a whole 1.0 higher than its lowest subgrade, which is a rare exception to the general rule that you can only get 0.5 higher than your lowest subgrade.  Check out this Beckett BGS Grading blog post for more information on that.)

Now, I've already blogged about the ink stain problems on 2013 Topps Five Star Football cards.  Imagine if you sent one of those cards in for BGS grading.  You'd probably get just as low of a grade, or perhaps even a lower grade.  I've seen some 2013 Topps Five Star Football cards with big time ink stains on the corner edges -- much bigger than that little ink mark on this Denarius Moore card.  It would be such a shame if you hit a really nice card in your box of 2013 Topps Five Star Football only to find out that it had ink stains on one of the corners.  Since you would only expect that card to get a final BGS grad of about 5.0, then its value would be incredibly diminished.

UPDATE:  Since I wrote this blog post, UltimateBoxBreaks.com did another Beckett BGS Grading mailday video, and two 2013 Topps Five Star Football cards came back upgraded because of ink stained corners.   Apparently the ink stained corners were so bad that BGS didn't want to grade them.  I'm assuming that the grades the cards would have received would be even less than a 4.0.