Sunday Question
Topps really did well the Million Card Giveaway promotion (even if some collectors were mad the site opened late on the 15th). The marketing was done so well for this promotion I received email and texts from people who do not collect cards telling me about it.
They all wanted to make sure I knew about it. With a polite smile, I said “I think I heard something about this.”
What has made this promotion such a big draw? There are several blog posts throughout the day of redemptions. Collectors want more cards – which you can find on eBay.
What has made this so popular?
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I think the reason people are so fascinated by it is that you have a chance (albeit a small one) of winning a real vintage Topps card from the 50's or 60's. It's irresistible.
it's the same reason why 73 people comment on a blog post labelled "contest".
people love free stuff… and the chance at the big prize.
I got 7 emails from people asking for my paypal address for my faux "350,000 card giveaway"
The allure of the unknown? I think it is why we buy packs in the first place. This just adds another layer to that.
I think it's the chance to see old cards that you may have forgotten about or never saw at all. I'm using it as a way to teach the kids more about baseball and cards. We "won" a Colt .45s card and that created a chance to explain the Astros.
Its the instant gratification.
With mail-in redemptions there is the wait and the work of mailing in a card. Also, the availablity of the codes is relatively easy to other redemptions. 1 every 6 packs and 1 every jumbo makes the chase pretty easy.
The popularity of the Million Card promotion is like scratch-off lottery tickets. How it works is easy to grasp and what you can win is the allure.
I think this promotion will take on another life of its own once the trading aspect gets going. Topps needs to push THAT and not the whole "what's it worth" that has killed mainstream acceptance of the hobby in the past.
I think it's caught on for several reasons, some of which have been mentioned already:
1. From past experiences with Topps buyback programs (a 1988 card from a box of 1991 Topps, a 1988 Topps Traded Ty Griffin from 2001 Topps Traded, a redemption for a pack of 1983 Topps from 2001 Topps), I was expecting a lot of 80s and 90s leftovers. This hasn't been the case at all. Sure there's lots of those popping up but there's also lots of genuine vintage stuff as well.
2. It's easy.
3. Redemptions aren't tough to come by.
4. The element of surprise.
5. Added value. I'm already happy getting to bust one pack. With my couple of redemptions, it's been like opening another pack wondering what's inside.
6. Trading is encouraged.
7. The promotion taps into nostalgia. It's a shared experience, even for those of us who started collecting in the last 25 years since the hobby boomed into what it is today.
8. We all want a 52 Mantle!
Canuck: Faux?! You meanie!
But really, I think it's easy and fun for people to try. It doesn't cost a lot of money, people can pick up a pack or two of Topps and have a decent chance of getting a card. I think it'll do wonders for the hobby by bringing people back. I hope they do something like it again, perhaps with other sports (if possible).
It's like sticking your hand into a giant box full of every card ever made and seeing what you come up with. It's pure genius. I bought a jumbo box so I could knock out the set and I still find myself wanting to pick up a pack or two when I run errands.
Yep its the lottery concept – everybody knows your chances of getting a great card are slim, but it is worth a try.
really any time you open a pack of cards and you are not building the set you are doing the same thing.
You want the star player for your team, the best relic or auto from the set etc.
I'll echo what everyone else said:
The Giveaway is like opening a pack online.
And what collector doesn't like opening a pack to see what they'll get?
since others left the same thoughts about me from the promotion, I'll handle it from Topps POV.
Great promotion for Topps – they didn't have to buy a million cards for the promotion and they get great word of mouth advertising from the media exposure they carried out by using Cal Ripken and Keith Olbermann.
Topps also makes out great on the shipping of the cards – how many will actually have the card shipped in hand when the majority of the cards are worth less than the cost of shipping?