Over the last few years, Panini has sought to improve certain holidays of the year with collector friendly giveaways that promise free cards when buying certain products. Over the last few years, Fathers Day has become a day where people who love Panini will get their due – somewhat. This year, from what I can tell is no different. The packs sure sell for a ton of money, considering what is in them.
Here are some of the bigger cards from Father’s Day already up:
2014 Panini Father's Day Andrew Luck On Card Auto
2014 Panini Father's Day Johnny Manziel Logo Patch RC
2014 Panini Father's Day Kobe Bryant Jumbo Nike Logo Patch
2014 Panini Father's Day Michael Carter-Williams Jumbo Logo Patch
2014 Panini Father's Day Russell Wilson Manu-Patch Auto
Here is why I like Father’s Day packs – they are free. They get you something back when you have to stomach break after break of some of the worst products that Panini has to offer. Other than the fact that they are free, they really dont offer much outside of the normal stuff you would usually find in packs. In fact, I would go as far as saying that they offer somewhat worse stuff as to what you would expect from packs
. However, because they are free, its not that big a deal.
What most people dont understand is that Father’s Day, and Black Friday/National Card Show by association, are nothing more than ploys to clear out the stock of the distributors that Panini has chosen to get into bed with. Dont believe me? Check the list of products the shops had to buy cases of to get the packs sent out to them. Because so many of their products tank beyond belief, the distributors are left with huge overstocks of product that many card shops refuse to take on. Being that 2013 Football was easily one of the worst years of product in recent memory
, these packs need to provide some incentives for the shops to load up on boxes that they likely already have collecting dust on their shelves.
This isnt saying that Topps and UD dont have the same problem, but this is such an obvious situation that its hard to look the other way. Rather than shouldering a lot of the issue that they themselves have created, the people that ultimately feel the brunt of the burden is the shops. Now, IT DOES help that collectors have begun to latch on, and some shops do a much better job taking care of their customers than ever before, but this wreaks of desperation each and every time it is done.
All things considered, Panini could have just said – sorry distros, you bought it, you keep it, but many of their “partners” have already reduced Panini products well below cost to begin with. Not a good situation. Yet, instead of just admitting that the system is broken in the first place, and trying to make some better products along the way, programs like Father’s day come to be.
You are going to get card shop owners come on here and say “IM HAPPY TO BUY THE JUNK PRODUCTS BECAUSE MY CUSTOMERS LOVE THESE PACKS!” which isnt necessarily false. However, if this were a TRUE program to help the shops that supported Panini all along the way, they would not need to buy extra product to get the packs. The only entities that truly benefit from this program are not who you think they are. It surely isnt the collector and it surely isnt the shop.
This is good coverage of a topic that larger blogs would never take on because they don’t want to alienate their relationship with Panini. What awful terms to what could be a decent promotion. Shops shouldn’t be put in this position.
I can point to some promotions Leaf did where you send in barcodes within a certain time-frame and receive some extra cards, or you get the holiday packs for buying Leaf products. To my knowledge there were no strings attached. Just a company trying to move extra product. Panini, make products that sell themselves, then add on promotions to sell even more. Don’t make demands that result in card shops taking on unwanted inventory.
My LCS is so pitiful they probably don’t participate in these programs anyway. I need to move closer to the Hobby Box or Sports Cards Plus.
The point I am making here is Panini allows the card shop to apply the promotion as we wish (with some rules). Yes, I had to spend $15,000 to buy more of existing inventory products that for the most part were not selling very well, in order to get those 1104 Father Day Packs. But, when you add the value of the Father’s Day Pack to the products customers buy, everyone WINS!
I decided to give FREE Father’s Day Packs for ALL Panini products over three months old. We had a great weekend. Sales were nearly triple a normal weekend.
We still have hundreds of Father’s Day Packs that I will continue to give with purchases and other promotions in the days and weeks to come. Panini allows me to do that. This program will benefit me and my customers for weeks to come.
The biggest difference between Panini’s FREE PACK PROMOTIONS and that of the other manufacturers is the content of the packs. These packs are loaded with value. Every manufacturer has some products which don’t sell well. I wish all manufacturers had programs as good as Panini.
Any shop who didn’t participate in the 2014 Panini Father’s Day promotion lost an opportunity. Any shop who says, the Panini Promotion (Father’s Day or Black Friday) didn’t work for them, just didn’t do it right. Thanks Panini from me and my customers.
Charlie,
I love your shop, but I think you missed the entire point here. Your first paragraph sums it up.
1. You took on $15,000 worth of inventory, that from the looks of the list provided for the program, is horrible stuff. Considering how much you bought over the last year, this is beyond unfair to expect you to move EVEN more of the junk that even the DISTRIBUTORS cant sell below cost.
2. You have a shop that can handle this inventory, maybe, but that isnt the case for most of the shops out there. This program is not for you, its not for the customers, its for the distros to clear their shelves. The customers may love it, but you literally have to break the rules of the program so that they can participate. You are only supposed to give out packs on certain things. How is that right?
3. Do people like this program? Yes, they do. They do because it provides supplemental value when they purchase product that has a 90% loss of investment close to 98% of the time. The fact that this still wont make up for half of that is proof the program is just a ploy.
I like that you look at this from the perspective of your own shop, but it shouldnt be that way even for you.
In answer to your question:
1.You are only supposed to give out packs on certain things. How is that right?
Card shops are not limited as to what products for which we give Father’s Day Packs. And we did not have to give out a certain amount for each box purchased. I decided to give out at least one Father’s Day Pack for EVERY Panini Product (over 3 months old) for customer good will. Customer’s did not have to buy a product they didn’t want to get a Father’s Day Pack.
In the announcement on Panini’s blog – there was a list of products that customers were expected to buy to get packs. It was a while ago, maybe things have changed.