by Mike Fruitman
If you had to name a product that defies typical cardboard logic, it is by far Topps Chrome NFL. That might be an awkward statement since few of today’s releases have the extended history that Chrome enjoys, but please hear me out.
For a product in today’s market to enjoy as much buzz as Chrome generates, with only offering a single autograph in each box it has to be something special. Not to call out a product, but if you told me that Topps Platinum NFL only offered one signature, I am not sure I would bring it into my store.
Throw in the chase element of only one autographed relic in a case (something that is now commonplace for a good number of other releases) and one would think that Topps was falling behind the times. That having been said, I have to think back a ways to remember a middle-end release that generated as many phone calls and visits after Chrome hit.
Try to think of another release where the big hits are more closely followed than when the 1/1 Superfractor singles get pulled. Seriously, when the Andrew Luck and RG3 Surerfractors get yanked, they will have the hobby
impact of unwrapping one of the Wonka Golden Tickets.
Speaking of Superfractors, Nick Foles will have to have one heck of a weekend to find a home at the $2,999.99 this eBay seller is looking for.
My store’s cases did not arrive until the Monday after release so for grins, I took count of how many calls I received for it over the weekend. I stopped when the count hit 40 and realized I would have to carefully price this product. Boxes were clearing 
$100 a box even from the industry dumpers so my regular customers took great delight in being able to buy one box at $79.
After one week, there were an impressive 28,000+ listings for 2012 Topps Chrome NFL on ebay, and there is no shortage of pulls generating sales that other sets dream about.
Now I am not sure this Andrew Luck rookie autographed patch card will hit the seller’s goal of $5K, you can bet that the eventual Luck Superfractor will hit that if not much more.
While I will surely be sold through my direct allocation by the end of the week, the hobby has to be encouraged by the ability of a single hit per box release to generate the absolute stampede that 2012 Topps Chrome NFL provided.
Mike Fruitman owns Mike’s Stadium Sportscards in Aurora, Colo. You can read his column here every week, focusing on what products are selling best in hobby shops. Enjoy new arrivals and big hits from Mike’s on Twitter. Mike’s is always looking for more friends on Facebook and you can email him at [email protected]
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[…] leading online retailers are right around the $100 per box mark. Other card shops say Chrome was flying out of the door during its initial release earlier this […]