Sshhh! Don’t look now, but Panini is right behind you, checking you out. Nononono, don’t look, don’t look! No, seriously I think Panini’s looking to put some hardcore moves on you.
What’s it doing? Well, right now it’s kind of just sitting in the corner watching a couple others fight, but there’s something about it. I don’t know. It’s like every time one of them loses something in the heat of the fight, it just quietly leans down and picks it up and puts it in their pocket. And it keeps looking over at you with it’s Italian eyes as if to say, “Can you believe these two?”
Yeah, maybe you should go for it. I mean the one seems to be spiraling out of control (and might be insane) and the other one sometimes acts like they’re God’s gift, when really they’re kind of dull. Yeah, Panini can be pretty dull sometimes, too.
Think of it this way. At least with Panini you have more variety – much more than those other two, these days. Plus, Panini may not always be the best looking or the flashiest, but it at least seems loyal and won’t try to screw you over. Okay, okay, red alert. Panini’s coming this way. What are you going to do?
This little play was brought to you by the “How did Panini so quietly become such a force in the industry?” committee. Exclusive basketball, near-exclusive football by default, popular minor league baseball releases, hockey starting next season, a massive ultimatum to distributors and wholesalers in favor of hobby stores. Look out Topps. They may squeak under the door or through the window and force company.
I seriously think their ultimatum will fall through… They will quickly realize that hobby stores, while important, aren’t the future. Now, if they really jump the shark and cut out everyone by selling their products direct. Well, then they’ll lose all their business.
That said, the business savvy part of me might consider opening a hobby store in a high traffic area that needs a card shop if the companies start catering more to brick and mortar than to the Blowouts of the world.
Yeah, I’m sitting on the fence with a cynical expression.
The Real Person!
The Real Person!
I could have sworn this rule was in effect hobby-wide last time I checked (which was, admitedly, probably 1998). Sure, the only card sellers then were on Angelfire but the producers were pretty strict about shipping directly to anyone without a brick and mortar storefront.
I’ll admit that I don’t understand how the business works at all on that end (I’ll go ahead and assume it’s full of middle men and shady dealings), but forcing people to leave their houses to buy cards sounds like a plan that’s destined to backfire. We’re 3/4 on our way to Idiocracy as it is… I really don’t see Pannini changing that course.
Mmmmmm… sandwiches.