The Razor/Tim Beckham deal is good for The Hobby.
There, I've said it.
Even though I'll never purchase a single pack of Razor -- acquisition of a Major League license notwithstanding -- their exclusive deal with Beckham and two other first-round draft picks is a win-win for everyone in The Hobby. It's a win for Razor for obvious reasons; a once-obscure start-up bought itself instant credibility. It's a win for future first-round draft picks who'll now be able to sell their likeness on the open market to whomever they want (Razor, D'Russ, Topps, et al), for whatever they think they're worth.
Believe it or not it's a win for Topps and Upper Deck, as players like Beckham will now have the novel concept of having their "true" rookie cards issued the same year they make their Major league debut; thereby spurring demand of all Major League products, across the board. This, of course, was the original intent of the Players Association "Rookie Card" rule of a few years ago.
And it's a win for the collector. Based on what they've said thus far, Razor's going to give card collectors what they actually want, instead of what they
think they want. Granted, they haven't actually issued anything, and this may be all empty rhetoric. Actions, after all, speak louder than words. But in an era where the legacy companies have skimped on quality and customer service, settled for mediocrity in most of their products (especially on the low-end of the scale), and have put most of their creative efforts into gimmicks, this is refreshing.
Labels: bowman draft, razor
