Topps released a statement on Twitter this morning announcing a new policy to help lower the cost of retail products and keep them at retail prices for consumers on the secondary market
The idea isn’t a new one, but it is new for Topps and Fanatics
Topps Statement
ANNOUNCEMENT: Following unprecedented demand for yesterday’s 2025-26 Topps Chrome Update Basketball pre-order, we’re working to provide collectors a chance to open packs at retail price.For Friday’s Topps Chrome Update Basketball Mega Box pre-order on our website, all boxes will ship with the plastic seal fully removed.While the cards and contents inside remain untouched, removing the factory seal helps discourage the immediate resale and gives more collectors an opportunity to purchase at retail.This initial test is part of a larger program working to ensure that more collectors can buy the products they love at retail prices.We want you to know that we are working tirelessly to make the collecting experience as enjoyable as possible for everyone… From first-time buyers to life-long collectors, and everyone in between.
ANNOUNCEMENT: Following unprecedented demand for yesterday’s 2025-26 Topps Chrome Update Basketball pre-order, we’re working to provide collectors a chance to open packs at retail price.For Friday’s Topps Chrome Update Basketball Mega Box pre-order on our website, all boxes… pic.twitter.com/dvsnBMldhD
— Topps (@Topps) July 8, 2026
Prices on The Secondary Market
After the initial COVID boom, things died down on the secondary market, but with Topps consolidating a lot of the licenses, we’ve seen the secondary market and resellers charging more and more above the initial release price from Topps
In their yearly Topps Industry Conference earlier this year, Topps and Fanatics made a point to address the concerns of rising secondary market costs. If things double after release, it tends to cut more of the market out. The idea to unseal the mega boxes should, in theory, help the market out as it should make reselling less of a priority as consumers will not want to purchase unsealed product. Obviously, some will pay above market cost to get their hands on 2025-26 Topps Chrome Update Basketball and the chance to find a Cooper Flagg Debut Patch auto, but most will not.
This seems to be just a test, as this will obviously be a wildly popular retail product. The interesting thing will be if retailers like Target, Walmart, etc. also join in on the test and also cut the seal when purchasing. That remains to be seen as of now, but we have seen this at local card shops before
The Idea Started With Pokemon
Some Target stores are now cutting the seals on Pokémon ETBs in an effort to deter scalpersOne employee had to defend his decision to slash the boxes after some shoppers questioned why he was “messing with The Pokémon Company’s sales” pic.twitter.com/NzniOhaXqk
— Dexerto (@Dexerto) June 2, 2026
As mentioned earlier in the article, this isn’t a new idea. Target and other LCSs have begun cutting the seals on Pokémon booster boxesand other sealed products. As the rise of Pokémon continued over the first half of 2026, retailers and distributors worked together to curb the steep price hike on sealed products on the secondary market and discourage flippers
It appears Topps is trying to facilitate the same thing now, starting with a test run on all 2025-26 Topps Chrome Update Basketball mega boxes purchased through the Topps website
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Published 48 minutes ago| Modified 48 minutes ago
BRENDAN DARR
Brendan has worked for various platforms, including The Washington Post, SB Nation, NBC Sports Washington, and more, covering everything from college basketball to fantasy football and betting. An avid collector as a kid, he got back into collecting in 2021 and is a dedicated soccer, football, and basketball collector
