This post is geared more specifically towards those who know of and/or are users of Topps Bunt. For those that are unsure of what Topps Bunt is, Gellman of Sports Cards Uncensored is a fan of the product and often writes about the app.
At the beginning of the 2014 baseball season, I finally decided to download the app and give it a chance. I did not at first realise that it was and remains to be a “freemium” game—an app game that is free to download but features in-app purchases which makes it easier/more possible for you to make certain advancements within the app, depending on how you use it.
I would log in every day to earn my free coins and buy up packs in the hopes of collecting team sets so that I could earn even more free coins so that I could buy even more packs with the hopes that I would “pull” something I could trade away for some nice Twins items that I was looking for. Just as soon as I was finally able to snag a nice Twins insert, Topps would release another handful of hard-to-get cards.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s an absolutely genius scenario for Topps. They continue to pump out new digital cards for players to chase and they make these cards hard enough to get that players find themselves in a situation where spending real money may seem like they only way to get those cards. You shell out real dollars for product that you’ll never really own in the hopes that you come across something that you can potentially trade away for more product that you’ll never really own—provided you can find someone willing to trade.
What’s even worse is that these digital cards are ACTUALLY on the secondary market. Players are selling these digital cards, all contained in Topps’ digital realm, at places like eBay. This Mike Trout “autograph” card is a prime example of real, actual money being spent on a digital baseball card which includes a virtual signature. Not only can I not justify spending my hard-earned dollars on virtual currency all in the hopes of MAYBE adding a virtual card in my virtual card portfolio, I also cannot justify spending that same cash on eliminating all chance altogether and securing a virtual card—considering the seller won’t just scam you and run off with your money.
I’ve also tried the fantasy-baseball-style game within the app. After only a few days of playing, it became extremely evident that the only way to compete was to spend real money to acquire the digital cards that would allow you the potential to score the most points—all in the name of being rewarded virtual coins to buy even more digital cards. Again, all pure genius and (I’m guessing) very profitable for Topps.
To me, spending so much time and even just a little amount of money to chase and “collect” digital baseball cards that will never ever really be in my possession as well as playing a game in which I have absolutely no chance of competing without spending large amounts of cash just takes the fun out of the app. That’s just me, though. As I’ve already said, this a genius part of Topps’ business and I wish I had thought of it. I’d just rather spend my real money on real product. That’s why Topps Bunt is not for me.
Crackin' Wax™ 
I have to agree with you! I can’t believe people are spending actual money on “autographs” of digital cards. Uh, these are the autos used on facsimile autos on physical cards. They also have “die cut” cards. Um, they are digital. There is no DIE CUT! I still collect my points and buy packs. I have no idea why. Of course, the real question is what happens to all these virtual cards when Topps pulls the plug!
I think you are looking at this narrowly from a card collector standpoint. Although there is a correlation to the physical hobby because of the “digital card” element, few players in the game are actually collectors of physical cards.
To put this bluntly, this game is almost not for card collectors, as odd as that sounds. Its more for the people who play fantasy sports online, and a similar crowd to the fanduel type segment of the market. Sure, there is obviously some overlap, but not even close to what you might think.
Bottom line, the game is fun because you have all these elements at the touch of a button. Think of Madden Ultimate Team for football, which is basically the same concept, but you play the Madden game instead of fantasy sports with your roster.
I understand why card collectors would have a tough time grasping why someone would pay for this type of experience, but I dont think that anyone really considers that as a reason to not play. This game is made for the freemium crowd, and you either are part of that crowd or not.
If you shed your paradigm instituted by physical card collecting, and see this more of what it actually is – a fantasy sports game – it tends to make more sense. That’s not saying the argument cant be made that there is opportunity in getting card collectors involved, but our hobby is so tiny that it pretty much isnt worth it for them.
Just the other day, I was searching ebay for autos of a few players while my dad was around. I said “can you believe people are spending real money for these cards that they could just right click and save?” and he was just like “no.”