Topps Tests Unsealed Mega Boxes for Chrome Update Basketball

Topps Tests a New Approach to Retail Pricing

Topps is trying a new tactic to help keep retail products closer to their original price after strong demand pushed recent pre-orders into the secondary market almost immediately.

In a statement posted to Twitter, Topps said it is working to give collectors a better chance to buy packs at retail price. The company said its first test will come with Friday’s 2025-26 Topps Chrome Update Basketball Mega Box pre-order on the Topps website.

For that release, Topps said all boxes will ship with the plastic seal fully removed. The cards and contents inside will remain untouched, but the missing factory seal is intended to discourage immediate resale and make the product less attractive to flippers.

What Topps Said About the Mega Box Test

Topps framed the move as part of a broader effort to improve access for collectors. The company said the test is designed to help more people buy products at retail prices rather than paying inflated prices on the secondary market.

According to Topps, the goal is to make the collecting experience more enjoyable for everyone, from first-time buyers to long-time collectors. The company also described the unsealed Mega Box format as an initial test that could be part of a larger program.

The announcement comes after what Topps called unprecedented demand for the 2025-26 Topps Chrome Update Basketball pre-order. That demand helped fuel the decision to try a different retail strategy for the Mega Box format.

Why Topps Is Trying This Now

Retail flipping has become a familiar issue across the hobby, especially when a product is expected to be popular from the start. Once a release sells out quickly, sealed boxes often show up on the secondary market at prices well above MSRP.

Topps and Fanatics addressed rising secondary market costs earlier this year during the Topps Industry Conference. The concern is straightforward: when retail prices double after release, it pushes more collectors out of the market.

By removing the factory seal on the Mega Boxes, Topps is hoping to make immediate resale less appealing. In theory, that could leave more product in the hands of actual collectors who intend to open it rather than list it for profit.

The strategy is not a guarantee that prices will stay at retail, but it is meant to reduce the incentive to flip sealed product as soon as it is purchased.

2025-26 Topps Chrome Update Basketball Remains the Focus

The test centers on 2025-26 Topps Chrome Update Basketball Mega Boxes purchased through Topps.com. The product is expected to be one of the most closely watched retail basketball releases of the year, and Topps acknowledged that demand is likely to be strong again.

The company’s statement did not change the product itself. The cards and contents remain the same, but the packaging will arrive without the plastic seal. That detail is the key part of the experiment.

Collectors chasing the release will still be looking for the same high-end chase cards and rookie content that make Chrome basketball products so popular. The article source specifically pointed to the possibility of finding a Cooper Flagg Debut Patch auto, underscoring why interest in the product is so high.

Could Other Retailers Follow

One of the biggest questions now is whether the Topps test stays limited to its own website or spreads to larger retail chains. The source noted that it is not yet clear whether stores such as Target and Walmart would adopt a similar approach.

That possibility matters because the broader retail market often determines how much sealed product reaches collectors at standard pricing. If more retailers were to remove seals before sale, it could change how secondary market buyers and resellers approach retail basketball releases.

For now, though, Topps has only confirmed the test on its own website for the 2025-26 Topps Chrome Update Basketball Mega Box pre-order.

The Idea Has Already Been Used in Other Parts of the Hobby

While the move is new for Topps and Fanatics, the idea itself is not new in the hobby. The source noted that some local card shops have already used similar methods before.

It also pointed to Pokémon as an example of retailers trying to slow down scalping. Some Target stores have reportedly cut the seals on Pokémon Elite Trainer Boxes and other sealed products in an effort to deter flippers and reduce the incentive to resell immediately.

That approach became more visible as Pokémon demand surged, with retailers and distributors working to limit steep price increases on sealed product in the secondary market. Topps appears to be borrowing from that same playbook as it looks for ways to protect retail access in basketball.

What Collectors Should Expect From the Test

At this stage, the Topps plan appears to be a limited experiment rather than a permanent packaging change across all products. The company described it as an initial test tied to the upcoming 2025-26 Topps Chrome Update Basketball Mega Box pre-order.

Collectors ordering through Topps should expect the boxes to arrive with the plastic seal removed, while the contents remain untouched. That distinction is important because the cards themselves are not being altered, only the outer packaging.

If the test works as intended, it could give Topps a new tool for future retail releases that face heavy demand and immediate resale pressure. If it does not, the company may adjust the approach or keep it limited to select products.

For now, the move marks one of the clearest attempts yet by Topps to address the gap between retail pricing and resale pricing on a major basketball release.

Why the Secondary Market Reaction Matters

The secondary market has become a major part of the modern hobby, especially for products with strong rookie classes, autographs, and short supply. When a retail release is seen as a fast profit opportunity, sealed boxes can disappear quickly and reappear online at much higher prices.

Topps is trying to interrupt that cycle before it starts. By making the product less attractive to resellers, the company hopes to keep more boxes in the hands of collectors who actually want to rip them.

That does not eliminate demand, and it does not guarantee that every box will stay at retail. But it does show that Topps is actively testing new ways to respond to the market pressure that has affected so many recent releases.

With the 2025-26 Topps Chrome Update Basketball Mega Box pre-order set to serve as the first test, collectors will be watching closely to see whether the unsealed format changes buying behavior at all.