Non-Sport Update's Card Talk NSU Home | NSU Store | In The Current Issue... | Contact Us |
Non-Sport Update    Non-Sport Update's Card Talk  Hop To Forum Categories  Box Breakdowns    Star Wars Empire Strikes Back 3D (Topps)
Page 1 2 3 
Go
New
Find
Notify
Tools
Reply
  
Star Wars Empire Strikes Back 3D (Topps)
 Login/Join
 
Gold Card Talk Member
Picture of xtime
posted
1 HOBBY box...
24 packs, 3 cards each
1 complete base set, 23 extras
1 sketch card

Overall C+/C
Pros: Card backs, and most front images look pretty sharp. One complete set.
Cons: 1 hit per box, unless you get real lucky. This release should have had at least one more common level of chase 1:4 or 1:6, and the autograph odds far more reasonable 1:72.



Picked up two retail packs at Target.

3 widecards per pack

Pack 1 #5,27,38
Pack 2 #1,22,40

Fronts have clear 3d images just like New Hope and Episode 1.
The backs have scene title, and a smaller image in the left corner with a narrative. Also, the upper center has a triva question and answer, and finally the right side has a pic of one of the lead characters like Luke, Darth Vader, Yoda, and Boba Fett.

The wrapper front is of Yoda focused on lifting Luke's xwing, and the back states sketches are 1:72.
The #1 card is of the imperial probe droid on Hoth.

So far, so good.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: xtime,

____________________
 
Posts: 4229 | Location: USA | Registered: December 04, 2000Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Gold Card Talk Member
Picture of xtime
posted Hide Post





____________________
 
Posts: 4229 | Location: USA | Registered: December 04, 2000Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Bronze Card Talk Member
Picture of mintoncard
posted Hide Post
I'm stunned that there are already people offering "retail hot packs" for sale at a certain auction site.

That tells me that if I bought a pack at my local Target or Wal-Mart, there would be NO chance at getting a sketch because someone has already "magically" found the pack with the sketch WITHOUT EVER OPENING IT.

I don't mean to get on a soapbox (and I know here probably isn't the place to do it), but I just get so angry at these card-pirates that cheat the real collector out of a chance at a chase card, purely for profit. Especially a sketch card, which the collector will most likely love for the artistic value, as opposed to the card-pirate that only wants it for the auction value (and will never see the actual sketch).

If I EVER see someone at a big-box store trying to cherry-pick packs using nefarious means... I WILL take action.

Okay. I'm off my soapbox now.
 
Posts: 858 | Location: Golden Valley, MN | Registered: August 15, 2006Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Member
posted Hide Post
how can you tell if a sketch card is in a sealed pack?.puzzles me that one. Confused
 
Posts: 70 | Location: widnes,cheshire | Registered: February 25, 2010Reply With QuoteReport This Post
New Card Talk Member
posted Hide Post
You can buy scales that weigh in tenths of a gram at your local head shop. I knew a guy that would hit up all the retal outlets and sit there and weigh every single pack looking for a variance. The variant pack would more than likely be the insert or special card. This is why sports cards packs will occasionaly put in extra blank cards. This would sometimes throw off the person weighing the packs and they would purchase the pack with the blank cardboard piece thinking it was a jersey card or other special insert. I never buy loose packs at retail outlets because of this (unless I am looking to complete a base set). I only buy sealed boxes. It's too risky now and too easy to cheat the system.
 
Posts: 7 | Location: Albuquerque, New Mexico | Registered: October 16, 2009Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Gold Card Talk Member
Picture of chesspieceface
posted Hide Post
The professional pack searchers will have absolutely ZERO problems in finding the sketch cards in these packs, so do beware open boxes that are missing packs.

Even so, I actually did something I would pretty much never do thanks to their ilk, and that's buy retail packs of these at our local Target today...

Of course, that's only because I found an honest to goodness sealed box of it when shopping there this afternoon. I considered buying the whole box, but with 24 packs at $2.99 plus tax, that would've been nearly 80 bucks. Pretty steep, especially considering the sketches fall at a rate of only 1 per 3 boxes according to the odds, so it was just too big a big a risk to take. I might've taken the leap if I didn't have plenty of hobby boxes coming in soon at about 56 bucks apiece (delivered), and those should have one sketch per box and maybe even an autograph or two in them.

Even so, I just had to have a few of those retail packs, so just went ahead and popped it open the box and bought 6 random packs from it for $19.51 (tax included). Well, no sketch for me in those, but really, I only had about an 8% chance of pulling one according to the odds (and of course, 0% if the box didn't have one in there to begin with), so I wasn't too disappointed.

If the remaining 18 packs in that box do hold a sketch, I'll never know, but hopefully, with my having removed some of the packs, at least some of the prospective pack searchers will just pass it by, possibly leaving the pack with a sketch in it for some lucky random pack buyer. Not likely, unfortunately. I REALLY wish Topps would issue more of their retail non-sports products in those $20 8-pack "box blasters" but with the possibility of the sketches/autograph cards in those packs. It would foil the pack searchers, at least.

Back to the cards. They are beautiful, some of the best 3D yet, but check them out under a nice light, and you'll find, astonishingly in my opinion, that their surfaces have varying degrees of scratches on them straight from the packs, just like the original Star Wars 3D cards from 1996 did, which means Topps hasn't yet worked out the bugs in the 3D card process yet.

Well, I'll be posting some hobby pulls very soon, and then will begin the waiting game for "Return of the Jedi" 3D widevision which should be out in about 2024. Hey, I waited that long for ESB so it should be no problem!

____________________
Everywhere around this burg they're running out of verbs, adverbs, and adjectives. Everywhere around this town, they're running out of nouns.
 
Posts: 3317 | Location: California | Registered: December 23, 2007Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Platinum Card Talk Member
Picture of Batman
posted Hide Post
Had to take my girls shopping tonight at Target so they could get some things for their upcoming trip to Pasadena at the end of the month. Saw that they had ESB packs and brought some. We stopped at Friday's for dinner and Meg pulled this interesting card:





It's by artist John Soukop,and it really does glow-in-the-dark! Fun stuff!

____________________
"The problem, I'm told, is more than medical."
 
Posts: 5789 | Location: Brielle, NJ | Registered: April 03, 2002Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Diamond Card Talk Member
Picture of spidergoblin
posted Hide Post
quote:
Originally posted by Batman:
Had to take my girls shopping tonight at Target so they could get some things for their upcoming trip to Pasadena at the end of the month. Saw that they had ESB packs and brought some. We stopped at Friday's for dinner and Meg pulled this interesting card:



That's so awesome Metal

btw: seeing as I work for Fridays you may send me the card.....for advertising pueposes of coarse Dance

____________________
Bernie...

"nuff said"

"it traps,it kills,it eats....that's what a good spider does"
Alice Cooper
 
Posts: 10448 | Location: Lubbock,TX | Registered: March 08, 2002Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Platinum Card Talk Member
Picture of Batman
posted Hide Post
Had a great dinner at Friday's, one of my favorite places! Smile

____________________
"The problem, I'm told, is more than medical."
 
Posts: 5789 | Location: Brielle, NJ | Registered: April 03, 2002Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Member
posted Hide Post
Here is my 4 box hobby break...







 
Posts: 38 | Location: Philadelphia, PA | Registered: August 18, 2009Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Silver Card Talk Member
Picture of Headless Horseman
posted Hide Post
quote:
Originally posted by Batman:
Had to take my girls shopping tonight at Target so they could get some things for their upcoming trip to Pasadena at the end of the month. Saw that they had ESB packs and brought some. We stopped at Friday's for dinner and Meg pulled this interesting card:





It's by artist John Soukop,and it really does glow-in-the-dark! Fun stuff!


I thought all retail packs were searched???????????????

Big Grin

____________________
"Rise up once more, my Dark Avenger!
Rise up, my unholy Horseman!
Come forth again through the Tree of the Dead..."
 
Posts: 1112 | Location: Freehold, NJ, USA | Registered: January 04, 2003Reply With QuoteReport This Post



Platinum Card Talk Member
Picture of Batman
posted Hide Post
Stop causing trouble! Twak

____________________
"The problem, I'm told, is more than medical."
 
Posts: 5789 | Location: Brielle, NJ | Registered: April 03, 2002Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Titanium Card Talk Member
Picture of wolfie
posted Hide Post
I think the back of the card is better than the front.

Wolfie - art critic.

____________________
Come, it is time for you to keep your appointment with The Wicker Man.
 
Posts: 28998 | Location: wolverhampton staffs uk | Registered: July 19, 2002Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Platinum Card Talk Member
Picture of Batman
posted Hide Post
He's one of the artists that does some funky stuff, some people like it, it's ok, I don't mind having a few in my collection, but just a few. Smile

____________________
"The problem, I'm told, is more than medical."
 
Posts: 5789 | Location: Brielle, NJ | Registered: April 03, 2002Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Gold Card Talk Member
Picture of chesspieceface
posted Hide Post
quote:
Originally posted by Headless Horseman:
quote:
Originally posted by Batman:
Had to take my girls shopping tonight at Target so they could get some things for their upcoming trip to Pasadena at the end of the month. Saw that they had ESB packs and brought some. We stopped at Friday's for dinner and Meg pulled this interesting card:





It's by artist John Soukop,and it really does glow-in-the-dark! Fun stuff!


I thought all retail packs were searched???????????????

Big Grin

Smile
The Headless Horseman is a hoot, Good one, HH!

Beautiful card, Batman, congrats on the pull, and thanks for showing the back, the first time I've seen it. (When a cheapskate like me would put in a nice bid on a card like that in an auction, you can be sure it's a good one.)

The quality of Soukop's actual drawing can be debated a million ways, with every argument correct, but it's hard to not to appreciate the artist who does something innovative with their cards, so a big thumbs up to Soukop from me. This is not the first time he's brought the "die-cut" attitude to regular sketch cards, and I hope he continues to do so.

Does anyone know if the hobby sketch backs are in the same Bobe Fett design?

Case break from me soon!

____________________
Everywhere around this burg they're running out of verbs, adverbs, and adjectives. Everywhere around this town, they're running out of nouns.
 
Posts: 3317 | Location: California | Registered: December 23, 2007Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Gold Card Talk Member
Picture of chesspieceface
posted Hide Post
quote:
Originally posted by steviek2:
Here is my 4 box hobby break...









These are all beautiful.

I like to see the artists take advantage of the larger cards as these four did. Star Wars cards really do bring the best out in artists. I think this is going be a great set.

Congrats to you!

____________________
Everywhere around this burg they're running out of verbs, adverbs, and adjectives. Everywhere around this town, they're running out of nouns.
 
Posts: 3317 | Location: California | Registered: December 23, 2007Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Member
posted Hide Post
Here's my 2 box break


Jason Davies Sketch





Doug Cowan Sketch

 
Posts: 30 | Location: Washington State | Registered: September 05, 2009Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Silver Card Talk Member
Picture of damien
posted Hide Post
really nice sketches
but that printed backround is annoying
 
Posts: 1450 | Location: montreal,canada | Registered: September 07, 2007Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Bronze Card Talk Member
Picture of DavidDeb
posted Hide Post
actually it's not that bad if you know how to use it at your advantage
The winner of the most annoying background is certainly the Galaxy 5 with those 'spider webs'!Smile

____________________
www.daviddeb.deviantart.com
 
Posts: 529 | Location: Canada | Registered: March 02, 2008Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Gold Card Talk Member
Picture of chesspieceface
posted Hide Post
Isn't the background design the exhaust port that Luke slides down to safety after his epic battle with Vader? I would imagine at least one artist has drawn Luke doing just that, and on that card, the background would be perfect.

Case break from me soon. Fingers crossed for an autograph or a Sean Pence, or a Doug Cowan (like the incredible IG-88 above), or one of those cool Ted Dastick video game screen cards.
Ted's wonderful trend of new ideas for his sketch cards has continued here, and for that same reason, I'm also glad to see Mark Dos Santos is on this set, as he's also very creative. And how about the return of Jan Duursema, longtime artist of Star Wars comics?
I'm also glad to see John McCrea back on Star Wars sketch cards. McCrea's the artist of the classic Garth Ennis run on "The Demon" in the 1990's and a very cool dude in person.

____________________
Everywhere around this burg they're running out of verbs, adverbs, and adjectives. Everywhere around this town, they're running out of nouns.
 
Posts: 3317 | Location: California | Registered: December 23, 2007Reply With QuoteReport This Post
  Powered by Social Strata Page 1 2 3  
 

Non-Sport Update    Non-Sport Update's Card Talk  Hop To Forum Categories  Box Breakdowns    Star Wars Empire Strikes Back 3D (Topps)

© Non-Sport Update 2013