Read Ryan's article on the Base Set (I read NSU for the articles not the pictures ) and enjoyed it but a couple of thoughts crossed my mind while reading that werent really covered.

1. I understand with companies like UD and Topps who have a tendancy to crank out hobby and retail versions that the base set could sky rocket into over production. However with IW, AB and RH it would seem to me that the high end insert would only help the base set in the long run. I mean if you can only have X number of inserts at X rate then boxes are limited to that number which ultimatly limits Base Sets. I think I have calculated some RH releases to be as low as 10,000 base sets. Back in the "card-rush" days 1 of 10,000 use to be a hot insert. I think that in this case the insert and the base set compliment each other.

2. I agree that case buyers "dump" sets after pulling all the good stuff but I still fail to see the profit in it. Seems like you would lose more than win given the total cost of a case. I sometimes wonder if "dumping" base sets is also not attributed somewhat to an ebay illusion combined with what I perceive to be less collectors out there. Lets face it, ebay is like having a card emporium right in your own home and when we see, say 400 base sets of something for sale our minds automatically assign to the idea that this stuff is everywhere, better sell cheap. I liked Allan's idea of being creative of where you sell your extra Base Sets.

3. It is true that older collectors built sets by the pack (me being one of them) yet there were still more base sets produced at that time. I remember cards being sold just about everywhere. I think the reason why I personally opt to buy the whole box now is not so much to guarantee the insert but because the pack is priced to cover the insert. If I dont get the insert than I am paying for someone else to. Just greedy that way I guess.


Just a couple of Base Set views for discussion or debate.

All in all a great article and I enjoyed it very much! Good job Ryan.

I just went and read the article and found it a good read

Personally I LOVE having the base sets and like seeing how each base set is different. I do usually buy either a complete base set or a box of a new release rather than collect the base cards pack by pack but only because nowhere near me sells cards
I remember years ago (well not that long ago, I'm only 21!) when I was about 6 and me and my brother used to collect WWF Wresting cards. There were about 6 cards and a piece of gum per pack... they weren't even proper sealed packs, just a little plastic bag that sealed at the top! It used to be so much fun going to the shop each Sunday to buy a couple of packs and trying to collect them all and then trading the others... I miss that fun of the hobby, sitting around with friends as you open packs and saying "Got, got, need, got..." as you shuffle through the cards

I guess it just works out cheaper to buy a base set or buy a box (knowing you're also going to get inserts) than buy single packs. Plus I think theres less places selling cards these days. I can usually only get the cards I collect by going specialist shops like Forbidden Planet. Even Toys R Us carry a poor line of cards, mostly collectable game cards. I think if more general shops/ newsagents took the risk and bought some boxes then more people would get interested in collecting the base cards

-Claire

I love the base sets in my collection but I don't think their monetary value is all that high for several reasons. The way collectors collect now being the main thing, these days most fans of a show/movie are going to get a least 1 box (often times multiple boxes or even a case) if they are card collectors and these days you get 2 or even 3 sets from a single box which means most people not only have a base set but they have extra base sets but since most other people interested in the cards also bought a box or boxes the market for the extra sets is pretty small with a lot of sellers competing for them, hence the consistently low prices for them. Simple supply and demand. These days I only bother sorting 1 base set for my collection and everything else just goes into 2500 count boxes. I bet between the older buffy sets I did put together and all the unsorted cards I have I probably have close to 250 base sets just sitting in boxes in the spare room. The sad truth is for base sets to have some higher value companies would have to do things that probably wouldn't be very popular, getting rid of the set-per-box guarantee and short-printing some of the base cards to make sets tougher to make.

quote:

Originally posted by Incarnadine:
I bet between the older buffy sets I did put together and all the unsorted cards I have I probably have close to 250 base sets just sitting in boxes in the spare room.

Santa please bring me Incarnadine's extra Buffy sets.

And Santa don't forget pore old silverback!

I agree with all that has been said!
But one way I've gotten read off extra sets is at work. I've currently worked at my present job 4-plus years. I learn what things my co-workers are interested in. They all have very diverse interests. I'll take in a Civil War set for a person interested in history or The Native Americans set ( "Hey did you ever see these?"). One guy always reads Star Wars novels. I'll take a set of those in ( Hey Mike. Have you ever seen these?)
I always charge them $10.00 per set, plus throw in a promo card or two. Sometimes with a large set, like Rivergroups Beatles 220 card set 20.00. If a person has a favorite character in a movie or T.V. show, I'll give them free cards of those. They're usually very excited to see them! I'm just sowing seeds!
I.ve probably sold 30-40 sets this way, and besides helping me get rid of extra sets, there is a real Joy in seeing someone so very happy with seeing somthing they never knew existed!!
Have Fun and Great Collecting!!

The Native Americans sets is one of my favs for reading the backs of the cards.
Great historical info

The low cost of base sets is the only good thing to come out of the chase card craze. I collect a lot of base sets and ignore all the autograph cards entirely. It's like that's another hobby. And the pieceworks cards don't tempt me in the least. Remove those two gimmicks and you afford to collect cards again (for the most part). Anytime I see a company try to extract $300 or $500 or more dollars out of me for a new series, even if it's for something I really want, I go spend that money on some vintage cards and something truely rare, not some artificial scarce item. I like new stuff, but older stuff is better, so if the price starts to get even, the choice becomes easy for me.

I began collecting again after a 30 years hiatis when I found some of my cards when I recently moved. I enjoy seeing the old cards I forgot I had (and some I don't know where they came from). The older base sets have a certain "feel" that the new cards just don't have for me. I like the new sets, and the box hunt "Which auto card is in there" is fun. But I find getting the "stale" sets a nice change of pace.

I used to throw away my base cards. It wasnt till a month ago that I changed that

quote:

Originally posted by Master:
I used to throw away my base cards. It wasnt till a month ago that I changed that

Master

Was your intention with throwing away your cards a way of increasing the value of other base sets, a bit like companies buying back shares then destroying them. Only joking of course Master!!

Although, if all case collectors and dealers destroyed all their base set material, then the base sets would go up in value. They would obviously stop destroying them if this happened and the base sets would retrieve their former value.

Sorry - just thinking out loud........

I disposed of the base cards because I had way to many and they were taking up too much space. I For the most part I made money off of the inserts that were available rather than spend time coallating the sets.

quote:

Originally posted by steve j:

quote:

Originally posted by Master:
I used to throw away my base cards. It wasnt till a month ago that I changed that

Master

Was your intention with throwing away your cards a way of increasing the value of other base sets, a bit like companies buying back shares then destroying them. Only joking of course Master!!

Amusing way of looking at it and true.