I was looking through the current Previews catalog yesterday and there was an ad for some football cards coming out that have 4 cards per pack and a pack price of $70 US.
I just hope the nonsport card companies don't start down the path that sport card companies have.

Due to the difficulty of completing the next Trek 40th set I am strongly cosidering making it my last Trek set. As a collector who "tries" to complete a set I do not see the point of starting a set if you know you need to win the lottry to have a chance of completing it. I ask you, how many times do you need an autograph of the same person or a piece of cloth (costume) that probably was never even worn by the actor. As for the trend of Sketch cards and Relic?????? cards I do not see the point at all. This does not mean however I do not collect them as they are part of a master set. I think I will probably slow down of buying new sets and concentrate on filling the gaps in my current collection. I understand that card companies have to keep dealers happy but not every collector has unlimited funds to buy cards and it seems more and more sets of the same type are produced. Just my point of view of course and I do not expect Rittenhouse, Inkworks, Topps or whoever to take any notice of me, but if enough collectors makr their views know perhaps they wikk start to listen.

Generally speaking from my experiance with buying sports cards, that market has lost its perception. Making packs retail at $50, $75, or even higher is a waste. There is a slim chance of pulling a card that is valuable.

quote:

Originally posted by treksearcher:
Due to the difficulty of completing the next Trek 40th set I am strongly cosidering making it my last Trek set. As a collector who "tries" to complete a set I do not see the point of starting a set if you know you need to win the lottry to have a chance of completing it. I ask you, how many times do you need an autograph of the same person or a piece of cloth (costume) that probably was never even worn by the actor. As for the trend of Sketch cards and Relic?????? cards I do not see the point at all.

I know I have said this on other topics before, but why not just get the part of the set you like and not buy the part you don't like? If you don't like sketch, auto or pieceworks cards, don't get them.

I have people say this to me all the time. Then they hand me their money as they buy the cards.

Retailers and manufacturers pay attention to what customers do with more weight than what they say, especially when the 2 do not agree. If people stopped buying high end inserts like autos/sketches, card companies would stop making them and retailers would stop selling them.

Buy a box, keep what you like, and use the auto/sketch to trade/buy more of what you like.

Having only part of a set should not make it any less enjoyable if you like the part of the set you are keeping.

Buy/collect what you enjoy, without regards to value or completeness, and you will always be happy!

quote:

Originally posted by FYI:
Buy/collect what you enjoy, without regards to value or completeness, and you will always be happy!

That's how I look @ it now. Gotten rid of 3/4 of my nonsport collection to focus on a smaller number however, if things change and packs keep increasing in price I will cut back even more. I will start doing the "cheaper" retail packs if possible but not a card companies go that route.

quote:

Originally posted by Brimaster:
if things change and packs keep increasing in price I will cut back even more. .

Your lucky you do not live over here or you would have stopped alltogether by now.

Hey Wolfie, thats what happens when you live in an overpiced society

quote:

Originally posted by wolfie:

quote:

Originally posted by Brimaster:
if things change and packs keep increasing in price I will cut back even more. .

Your lucky you do not live over here or you would have stopped alltogether by now.

Hey wolfie you would be correct and I would be on CT even less than I am presently.

quote:

Originally posted by Master:
Hey Wolfie, thats what happens when you live in an overpiced society

yes, it's overpriced aswell.

I remember when cards were added to packs of gum as an incentive to sell the gum. The gum was pretty good then. Maybe if they wrapped the gum separately and put it in the packs with the cards so it didn't damage the cards they could do it again. $.05 was a good price.
Ace

quote:

Originally posted by Ace of Hearts:
I remember when cards were added to packs of gum as an incentive to sell the gum. The gum was pretty good then. Maybe if they wrapped the gum separately and put it in the packs with the cards so it didn't damage the cards they could do it again. $.05 was a good price.
Ace

...and since older cards were "premiums" i.e. promotional for selling gum, I don't feel guilty mentioning older cards in my Promo column every now and then.

quote:

Originally posted by Brimaster:
That's how I look @ it now. Gotten rid of 3/4 of my nonsport collection to focus on a smaller number however, if things change and packs keep increasing in price I will cut back even more. I will start doing the "cheaper" retail packs if possible but not a card companies go that route.

I'm having a picnic buying recent base sets. Coming from the "gum in pack" era of one cent and five cent wax packs I am not chase card oriented but keep them coming! I miss opening packs but then there is nothing to chew while doing so!

quote:

Originally posted by Bill DeFranzo:

I'm having a picnic buying recent base sets. Coming from the "gum in pack" era of one cent and five cent wax packs I am not chase card oriented but keep them coming! I miss opening packs but then there is nothing to chew while doing so!

You should still be chewing on the first stick of 40 year old gum!

quote:

Originally posted by treksearcher:
As for the trend of Sketch cards and Relic?????? cards I do not see the point at all.

You perhaps don't see the point at all, but you are not the entire market. I just payed 150 dollars for a costume card (the most I've payed for a piece of cardboard) and yet I have several uncompleted master sets because I won't pay less than that for an a auto or two.

To each their own.

quote:

Originally posted by Bill DeFranzo:

quote:

Originally posted by Brimaster:
That's how I look @ it now. Gotten rid of 3/4 of my nonsport collection to focus on a smaller number however, if things change and packs keep increasing in price I will cut back even more. I will start doing the "cheaper" retail packs if possible but not a card companies go that route.

I'm having a picnic buying recent base sets. Coming from the "gum in pack" era of one cent and five cent wax packs I am not chase card oriented but keep them coming! I miss opening packs but then there is nothing to chew while doing so!

I got gum from the Star Wars Heritage, that set was relatively new.