Hey -- there's no topics here yet! Don't fret it. I'll get it started.

We're getting tons of Gummie entries. We've been trying to send out Gummie cards on a weekly basis. Only two batches have been sent thus far but be assured that we're keeping up with what's coming in and will keep sending 'em.

Remember, the deadline to get your ballot in is December 15th.

Has anyone received their card yet? What do you think of it?

Gummie arrived 12/2, thanks. Always appreciate the chance to vote. Please no recounts. As a scifi collector the Monster card was less than appealing and very disappointing. I was hoping it was Star Trek Cinema 2000 promo card. Maybe you'll return to scifi next year.

I liked the Gummie Card, I received mine Sat., Dec. 2, the Monster cards were fun and the Gummie Card with the Gummie Guy on it was creative.
Sorry the other person wanted a Sci/Fi card, but lets face it, where else can you get a free card just for voting?

If there are collectors out there who want to trade for the monster gummie promo drop me a line. I would like to get it to a collector who can better appreciate it.

I really liked the Gummy Guy card.

Of course, I found the Morbid Monsters card set kindof cute too.

The Gummy Guy card I'll be keeping in my collection. It's fun and inventive.

Cathy

In some up-coming magazine, I'd love to see an article on the impact of the Internet on card traders and card collecting.

I'm inclined to think the hobby might be dead by now, if not for the ability of so many adults to continue a hobby they started as kids by trading and buying cards online.

I never would have known about NSU if it weren't for the web. And if it weren't for NSU, I wouldn't know about half the upcoming sets I see out there. I'm curious how many card collectors are out there who aren't using the Internet in some way to help their collecting.

Cathy
http://www.starwarscards.net

I think you're right on that one Cathy. I started collecting 5 years ago but since I got on the net to hunt for cards in the last year my collection has grown 100 fold.
If it wasn't for the net I think card collecting would be darn near dead by now (sad to say).

The kids are starting to collect but not maintaining it for very long. And then it's mostly fads like, dare I say it, Pokemon... which will be gone pretty soon.

I'm from the Caribbean so it's difficult to get the kinda info I want about collecting. I wanna thank NSU for providing me with the good stuff. Keep it up guys.

grafixm

Well I've been voting for Gummies for about 3 years, missed last years Sorry to say!! This year I too was kinda disappointed with the Gummie as were many other people I have talked with over the NET. We all seemed to have are favorite hopefuls here, and it seems that Morbid Monsters wasn't in the "Top Ten". Personally I was hoping for an X-Men Movie or Buffy Gummie this year. :-(
But there is one rumor going around on the Net that I hope isn't true and H Toser if you could tell us either way it would be nice:
Word is going around that the Manufacturer of the Morbid Monsters cards had sponsered the Gummies this year. And that it is "KINDA FISHY" that an underdog card series such as that won the Gummies this year. Few people around the NET are now starting to believe that our votes had nothing to do with the outcome of this year Gummie card. So Please tell us all, including the newsgroups, what the real story is here.
Thanks

Geez, that's an odd rumor! Where did you here that? And why would you go around posting it on boards if you have no idea if it's true? Almost sounds like you have an axe to grind with NSU or NostalgiCards.

We haven't announced the winners yet. Voting is not even over until today. Be assured, winners have not been "fixed". Would you like us to do a recount?

Following the Presidental Precident, if you even think about doing a recount, someone will have to take you to the Supreme Court...
Au Res.,
Paul (Who wonders how long it will be before some enterprising card manufacturer comes up with an 'Election 2000' set, with special 'Chad' inserts!)

Hi H_Toser
Wel that rumor is on the rec. collecting.cards. nonsports newgroup, by someone else not me.
And as for me I'm not posting it on any BBS myself due to the fact that it would be a rumor only. Why I posted it here was because NSU is the source of the Gummies and you are "Head Man" there, correct?? I wanted to get the "word" direct from the source. No axe to grind. Just personally not interested in that Morbid Monster set and it would seem the "collecting public" has very little interest in that set. Point in fact here: I have posted trade offers of the present 2000 Gummie card to 2 email lists for former Gummies that I missed, namely last year's Charmed, and ST:Voyager from a few years ago. Basically I have gotten no response to either of those posts. But within those 2 email lists and the collecting newsgroups people have expressed their disappointment with this years Gummie card.
Now I even went to one of this country's (USA) biggest promo dealers on the NET, who has never turned my down in the past for any trade offer and offered him a trade for the 2000 Gummmie Card. This is his quoted response: "Thanks, but I'll pass. I heard the 2000 Gummie is kind of crapy." I just wanted to bring to NSU attention some of the feeling about this year's Gummie Card from those that collect them faithfully.
I think also there was a misunderstanding here also, probably my fault the way I worded it. Not that the Gummie Awards had been "fixed" but that the Gummie Card for 2000 (Morbid Monsters), don't want to say "bought" or "fixed" but can't think of any other word to describe it, because NostalgiCards was supposely sponsering the Gummie Awards this year. That's the part that I would like to hear the truth about here and on the newsgroups from NSU. I quite enjoy taking part in voting for the Gummies each year now and getting my Promo's for my vote. But it would pain me to think that others, believing this story would start after this year maybe no particpating in this year ending event that we all look forward to.
And PLEASE NO MORE RECOUNTS!!! I would hate to think that the next issue of NSU would be delayed 33 days now until it got all cleared up!! :-)
Thanks for listening and your comments H_Toser

My Gummie card arrived this morning and, although I don't collect the series it's based upon (not really my area) I like the card. It's unusual and limited enough to go into my collection of 'Oddities'!

Just a suggestion, but given the current trend for autographs and costume cards, how about the 2001 Gummie card being autographed by the NSU team? Perhaps someone could donate an item of clothing to be cut up and stuck to the cards as well!

Seriously, I realise it must be difficult to sort out a Gummie card - you have to persuade a manufacturer to produce a severely limited print run just for the mag - sure, it would be nice to have a card from one of the 'major' TV or Movie related releases, such as 'X-Men' or 'Star Trek' or 'Buffy', but, like I said when there was all that fuss about an issue of NSU not coming with promo cards, whatever I get from you guys is a bonus to the mag and the information that is printed in it.
Best wishes,
Paul Bines.

It sounds as though that rumor thinks that whoever provides the Gummie card WON the vote or some such thing..correct me if i am wrong, but I assume the card is decided, designed and created before or at least around the time the ballots are being collected and therefore unrelated to the actual winner. Conicidently, a card might come from a winner, but the company offering the card can't expect anything but good advertizing by offering it.
Also, anyone who collects a certain theme is, of course, going to wish for a certain card and certain cards may bring more value than others, but, geez, fellows, aren't we being a tad harsh on a card we got for free? One should vote in the Gummies cause they wanna express their opinion, not get a card they hope will fund their college education...;)
I am also assuming (and I'm sure Harris will correct me), that these cards are donated? Someone has to be willing to pay for the design and printing of these cards and not every company is willing. SkyBox didn't do a promo card for Cin 2000 to promote the product, so I suppose they wouldn't be interested in offering one. And if NSU pays for it themselves, then it can be costly and some companies might be easier to work with that way.
Yes, no, full of hot air?

Right on Lynne! Couldn't have said it any better!

Yes, the cards are donated most graciously to us by the various companies. We make arrangements for this months in advance. Usually, NSU contacts a company and asks if they would be willing to do a Gummie card. This year, for the first time, before we could get around to doing any of that, NostalgiCards approached us first (ironically, a second company later approached us -- feast or famine guys!).

We have never disclosed who the card's manufacturer is in advance as we do not want to sway votes. We were really happy that NostalgiCards offered us the card this year as we didn't have to track one down and it would offer voters something different and fun. It's our first original art card.

Finally, you should note that NostalgiCards came in second in our Most Creative Set category. Kudos to them! Stay tuned to the upcoming issue (available at the usual outlets after 1/9/01) to find out what the Most Creative Set of the year was, as well as the rest of the winners.

Harris Toser
NSU

I'm puzzled! For years, NSU has been offering mystery Gummie cards as a reward/incentive to readers to send their vote in early. Those cards have been prodiced by some of the biggest companies in the industry. Has anyone previously suggested that those companies were trying to 'rig' the voting? This year, a smaller (as far as I am aware; if Nostalgicards are huge, my apologies!) produces a card (and volunteers to do so!) and so they must be trying to rig the votes!
Odd.
Harris, perhaps next year you can give us readers a clue as to who we should vote for!

Happy Anniversary, well sorta. It's been a month since I offered to trade the gummie card I received. So far no-takers. Actions do sometimes speak louder.
Anybody know the NSU book value for the card?

I guess I remain missing the point..NSU is not offering us a chance to get a good, rare card. If you want that, ya gotta go buy packs. What they are offering is a thank you for turning in your vote...an incentive to get it in early....that it has or doesn't have value is secondary.
Since a company kindly foot the bill to produce it and NSU foot the bill to mail 1000 out. ($330 thank you very much) and all they hear in response is crappy, lame, it's FIXED(which it isn't cause the votes aren't even in when the card is created)...why I'd be a mite bit discouraged if I were them. If a family member gives you a GIFT at Christmas and you don't like it, do you throw it on the floor and fuss cause it wasn't what you wanted? No, casue our manners tell us to be polite..why is this issue any less worthy of manners? NSU gave a gift, a thank you, we're supposed to respond in a kind manner back.
I'm cranky..I guess I need chocolate...:)

Lynne, you're not cranky - you do have a valid point. It's the same issue (or at least a 'paralell'!) to the "This issue has no Promo cards - I don't want this issue' thing that happened a couple of issues ago.
I like the Gummie card! It is, to coin an Americanism, neat!

My apologies to everyone if my, intended to be humourous, last posting on this topic was mis-understood...

Au Res.,
Paul (who STILL thinks it would be a neat idea to get the NSU team to sign the Gummie cards next/this year!)

Don't fret, Sir Paul, I understood the humor of your post...;) I do worry, however, that you might have given the idea to Harris to do a work worn t-shirt or something to be cut up for the contest card next year...or maybe socks.....ewwwww

The whole issue is whether you view collectors as customers or servants.
The debate over promos absent from an NSU issue was all about customer service. Let's face it most subscribers expect, and deserve to expect, promos with each issue because we are paying customers. Many look forward to the magazine and the promos. It's great, and most important it's fun. The fun is diminished when promos are not included. The result, less than happy customers.
This ties into the current discussion over the Gummie card. The notion that we should bow down in servitude for what we get is counter to good customer relations. Harris
requested feedback. NSU needs to hear that many customers are dissatisfied when promos are missing from issues, and are also unhappy with the new gummie card. Hopefully NSU will listen to their customers.
Sponsors of the monster gummie want to promote their product, that's respectable, but we do not owe them anything. If you love the gummie then PLEASE buy their cards as a satisfied customer not as a bond servant. Happy collecting.