This may be somewhere on a former line of discussion, but I'll take the chance.

Remember the days of Babylon 5, Star Trek Women of Voyager and Enterprise 2, when parallel card ratios were reasonable? The new trend seems to be one or two per box, plus multiple levels of parallels. There was a time when the hunt was fun and reasonably challenging. Today, you must be prepared to mortgage your house if you want to complete the set. It is schemes like this that really take the fun out of the hobby. What do you think?

I love parallels. It's the thing that interests me most in collecting land at present. Base sets are too easy. Parallel cards present a real challenge.

Sketch cards are too expensive, real expensive autos ruin good sets. I don't like costume cards, but I love parallels.

My recent parallel sets collected and completed are: -

Star Wars Evolution update - red
Star Wars Evolution update - blue
Marvel Masterpieces - foils
Marvel Masterpieces - border
DC Legacy - Gold

Still collecting!
Indiana Jones - Heritage - 1 left
Indiana Jones - Kotcs
Star Wars - Finest - (for those really crazy)

Now ask me one on sport!! Thanks for asking.

Parallel cards annoy me, i dont see the point in multiple cards with only a slight difference even if its just a different foil design its still the same card.

To me, parallel cards are just like comics with variant covers. You wind up with two of the same thing with only a minor change. In the case of comics, you get the same book with only a different cover. In cards, you get the same card with a piece of foil or some other minor difference. I've always found it insulting that companies think collectors want two of the same thing.

At least with chase cards, you're usually looking for a card that's different than the other cards in the set.

It does seem that the difficulty level in obtaining non-base cards of any type seems to have increased lately. That tends to discourage me from collecting cards, as I know I'll most likely not be able to reasonably complete a set.

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

Thoughts appreciated.

I do appreciate parallel cards, and in the recent past enjoyed the challenge of completing the parallel set. In my view the level of difficulty should fall somewhere between completing the base set and completing the most common chase set. Unfortunately, parallels have been elevated to unreasonable levels of difficulty, sometimes almost as rare as an autograph or sketch card...ridiculous and discouraging when you consider they are pretty much the same as the base card(credit KW)!!!

I just completed the parallel set for Indiana Jones KOTCS. This was my first and most likely my last. Way too difficult to put together and spent much $$$ on the Bay to complete.

I've managed to get The X-Files Seasons 1 - 3 parallel sets. Spent ages looking for the odd two or three for each set but eventually managed to completet them. It was "fun" trying to track them down.

I bought three boxes The X-Files Connections from a dealer and managed to get a complete set of parallel with no spares . not sure if that was luck or good collation.

Also got Babylon 5 Season 4 and Season 5 parallel sets. The Alien Langusage parallel for S4 was a bit different.

I think parallel sets suck and are a waste of my time and space. Of course that's just my personal opinion! We all know what my opinion is worth.

One card in one box is not worth getting excited about and takes up a pocket in my set that I could use for something else.

I did finish two parallel sets back in the 90's. Marvel Masterpieces Series 3 and Lady Death Series 2 sticker set. There were 36 to a box (you got a lot of doubles) and I had people to trade with back then. They didn't care if I smoked or not.

I just don't think they're worth the trouble.

Personally can't see the point, bit like the harry potter promo's (Blue, Green, Silver, Gold foil) it's the same card with a different edging and does nothing for me

I think parallel sets are okay, if the insertion ratio is reasonable. However, only having one or two to a box, or numbered out of 500, or mutiple levels of parallels is getting way too out of hand for me. The first time I remember thinking something was wrong was on the Lady Death (I think it was Series III) where this was the one of the first occasions where the number of chase cards exceeded the number of base cards in the set.

I'm glad that some people enjoy the current parallel card trend, but it just isn't for me. I have done a few parallel sets in the past (Marvel Masterpieces, X-Files, Lady Death II), but can't see spending the time, energy, or money trying to do an Indiana Jones or DC Legacy parallel set today.

I view parallel cards as a scam. Same card, bit of foil or a number, and now its something ultra-rare. Please . . .

I am glad most people don't like parallels. There just isn't enough parallel sets to go around to everyone.

For example Star Wars 30th Anniversary Red foil, there can only be 175 sets, and 350 blue. They really are limited editions. The Gold edition was taking things too far even for me; just 30 sets.

The best thing about card collecting is that there is something for everyone, this is why we have so much diametrically opposed views on these boards.

Yes, parallels annoy the heck out of me too. I only have Star Wars to base my experience on. Parallels in good numbers, say one in every 2 packs is great but no rarer than that otherwise it is just no fun.

Parallel sets are just a sideline to a set for me now. It was fun for Topps Star Wars Galaxy 3, that had the optimum ratio. However do dislike the cheap way topps does parallels by simply foil stamping the card rather than doing it the way they did it fo Star Wars Finest with an alternative colour to the back of the card. This whole #/# sequentially numbered business is rubbish. That goes for any type of card though.

All I do when card sets come with low quantity parallels is actually buy less boxes

I used to like them most of the time, when they were a way to make the set more interesting, and you could hope to make a parallel set or trade into one just from opening boxes.

Some parallel sets were different enough from the base sets to be pretty cool; the Babylon 5 parallels with the quotes come to mind. The early X-Files parallel sets too.

But now, parallels don't seem to fit any important niche. We already have scads of other inserts to chase after. Most of the parallels aren't interesting and are too hard to get.

There might be some exceptions. I didn't open any boxes for Marvel Masterpieces 2007, and instead of picking up the regular base set and low inserts, I went for a mini-master of the foil parallels.

Other than that, I haven't tried to chase after any parallel sets since Charmed Connections and the Fleer TMNT sets. I look at some of the tough parallel sets as an attraction only to people who open multi-caseloads of packs, with enough time on their hands to build sets or sell 1/1 parallels to the few people who want them.

I would prefer it if they'd do something else, maybe something that shows a bit of imagination.

I hate parallels too - I think they're a brain-dead chase set.

At least if the backs had something worthwhile "chasing" (ie, a 9-card poster or similar) then they may not be bad...but the same card over and over is a waste.

Look at the Wacky Packs Flashback set with an uncountable number of parallel sets.

I hope manufacturers offer us something better in the future.

Too many chase cards, parallels, autographs, costume cards...

Give me a base set and an easy to complete sticker or poster set and I am happy. The mega sets are not enjoyable to me.

As a dealer who breaks cases of product, I like the parallel sets...if they are done well. They give collectors who wish a little something that is more challanging and take the place of MANY extra base cards, that otherwise would be useless to me (I do not have the time to post $3 sets online). The MM07 and SW30 sets were great for me because of the extra $$ that I could get from those. The Indy stuff...not so much, but I think that the prices (or lack therof) reflect what the collecting public thinks of the sets.

I liked the DC Legacy Gold cards. Other than that I could really do without them.

As a collector = a waste of cardboard.
As a dealer = Great stuff.........But I am not a dealer.