Non-Sport Update's Card Talk
CZX® MIDDLE-EARTH

This topic can be found at:
https://nonsportupdate.infopop.cc/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/955604453/m/1357090896

March 31, 2022, 07:14 AM
wolfie
CZX® MIDDLE-EARTH
50 cards to cover all 6 films?? Eek

It could easily have been 100 cards per film.

____________________
Come, it is time for you to keep your appointment with The Wicker Man.
March 31, 2022, 09:44 AM
Raven
Not a single female character showcased in the preview, not even in a sketch. I know most of the main roles were male here, but more often than not it's the ladies that sell the most cards. Wink
March 31, 2022, 11:03 AM
Raven
quote:
Originally posted by wolfie:
50 cards to cover all 6 films?? Eek

It could easily have been 100 cards per film.


With the number of cards we will get per box, it will be lucky if a case yields all 50 cards. And then the base set will still sell complete for less than a third of the cost of a box. Big Grin
April 30, 2022, 04:44 PM
Raven
Just got my second CZX Middle-earth promo P4 from the June/July NSU. Dateline has it down as a July release.

Nicely designed, glossy borderless card. All earth tones, green, brown, tan and black. Wish there were more bright colors, but it's the costumes.

If my promo card is any indicator, I think this set is going to be very condition sensitive. The back has edge and corner damage already. I would call it light peel or flaking. Front edges look good, but a definite horizontal line (roller?) in the surface finish about 1/2 an inch from the top out to the middle of the card.

Grading gem-mints could be a real challenge with this one.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Raven,
May 01, 2022, 08:00 AM
Electrawoman Cards f/k/a jane
quote:
Originally posted by Raven:
Not a single female character showcased in the preview, not even in a sketch. I know most of the main roles were male here, but more often than not it's the ladies that sell the most cards. Wink


Yes. Agreed

____________________
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May 01, 2022, 09:25 AM
Raven
quote:
Originally posted by Electrawoman Cards f/k/a jane:
quote:
Originally posted by Raven:
Not a single female character showcased in the preview, not even in a sketch. I know most of the main roles were male here, but more often than not it's the ladies that sell the most cards. Wink


Yes. Agreed


There is one now on the new P4 promo I just got. It features Orlando Bloom's Legolas behind on top and Liv Tyler's Arwen below in the foreground.
May 04, 2022, 01:57 PM
Karsten
I would also like to have autographs from actors who have not yet signed (e.g. Brad Dourif or Marton Csokas) or autograph cards from other characters (e.g. Treebeard or Smeagol).




May 04, 2022, 02:23 PM
Raven
I'm assuming that those cards are either digital mockups or handmade creations, since they don't exist as autographs or not autographs with those character names on any LotR cards I have seen, except for Baker. Correct? I'm looking at cardboard connections comprehensive list of LotR autograph cards now.

If you want a Brad Dourif certified card, the only one I know about came out in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.. John Rhys-Davies has signed in several titles including LotR, but not as Treebeard apparently. John Howe, no idea.
May 04, 2022, 03:09 PM
wolfie
A Brad Dourif would be great but if that was the autograph there is no way i would buy it.

____________________
Come, it is time for you to keep your appointment with The Wicker Man.
May 04, 2022, 03:25 PM
Raven
quote:
Originally posted by wolfie:
A Brad Dourif would be great but if that was the autograph there is no way i would buy it.


That's it. There is one of his "S.H.I.E.L.D. cards on eBay now for comparison. It's bigger, maybe you'd call it a bit better, but it's unreadable.
May 04, 2022, 04:01 PM
Karsten
quote:
Originally posted by Raven:
I'm assuming that those cards are either digital mockups or handmade creations, since they don't exist as autographs or not autographs with those character names on any LotR cards I have seen, except for Baker. Correct? I'm looking at cardboard connections comprehensive list of LotR autograph cards now.


That's right, it's a handmade creation on a professional level.
The cards look 100% like the originals. It was a lot of work. I love the movies and the autograph issue from Topps. Unfortunately, from my point of view, some autographs were missing and I took action. I got the signature at convention. Dourif was just in Wales (Uk).
May 04, 2022, 04:23 PM
Raven
They look really nice. Since autograph cards are my thing, I'm always impressed with the collectors who can do it for themselves. Not those cut and paste jobs that mutilate fine licensed cards, but the ones they create and get signed in person. Good stuff. Thumb Up
May 04, 2022, 04:58 PM
Logan
Topps really did a great job with those initial LOTR sets. They got almost everyone to sign, and all on-card. The movies are so iconic now that all of those signatures will do nothing but increase in demand and value as the years go by. Makes me long for those days when companies would make sets from the blockbuster movies - Topps did LOTR, X-Men, Superman Returns, Batman Begins, Transformers, etc. Rittenhouse did Iron Man, Spider-Man, Riddick, X-Men 3, etc. Artbox did Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Harry Potter. And what do they all have in common? They all include autograph cards that everyone now wants are worth big money. Heck even Rittenhouse's once forgotten Green Hornet set has a Jay Chou autograph in it that's now worth thousands. Maybe they should go back to that recipe. But it seems every company now is only interested in doing sets for TV shows where they can make a set for each new season. That's fine, but it lacks the A-level actors/actresses and can become tired after the second or third set.
May 04, 2022, 05:32 PM
Karsten
quote:
Originally posted by Raven:
They look really nice. Since autograph cards are my thing, I'm always impressed with the collectors who can do it for themselves. Not those cut and paste jobs that mutilate fine licensed cards, but the ones they create and get signed in person. Good stuff. Thumb Up


Thank you very much. I also love autograph cards. But it is very time consuming and expensive if you want it perfect. You have to commission some test prints to find the exact color.
I also know by now why certain LotR autograph didn't exist at Topps. It's really difficult to get the signature. A hobby with patience.

Right now I am designing more LotR autograph cards.
I would also like to have an autograph card of Smeagol (Andy Serkis). But you can't find any good pictures.
Does anyone know why the autograph card of Haldir looked different (and unfortunately not nice)?
May 04, 2022, 07:37 PM
Raven
quote:
Originally posted by Karsten:
Does anyone know why the autograph card of Haldir looked different (and unfortunately not nice)?


I can't remember ever hearing an explanation. I just thought it was a printing error in the design register that wasn't caught before the cards were sent out for signing, or was caught, but deemed not worth the trouble to reprint. One of those things that could have been an error card had it ever been corrected.
May 05, 2022, 05:35 AM
mykdude
He has a Voyager auto card as well and yes, he does not have a very nice signature.

Is what it is.

quote:
Originally posted by Raven:
If you want a Brad Dourif certified card, the only one I know about came out in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D..


____________________
Just because it's rare doesn't mean it's valuable.
May 05, 2022, 10:33 AM
ravenheart
Wasn't Haldir the only autograph that was a binder exclusive? Might have just been different for that reason.
May 05, 2022, 11:23 AM
Raven
quote:
Originally posted by ravenheart:
Wasn't Haldir the only autograph that was a binder exclusive? Might have just been different for that reason.


Not sure, cardboard connection has it down as Two Towers Case Topper. But even so, binder cards or exclusive cards would still typically follow the same design of cards in that group. The photo doesn't look out of place, just that the scale of the background Ring doesn't match the other autographs. I don't have this Parker/Haldir card.
May 05, 2022, 11:42 AM
Karsten
quote:
Originally posted by Raven:
quote:
Originally posted by Karsten:
Does anyone know why the autograph card of Haldir looked different (and unfortunately not nice)?


I can't remember ever hearing an explanation. I just thought it was a printing error in the design register that wasn't caught before the cards were sent out for signing, or was caught, but deemed not worth the trouble to reprint. One of those things that could have been an error card had it ever been corrected.



If you look at each design element of the Haldir autograph card, you will see that almost every element is different. A different ring cutout. The font is different at the bottom. The bow at the top of the back, etc.
Since I know design professionally, I would say that the card was very poorly designed or my guess is that it was the first card printed and they decided to change the design later.
May 10, 2022, 04:50 AM
ravenheart
From memory the background is also different. All the other Two Towers ones are runes, and the Haldir one is... leaves, I think?