quote:

Originally posted by mtlhddoc2:

quote:

I realize there seems to be a majority of people here who've collected cards for a whole year

I almost fell outta my chair when I read this! How true this is!

I actually found this comment to be a tad rude. I have been collecting cards for almost a decade (though I signed up for this forum only a year or so ago) and I remember Topps being the only person in the game. However, I have found that Inkworks and RA have stepped up the game, while Topps hasn't moved along as well with the times. As someone who DOES like the chase cards (and someone who is willing to admit that chase cards are a big part of rising costs) I am a little underwhelmed that Topps has the license as it means extremely hard to get cards that are unlikely to be pulled in a single box purchase (or two max) so I don't have to deal with all of the extra base cards that I will end up storing because I don't really sell things and have few trading partners.

THAT is why I am a little unwhelmed regarding this news... not because I don't remember the "old days" when base sets were valued higher, but because the cards that I like will be considerably harder to find and stickers for autographs annoy me. And to be honest, I think that I do have reason to gripe...

quote:

Originally posted by shoxsaloon:
Sadly, despite our best efforts, it looks like the license was awarded to another company.

Sincerely,

Sue Lake
Inkworks Consumer Relations

Oh dear, that was the rumour I heard. Sue told us at Collectormania GMEX that Inkworks were trying to get the license, and she was REALLY passionate about it.

I'm annoyed that Topps got it, they'll get the names but the product will be uninspiring and bland.

Would someone like to tell me which Topps cards are no good?

I have loads of Topps cards and they are all great, the base cards are superb.

I do admit i do not like the autographed stickers, i think they look cheap and tacky but the way some people are going on you would think Topps were some two bit outfit instead of a company with a great track record going back many years.

Everyone knows that Inkworks would have done a good job with this set.
Still despite them not getting it will be good to see what Topps comes up with.

Its early days yet, so everyone keep your fingers crossed

quote:

Originally posted by wolfie:
Would someone like to tell me which Topps cards are no good?

I collect card Non sport trading cards by the topic of the cards.

Stargate
Smallville

It doesn't matter to me who makes the cards ( Topps, RA, Inkworks).

I collect sketches from Family Guy,
costume & pieceworks cards by RA and Inkworks because they have been worn on the show or movie by the actor and autographed trading cards... but

I consider an autographed card just that. A card that has been autographed. An autographed sticker placed on a trading card is not an autographed card. (Topps did this in Superman Returns)

A costume card that is created from material that was made into the costume is "Not" a costume card. (Topps did this with Superman Returns)

In my opinion, Superman Returns is a poorly constructed set of trading cards for the Non sport collector.

Before every bashes me, this is just my opinion.
I am keeping my fingers crossed and I will hope for the best. I hope Topps comes through. If they do, I will have a Master set of Heroes.

I don't dislike Topps but I prefer Inkworks & Rittenhouse as they seem to be more passionate about the products they are making. This is reflected in the quality of product and customer service. I much prefer to buy a box knowing that I'm guaranteed something.

I still think this set has Rittenhouse written all over it, that would of been one killer set.

The only way Topps could pull this off for me would be if they put a little more effort into the design, included more chase cards (instead of the standard embossed foil set), used actual show worn costumes (if they include costume cards), and not have ridiculous insertion rates for the best auto's. Oh, and have better case collation for the sake of case buyers.

i still think topps deserves a lot of credit. for the most part, their boxes are very reasonably priced. They have a great track record with having very high end autographs . And, the totally made the Sketch card market, which has become probably the most passionate and debated collectable the hobby has seen in years. For all the horrid stuff like signed band-aids and "authentic material used in the making (i.e. the stuff we found on the floor after they made the costumes for the movie), they do equally impressive stuff as ive mentioned before. PLUS, topps products are always a bit gamble-y. You get a lot of odd insertion odds, and chances to pull 2/3 of something instead of 1 every time. Thats always fun knowing your box has a shot after you hit the guaranteed no more/no less cards.

quote:

Originally posted by zhamlau:
i still think topps deserves a lot of credit. for the most part, their boxes are very reasonably priced. They have a great track record with having very high end autographs . And, the totally made the Sketch card market, which has become probably the most passionate and debated collectable the hobby has seen in years. For all the horrid stuff like signed band-aids and "authentic material used in the making (i.e. the stuff we found on the floor after they made the costumes for the movie), they do equally impressive stuff as ive mentioned before. PLUS, topps products are always a bit gamble-y. You get a lot of odd insertion odds, and chances to pull 2/3 of something instead of 1 every time. Thats always fun knowing your box has a shot after you hit the guaranteed no more/no less cards.

Didn't SkyBox kick the sketch cards in gear? Silver Age and Marvel CC where the 1st with 1 sketch per box?

While I would have preferred a different company on Heroes, I will give Topps a chance. I just hope they support/continue to put out the series as it has high potentional. Topps did that with X-Files till the movie came out and then stopped making sets...it really hurt the franchise.

David

The collectors have loved Topps' Star War sets as well as the LOTR sets.

quote:

Originally posted by zeeterman:

quote:

Originally posted by Scifi Cards:

quote:

Originally posted by zeeterman:
I realize there seems to be a majority of people here who've collected cards for a whole year, and have no memory of Topps being the only game in town way back in the day. But remember the whole purpose of the set is to show pictures and text of the show. Lambasting a company for not putting in a high number of chase cards is stupid. When the chase cards outnumber the base cards, you won't be able to call them chase cards any more.

The problem is that "back in the day" you didn't pay $2.50 a pack either. People want a little more for their money because they are being asked for a great deal more money these days.

Modern sets with modern prices deserve modern inserts to provide value in a box [or pack].


Ed

What drove the prices of boxes and cases up in the first place were chase cards. I mean when you're guaranteed at least 1 or 2 autographs per box, and there are 20+ different stars signing per set, it's gonna cost alot. The stars don't sign for free. I thinks it's become a game of how can our card company outdo that "other" card company? How many more chase cards can we add? I agree that the price of the product you get should be in sync with the quality and number of chase cards. But if you're gonna have less chase cards, then lower the price. I myself quit buying boxes years ago because of the price. I happen to also collect autographs on a casual level. I know how much a star is gonna charge for an autograph at a show. It's often cheaper to actually go to the show, meet the star, plunk down the $15-$30 and watch them sign that 8x10. Sometimes these auto cards get absolutely outrageous on eBay, and it only makes me laugh. On the other hand, I also see great deals on some of the "lesser" stars' signed cards. As you can tell, I'm not a modern "master set" kinda guy. Collect what ya like IS a good philosophy. So simple. Now I'm gonna go stare at all my 70's and 80's Topps "master" sets.

But when they stop putting the inserts in people stop buying the product so selling a box for 20.00 like the old days is impossible because the dealers won't buy it then topps is stuck with thousands of cases and you end up with what happened to the sports cards in the early 90's to many cards and noone to collect them..

As for the autographs in person not everyone has the ability to meet these people some of us don't have time to spare to go to a show and meet someone for their autograph so pulling it out of a pack is the only way to get it..

As for sticker autograph I don't mind them if they are done right but I think if they are going to do the sticker autos the cards should be damage free(unlike star wars) since the company doesn't have to ship them to the people to sign..

As far as the pieceworks anyone who collects sports cards knows that 99% of the "gameworn" stuff on sports cards was never in fact worn by the athlete in a game just a jersey they put on to have their picture taken...

Originally posted by Jim Streich:
But when they stop putting the inserts in people stop buying the product so selling a box for 20.00 like the old days is impossible because the dealers won't buy it then topps is stuck with thousands of cases and you end up with what happened to the sports cards in the early 90's to many cards and noone to collect them..


I don't believe that. Non-sports survived many many years WITHOUT having any chase cards. I just think now the focus has changed from the subject matter of the set to the whole "luck of the draw" in getting autographs. It's like buying a scratch off lottery ticket. Some people get addicted to the thrill of the chase and forget about the fun of the base cards.
How many actually look at the photos and bother to read the backs any more? I bet there are alot of guilty collectors out there! While dealers may seem to be propping up our hobby by buying up case after case, remember some of these same sports dealers are in it for the money. They buy and bust open boxes looking for the rookie cards or autograph cards and then dump the rest. They mostly turned their noses up at non-sports cards UNTIL they started having autos in every box. Now they're all interested. Certainly if autos were not to be offered in non-sports boxes tomorrow, yer sports dealer would never buy em again. Where as a stricly non-sports dealer would STILL try to offer ALL products regardless of chase/auto cards. I see the difference in the 2 types of dealers like night and day. Loyal non-sports dealers ROCK!
Anyway, if the autos disappeared, and the prices came down, I think more individuals would take up the slack and buy boxes again.
It's just my opinion here.


Originally posted by Jim Streich:
As for the autographs in person not everyone has the ability to meet these people some of us don't have time to spare to go to a show and meet someone for their autograph so pulling it out of a pack is the only way to get it..

Understood. However I should mention that MANY stars also offer autographs from their websites for the same money as at a show. And many also are FREE for the asking if you get their mailing address. I've scored many autos by sending 8x10s and return postage.

yes but the ones I got in person when I could travel to these are sometimes COMPLETELY different when I get them in the mail(won't say who) but it makes me wonder if they have someone else sign for them in the mail when I see the different autos..

quote:

Originally posted by Jim Streich:
yes but the ones I got in person when I could travel to these are sometimes COMPLETELY different when I get them in the mail(won't say who) but it makes me wonder if they have someone else sign for them in the mail when I see the different autos..

which could also make you wonder about trading cards

The only complaint I have with Topps is, that they put the autographs on stickers...

The chase cards (especially the church window cards from LOTR) are always really nice! And I couldn't find anything wrong with the base set either...

The stickers are high on my list of dislikes, but there are other fears.

While TOPPS is good at getting the big talent to sign, quite often the odds are very high against pulling the cards, then there is the promise of big names signing but after orders are placed the names are removed from the signers list (King Kong Naomi Watts is the latest one I recall).

This also brings up cases where dealers have to order almost blind because there is almost no info by the time the ordering deadline arrives. The product might be great or dealers can be stuck with a dud that has no chance of them even breaking even. While it seems 99% confirmed TOPPS is doing Heroes that fact isn't anywhere to be seen on their website, or pretty much anywhere else either, if not for this thread I'd have no idea a Heroes set was even in the works. On the plus side, TOPPS doesn't seem to mind doing sketch cards for live action stuff and they seem to get virtual carte blanche with their liscences so it could be an awesome set. I'll take the wait-and-see approach before deciding.

quote:

Originally posted by zeeterman:

I don't believe that. Non-sports survived many many years WITHOUT having any chase cards. I just think now the focus has changed from the subject matter of the set to the whole "luck of the draw" in getting autographs. It's like buying a scratch off lottery ticket. Some people get addicted to the thrill of the chase and forget about the fun of the base cards.
How many actually look at the photos and bother to read the backs any more? I bet there are alot of guilty collectors out there!

An interesting point, but the part that I must post about is the part "I bet there are alot of guilty collectors out there!"

I disagree - there are different types of collectors - out there and on this forum. Does the passion of one collector have more validity that the passion of another, simply because he/she get's a different thrill from different cards?

And the time someone has collected cards (posted earlier, and commented on above by another) - again, does that make someone more worthy of an opinion that others?

To my eyes and ears, both have been implied a couple of times in this thread, and it bothers me as how can any hobby be open and welcoming to newbies if these opinions exist?

Of course, I respect that many of the longstanding collectors have more knowledge of the cards and cards history, which is where this forum is such a joy - seeing the questions asked, and answered, and the excitement of new cards and new finds shared.

It is true that I personally value the modern entertainment related tv & film cards, and these do hold most interest for me in the (in order of priority) in costume, auto, subsets and base cards. But the fact that I have quite a few cards where I have yet to read the backs of each doesn't give me sleepless nights.

It's something I look forward to, in the days where I do have more time to read the backs, and also those nights where I am sleepless for another reason.

I love the cards I love, and feel no shame in favouring one card maker from another. My Heroes set cannot come quick enough - whoever makes it.

Peace.

Ian x

quote:

And the time someone has collected cards (posted earlier, and commented on above by another) - again, does that make someone more worthy of an opinion that others?

To my eyes and ears, both have been implied a couple of times in this thread, and it bothers me as how can any hobby be open and welcoming to newbies if these opinions exist?

no it does not make someone more worthy of an opinion, but the tone of this thread, by relative "newbies" is entirely negative towards Topps and anyone who disagrees with that is shouted down by said newbies who do not seem to take any joy in collecting, but in collecting "rare" and "hard-to-find" above all else. I have posted before (and I am not an "oldbie") about how I really HATE the dearth of chase cards in most sets, and I was shouted down by many on how having a bazillion chase cards per set was the only way to make it worth it to collect. and people wonder why the "oldbies" are no longer around? (and really, they arent around as much as they were a few years ago) The tone set by the "newbies" is almost too much to bear, which is why I barely post any more either, and one of the reason I quit as a moderator.

Fair enough.

I hadn't honestly noted any 'shouting down' but will re-read the thread from page 1.

It's clear that different people have different opinions, and I don't want to get hung up on terms such as 'newbie' or 'oldbie' (never heard that one before actually - sort of like it though).

I have just have a preference is all, and if that's perceived as a negative towards a certain card maker, the so be it. I look forward to being proved wrong by Topps if they do the Heroes set.

I started collecting cards in 1992 with the purchase of my very first box: Marvel Masterpieces 1992 done by Joe Jusko (Skybox). There were first 5 chasecards to collect. I loved chasing every one of them! Later there was a tin and the're were 5 others to chase.

I stopped collecting in 1999 and starting again in 2005 and discovered this forum in 2006. I now collect only sets from tvseries. And there are a lot more chasecards to be found in a box.

Ihe inserts are not that quite that special to me anymore, I now enjoy seeking the rarer ones like PW cards and autocards etc. That's why I would have preferred another company like Inkworks and RA to do the Heroes sets based on their previous trackrecord. But I will give Topps a fair chance and see what they come up with.

I also posted earlier before in this topic and it was never my intent to set a tone or anything. Just my opinion and peronal preference.

So mtlhddoc2 I hope this helps to put this thread in somewhat more positive spirits because make no mistake I am really enjoying this hobby!! And I love collecting and put together a master set.. That's the main reason I came back to the hobby. I love collecting.

So does that make me a old newbie or a new oldbie??

I don't think my opinion is better than anyones.
And I don't think it matters how long we've collected, or how many cards we've collected.
All I can do as an oldie is pass on observations, changes, trends, etc.
There are different collectors out there who like different things, and can collect in any way they choose. But no one can deny the tendency, especially with newer collectors, to concentrate solely on chase/autograph cards.
It's evident, it's obvious, it's reality.
And it's why I can buy a base set for $3 on eBay. That's good for me. But not particularly good for base sets. A wrapper used to be just the cover for the cards. Now the cards are just filling for the autograph and chase cards.
Call me a nostalgic relic if ya want.

The only reason I defend Topps is that everyone rags on them because of their record of not doing the autos/chase cards as well as the other companies. If yer just into those cards, then sure, I get it. But they still make nice cards. 95% of their product is base cards.
So they're meeting 95% of people's expectations.
No one forces you to buy their product.
If you don't like it, don't buy it.
I really thrilled someone's doing a Heroes set, and will definately pick it up.