Would any savings in cost be passed on by the retailer? Are we talking a significant saving or pennies/cents/currency of your choice...

Colin.

www.btinternet.com/~Colin.Whyte1/index.htm

I could do without the promos assuming that it would get the box price down. An exception I'd make to this is if the cards are using some kind of special printing process that a promo could really show off. Someone mentioned the new James Bond cards, for example, and that's a case where I think that the promo cards really DID make a difference. Some people have complained about the Dr. No mini-set being in black and white, but that promo card I got in the mail looked very nice! Oh, one other thing I just thought of...if the promo card may actually be useful in getting new collectors into the market, such as being inserted into a mainstream magazine or something outside the usual marketplace where new folks can see them. The recent Farscape/Stargate SG-1 insert in "Entertainment Weekly" comes to mind, even though it wasn't a real promo in the sense that it didn't advertise for the upcoming card sets.

-Bob-

"I'd take a bullet for safety."

Bob:

This is an interesting thread. I am confused about your point relating to the Stargate/Farscape item in Entertainment Weekly. That wasn't a card promo nor was it really even a card (it wasn't card size, wasn't numbered, wasn't part of a series, etc.). I don't see how it will help with "getting new collectors into the market"? I'm not trying to be antagonistic. Just trying to keep the dialog going.

Harris

Visit Non-Sport Update at www.nonsportupdate.com

Harris - I think he was talking about that "type" of insert into mainstream media as opposed to the insert itself

http:\\mtlhddoc2.8m.com

Dan, to answer your point about preview sets - Cards Inc have ALREADY issued several preview sets for existing and upcoming sets - indeed, there were a couple of prevuew sets for the current Cards Inc set "Captain Scarlet" and I believe sets were issued for "UFO" and "The Prisoner" (if not more!)

I'm not commenting on the Promo question - I got tied up in knots last time this sort of thing came up!
Au Res.,
Paul

Sometimes, one pack is not enough...

Hmmm...

Well, a promo does not effect what cards I buy because if I like the show or movie or whatever the card is I'll buy regardless of the promo.

Like some of the people who have already replied, I consider the promos as part of the set so when I collect a set I try to get all the promos which can be a pain sometimes. Especially with the promos that are limited or the promos that are only available overseas. I normally have to go to ebay for the overseas promos. I think that the promos are going to people who are trying to make money off them. I've had to purchase all the overseas promos of the cards I collect on ebay and I really dislike that.

I certainly would not mind if not having promos lowers costs because collecting entire sets are expensive.

TR

Personally I tend to treat promos as part of the set. If I can get hold of them they are put with the set as a sort of chase level.
They don't have any effect on which sets I buy or not. I only buy sets where I already have an interest in the subjest matter(ie sifi, film or TV) and as such the look of the set (as advertised on the promo) is not too inportant.
I still like promos but would be happy to do with out them and pay less for the sets .

I buy sets I'm interested in - promos have no effect in what I buy.
While I have bought a couple of promos that looked interesting, on the whole, I'm not interested in them.

Can of worms again - Im a promo card collector in addition to sets - what if you were to issue a preview set for us promo collectors instead? a 4 or 5 card set for 6 or 8 dollars (or 4 or 5 pounds)??? pleasing everyone is hard but making your product available to more people is probably the best choice and if cutting down on promos is your best way to drop the price then you probably should (but think about the preview set thing - inkworks and Rittenhouse have both done it with a great deal of success).

Dan

http:\\mtlhddoc2.8m.com

Ah, it's a two-pronged issue. I try hard to use promos as tools to promote..meaning I get them into the hands of collectors, BUT!!! These are people I likely wouldnt have to sell my product to very hard, we knoooow we're gonna get it when it comes out, don't we OTOH< the span of time wehre there wasn't promos (back in 96-97), it was sad without them...They are a nice *tide me over* goodie. Does that justify the cost, I suppose not.
BUT, I would LOVE to see cards promote the upcoming sets to pepoel who would be otherwise clueless..I would love to see promo in Sci-Fi magazines (non-card mags) Maybe stuck in the pages of ST books (heck, they could give us some and we could all sneak into bookstores and plant 'em. Stacks at librarys, at schools....perhaps offered to leaders of the various fan clubs out there to pass on to their members.....passed out at conventions.....do I even have a CLUE as to what I'm talking about in practical terms...nope. But, it doesn't stop me from loving the idea
Maybe a card company could have a promo guy/girl whose job it would be to figure out ways to distributoe promos...heck, I'd do it, they could pay me in ST cards :snort:
I would hate to see promo cards go, I would LOVE to see them more widely put to use....

I would have to answer yes to this question and to prove it I shall give the example of The Ghost Whisperer I have all the promo cards both Inkworks and Breygent and am eagerly awaiting the release of the set. Promos should be seen as adverising making collectors aware of a forthcomming set. Dealers send me promos when I buy cards, but that doesn't neccessarily mean I'll buy the set it just depneds on my interests. The Rittenhouse rewards programme is a way of creating interest in other sets as I've started their Star Trek: Women of Voyager set because of the rewards programme. A set I wouldn't otherwise have looked at.