I don't know if there is enough interest for a finer breakdown but I see a lot of posts of promotional material that aren't related to trading card collecting. That is, they aren't trading cards, themselves, or the items (panels, sell sheets, postcards etc.) don't promote trading cards. They promote movies, CD's, TV Shows etc. Tower Records was big on these.

I was thinking that maybe by rewording the first forum to be exclusively about promotional material related to trading cards that there might be enough interest for these promotional items which directly promote Buffy or X Files to have a home of their own.

I definately would encourage this. Quite frankly, I'm a card collector and not a collector of ephemera, so all the posts about ad slicks or postacards, etc. simply don't appeal to me.

If we could make the New Promo Releases solely about Promotional Trading cards and create a new category for the Ephemera, then it would help de-clutter the section

As probably the most recent contributor of non-trading card posts in this section I agree! To be honest, I wasn't sure where exactly to put the Joey postcard post; it could just as welle have gone into the General Entertainment section as the New Promo area.
All it really needs is a new section (though if this means a major overhaul by Harris...)
Au Res.,
Paul

My personal opinion would be for cards to be listed as promos, and everything else (including those items that have to be cut from food boxes) to be listed in another area. I only collect cards for sets I get, not food items or postcards or ad slicks...

quote:

Originally posted by Quaint1:
All it really needs is a new section (though if this means a major overhaul by Harris...)

No, this would be quite easy for me to implement. But I am always reluctant to add new forums unless they are definitely warranted and will be used. So please keep that input coming, ok?

Harris

If I've read Bill and OWM correctly, what's required is a new section under the existing Promo area, perhaps entitled 'Non Trading Card Promos' or similar - this forum to contain any and all posts about non card set related promotional material, whether food premium, TV series postcard or whatever.
We do get quite a few post of this sort - strictly speaking the Harry Potter Choccy Frog cards should count as Food Premiums as do any cards found in/on breakfast cereal or other snack food!

If I've understood this correctly, it might make a sensible addition, Harris - it would save anyone not interested in that sort of thing from having to trawl through posts in the regular promo fora, and would make things a good bit easier to find for those of us who either have an interest in, or find, postcards etc.
Au Res.,
Paul

I can't speak for anyone else, but you got me Paul - that's exactly what I was hoping for - a subsection, if you will, for the ephemera underneath the general Promo card section...

Perhaps a poll is needed - or Harris, you could just do what I say It works in this household!

quote:

Originally posted by tialessa:
My personal opinion would be for cards to be listed as promos, and everything else (including those items that have to be cut from food boxes) to be listed in another area. I only collect cards for sets I get, not food items or postcards or ad slicks...

I agree,the few promos I do collect are for non-sport sets.
Cards you find with food items are of no interest to me.Neither are postcards etc...

I think a sub-section on the lines mentioned by Quaint1 would be a good idea.

I'm hearing as many as three new forums:

1. Trading Card Promo Cards (assume the current forum)

2. Other Promotional material related to Trading Cards

3. Premiums (cards, toys, stickers) e.g. food

4. Ephemera relating to products other than Trading cards

5. The current General Discussion forum

I'm not advokating this breakdown (yet) just summarizing everyone's ideas to date. Personally I would have no problem if #1 an #2 were the same forum but that would just be my opinion.

quote:

Originally posted by Quaint1:
As probably the most recent contributor of non-trading card posts in this section I agree! To be honest, I wasn't sure where exactly to put the Joey postcard post; it could just as welle have gone into the General Entertainment section as the New Promo area.
All it really needs is a new section (though if this means a major overhaul by Harris...)
Au Res.,
Paul

...just to re-emphasize my point, it would be nice to have a sufficient breakdown of forums so that your choice as to where to post is more intuitive for you, for us. Maybe one of the new forums that are being discussed, if it came about would fall under "Off-Topic" with the General Entertainment Discussion forum.

quote:

Originally posted by Bill DeFranzo:
2. Other Promotional material related to Trading Cards
3. Premiums (cards, toys, stickers) e.g. food
4. Ephemera relating to products other than Trading cards

I'd personally think all these could be grouped together, but that's just me. Perhaps Harris should start a poll within the next week to get a consensus...

It's a tough call, I think. One one hand, I think if it's promotional, and its on card stock, then it should be posted here. On the other hand, there's a lot of ca-ca that really doesnt belong here, like all the "rack" cards you can get at music stores and a lot of conventions.

I don't see the need to sub-categorize, but if you must break it down, I would say break it into two subcategories: promo cards that pertain to card sets, and promo everything else. That's my opinion.

I mean, what's next? Making subject categories for talking about card sets? Buffy category, Star Trek category, sketch card category, auto category...see where this can go?

I agree with Todd.

Promo cards for card sets.

Promo cards for everything else.

That should be enough.

what I would do here is combine the 2 current categories and create a new one for promo items not related to trading cards, if this is needed at all.

Like has been said, where do you draw the line?
Trading card promos include (in my opinion) Sell Sheets (or ad slicks as some call them) and any other item which promotes the card set and would include promos which promote a card show or industry show.

What would happen here is probably this:
Philly rolls around and we get 10 to 12 promos there - 8 promoting card sets and 2 which promote something else, so Person A posts about new promos in one section then does the same in the other. Then a few months later, San Diego happens, and I doubt anyone realizes what a mess that already is when the posting starts. With this breakdown of the forums, everyone who posts would post TWICE instead of just once.

"Well, I got 3 inkworks promos and a postcard too, but it doesnt specifically depict a set so it doesnt count, I will post that in the other section"...

And what happens with other product premiums that DO mention the card set (Smallville figure cards come to mind, plus the new Buffy P.A.L.S. figures and cards), do they go in the Ephemera section? or the Card set section? So people would post in both. What I couold like to really see is a NONCARD section. We often have people posting about Burger King toys or magnets at Suncoast that really are not cards, do not contain cards, and dont mention cards.

If I remember correctly, when the new promo section was being setup, the current setup was what most people seemed to want. I would throw my full support behind a Unrelated Noncard section, but would only weakly support adding a "not relating to card set" section.

quote:

Originally posted by wolfman-golf:
I agree with Todd.

Promo cards for card sets.

Promo cards for everything else.

That should be enough.

I just filled my pants.

Were the loose or tight pants...

Personally I only see the need for changing the name of one section and adding another section for non-trading card promotional items.

In my mind, I think the New Promo Releases should be renamed to New Non-Sport Trading Card Promo Releases or something like that, and the new forum should be New Non-Card Promo Items.

I feel that food premium cards should continue to be listed in the New promo Card area, whether or not they are inserted in a box or on the package. They still are cards, and are promoting a show, character, or possibly an event of some sort.

Post cards, promo toys, and other items should be in the new Non-Card promo area.

Just my thoughts on the subject.

Mike.

Hi All:

OK, I did a bit of revamping with this. It's my last change for today. I promise!

I read through all of the posts here and decided to go with a combination of your ideas. I hope that my decision best represents the consensus. I felt that Mike's post above pretty much met that mark.

I added a new forum and it should be for new items which are not trading card sized. In other words, as Mike posted, post cards, promo toys, and other items should go in this forum. Regular promos and 2.5 x 3.5 pieces of cardboard that promote movies, CD's, Volkswagens, or whatever should continue to go in the New Promo Card Releases forum (note that I added the word "Card" and modified the forum description on the main page a bit).

Harris