Did not plan on buying this one because box price is over $100, but I walked into one, so gave it a try. Good news and bad news, mostly not so hot.

First off, you are not making any set in one box. Base set is 100 cards, I got 51 of them. Foil set is 100 cards, I got 20 of them. Inserts broke out to 3 Weapons and Tools, 2 Deleted Scenes, 2 Inside the Nostromo, 2 Special Order 937, 3 Xeneology, 1 Paranoid Android and 1 Alien HIDI. These inserts look to be up to 9 cards for most. So you need multiple boxes to complete anything.

Both the foil set and the inserts are glossy photos on modern stock. With only a handful of exceptions, they look nice.

The base set is the worse thing I have seen in a very long time and I don't mean because it has the retro look with glossless card stock. I mean because nearly all my 51 cards were just plain ugly. They have a slime green overall color and border. The very familiar photos are cropped in such close ups and so dark that you might only know what you are looking at if you know the Alien scene to start with. The backs are jet black with a little dull white text. I am a big Alien fan. I have the original set and all subsequent sets. They are all better than this. I am not unhappy to never complete it. The base set should have been the foils.

So now the hits. I got 2 in my box. The only guaranteed hit is the manufactured Semiotic Patch. I pulled SP10 Astronic Systems. It is a moderately thick card, not too thick though, and it has a meaningless symbol that looks like a plus sign over a minus sign. From the back photos I can see that all the patches look meaningless. This hit is pointless to me.

Now here's the reason I am not screaming bloody murder right about now. The second hit was as Ian Holm autograph card. I rather doubt that the value of that card will cover the box, but I don't have one of Mr. Holm as Ash, so I am content with having pulled an autograph card, something that is not guaranteed in every box, rather than one of the other manufactured hits.

Accordingly my grade on this product is B+ if you pull an autograph and D if you don't.

Grats on the Ian Holm!

I agree with you about the manufactured patches. They are not a draw, in my opinion, that people are looking forward to collecting. That said, I wonder why the manufacturers even go through the extra cost of these. Same goes for the medallion cards. Metal, heavy, thicker cards. Not worth it.

I opened 5 boxes (so far)

Aliens are my weakness.

Box wins the award for innovative product of 2017.

Here's the hits, grouped by box



Got the 2 autos I really wanted.

Printing plate was a decent bonus.

Patches were meh, but I would rather have them than another level of parallel. Might even try to put the set together, they go cheap enough to chase right now.

Ed

What is the redemption for? It's tough to read.

quote:

Originally posted by Ted Dastick Jr.:
What is the redemption for? It's tough to read.

Android parts: Tubing

Not the most exciting redemption.

Ed

Opened three boxes...
3 patches, 2 sketches, 2 printing plates, 1 autograph, 1 red parallel ##/25.

Anybody have an extra base card #61? I have extra base to trade. Have some chase holes to fill. Drop me a line x4741@hotmail.com. Thanks.