quote:

Originally posted by Raj:
Does the sale include Card Talk?
Will it be shut down and members directed to the Beckett site?

Let us hope it stays as it is!

quote:

Originally posted by hammer:

quote:

Originally posted by Raj:
Does the sale include Card Talk?
Will it be shut down and members directed to the Beckett site?

Let us hope it stays as it is!

I'll second that.

I have nothing against the Beckett forums, but they are overwhelming for sports card collectors. This is the place for non-sport card collectors. Card Talk members, lurkers, dealers and non-sport card manufacturers alike have known that since around 2002.

Thanks for the Toser Family to make the Non-Sport Update. Good look in the new projects.

I remember bought my 1rst NSU magazine in the '90s. Then years later had a subscription. Then after nonsense comment in an editorial. I decided to get at least one magazine every year.

In some point is sad. It is difficult find a independent magazine of a niche topic with some publishers/writers with knowledge of the topic. As far I saw with the sale or merge of companies. In one point or other, NSU magazine will disappear. Companies/business are run with math not the heart.

Wow.

Happy for Toser family and wish the very best for Roxanne, Marlin and my buddy Harris.

I will continue to support the Philly show and be part of the NSU community that we share.

Thank you!☺

Thanks NL and everyone for the really nice comments here. Honestly, I was a little apprehensive of what the reaction might be but I'm really glad to read the comments. We've been at this for a very long time and will continue to be involved with the shows and all. And of course, I continue on with Beckett Media. Things have gone great the first few weeks and the new Apr/May issue will be out on time and should be a good one. There's a nice tribute inside to my parents as well as the usual mix of articles, promos (Walking Dead, Grim Reaper, James Bond, and Outlander), price guide, etc.

Thanks again.

quote:

Originally posted by H_Toser:
Thanks NL and everyone for the really nice comments here. Honestly, I was a little apprehensive of what the reaction might be but I'm really glad to read the comments. We've been at this for a very long time and will continue to be involved with the shows and all. And of course, I continue on with Beckett Media. Things have gone great the first few weeks and the new Apr/May issue will be out on time and should be a good one. There's a nice tribute inside to my parents as well as the usual mix of articles, promos (Walking Dead, Grim Reaper, James Bond, and Outlander), price guide, etc.

Thanks again.

thanks again to you and your parents for everything you have done for the hobby

Good luck, Harris. We wish you all the best !

I am very proud to have been a modest part of the history of NSU. I was a writer in the early years, back when Chris Benjamin was editor. (to give an idea of how long ago, I think my first article was about Desert Storm cards, in 1991). I wrote the first article on promo cards for the magazine as well.

I hope that Beckett appreciates the legacy they have acquired, and continues to maintain the high standards the Tosers have held for so many years. Congratulations, Marlin, Roxanne and Harris, on putting out an excellent magazine for so long.

Good luck to Roxanne and Marlin in their (presumed) retirement, and to Harris and team for the future of NSU. The convention circuit and card fairs are pretty limited in Australia, so NSU and Card Talk have provided me with my connection to the wider hobby and other collectors for many years. Without these, I almost certainly would have given up collecting years ago. You have all made a major contribution to my enjoyment of a great hobby (and emptying my bank account of course).

Thank you for all the hard work you have put into the magazine for so many years. It was the last magazine that I purchased but I loved every issue. I wish you all the best in the future for you and your families.

Transitions such as these are never easy. What the Tosers have built over the past 26 years will stand the test of time. One of the difficult challenges I will have as Beckett's non-sports and gaming analyst is trying to maintain the level of professionalism, integrity, and innovation that the Tosers have bestowed upon the non-sports collecting community. I welcome everyone to please send me feedback. What do you want to see? What changes would you like to see? What do you want to stay? Any and all suggestions and questions are welcome. I'm here for you to unload on. Drop me an email at nonsports@beckett.com and let us know what you would love to see.

quote:

Originally posted by BeckettBible24:
Transitions such as these are never easy. What the Tosers have built over the past 26 years will stand the test of time. One of the difficult challenges I will have as Beckett's non-sports and gaming analyst is trying to maintain the level of professionalism, integrity, and innovation that the Tosers have bestowed upon the non-sports collecting community. I welcome everyone to please send me feedback. What do you want to see? What changes would you like to see? What do you want to stay? Any and all suggestions and questions are welcome. I'm here for you to unload on. Drop me an email at nonsports@beckett.com and let us know what you would love to see.

Not too many changes - don't fix what ain't broken.

Thanks for posting BeckettBible24, sorry I don't have a name yet. It's very good of you to reach out to the established community of non-sport card collectors that NSU already has ahead of any transition period.

I will wait to see what shows up in my mailbox as far as making comments.

The only thing I would suggest now is just because of your job title. Non-sport cards and gaming cards might fall under the same umbrella. They are not the same. They are two different worlds. By in large gamer card enthusiasts do not buy non-sport cards and non-sport card collectors are not gamers. I'm certainly not a gamer.

NSU was exclusively for non-sport card collectors and addressed what we were interested in. That is why I subscribe and it will be the main reason I renew.

From seeing Matt Bible on some of Beckett's box breaking videos and hearing him on some of the Beckett Radio podcasts, he definitely knows his non-sport cards (along with gaming cards and Pop Vynl figures)! I remember the other guys on Beckett Radio talking about all the work that he put in updating Beckett's non-sport data base to get Beckett's first stand alone Non-Sport Almanac

http://www.beckett.com/news/be...new-non-sports-book/

Remember that Harris Toser is still contributing and Ryan Cracknell is now with Beckett Media also. The NSU Magazine should still be the place for non-sport news and information ... just with a little more price guide power behind it.

That's a good point. I hope Beckett doesn't try to do a combined magazine for the CCG player and the non-sport collector. That is not a longterm magazine survival strategy. Triton and Tuff Stuff Collect! tried to be all things to all people but each suffered at least partly from diluted coverage of CCG, non-sport, comics, and other collectibles while there were other magazines that focused on just one of those hobbies (NSU and The Wrapper) and which are still here.

Yeah, I don't know the breakdown of how many NSU readers also collect comic books and toys and other stuff but I am also a reader who isn't into card gaming with only a passing interest in comics and toys. I like that NSU makes an effort to give us the news on what's being released and what's planned for release along with commentary. I like Bill's promo column too. We get a sense that we're keeping up with what's current with the website giving us day-to-day news and letting collectors/dealers/manufacturers take conversations in all kinds of card-related directions.

The one thing I think each of us on Card Talk should do is email this Beckett contact with comments. If you want the magazine to stay the same, put it in an email and send it. If you want more commentary on older cards, put it in the email. If you miss the Finders/Keepers column or would like a full price guide at least once a year, put it in the email. When the new issue comes out, write another email and say what you liked. Comment on the issues after. It can't be just the same 5-6 people commenting or we will end up with less of what this magazine has been. It's still going to have Toser influence for some time into the future but readers need to add their input too.

Jess

quote:

Originally posted by Raven:
The only thing I would suggest now is just because of your job title. Non-sport cards and gaming cards might fall under the same umbrella. They are not the same. They are two different worlds. By in large gamer card enthusiasts do not buy non-sport cards and non-sport card collectors are not gamers. I'm certainly not a gamer.

NSU was exclusively for non-sport card collectors and addressed what we were interested in. That is why I subscribe and it will be the main reason I renew.

Beckett already has a gaming magazine that comes out 4 times a year called "Beckett Card Gamer" and a "catch all"-type of magazine called "Beckett Sports Card Monthly" so pretty sure they didn't buy NSU to combine it with another magazine. Come to think of it, with the recent splitting the non-sport and gaming card almanacs along with the purchasing of NSU, it seems like Beckett wants to be involved in Non-Sport cards.

Well if you take a look at the multi-layers of what Beckett Media has out there, in print and online, it most certainly wants to be more involved with non-sport cards. We ain't in Kansas anymore Toto.

quote:

Originally posted by Raven:
The only thing I would suggest now is just because of your job title. Non-sport cards and gaming cards might fall under the same umbrella. They are not the same. They are two different worlds. By in large gamer card enthusiasts do not buy non-sport cards and non-sport card collectors are not gamers. I'm certainly not a gamer.

NSU was exclusively for non-sport card collectors and addressed what we were interested in. That is why I subscribe and it will be the main reason I renew.

I can pretty much guarantee that we will not be including gaming prices in NSU magazine. One of my main goals during my two years at Beckett has been to split the two off into their own categories. For the years prior, as you said, they were lumped in together. That's not the case anymore.

Last year, we created our first Non-Sports annual book while the Gaming almanac stood on its own. While it was extremely rough around the edges and received some serious constructive criticism, we felt that was the right decision. And, I can personally guarantee, that it will only get better.

We still include a variety of non-sports sets and Funko products in our Card Gamer and that's because according to our data, non-sports products and collectibles have a little more appeal to gamers than vice versa. It also allows us to get more ad revenue for that particular magazine.

We do have many ideas that we are kicking around. There are so many possibilities but time is of the essence. Spread the word to anyone you may know who could offer some suggestions/opinions/critique.

One thing we aren't aiming to do is please everyone; however, we are going to do our best with this publication to make sure we offer a little something for everyone. There will be strike outs, there will be base hits, but we'll also hit some home runs with some of our ideas. I personally can't wait to see what we crank out for you guys.

Thanks!

Fair enough! However I think you have seen from the previous comments that we all like the legacy established by the Tosers so please keep that in mind as it will make or break many of us who have been here for the long haul.

Hey thank you for responding. I am very pleased to hear that I won't be getting Yu-Gi-Oh strategy tips mixed in with my non-sport card articles. Gamers are probably just as happy not to be reading about Bates Motel.

Everyone knows what NSU looked like and once the next issue appears I'm sure you will get feedback. Hopefully not so much, because then not too much will have changed.

Beckett Media provides a lot more in terms of tie ins and people will have to get use to that. The website alone is daunting to navigate, which is a great reason to keep NSU readership separate here on Card Talk, by the way.

In the end we all want the same thing, an interesting and informative magazine covering the non-sport card hobby that we all spend so much time, effort and money on. I can't wait to see what you crank out either.