Usually, by this time of the month, a few people would have reported receiving their NSU issue or seen it in a store. Anyone have it? Is there a delay?

I just got mine in the mail 3 minutes ago. Looks like a great issue! 3 promos too! Outlander Season 5 NSU1, Richard Parks Halloween Event Promo Card 1 and Mark Spears Monsters NSU-1

That's great. I usually see it in local stores about three weeks after the first post about receiving it but I still check for it within a few days of reading the post. Three promos is a bonus.

quote:

Originally posted by Don Norton:
I just got mine in the mail 3 minutes ago. Looks like a great issue! 3 promos too! Outlander Season 5 NSU1, Richard Parks Halloween Event Promo Card 1 and Mark Spears Monsters NSU-1

Looks wonderful, can't wait.
There's an Eliza Dushku card at the bottom, wonder what's the article about.

Mine arroved today - the outer plastic bag had been ripped and placed in a Royal Mail plastic bag apologising for the damaged packing but the magazine was OK and promo's inside

quote:

Originally posted by jademaliburoad:
There's an Eliza Dushku card at the bottom, wonder what's the article about.

Top 10 inkworks Autographs Of the 1990S

quote:

Originally posted by hammer:

quote:

Originally posted by jademaliburoad:
There's an Eliza Dushku card at the bottom, wonder what's the article about.

Top 10 inkworks Autographs Of the 1990S

I got my issue in the mail today. The Inkworks article is bittersweet, so many memories.

I found the current issue at a B&N today. In the "Cardboard Connection" feature, Alan Biegel quoted a recent Ebay press statement that two trading cards were selling every second on average during the first three months of this year. Wow. Cards are moving.

I liked Don Norton's article on 70's cards though I would have to disagree that VCR's were only for the "very wealthy." They were expensive in the mid-70's, but by 1978-1979, they were about $200-300 - still not cheap but within reach. My stepdad did a couple of weekend side-jobs and bought us one then. As I recall, there were only about 10-12 movies on VHS at the time but the selection greatly expanded right after that.

I just looked at a bunch of newspaper ads from 1980. VCRs were $800 and up. They didn't get to the $200-300 level for several more years.

Here's one from Nov 1980 -- prices are $1250 and $999.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Bill Mullins,

My stepdad wouldn't have paid $800-1000. I was thinking $200 was probably too low for the time after I wrote that so I'm thinking he might've paid as much as $350 - maybe $400. He couldn't have afforded that with his regular pay but he did side-jobs on many weekends (he installed mirrors and shower doors). He would've looked for a deal. That's for sure. I'm wondering if he got it at a garage sale from someone who got it as a gift and unloaded it for quick cash.

I asked my mom about it. She confirmed that he wouldn't have paid $800-1000 but doesn't recall where he bought it - might've found a sale at Gemco.

quote:

Originally posted by Bill Mullins:
I just looked at a bunch of newspaper ads from 1980. VCRs were $800 and up. They didn't get to the $200-300 level for several more years.

Here's one from Nov 1980 -- prices are $1250 and $999.

Maybe it "fell off a truck".

My parents bought our first VCR somewhere around mid to late 70's. I think Star Wars was one of our first tapes. We had to go to "Crazy Eddie's" to get it, if you remember that crook. He had stores all over the place.

That machine must have weighed close to 30 pounds and was built like a tank. I could barely lift it. And yes, I remember it did cost $999 because that was quite an expense at the time. It was more with the tax, and we were one of the first people I knew who had a VCR.

I don't think I've ever been on the cutting edge of technology since.

Yeah, like on The Sopranos. I wonder if it was a case of new wave of VCR's coming out so he got a deal on one being phased out. It was like Raven said, it was a bulky appliance with big buttons. The slot popped up and you inserted the VHS and then pressed it down. I don't recall the maker. A few weeks ago, my mom was going through some old photos as far back as that time. It might be in the background of one of those.

quote:

Originally posted by Bill Mullins:
Maybe it "fell off a truck".

As I recall "Star Wars" was rather early to VHS but I think we still had to wait for it to come out when we first got the VCR. We were also among the first to have one on the block but there weren't that many movies to choose from yet (maybe as few as 10-15).

quote:

Originally posted by Raven:
My parents bought our first VCR somewhere around mid to late 70's. I think Star Wars was one of our first tapes. We had to go to "Crazy Eddie's" to get it, if you remember that crook. He had stores all over the place.

That machine must have weighed close to 30 pounds and was built like a tank. I could barely lift it. And yes, I remember it did cost $999 because that was quite an expense at the time. It was more with the tax, and we were one of the first people I knew who had a VCR.

I don't think I've ever been on the cutting edge of technology since.

quote:

Originally posted by catskilleagle:
As I recall "Star Wars" was rather early to VHS but I think we still had to wait for it to come out when we first got the VCR. We were also among the first to have one on the block but there weren't that many movies to choose from yet (maybe as few as 10-15).

[/QUOTE]

Yeah, and the early VCR tapes were expensive too. If I remember correctly a new movie cost $60 and up. I don't know exactly when "Star Wars" officially hit VCR because my father picked up a bootleg copy at the bowling alley for a goodly sum. As soon as they made tapes, someone was coping them.

Amazing how the digital movie storage stuff is one of the few things that got way cheaper over the years. Now most people don't even want films on hardcopy, so to speak. They just stream or vault in some space. Naturally I preferred the old days, except for price.

So the Oct/Nov issue has Outlander, but plenty of horror and old monster cards for Halloween.

I liked the "Top 10 Inkworks Autographs of the 1990s" spread by Ryan Cracknell. These are my favorite articles in NSU because they show the cards along with a brief recap for the choice. Prior to the 2000s, autograph cards weren't a guaranteed box hit in most products and odds could be pretty long.

Inkworks was the maker that really got me interested in collecting non-sport signatures over sports stars. So its fitting that 5 out of the top 10 cards come from "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" sets and #5 is my first big non-sport autograph card, "Charisma" Carpenter. I'd love to see these articles expanded to include more years and a top 20 list.

The other article that really interested me was in Cardboard Conversation by Alan Biegel. I really think Biegel's editorials are too short sometimes and a subject like "Investment Banking" could really be a full length spread because there is a lot to mention now. I knew about the eBay vault because they sent me an announcement and Fanatics Dutch Auctions have happened. I didn't know about this business of vault transacting and selling partial percentages of vaulted cards. Frankly some of this stuff sounds like scams and pyramid schemes and I have no idea how it is even being regulated or reported.

We collectors told people a long time ago that modern trading cards are not good investments, but now that is exactly how they are being marketed again. I think it's a fascinating subject from a financial standpoint and I'd like to see a comprehensive examination of it with all the new "innovations". If not in NSU, maybe in Forbes.

I remember in the early 90s going to Suncoast stores in the mall and seeing laserdiscs of films like "The Hunt for Red October" and some of the Bond films, and they were $ 100 and up, each.

quote:

Originally posted by Raven:

quote:

Originally posted by catskilleagle:
As I recall "Star Wars" was rather early to VHS but I think we still had to wait for it to come out when we first got the VCR. We were also among the first to have one on the block but there weren't that many movies to choose from yet (maybe as few as 10-15).

Yeah, and the early VCR tapes were expensive too. If I remember correctly a new movie cost $60 and up. I don't know exactly when "Star Wars" officially hit VCR because my father picked up a bootleg copy at the bowling alley for a goodly sum. As soon as they made tapes, someone was coping them.

Amazing how the digital movie storage stuff is one of the few things that got way cheaper over the years. Now most people don't even want films on hardcopy, so to speak. They just stream or vault in some space. Naturally I preferred the old days, except for price.[/QUOTE]

Yeah, Laserdiscs and Betamax. Whoever bought into either of them really got screwed.

Oh yeah, if you bought into Betamax, you chose poorly but the people who bought laserdiscs liked them even though they were expensive. Also, some had cards inserted with them.

quote:

Originally posted by Raven:
Yeah, Laserdiscs and Betamax. Whoever bought into either of them really got screwed.

From what I hear, there were some laser discs in the 90s that had movies with extended versions that were never released on DVD or on streaming. An example is Dead Poets Society with Robin Williams. All of the DVDs have only the standard film that was in theaters in 89