I saw that the April - May 2018 is on the 'bay. Anyone receive their's yet?

Received my dealer order today.

Will have them in Philly and Chicago next month.

Ed

Got my issue today. Nice and thick issue, lots to go over...

I saw someone posted that the Featured List was on Sketch Artists and had 20 spots
I wonder how the list was compiled over the last couple of months? Number of sketch cards sold or highest priced? Perhaps a combination of various factors

Just received my copy today. My subscription is getting here a lot quicker the last couple of issues, so on that.

The Hot List sections are 10 products, 10 autograph cards,8 key sales and 20 sketch artists. The sketch cards just have the artist name, not the set title the sketch was in, unless you can tell from the card front. No pricing. I know maybe half the artists. No idea why specific artists were chosen, it doesn't say as far as I can make out. Maybe someone from NSU could explain the process, but it is nice to see examples of the artwork from those picked.

As for the specific sketch artists, this time around we choose specifically the best-selling sketch artists over the two months leading up to print. However, that formula is not set in stone. We are always looking to mix up things a bit with the Hot Lists to make it more interesting for the reader.

In the April 2018 issue of Beckett Sports Card Monthly these were the top 5 for Non-Sports ...

5) 2017 Game of Thrones, Valyrian Steel, Gold Autographs, Sophie Turner

4) 2018 Garbage Pail Kids, We Hate the ‘80s, The Goldbergs Sitcom Autographs

3) 2018 Thor Ragnarok, Chris Hemsworth Autographs

2) 2017 Star Trek Beyond, Autographs, Chris Pine

1) 2017 Star Wars Stellar Signatures

quote:

Originally posted by BeckettBible24:
As for the specific sketch artists, this time around we choose specifically the best-selling sketch artists over the two months leading up to print. However, that formula is not set in stone. We are always looking to mix up things a bit with the Hot Lists to make it more interesting for the reader.

I really like seeing these Hot Lists! In order for this hobby to grow and thrive, more people need to get into it. And one of the best ways is through dialog. Discussing sketch cards and sketch card artists (or even non-sport trading cards in general) is a way to expose more people to the hobby and hopefully a way to get new people interested in it.

With that, does the best-selling over the last 2 month mean the quantity of cards sold? It's good that the formula isn't set in stone. Using a variety of criteria over time will make for interesting debates in the future (along the lines of those recent lists that ESPN has been doing in sports).

quote:

Originally posted by Heroes For Hire:

quote:

Originally posted by BeckettBible24:
As for the specific sketch artists, this time around we choose specifically the best-selling sketch artists over the two months leading up to print. However, that formula is not set in stone. We are always looking to mix up things a bit with the Hot Lists to make it more interesting for the reader.

I really like seeing these Hot Lists! In order for this hobby to grow and thrive, more people need to get into it. And one of the best ways is through dialog. Discussing sketch cards and sketch card artists (or even non-sport trading cards in general) is a way to expose more people to the hobby and hopefully a way to get new people interested in it.

With that, does the best-selling over the last 2 month mean the quantity of cards sold? It's good that the formula isn't set in stone. Using a variety of criteria over time will make for interesting debates in the future (along the lines of those recent lists that ESPN has been doing in sports).

Yes, we went with total sales this time. However, in the future we could go with highest priced sketch sold. Or, perhaps we could do a running total for each artist. The flexibility of this is pretty cool. Like you said, there are many possibilities.

We've been getting a good response to key sales, as well. In fact, I've been toying with the idea of proposing a third page to share more key sales (20-25 or so). One of the fun parts about this job is seeing all the incredible stuff that is selling out there. That Munsters box was insane! It almost looked brand new.

Seeing the Keys Sales are cool, too. An expansions would probably be pretty neat considering all the different collectibles out there. Maybe sprinkle in a couple of wrestling sales, but I'm not sure if anyone is ready for Funko figures of Asuka

I wouldn't mind seeing a whole article on a featured sketch artist or on the sketch card production itself. Sketches have become the main hit in many products, not to mention being used as dealer incentives. I would like to hear what artists think of the steps they have to go though to get on a project, get specific work approved, get AP's back and what they think of their feedback from these types of jobs. Maybe that's asking too much, but we don't often hear how sketch artists really view the non-sport card hobby.

Also I was very happy to see Chris Henderson named as #13 feature sketch artist, but I too was wondering how the artist sales factor into it.

Chris has done work for numerous sets over many years and always puts out very professional sketches, even when average. That's a compliment. I never go by the few outstanding sketches of some to rate an artist's quality of work, but by their average sketches. I liked Chris years ago and got several commissions from him. His sketch card pictured is Marion from Indiana Jones, which is a long while back. So I'm very happy to see that he's HOT now , but I too was wondering how best selling is determined. I'm not that up on current artists, but at least half of the names on the list are unknown to me.

I haven't received mine yet. Have they all be distributed?

This message has been edited. Last edited by: stevetrek,

I received my issue today here in the UK.

quote:

Originally posted by BeckettBible24:

Yes, we went with total sales this time. However, in the future we could go with highest priced sketch sold. Or, perhaps we could do a running total for each artist. The flexibility of this is pretty cool. Like you said, there are many possibilities.

We've been getting a good response to key sales, as well. In fact, I've been toying with the idea of proposing a third page to share more key sales (20-25 or so). One of the fun parts about this job is seeing all the incredible stuff that is selling out there. That Munsters box was insane! It almost looked brand new.

Curious as to what others thought ... I wanted to get an older sketch card of Aquaman (yes, Aquaman) by Hillsman out of 2009 Justice League of America Archives to go along with my Hillsman Aquaman sketch card, but it was a little higher than I wanted to pay and ended around $110

Rittenhouse DC Justice League Archives Aquaman Sketch Card by Don Hillsman II https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0...2Fitm%2F123010438082

Thought I'd be safe from triple digits for most of Aquaman sketch cards, but this one caught me little by surprise. Just wondering if other collectors think that the character is heating up because of the Justice League movie and the character's upcoming movie? Not sure if the artist is hot or heating up. I'm fairly certain that the set isn't hot after all these years. Would this be an example of a Key Sale?

I haven't seen it here either and I've been to two Barnes and Nobles in the last two days. It's been arriving pretty much the second weekend after someone on the east coast says they got it.

quote:

Originally posted by stevetrek:
I haven't received mine yet. Have they all be distributed?

Saw the issue at a comic book store today. It might be the start of a wider release.

I live in Indiana and I've not yet received my subscription copy of the current issue. Based upon previous deliveries, I should have received it 2-3 weeks ago.

I was at a comic store in NJ today, and he received his NSUs in this Weds, April 11.

I still haven't received the current issue. And there was another subscriber at the Chicago show this weekend who said that he hadn't received is subscription copy either.

Were the magazines late in being mailed?

You should contact our subscriptions department at info@nonsportupdate.com. Be sure to include your individual details when you do so. They do not frequently check the forums.

Thanks!