I found the latest issue at Barnes & Noble on Sunday.

I liked the promo article, most of it covering that interesting 1979 Warner Brothers set promoting various performers and their album releases (mostly music with a couple of comedy albums that also incorporated music). Like the columnist, Chick Veditz, admitted, I've never heard of some of those 70's performers and I'm a guy who's into 70's stuff (was in high school during the the last few years of the decade). The set also had some cards for artists who became more famous in the 80's like the B-52's, Robert Palmer and Prince. Unfortunately, I learned about the set around the same time asking prices for singles and lots were going up. Sixty bucks seemed like a lot for an unopened pack but now I'm kicking myself for not grabbing that one with Nicolette Larson and Fleetwood Mac showing.

The article also mentions the two Vans sets (given out at the shoe stores) with photos of extreme sports athletes. If you watch for those, you can get some packs cheap sometimes.

I noticed the price guide has a lot more listings and is therefore a lot more helpful to a wider range of collectors. I would rather have a guide that might require bifocals for some of us than an easy-to-read listing of just the hot cards of the last few years.

I also noticed that the issue reached 40 pages before getting to the guide - first time in many years, I think - definitely a move in the right direction.

Jess

Still no magazine and no luck with customer service

quote:

Originally posted by stevetrek:
Still no magazine and no luck with customer service

Same here.

quote:

Originally posted by H_Toser:
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!

Sounds like they should start doing so especially in the couple of weeks after a magazine release.

I don't know how the US mail is in other parts of the country, but here in the 5 boroughs of NY, the Postal Service is worse than its ever been. Local councilmen and councilwomen have taken to having meetings with UPS to address numerous complaints of late mail, missing mail, undelivered mail and days when the mailman just doesn't come.

The Post office just keeps saying it needs more money, better resources and more employees. Increased package deliveries from companies like Amazon are killing them. That's what they say. All I know is that my mail delivery stinks since last Summer.

My December NSU went missing and never showed up. I had to pick up a copy at my LHS. I did not contact customer service because it may well have been sent out, but lost in the mail. I have since received two issues without trouble. I think there is not much you can do when one magazine goes astray, even when its mine.

It would be a good idea for NSU to monitor Card Talk to quickly identify any mass problems with the subscriptions. If many people are late or missing at the same time, something is up. Also I have commented before about the clear poly mailing bags. They look nice, but everyone can see the magazine inside and maybe take it if interested. I think a non-see through paper cover would be better.

I am literally one email reply away from either maintaining my subscription or cancelling my subscription.

The proverbial ball is in NSU's court now....

I agree that missing mail has been most likely stolen than lost. I once sent a package to a French collector and he sent me one. Neither of us received our half of the exchange. I suspected a thief in my local post office or his. I frequented a farther-away post office for a while after that and had no further problems.

Judging from all the reports on the news, stealing mail has become more of a problem these days. The city of Campbell, CA had a rash of thefts over several months so the police department mailed some decoys with trackers inside and they caught a few people last year.

NSU should consider paper envelopes if it appears that the colorful issues advertising free cards inside are too tempting. I subscribe to The Wrapper since it's not available at local newsstands and chose the option of the issue coming in a paper envelope - haven't missed an issue.

quote:

Originally posted by Raven:
I don't know how the US mail is in other parts of the country, but here in the 5 boroughs of NY, the Postal Service is worse than its ever been. Local councilmen and councilwomen have taken to having meetings with UPS to address numerous complaints of late mail, missing mail, undelivered mail and days when the mailman just doesn't come.

The Post office just keeps saying it needs more money, better resources and more employees. Increased package deliveries from companies like Amazon are killing them. That's what they say. All I know is that my mail delivery stinks since last Summer.

My December NSU went missing and never showed up. I had to pick up a copy at my LHS. I did not contact customer service because it may well have been sent out, but lost in the mail. I have since received two issues without trouble. I think there is not much you can do when one magazine goes astray, even when its mine.

It would be a good idea for NSU to monitor Card Talk to quickly identify any mass problems with the subscriptions. If many people are late or missing at the same time, something is up. Also I have commented before about the clear poly mailing bags. They look nice, but everyone can see the magazine inside and maybe take it if interested. I think a non-see through paper cover would be better.

Thankfully, it appears I'll be able to continue my long standing subscription to NSU.

I'd imagine with recent release of Avengers Infinity War that next month's NSU Hot Lists will have quite a Marvel centric theme with more collectors gravitating towards autograph, costume materials, insert/sketch cards of Avengers related characters. In the May 2018 issue of the Beckett Sports Card Monthly, their Non-Sports Hot List top 5 already has Thor's Chris Hemsworth inching up to the top spot.

Here's the Beckett SCM Hot List:

1) 2018 Thor Ragnarok Chris Hemsworth autos

2) 2017 Star Wars Stellar Signatures

3) 2018 Garbage Pail Kids, We Hate The 80's, The Goldbergs Sitcom autos

4) 2018 Star Wars A New Hope Black and White autos

5) 2017 Star Trek Beyond autograph Chris Pine

Key Sales:
$700 - 2013 Game of Thrones Season Two Full Bleed Autograph, Emma Clarke

That's Emilia Clarke and $700 is a good price in the short term for what should be a higher autograph card if we do a comparison to someone like Daisy Ridley.

Long term is a problem for young stars because their signing habits change and their careers may stall out. However, assuming the best, Ridley has been signing and seems to have enough stickers for TOPPS to get some autographs in every new Star wars product. She seems to garner close to and over 4 figures.

Clarke has only signed for GoT in Seasons 1 and 2, a bordered and a FB. This is her main character, but she has not signed for any other set either. It doesn't seem as though RA has her for the coming GoT Season 7 and I don't know if there is a possibility she will be in any Solo set. Apart from GoT, the only other certified cards available for her is the ones she did early on for 258 West Authentics.

If Clarke stays true to form in the short term, that $700 card should look like a bargain, but I would have put it higher already. Till she changes.

Well, she's hot. Get it? Hot - fire, oh, never mind...