I know this is a live auction but it falls into the special category.

Ebay...# 271451871327

This would take over 1000 boxes with perfect collation.

Little hard to believe they would actually offer this auction when there is no real guarantee with only 10 of each card that they will actually be able to put one of those sets together.

They are not hoping to get this set, they have it and in only 2 days aswell.

quote:

Originally posted by wolfie:
They are not hoping to get this set, they have it and in only 2 days aswell.

This is what happens in business these days.
You buy enough product from a company and they do things for you that they don't do for others.
I would say that this seller, who buys a lot from Rittenhouse, purchased this set directly from them and didn't actually put the set together by opening packs- especially since the product is only a few days old.
There was a seller on Ebay who had a complete set of the Witchblade parallel numbered to 10 that probably came from Breygent as well.
And then there are the special dealers who get exclusive promos from companies.
It has put me off collecting all together.

Sorry you are wrong I stated loaded boxes had a few of those sets in them.
Also step up and buy 30 cases I will make you a promo anytime

HERE is my emailer

Plus 3 random parallel sets numbered to 10
(we will randomly put in 3 of the loaded boxes)


Tom

This message has been edited. Last edited by: t.breyer,

quote:

Originally posted by Breygent Marketing:
Sorry you are wrong I stated loaded boxes had a few of those sets in them.
Also step up and buy 30 cases I will make you a promo anytime

HERE is my emailer

Plus 3 random parallel sets numbered to 10
(we will randomly put in 3 of the loaded boxes)


Tom

Sorry- I didn't know that they were part of the loaded boxes.
I honestly read that as there are 3 different parallel sets numbered to 10 each and that there were 3 loaded boxes being put into the cases like Rittenhouse used to do.
I guess that dealer was one of the lucky 3 then.

Sorry again, but I am not in a position to buy 30 cases. I am lucky to be able to buy a few boxes of any given product then look to finish the set via Ebay. However, when that set includes cards that are only avail from 1 person (who is not willing to help out collectors unless they are willing to spend big $$ in some cases), it makes it near impossible for me to do. And if I know I won't be able to finish the set, I tend to not want to start it. Might just be me- that is part of my OCD.

I don't know if there would be a lot of profit there, but it's not out of the question to make this set *without buying a single pack or talking to the distributors/manufacturers*.

At first I chuckled at that auction, but then found that at least 86 of the 90 diamond parallels are for sale individually on eBay (not to mention partial sets and lots). There aren't many cards # to 5 or more that aren't posted in auctions these days.

quote:

I don't know if there would be a lot of profit there, but it's not out of the question to make this set *without buying a single pack or talking to the distributors/manufacturers*.

At first I chuckled at that auction, but then found that at least 86 of the 90 diamond parallels are for sale individually on eBay (not to mention partial sets and lots). There aren't many cards # to 5 or more that aren't posted in auctions these days.

Yes, I assumed that he had bought enough product to get close to the set and then traded or bought the others. Then I remembered the excellent collation of Rittenhouse. I suspect that if you bought 90 cases and they were provided from RA, you'd actually get the set. They seem to be able to get different cards in the easier parallel sets when you buy a couple of cases.

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

quote:

Originally posted by tangent:

quote:

271451871327

quote:

I don't know if there would be a lot of profit there, but it's not out of the question to make this set *without buying a single pack or talking to the distributors/manufacturers*.

At first I chuckled at that auction, but then found that at least 86 of the 90 diamond parallels are for sale individually on eBay (not to mention partial sets and lots). There aren't many cards # to 5 or more that aren't posted in auctions these days.

Yes, I assumed that he had bought enough product to get close to the set and then traded or bought the others. Then I remembered the excellent collation of Rittenhouse. I suspect that if you bought 90 cases and they were provided from RA, you'd actually get the set. They seem to be able to get different cards in the easier parallel sets when you buy a couple of cases.

Exactly Tangent. This is one of maybe 2 or 3 largest buyers of Marvel. I'm told that if you buy 100 cases you are pretty much guaranteed a set of diamond parallels.

As for the speed of getting it, the big dealers get theirs before release date so they can process things to have them for sale right away.

I'm not one of those dealers but have discussed this at length with one of them.

Ed

I just can't fathom spending £5k on a parallel set!

I have been collecting for almost 35 years and in that time there have been many ways a company "thanks" a distributor or even a direct customer for purchasing the bulk of their product run.
I see nothing wrong with that at all. If a distributor or collector can afford to buy 30 cases or 50 cases or even more of a specific title, then why would it be wrong for that manufacturer to offer the distributor an incentive for spending tens of thousands of dollars to help sell out their product. I have no problem with this at all. Yes, it would be nice to get a set like that, but why would you not collect a set of cards just because you cant make a true master. I have thousands of sets and out of them, less than 10 are true masters. I know what my limits are and I know which sets I have to have in master form. The rest are just going to be the base set with a binder and whatever I can find to go with it.

It's the same thing when it come to the exclusive promos. If a customer buys 50 cases of a title they why shouldn't the manufacturer make a special promo for them. I think it is a good idea. It doesn't make sense to not buy a title because you couldn't collect 1 promo. I searched 19 years to finish a master set just because I couldn't find the 10 promos that went with it. It was well worth the wait! I believe all of these rare cards will circulate though the community and we may all have a chance some day to own the cards we dream about.

I can not understand not buying a set of cards because you can't complete a master, especially if that title is one you may have been waiting to come out for years. Why not take what you can get and enjoy it?

It seems like some collectors say they won't buy a set of cards because they can't make a true master and in reality they are just trying to punish the manufacturer. In a case like that, both parties lose. I believe that most non-sport card collectors would love to have a true master of every set that comes out. I myself, would like that too, but I am a realist and unfortunately, it just can't happen. So I enjoy what I can buy and dream about the rest.

quote:

Originally posted by beamer:
I can not understand not buying a set of cards because you can't complete a master, especially if that title is one you may have been waiting to come out for years. Why not take what you can get and enjoy it?

I agree with you beamer, I never consider doing a master, but I can still answer your question.

Its because people can't enjoy it when they begin to feel that their collection is becoming second rate.

The same thing happened with sports cards when the price of premium cards kept getting higher and higher and the print runs kept getting lower and lower. Long time collectors couldn't afford it, so where they once had all the best cards around, they now had to settle for what they could get and it made them mad. So they quit the hobby in droves, dumped their collections, and the sports card market dropped like a stone.

If it comes to that, history always repeats itself. Non-sport card manufacturers should know that elite products are not the foundation of the hobby, it's the average, long time card collector who spends a good deal of money for a nice collection. Once that collection starts looking second rate its over.

quote:

Originally posted by X:
I just can't fathom spending £5k on a parallel set!

Imagine spending $60,000 on 100 cases then.

Mr Raven is correct in what he says, once the average collector see's that he has no chance of finishing a set or a fair chance at getting the best cards then he will leave the hobby, it has been happening a lot over the last five years, not only collectors but dealers aswell just walking away.

This constant business of some of the best cards not even being put in the packs is bad enough, couple this with promo cards being made in tiny quantities, not to promote the set but merely to be sold for loads of money to people who feel once again that the set they have collected is not complete without it.

All these things do not concern the high end spenders who can throw loads of money at whatever comes out but I do feel if the hobby is not careful it may just be left with them and the manufacturers as everyone else will have gone and found something they can complete within their limited funds.

i'm with you guys on this i've recently come back into card collecting after having a few years out with having kids and got rid of all my cards, but when i was kid i used to collect the likes of marvel masterpieces and 95 fleer ultra and it was fun to pull the holo foils etc non of this autos and sketches and in my opinion that is whats killing it, i've been looking round for sets to do and the price of some of the cards are insane so i wont touch it as i know i will never be able to afford it, for example ive always wanted a patrick stewart auto and i know that all his autos are extremely limited, BUT with the amount of star trek sets and x-men sets out there then surely that should make his auto not so limited? hence reducing the price

but even so his autos still fetch £100 +, and for me to be able to get his auto i would either have to sell a body part or 1 of the kids lol or try to save what i could till i eventually had enough to buy it, but then ive still got to justify to myself spending that much money on a piece of card with a signature on, where as before all these autos and sketches cards where accessable to all

quote:

Originally posted by Gedex:
but even so his autos still fetch £100 +, and for me to be able to get his auto i would either have to sell a body part or 1 of the kids lol or try to save what i could till i eventually had enough to buy it, but then ive still got to justify to myself spending that much money on a piece of card with a signature on, where as before all these autos and sketches cards where accessable to all

But back in the day you had far less autograph and sketch cards being produced so I would say they are far more accessible these days plus it is much easier to get lots of different autograph cards from a wider variety of signers a lot cheaper than in years past. More dealers seem to put high prices on the rarest cards (as you would) but sell the rest for next to nothing. A 'Very Limited' autograph card these days isn't as 'rare' or valuable as it was five years ago. Now they have to be 'Extremely Limited' or rarer still(!) to command the big money.
I think the abundance of big name signers on the market these days, the Shatner's, the Nimoy's, the Stewart's etc. have kept prices a lot lower than they used to be.

Looking at completed eBay listings, just a couple of days ago a Stewart X-Men 3 auto went for £37 and a couple of Trek ones around the £50 mark. There will always be certain cards of his, like X-Men the Movie or Trek Movies (sailor hat) that due to rarity command comparatively higher prices, but if you sit it out and aren't particularly fussed which of his cards you get so long as its authentic, you don't need to sell any arms or legs! I saw an Insurrection Stewart auto (lovely style card) go for about £25 a few months back so I don't quite understand the complaint - we're not talking Harrison Ford Star Wars money here.

Heck, even his Complete TNG 6-case incentive Locutus card has gone for approx. £65 a pop 3 times in the last couple of months whereas when that came out it was a good £170+

X is correct, autograph prices are dropping as supplies increase, even for a Stewart. That doesn't mean they are as affordable as you would like yet, because a good demand will always be there, but at least they are not untouchable.

Also, you have to consider the product and the printrun number on any autograph that you are after. The same signer in different sets may have drastic differences in price.

I always use James Earl Jones as an example. Get his certified signature from a Star Wars set in the Darth Vader role and you could be looking at anything from $150 - $500. Get the same authentic certified signature from the Conan expension set and you could pick it up for $30 - $40. Now that is some savings. The question is, what do you want to pay for, James Earl Jones the actor, or James Earl Jones as Darth Vader?

I have the Conan card.

...I want James Earl Jones as Vader but can't afford it as of yet!

That Conan Expansion set is one fantastic set. Not only does it have James Earl Jones' on-card autograph, it also pictures him, which none of the Darths do, in addition to some of those being stickergraphs.

You also get Sarah Douglas (Ursa from the original Superman), the late MAKO (who signs his name in Japanese) and Ben Davidson from the classic Oakland Raiders football team.
I finally got my set earlier this year brand new for about $80, which I consider a steal.

Even better, there was actually an incentive card for those who bought multiple sets when they were newly issued, an Arnold Schwarzenegger cut Conan autograph card. These were clearly made from his Skybox Batman and Robin Mr. Freeze autographs cards. Talk about an upgrade for a card to go from being one that commemorates easily the lamest AND most badly played villain in super-hero movie history (the film additionally itself being the worst of the genre in the modern age, certainly), to instead commemorating Arnie's starmaking performance in the awesome "Conan The Barbarian" (which he was much better suited for), and which, of course, led to "The Terminator" and super stardom which lingers despite his ever growing percentage of terrible movies that have followed.

I would still like to get one of those Conan cuts, but they are seldom seen. The Mr. Freeze version, I wouldn't pay $50 for. (Ok, ok, maybe I would to have it to trade or re-sell ...)