I always figured it was one of the more notable actresses who signed before, but never appeared on a WA card.

Surprisingly Judi Dench, for all her 11 auto cards, never did a Women of Bond. Neither did Gemma Arterton, Daniela Bianchi or Priscilla Barnes. Of the later films, Spectra stars Lea Seydeux and Catherina Murino did not do a WA.


Could have been anyone of them. I don't see the blanks turning up now that RA doesn't make Bond, but I don't think its impossible when no one has ever said they were destroyed.

Talking of other weird holes in their Bond series, I always wondered why there was never a 40th Anniversary Maryam d'Abo. She signed for them on many occasions in other formats.

Looking at the RA release schedule for the rest of 2021, it's just Star Trek and Game of Thrones sets, and the next Umbrella Academy.

Seems like they need more licenses !

quote:

Originally posted by Tommy C:

Seems like they need more licenses !

I really wish they would produce something new / different.

Same with Crypto -- they seem to have quite a few DC properties under license, but don't seem to be producing much.

I think someone should revisit the Harry Potter license. While Artbox covered it exquisitely I think there are still plenty of collectors who would be happy for more sets to collect, and I think it could have longevity to make it worthwhile for a manufacturer to produce.

I wonder what they try to get but the price is prohibitive or they never even hear back.

quote:

Originally posted by webjon:

quote:

Originally posted by Tommy C:

Seems like they need more licenses !

I really wish they would produce something new / different.

Same with Crypto -- they seem to have quite a few DC properties under license, but don't seem to be producing much.

I think someone should revisit the Harry Potter license. While Artbox covered it exquisitely I think there are still plenty of collectors who would be happy for more sets to collect, and I think it could have longevity to make it worthwhile for a manufacturer to produce.

quote:

Originally posted by catskilleagle:
I wonder what they try to get but the price is prohibitive or they never even hear back.

I have to wonder if they are even going after many new licenses anymore. . .

Card collectors are extremely fickle. . . For every hit like Walking Dead there is a set that seems like a sure thing like Breaking Bad that gets clearanced out on the first set.

Even a set like Rick and Morty was doing awesome with the first release, but fizzled out really quickly. Orphan Black, Revenge, etc . . . Sounds a lot like Inkworks -- a few great series like Buffy, and lots of tries that didn't connect with collectors.

There aren't that many titles like Bond, Star Trek, Star Wars that have longevity in the hobby. . . that makes it really tough for a manufacturer.

Animated series don't seem to do well as card sets, although you would expect a natural connection. Possibly the autograph cards would do better if they pictured the voice actor and guest actors with the character.

But if the Simpsons and Family Guy couldn't keep going what would? Archer died fast and I never understood the fuss over Rick and Morty.

Other regular shows have a slight demand only as long as they are on and are quickly forgotten, especially if they didn't end that well. Some hot and semi-popular titles like Lost, Orphan Black, Dexter, Bates Motel, Grimm, Big Bang, Six Feet Under, Once Upon A Time, Sons of Anarchy among others, could barely make it to the finish line and some didn't even do that. Yet they were all hyped at the start and some did great for one or two seasons.

The reason why the big franchises have a better chance to continue in cards is that almost every one of them have related movies or TV shows that keep churning out. The sets can go back and throw in old stuff and still find new stuff to create demand. That's why the cards on DC, Marvel and Star Trek and Star Wars universes can keep going even with movies delayed. They still have the cable shows. Bond is hurting because the next movie has been laying around for 2 years.

Major card companies just can't invest in the short term popularity of niche titles. It almost always ends badly for them and it effects their ability to finance and sell the next product when their dealers and distributors are stuck with unsold inventory and have lost money discounting boxes.

Shows like Revenge and Orphan Black are hard pressed to connect to card collectors anyway.

Not getting The Boys to cardboard is a missed opportunity.

quote:

Originally posted by mykdude:
Shows like Revenge and Orphan Black are hard pressed to connect to card collectors anyway.

Not getting The Boys to cardboard is a missed opportunity.

I don't know, I get why The Boys might have cross over appeal, but its still a risky property. I view it similar to shows like Tru Blood and Preacher where you have this edgy, mature take on horror or superhero themes. But they start off at such a high level that by the time the second season arrives, the storyline has gotten so extreme in violence, in sex, in just sheer unbelievable stupidity that it starts to shed viewers. And with these types of shows, they rarely pick up new viewers in mid-stream story because either people start with them or they aren't interested in seeing them.

I can see why no one has jumped at The Boys yet, but waiting to see what it does isn't good ether. Damned if you do, damned if you don't.

quote:

Originally posted by Raven:

quote:

Originally posted by mykdude:
Shows like Revenge and Orphan Black are hard pressed to connect to card collectors anyway.

Not getting The Boys to cardboard is a missed opportunity.

I don't know, I get why The Boys might have cross over appeal, but its still a risky property. I view it similar to shows like Tru Blood and Preacher where you have this edgy, mature take on horror or superhero themes. But they start off at such a high level that by the time the second season arrives, the storyline has gotten so extreme in violence, in sex, in just sheer unbelievable stupidity that it starts to shed viewers. And with these types of shows, they rarely pick up new viewers in mid-stream story because either people start with them or they aren't interested in seeing them.

I can see why no one has jumped at The Boys yet, but waiting to see what it does isn't good ether. Damned if you do, damned if you don't.

Well I'm not an expert in card licenses but the first part is ya stop trying to purchase for more than the first and/or second season. Trying to pretend there is a difference between The Boys and Umbrella Academy is a bit absurd. And yes, I am hoping that RA picks this one up because it will rock!

quote:

Originally posted by Raven:
Other regular shows have a slight demand only as long as they are on and are quickly forgotten, especially if they didn't end that well. Some hot and semi-popular titles like Lost, Orphan Black, Dexter, Bates Motel, Grimm, Big Bang, Six Feet Under, Once Upon A Time, Sons of Anarchy among others, could barely make it to the finish line and some didn't even do that. Yet they were all hyped at the start and some did great for one or two seasons.

As much as I personally like the idea of sets covering one or two seasons, I think that's a hard sell for many collectors with some of these long-running shows. The Big Bang Theory ran for 12 seasons but Cryptozoic gave up after four sets covering seven seasons. Maybe trading card companies need to rethink how they market sets based on TV shows.

Some of the TV shows that wind up getting trading card sets are head scratchers. Like someone else pointed out, why anyone thought a soapy drama like Revenge would attract card collectors is a mystery. Then there are shows like Stranger Things that seem like they'd be a huge hit but apparently weren't.

I mentioned this in another thread but companies like Rittenhouse aren't doing themselves any favors by making sets so difficult to put together. I was excited about Star Trek: Picard Season 1 and planned on buying a case until I found out you can't get a complete mini master out of a case. Not everyone is interested only in autos and other hits.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Bob Johnson: The Big Bang Theory ran for 12 seasons but Cryptozoic gave up after four sets covering seven seasons. Maybe trading card companies need to rethink how they market sets based on TV shows.QUOTE]

Sometimes things happen to these sets that isn't the card makers fault. TBBT cards were nicely made and the first offering for Seasons 1 & 2 quickly sold out and went over SRP right away. Today I think a box is around $375 if you can find one. The second set for Seasons 3 & 4 also sold like crazy. Than the single Season 5 cards came out and Kaley Cuoco stopped signing. By the final set for Season 6 & 7 the only signer left from the original main cast was Helberg.

The cards were well made and most of the secondary characters and many of the name guest stars did do autographs for each set. Both Rauch and Bialik signed after they joined the cast. CZE cancelled the title and the last 5 years were never picked up by anyone.

I would bet that if Cuoco alone would have continued to sign, even if Parsons, Galecki and Nayyar still dropped out, those sets would have been made. It's a shame how easily even a successful title can die, never mind ones that have a lot less going for them than characters who are comic book readers and hobby collectors.

For card collecting fans it was great that the main cast all signed for the first few sets. Did collectors want to keep getting the same signers? That last set might have done better if it hadn't doubled up with two autograph cards per signer just for a bigger total. Most collectors were probably happy with one of each of those. Two different Bob Newhart autograph cards seems like a good idea to me, though. I'd like to get one of those.

While the show was as popular as ever, the appetite for more cards might have been on the decrease by the time of the last set.

Jess

quote:

Originally posted by Raven:
[QUOTE]Originally posted by Bob Johnson: The Big Bang Theory ran for 12 seasons but Cryptozoic gave up after four sets covering seven seasons. Maybe trading card companies need to rethink how they market sets based on TV shows.QUOTE]

Sometimes things happen to these sets that isn't the card makers fault. TBBT cards were nicely made and the first offering for Seasons 1 & 2 quickly sold out and went over SRP right away. Today I think a box is around $375 if you can find one. The second set for Seasons 3 & 4 also sold like crazy. Than the single Season 5 cards came out and Kaley Cuoco stopped signing. By the final set for Season 6 & 7 the only signer left from the original main cast was Helberg.

The cards were well made and most of the secondary characters and many of the name guest stars did do autographs for each set. Both Rauch and Bialik signed after they joined the cast. CZE cancelled the title and the last 5 years were never picked up by anyone.

I would bet that if Cuoco alone would have continued to sign, even if Parsons, Galecki and Nayyar still dropped out, those sets would have been made. It's a shame how easily even a successful title can die, never mind ones that have a lot less going for them than characters who are comic book readers and hobby collectors.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by catskilleagle:
Did collectors want to keep getting the same signers?

Jess

If it's the big name signers that cover the cost of the box and more, than they sure do. At least they want the chance. Once Cuoco, Parsons, Galecki and Nayyar were no longer contributing signatures, the series sets were cancelled.

Not thrilled about RA's new web design for past archived titles. Everything is now listed by year and much of it is still not accessible.

Given that many of their autograph cards are not from sets in the year printed it makes hunting them even more difficult than they were when organized by title.

If something isn't broke....don't fix it.

quote:

Originally posted by mykdude:
Given that many of their autograph cards are not from sets in the year printed it makes hunting them even more difficult than they were when organized by title.

This was a genius move by RA to not match up autograph cards to particular sets by excluding set titles and years, or bothering to number most of their autograph designs and not even sticking to the number order when some cards did have them. That's what allows RA to stockpile autographs for future releases without extensive planning of the particular release years in advance and getting as many as possible signed in consolidated sessions. It's why the upcoming Women of Star Trek Art and Images can have an on-card autograph from Majel Barrett when she passed away in 2008.

The negative flip side of that for card collectors is that you can't tell where or when individual autograph cards came out without consulting checklists. You also don't know when the supply will give out for someone who you know is no longer actively signing. When you are talking about franchises like Star Trek and Game of Thrones autographs all releases begin to look the same after awhile.

Many collectors like that continuity aspect of it with a handful of design lines used. I did too up to a point, but when you get into double digit sets on a title, I start to wish for something totally different that says where it belongs right on the card. And these huge checklists that record every inscription as though it were a different card, which they are not, are starting to annoy me.

I have more RA autograph cards than any other maker by a wide margin, so I suppose its only natural that I appreciate what they have done, while also getting tired of their successful formula. I would like to see some departure from it as they prepare to start Doctor Who, but I'm afraid we are going to see the same pattern and the same general designs on a new title.

Old thread, new What's Up questions. As far as I can tell Steve Charendoff hasn't responded to any post on RA's website since July 1, 2021.

Women of Star Trek Arts and Images will be out October 13th, no autograph checklist yet. No new info on Doctor Who. Game of Thrones Iron 2 sounded like a 4th quarter release, but nothing created on the website yet. The timeline shows only Picard and Iron 1 produced in 2021. With Star Trek Women, and even if Iron 2 shows up, 3 or 4 releases for the whole year will be the fewest number of titles they have ever made in a calendar year since 1999 when they started.

So something seems to have changed over there, even if nothing is being said.

There is a whole load of old Rittenhouse promo cards appeared suddenly on ebay including a lot of the unreleased ones, seems strange.

I too have noticed this and were interested in a few items
But they all have been going for some quiet high prices especially the 007 James bond sub sets in sealed packs
I dont know wether the seller has purchased them and is selling them for himself .But at the starting auction price of 99c I doubt it or wether Rittenhouse is clearing them out through them
I actually E Mailed Rittenhouse a couple of weeks ago to see if they were selling these as I was interested in some of them but got no reply from customer services.
And nothing was listed on their shop site
From what has been sold over the last few weeks and everything for auction has been sold there could be some interesting items coming up in the future
But as time goes on it seems more buyers are finding this site more bids and higher prices for some items are being obtained

Are any of these unreleased promos that you mentioned ones which we have seen before (and discussed here on Card Talk) or something brand new ?