Is there an ideal hobby card set format?

For me its probably easier to say what NOT to do and whatever is left is probably ok

what not to do
no 3 base sets in a box
no set of more than 90 cards
nothing that takes more than a case to get a set
no 6 case card type cards
not more than 7 autos/costume/sketch in any set
no redemptions
no parallels
no tiny numbers in clashing colours [lol]
no card that is only available in one part of the world


personally i would like to see more lenticular as a special rather than costumes of minor stars.

Personally I liked what inkworks used to do; quite often a case produced a Master Set or would be 1 or 2 cards short of one. So most sets were obtainable (I know sketch cards prove another obstacle for Master Set chasers )

As a collector I want a chance of owning a Master set - once a Master set is either virtually impossible or too expensive I settle of a Mini Master and am happy with that.

quote:

Originally posted by hammer:
Personally I liked what inkworks used to do; quite often a case produced a Master Set or would be 1 or 2 cards short of one. So most sets were obtainable (I know sketch cards prove another obstacle for Master Set chasers )

As a collector I want a chance of owning a Master set - once a Master set is either virtually impossible or too expensive I settle of a Mini Master and am happy with that.

I agree 100%. You could usually make a minimaster with 3 boxes.

I would like to see:

- An official binder.
- Lots of promos, but none impossible to get and distributed through more varied channels.
- I would prefer more base cards than less, but not overly fussed as long as it divisible by 9 for logical display in ultra pro pages.
- Interesting chase cards to look at such as foils, lenticular, embossing, gloss coating etc.
- A good mix of high, mid and low range autographs
- No widely desirable autographs or big hits less than approx. 100 in quantity.
- Less poor quality sketches.
- No 'manufactured' relic cards, they're not real props! Only exception maybe the Star Trek badges that look cool.
- Nothing by redemption as I hate collecting rare unused redemption cards.
- If we have to have incentive cards, limited to a couple of cases, not 6 or 9, or worse!
- If we have to have parallels, make them not too hard to get.
- No cards that are 1/1 unless it is original production art or the like which cannot be replicated.

The only parallels that were fun to collect were the X-Files ones Topps did back in the 1990s that came 1 per pack, which one actually stood a chance of completing !

quote:

Originally posted by Tommy C:
The only parallels that were fun to collect were the X-Files ones Topps did back in the 1990s that came 1 per pack, which one actually stood a chance of completing !

They did this with Star Wars Galaxy 3 in the mid 90's too and I agree it was actually fun to collect (all be it a foil stamped parallel set). Before Topps went parallel mad with there Star Wars releases I was pushing for a set (just one set every few years though) do the same at 1 parallel per pack, preferably a refractor card rather than this cheap foil stamped rubbish.

I just dont buy into a product that has multiple levels of unachievable parallels anymore, just pads out a set and adds no real value to a collection having several base sets all because of minor variation to the card. I have actually stopped buying new sets that are doing this.

Echo the first post but to be honest sketches have been overdone so those could be left out of a set as could most if not all hits. If I had my way we would go back to more simplified set with a nice base set a 2 or 3 realistically obtainable chase sets. Maybe no more than 4 to 6 boxes to create a master set. I would buy and collect more sets this way.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: JR2D2,

I like this idea. The almost impossibility of completing master sets lately has adversely affected my collecting interest.

quote:

Originally posted by JR2D2:
Echo the first post but to be honest sketches have been overdone so those could be left out of a set as could most if not all hits. If I had my way we would go back to more simplified set with a nice base set a 2 or 3 realistically obtainable chase sets. Maybe no more than 4 to 6 boxes to create a master set. I would buy and collect more sets this way.

So pretty much what Topps have been releasing in the UK in the form of their various Attax Sets and, more recently, the cut-down UK Star Wars Perspective Set ?

I prefer a base set in every box, but then again I am not one those who worries about base set prices being too low. However there are some titles that do need more cards to tell a good story, so a base set in two boxes I can live with, but no more than that.

I would want two autographs and one relic card in every box, if we are talking about a movie or TV show title. I would like an autograph list of at least a minimum of fifteen signers. The autographs should have some dual signatures, some in different color ink and some with little inscriptions. Yeah, I know that's hard, but it was done for Parks and Recreation and Grimm and this is just my ideal anyway.

To provide more autographs, it is OK if you have two types of cards signed by the same person, i.e. FB and bordered. But I would still want at least fifteen different signers.

Relics should be imaginative, not just all one color clothing swatches. I really like the Grimm relics, but the downside to that is that they are easy to pick out in a pack.

Any patch cards should be cuts from real patches on the real costumes. A card with a manufactured patch or a made up emblem or pin means nothing to me.

Sketches should only be included in a TV or movie set if character likenesses are permitted. Then every 3rd or 4th box could have one as an extra, not as a substitute for another hit. If sketches have to be of the background buildings or can only be of unknown characters to be approved, I don't need them.

Sketches should absolutely be in any comic related title, but they should stick to the subject. If its an Iron Man set, I don't want a sketch of Green Lantern. And any sketch, in any product, has to have a baseline level of professional artist quality.

Small chase inserts are OK, but parallels should be avoided unless its a terrific parallel. A different color border, or stamp, or a bit of foil is a waste of time.

Finally the ideal hobby card set is one that can be completed by those who desire to do so. Not everyone wants a master set all the time, but a nice set, with nice hits, that can be obtained at a reasonable price is not a bad thing at all. And who knows, it might even have a chance of increasing in value over time if it starts low and builds up a price, rather than arriving at peak value with no where to go.

Richnet's original list is spot-on, with one exception: parallels. Let me explain.

Normally, I hate parallels and refractors - they are a waste of money and rarely add to a set (content-wise) except to add some splash of color to a graphic (border, title, etc...). Chromes are ok - but again it's the same card with a different printing material or color added to it. Some examples include the fancy, calligraphy-like black borders added to the Allen & Ginter cards, the foil finish added to the Decipher LOTR TCG cards from 10+ years ago, the different colored borders added to Wacky Packages & GPK sets, the silver and gold added to the bordering graphics of the Topps Olympics sets, etc....

However, Topps totally got my attention with the parallels used for the Garbage Pail Kids Chrome set from last year. Those parallels replaced the image with an imaged sketch of the same card, supposedly used as part of the original production run. THAT was cool and added a genuine piece of legitimate content to the set.

And for guys like me who love all facets of the industry, but can't afford to shell out the money needed to include sketch cards and autos in my collection, that was a perfect choice for a parallel. It doesn't look like they did anything like that for the recently released Wacky Packages Chrome set, so I was bummed.

That's the one time I have seen a parallel work for me. Beside that one time, parallels can go away for all I care and make room for a more legit chase card (or some more base cards).

Geoff

I'm not the biggest fan of Expansion Sets when it comes to movies and such. I'd guess they would be considered "throwbacks" of sorts to the "sets" era of the 70s and 80s. But after you've told the entire plot of the film and spotlighted the bigger characters in the first set, what is another 90 cards for besides showing off the bonus sets that come with that second set.