Well the time has finally come. Mars Attacks Heritage is here, and it couldn’t be any worse. The sketch cards, with the exception of a rare few, look like untalented (bottom of the class) art school students did them. If the original set had looked as bad as some of these cards, you wouldn’t even be able to give them away. And then there are the subsets.

The New Universe cards are a disgrace. They should not even be associated with the Mars Attacks name. The deleted scenes cards, though fun to look at, show why they were originally excluded from the original 1962 set. They lack the horror and suspense of the original cards. The only redeeming quality of the entire issue is the 3-D cards. I would love to see the entire set done in this style. They bring the new twist to the set that I was hoping for when I first heard about the Heritage release.

The most disturbing thing about the new issue, however, is the cost to value ratio of the cards just days after release. Take the 3-D cards for example. At a ratio of 1 in every 8 packs, that translates to 3 per box. This means that you would have to purchase 2 boxes at $50 a piece, and not get any doubles in order to even get a set, and sets are currently on eBay selling for less than $10. There is even one set up at .99 cents with NO BIDS!

Next, we move on to the various parallel sets. Obviously, the most desirable of these are the gold border cards. At a ratio of 1 in every 101 packs, and limited to only 50 of each card, finding one should be very exciting, and it is until you go onto eBay. Keep in mind that at this ratio, you would be lucky to get 2 per case, and with cases selling at $350 each, the gold cards should be rather valuable. But at this very moment there are several on eBay at buy it now for only $40. Granted there is quite a bit of enjoyment in pulling a gold card out of a pack, but why even take the chance when you can buy one for less that the cost of a single box? At lease buying the card by itself give you a 100% chance of owning one. After seeing this, why would anyone even want to buy a box? These types of inconsistencies in cost to value ration take all the fun away from opening and collecting cards, and removes the collectability that result in these cards being desirable for generations to come. This is a problem that appears consistently with almost all new cards series produced now.

What many people seem to forget, or just not even realize to begin with, is that the only reason this set is being produce is because the original 1962 set was so popular. This set became collectible as a result of the natural desirability to collect and own something that was truly revolutionary. The controversy surrounding the cards at the time of their release, along with the violent and horrifying depictions of the subjects, gave the card world something it had never seen before, and something that can never happen again. So I ask, with all the things that the original cards have going for them, why would someone even want a card that is rare because of a different color border that was intentionally printed on it, when for about the same cost you could experience the enjoyment of owning the real thing?

Really, Mars Attacks was originally released in 1962?
I thought Mars Attacks Heritage was a tribute to the classic 1995 Topps Mars Attacks set.

But seriously, I don't think you can, or at least should, judge a set based on the what it sells for on Ebay. Had Ebay existed in 1996 when Marvel Masterpieces 1996 came out, the prices would've been very low on them as the set didn't sell well, and boxes would've been dumped. A mere 15 years later, the prices have soared on that set which is widely considered one of the best non sports sets, and certainly superhero cards sets ever made.

Back to Mars Attacks, I'm glad to have the classic set back on old timey card stock, even if all other aspects of the new set are indeed lacking. Even the classic 1995 Archives set used modern glossy stock, so it'll be good to see them on regular board.

As for the sketches, I've heard rumblings of people not liking how many Martians are featured on the cards, and I don't get that at all. What should the artists have drawn for "Mars Attacks", Venusians?

I'm still waiting for my case, so I haven't actually seen the new cards. I'll weigh in on them once I have them.

Thanks for your opinion and welcome to the board, hiffnhoffer. My favorite posts are the ones where a good amount of thought has gone into them, even when (and maybe even especially when) I don't totally agree with what's being said.

I realize that eBay may not be the last word on what cards are ultimately worth, however, due to the serious lack of non-sport card venues, I generally have no choice but to turn to eBay. It is also a good indicator of the general desirability of an item, primarily because it is accessible by such a wide range of collectors. Granted there is some foresight necessary to collect for future value, I was referring specifically to dollar-to-dollar value if indeed someone deems it necessary to sell his or her excess cards. I collect purely for enjoyment, and while there is no greater enjoyment for me than opening fresh packs of cards and being surprised by what I get, I also have to consider the possibility that I may at some time need to sell parts of my collection for reasons unknown, and for that I have decided to focus primarily on vintage cards.

As for the sketch cards included in the Mars Attacks Heritage release, my complaint is focused more toward the quality of the cards rather than the subject matter. I have never been a fan of 1 sketch per box releases, primarily because they cut corners on quality for the sake of quantity. While it is nice to have that guaranteed sketch card, I prefer the sets that have a rarer chance of getting a sketch card that is of a higher quality; but that is just my own personal artistic preference.

The original Mars Attacks cards were released during the summer of 1962. While I will not go into depth regarding these, I would like to include a bit of info on the set. They were released during the Cold War, right around the time of the Cuban Missile Crisis. They were the first cards of their kind to be released, and the received mixed reviews. Kids loved them and bought them like crazy, primarily due to the horrific nature of the cards and the concept of invasion from space. Keep in mind that the concept of space was still in its infancy and at the time anything seemed possible. Parents, on the other hand, had a different opinion of them. There was a lot of outcry and opposition toward them for a number of reasons. As a result, the cards were pulled after a short amount of time, and many kids had their cards thrown away by their parents. Even though there are many that survived, they are very hard to find in good condition, and as a result, the highest-grade examples now sell for thousands of dollars. This is the kind of history that leads to iconic sets, and it’s getting harder and harder to come by.

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

Tend to agree w/hiffnhoffer. I came very close to ordering a box when I got swept up in the hype & enthusiasm for MA 50th.

Then I saw alot of sub-par sketch cards, dreary looking plates, & those same 55 images I already have with the 1994 archives set. Frankly an auto card from Len Wein doesnt thrill me either. Sorry Len...So I decided to wait & buy only the 3D subset (which I do like!)

Would imagine that a case buyer will pull some cool MA sketch cards due to the laws of probability but I have enough trouble paying for a single box LOL!

quote:

Originally posted by hiffnhoffer:
I have never been a fan of 1 sketch per box releases, primarily because they cut corners on quality for the sake of quantity. While it is nice to have that guaranteed sketch card, I prefer the sets that have a rarer chance of getting a sketch card that is of a higher quality; but that is just my own personal artistic preference.

I agree with this 100% and have several posts of my own saying basically the same thing.

Good information on the original set, but wasn't "Horrors of Wars" from the late 30's the original controversial set?

And to avoid the very real pitfalls of lousy sketches found in the new packs, collectors do have another option. The "Mars Attacks" book coming out in October is a gorgeous presentation of the original cards (and the excellent Lost Cards and New Vision subset from the Archives set) and can be had for the price of a few packs of these new cards (and the book even has the wax wrapper book cover and comes with four Mars Attacks bonus cards!)

Finally, to BILLZEE, it's Len Brown who has the signed card, not Len Wein, (but I'm sure you know that). Len Wein is pretty accomplished in his own write having co-created Swamp Thing with Bernie Wrightson and spearheading the new X-Men team in 1975 that has had a profound effect on comics in the years since.

Horrors of War was more accepted because it was considered historical, and therefore, educational. I haven't seen anything about it being controversial, though. Another set that falls into this category is the 1962 Civil War News set, which came out around the same time as Mars Attacks. It was more bloody and graphic than Mars Attacks, however, it too was considered educational and there was far less opposition to it. The thing that put Mars Attacks over the edge was the alien aspect, with their death rays, robots and mutant bugs.

Well, I know next to nothing about this release. But since you're bringing up ebay, this sketch from the release today sold for $400.

I've seen some sketches I like btw from this release, and would argue with your "untalented art school student" theory. Granted I have not bought a single box, just going by what I see on ebay (again since you brought up ebay).

Oops, here's the link:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/MARS-A...20ef1a#ht_1156wt_712

That Dastick was pretty cool, and I knew there'd be a lot of interest in it.
While there, I checked around, too, and it turns out there are numerous outstanding sketches in this release. I'm now pretty convinced that people who didn't want sketches of Martians (!) shouldn't have bought this set.

Just going by the ones shown in the box breakdowns on this very board, I counted 49 (out of 57) that I consider at least decent (i.e pack worthy), with many of them better than that, making the overall quality of the sketches in this set among the best in Topps history going by the high percentage of at least passable work.

Eye of the beholder, I guess...

[QUOTE]Originally posted by hiffnhoffer:
and limited to only 50 of each card, finding one should be very exciting, and it is until you go onto eBay. Keep in mind that at this ratio, you would be lucky to get 2 per case, and with cases selling at $350 each, the gold cards should be rather valuable. But at this very moment there are several on eBay at buy it now for only $40. Granted there is quite a bit of enjoyment in pulling a gold card out of a pack, but why even take the chance when you can buy one for less that the cost of a single box? At lease buying the card by itself give you a 100% chance of owning one. After seeing this, why would anyone even want to buy a box? These types of inconsistencies in cost to value ration take all the fun away from opening and collecting cards, and removes the collectability that result in these cards being desirable for generations to come. This is a problem that appears consistently with almost all new cards series produced now./QUOTE]

Very well thought out comments hiffnhoofer and welcome to Card Talk, but you have already answered your own argument. The same thing can be said about all new product. It is a waste of time to do the math on box or case ratios when the pieces can be picked up in lots on eBay for way less than the math would indicate.

When I buy a couple of boxes its to get a base set and a chance at premium hits that I might not be able to afford, which usually doesn't happen. Other collectors may buy cases to complete most of a master set and with an eye to sell off the doubles and recoup money.

As for sketches, its always better to buy a sketch you admire rather than get some random sketch in a box. Unless its turns out to be great art done by an artist you could never afford of course.

After that its all on to individual purchases to fill in any gaps. I think that in terms of saving money only, it is always more economical to go online, but it lacks the excitement of pack busting. Also not everyone needs to have the whole thing, I often sample one box of something with no intention of buying anything more. That's what I'll probably do with 2012 Mars Attacks, get a box, get a sketch and call it a day.

I don't think that anyone has any illusions that this Mars Attacks version will be collectable for generations to come. As you rightly stated, all the best cards of the past became valuable for a host of reasons, but none were because they were created to be valuable through manufactured scarity. Big difference there, but that's how it is now, out of the pack and straight into a binder.

Well, some harsh words for Topps here. But I think overall, you are all correct.
First, the 55 base cards from the 1962 set are fine, the lost visions set is dull, I think it may have benefitted from something cool like a 9 card puzzle back with a huge image.
The parallels - well, my opinion of parallels is not high, but rather than use ink to color the border, how about a gold foil logo, gold would go long with the 50th Anniv. too.
The 3 D cards are very nice, how about another subset of something all new, just 9 cards with maybe the Technology of Mars Attacks, a look at the UFO's, weapons an robots of the Martians.

The sketches, are not all that bad. The one I got of a Saucer showed some artistic skill. The complaint in the other thread about getting too many Martian head drawings - well, that's good in my opinion. Topps isn't the only one who uses artists who do substandard drawings, but that makes the really nice ones even more desireable.

I still have a box coming, and I've bought one box and 6 packs so far, and I'll get more,but overall, Topps had a chance to make this THE non-sport set of the year and they blew it.

For me. . . I thought I would get excited to see the original cards heritage style, but ultimately I felt like it was all something I'd seen before (I have a good chunk of the original set). I think part of what worked in the 1990s set was that it was glossy and holofoil on the back so it was slightly different.

The subsets were decently done, although the choice of a black border seemed odd given everything else was a white border.

I've never been excited about parallel cards, but these in particular didn't seem to bring anything to the table. . . A holofoil subset or something of that nature could have been desirable, or and all lenticular subset would have been amazing, but colored borders -- meh.

The lenticular set was awesome, best part of this release.

The autographs could have been cool, but I don't like that there wasn't a specific place to sign, and they weren't different enough from the regular set.

The sketches. . . well. . . I've been spoiled by the likes of 5FINITY, Sad Littles, Marty and Boo, etc. . . so I was expecting more than I should have been. Looking at other breaks my sketches are above average, but I really thought the average would be better quality . . .

Printing plates are a nice addition.

Overall this isn't a bad release for someone who wants to have something like the original release. . . I'm not displeased that I bought the two boxes I did, I'll probably look to acquire my missing lenticular card, and perhaps look for more sketches. . . Unless the price per box drops a fair bit I won't be buying anymore boxes.

Jon

Wow - It's really great to see some vintage references earlier here. Civil War News - Horrors of Wars......Combat Cards got missed....If you want a truly odd set with great artwork find some examples of Fight the Red Menace. A super rare 1951 Bowman set. Look for Ghost City and Atomic Doom but my fave is War Maker. A green faced Mao Tse-tung portrait with a scimitar wielding yeti chasing peasants around in the background.

On the sketch cards issue. Look at the Topps Indiana Jones set for some of THE worst sketch cards ever. I too, would rather have lesser hits with higher quality.

Have you heard about the $200 Marvel Packs (yes I said packs) coming up? A sketch card by a Marvel artist in every pack.

Yes, I've complained loud and often about the large number of heads in fishbowl sketches in this set.

Is this a valid beef? If you don't believe it is then maybe you should actually take a peek at the base set and the artwork from the original 55 cards.
Cards 1, 2, 11, 13, 17, 18, 19, 21, 24, 25, 33, 36, 48, 50, 51, 53 feature the Martian heads in a way that could be considered a prominent manner, however 21 is actually the only one that could by any stretch of the imagination be considered primarily a head shot and even then the Martian shares half the card with the attractive female. In everyone of the cards I listed above, the heads are parts of a larger scene and that is what I'm unhappy about. It seems the vast majority of artists took the easy way out and gave us a sketch of a Martian head instead of taking the time to pay homage to a true piece of Americana.

Like I stated in the box breakdown for this series, there is no innovation over at Topps. You would think with releases like Mars Attacks or Star Wars, Topps would be rolling out all kinds of new innovative chase and base cards. Nope.

You see, Topps knows you'll buy the product, even if it's mediocre. They spend the minimum amount of time and effort when it comes to the non-sports division. Don't believe me? Check out some of these other sports series by Topps, and you'll agree that a higher-end Star Wars set(s) are a long time coming:

Topps Tribute
Topps Supreme
Topps Precision
Topps Museum Collection
Topps Moments & Milestones
Topps Prime
Topps Unique
Topps Triple Threads

Granted, these are sports cards, but they are a higher-end card. Rich color, multi-colored foils, holofoil, high-gloss archival printing and foil embossed logo. And just FYI, those attributes I listed above were pertaining to just one(1) card I grabbed from my collection as an example.

It's unfortunate Topps decided to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of a milestone card release with this lazy set. And I'm not even referring to the sketch cards! There were so many things they could have done:

Shadowbox cards
Original 1962 Vintage card buyback redemptions
Glitter-foil parallels
Embossed chase cards
Die-Cut chase cards
Puzzle chase cards

They could have even had some fun and done fake 'memorabilia" cards with pieces of martian "space suit". Topps has been already doing something similar for the past few years in their Allen & Ginter series: Yeti Fur, magic beans from Jack & the Beanstalk, wrapping from a cursed mummy and unicorn fur. In fact, just today I won a "Colony on a Card" card from the 2012 Allen & Ginter set that has live Sea Monkeys in the card that you can actually use!

Topps innovates, just not for non-sports.

That said, I don't think Topps is a bad company, I just think they can do WAY better with their non-sports releases. They need to look at companies like Hot Toys, Sideshow & Gentle Giant and realize, there is a strong market for high-end collectibles. If you put out a well-crafted showcase product, fans will buy it.

What do you think would happen if Topps announced a $100 per pack Star Wars series, where each pack ($100) was guaranteed to either have an auto from a major star or a certified relic from the Lucasfilm Archives (having been used in a Star Wars film)?

Here's what would happen: Topps could never make enough cards to meet demand. Period.

(Yes, I know Lucas prefers to hoard/keep all the props and costumes. I was just "blue sky" thinking.)


To conclude this soap-box train of thought:
I wouldn't say this Mars Attacks! 50th anniversary series is a fiasco, just more of a disappointment.

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

quote:

Have you heard about the $200 Marvel Packs (yes I said packs) coming up? A sketch card by a Marvel artist in every pack.

Just to make an point. You get A SKETCH in every pack by an artist of a Marvel character.

Nowhere does it say that every pack will have art by a Marvel artist. Matter of fact the ones they listed have never done comic work for Marvel unless I'm mistaken.

Now, back to bashing Mars Attacks Heritage.

Ed

Not bashing. Critiquing.

Oh, and if you draw a Marvel character, aren't you then considered a "Marvel Artist"? They never said "Marvel Comic Book Artist".

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

quote:

Originally posted by mintoncard:
What do you think would happen if Topps announced a $100 per pack Star Wars series, where each pack ($100) was guaranteed to either have an auto from a major star or a certified relic from the Lucasfilm Archives (having been used in a Star Wars film)?
Here's what would happen: Topps could never make enough cards to meet demand. Period.

(Yes, I know Lucas prefers to hoard keep all the props and costumes. I was just "blue sky" thinking.)

Topps would loose their ASSets on the product, which is why most of the high dollar packs are guaranteed losers from a financial standpoint. That is why have have tons of players that everyone would argue shouldn't be in a top end release...just to fill the packs.

Good points igman7.

NOTE: I started to give a proper reply to your post, when I realized it was turning into a "high-end Star Wars wishful thinking" rant. So, I just decided to make a new thread for it. I can't be the only one who wants this, right?

A Little Introduction of a first timer here. . .
Hi! A little intro. . .
I'm known on the Web as "Mars Attacks Trading Cards Central". http://usersites.horrorfind.co...hic/rvrrt/index.html
A fansite dedicated to the history of the cards & to make sure ALL, Mars Attacks Fan's do not get ripped off. Great price guide with up to date values listed too.

I also have a Facebook Mars Attacks page.
https://www.facebook.com/MarsAttacksOrigin

You might really be interested in my YouTube Mars Attacks Page.
I redid, in 4 Parts, all 55 Original Trading Cards in Anaglyph 3D. (Must have Red and Cyan (Blue)Glasses on to view.)
{ Because some people get Headaches from viewing, I did each segment at just over 2 Minutes long, so your eyes aren't going bonkers & you can relax them if you need between segments. }
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9YNC8EW-vTQ

I received a Google Alert for Mars Attacks about this page and, that I 100% agree with this post, is what brought me here.

99% of the Sketch Cards are a JOKE!!! I'm a graphic artist myself.
Most look like they were done on the day they were due to be turned into TOPPS. The thrill of working on a Mars Attacks set is way understood. But, to convince yourself that you can sketch at least 100 cards in so many days, and continue with everything else going on in your screwed up life in not reality! A challenged most "so-called-artist", failed at here!

I bought only 3 Boxes. Out of this, the sketch cards I received are a Nice color one with Glow-In-the-Dark, (Denise Vasquez). A So-So B&W one (Pat Barrett), And a lousy Lazy B&W artist one (Sugar Fueled). I went to Facebook and told Sugar Fueled off! Lazy ***! I'm throwing it away in the garbage! I'm not even collecting anymore of them. Not worth it. Since retailers have bought a million cases & received the best before the public, they got the luckiest best deals on finding the Best Cards, not the TRUE Mars Attacks Fans. And they are only into money so up goes the prices on Ebay for the nicest ones!

"The New Universe cards are a disgrace. They should not even be associated with the Mars Attacks name."

If you are under 30 Y.O., you most likely, like these! If you were not under 10 years old in 1962, you can't relate what it was like to be a first timer opening up these little gems, back then. This really was a mind F***! {Read my story on my website's Original Cards pages.}


So, the POINT of this Heritage set was to celebrate the 1962 cards - PERIOD!!!
No friggin Acks about it! (I hate that movie!)


Should never have made up a new story. It's not keeping Mars Attacks fresh. Mars attacks has always stayed fresh because of it's controversy and macabre state! When 'celebrating', the Original 1962 cards, we hars core original fans, don't want a new story that doesn't make any sense to the original. Must be some, very young TOPPS nerdy, executives that don't get it, to come up and approve this.
The 3D cards, Len Brown Autos, printing plates & gold parallel cards ARE the only thing worth as chase cards. It would have been cool to try to complete 55, 3D Mars attacks Cards. They Blew it. Expensive to process and to us as buyers? Not if they didn't come up with the, who cares, Green & Silver bordered cards. Just the Gold for 50th Anniversary makes sense.

Out of 3 boxes that I purchased, I received 2 Gold border ones. One box is the variant Attack From Space. No poster came with it as the main hobby box does. I received mostly doubles of everything related. It's just "A Box!" with lettering changed to the Attack name! Nothing could be more disappointing then this set.

I don't think I'm going to include this set on my MATCC site for a very long time! Too controversial in card pricing. Ebay Heritage prices are in an outlaw state right now. No one can judge how well these will continue at being priced higher then some of the PSA graded originals!

Long live the 1962 Original & 1994 Archive sets!!! They Rock!