Was looking at the Checklist for the Panini Golden Age Set of 2013 (specifically the Bad News Bears Cards)

There are 6 Bad News Bears Cards in this set, each with a base card, an auto, and then multiple mini parallels (blue, green, purple, red) as well as a 1/1 black parallel. In order to complete the full set, somebody would need to find the 6 black parallels (If you even knew to look for them) and then you would have the only available set.

I don't know what I would do if I ever came across one of the black parallels. Since the odds are next to nothing that I would be able to get all 6, would I want just 1. Probably not (Unless I figured I could hold on to it until somebody else is looking to complete the 1/1 set, and then see what they would be willing to offer).

I can see the value of a 1/1 parallel if its a stand alone card, but when they are parallels to the entire base set, I don't see the appeal. I know TOPPS does this a lot with its Star Wars Cards, and I have never seen the purpose

Was just wondering what others do when they pull or come across a 1/1 base parallel card. Do you hold on to it, or try to sell it (if possible) to somebody who is looking to complete the impossible.

To be honest, I consider it a useless card. I wouldn't throw it out, anymore than I would throw out one of those numbered, gold base cards. I just keep them in a separate box or with the base set if I have it.

It depends if you are normally selling cards, which I don't. If you are it just gets posted, but if you don't, I don't know how you connect with anyone willing to pay a good premium for just a stamped 1/1.

I mean this type of 1/1 parallel is supposed to be as rare as it gets, but in reality I think most card collectors would just shrug.

I just ordered a couple boxes of the 2013 edition (hoping for the Jackie Earle Haley autograph) and one of the 2012 edition.
Best I've done with those parallel wise is one of the "First Fifty" inserts which are numbered to, yep, 50.

I thought that was an outstanding line of cards, but considering how many boxes are still out there to be had (especially of the 2014 edition), it's not really a surprise there were none made in 2015 or 2016.

The only time I have collected the parallel sets were when they were one a pack or every other pack. One of one on a set of 90 or 100 is just silly. However, someone must collect them because they keep getting produced!

quote:

Originally posted by barobehere:
The only time I have collected the parallel sets were when they were one a pack or every other pack. One of one on a set of 90 or 100 is just silly. However, someone must collect them because they keep getting produced!

That's just the brainwashing from the card companies.

These stamped cards that are just plain base with 1/1, 1/5, 1/10, 1/25, etc. are cheap to produce and get to be called hits in the ads. I don't think anyone actually tries to collect them, except as a pile of disconnected cards that will one day get thrown out to make room.

I agree with the plain base with a 1/1, 1/5, 1/10 stamp, ... There is really no value in them

But what about when TOPPS (or others) do different colored boarders. So there is the plane base, but then the blue bordered at 10/1, the red bordered at 5/1 and the rainbow bordered at 1/1. These cards are technically different and look neat when placed next to each other. This issue is that nobody will ever be able to complete a set, so they really have no extra value even though they are so-called rare.

As side note - The TOPPS Card Trader App (digital cards) is really crazy with upwards of 25+ different colored borders for every single card.

Just my opinion, there are collectors going after the parallel cards that have different colors, or added foil, and even the background patterns that you find in Tek. They think normal base cards are too easy and too cheap, which is generally true, and they take the parallels to be a greater challenge. I do think most stick to the easier levels because like you said, some are just impossible to complete and that has the opposite effect of turning people off.

As far as the TOPPS Trader App is concerned, again just my opinion, that is entering a whole other world. It is cards, or at least images of cards, but it is more aimed at people who are gamers or who are into the whole social media experience. I read the forums where these transactions are being discussed by people who are trading digital cards or are buying ePacks to acquire or trade both digital and physical cards. Many times it seems as though they don't know the first thing about card collecting or even the titles they are playing with. It seems to be the idea of the game and the interaction with other players that they are enjoying rather than the actual thing they are trading.

I'm sure there are card collectors who have taken to the whole digital card world too, but I'm just the simple, anti-social type who wants to pay my money and have a card in my hand.

quote:

Originally posted by AWR:
I agree with the plain base with a 1/1, 1/5, 1/10 stamp, ... There is really no value in them

But what about when TOPPS (or others) do different colored boarders. So there is the plane base, but then the blue bordered at 10/1, the red bordered at 5/1 and the rainbow bordered at 1/1. These cards are technically different and look neat when placed next to each other. This issue is that nobody will ever be able to complete a set, so they really have no extra value even though they are so-called rare.

The cards of varying colors placed next to each other complete with all available variations are actually called "rainbows" and they've long been popular with sports card collectors. In those cases, the 1/1 versions very definitely have significant value to the two dudes each trying to finish a one-of-a-kind set. It's like everything else. It depends what's on them. On sports cards, the more popular the player, the more likely people are going for the "rainbow" with it, so the more sought after is the 1/1 that finishes what is a truly unique set. Those extremely popular ones issued by Topps each year are called "Superfractors" and can sell for thousands.

There aren't many opportunities to do multi-colored rainbows where non-sports are concerned but the recent autograph driven "Americana" and "Pop Century" sets have provided some. I'm working on one from last year's Americana. I don't expect to get the rare one-of-one version, but the other 4 I already have do look pretty sharp next to one another, and there's at least one more I should be able to get.

I don't have any 1/1 parallels in non-sport cards, but I do have some 1/10, 1/50, 1/100 parallels. I haven't gone out of my way to chase 1/1 because I don't "need" it. But I'll try for a "rainbow" of the other parallels. It just adds another layer to collecting some of my favorite Marvel characters.

For the most part, the parallels aren't too expensive. Even the 1/10 varieties aren't too bad on the wallet. Surprisingly, there doesn't seem to be 10 diehard Wolverine fans that feverishly collect trading cards and want to add the 1/10 parallels to their personal collections to push the prices past $100 too often. Maybe the first few examples that hit the market go kinda high, but after 5 or so then they become much more reasonable. I'd guess that those 5 character collectors are ones that battle it out for the 1/1 parallels.

I don't see the point of 1/1 cards outside of sport.

quote:

Originally posted by cheifbrody:
I don't see the point of 1/1 cards outside of sport.

Besides sports, I think getting 1/1 of comic characters like Superman, Wonder Woman, or Batman would be kinda cool. Getting one of individual wrestlers like Ric Flair, Triple H, John Cena and The Rock would be pretty awesome to have also.

Getting one of a random episode of a TV show, movie scene, or comic panel wouldn't be as desirable.

Looking at the popularity of the "Diamond Sparkle" base set parallels that were found in 2013 Topps 75th Anniversary, we can see that Topps missed a golden opportunity to make 1/1 versions of those cards, some of which would've sold for hundreds of dollars, if not over a thousand.

For instance, the Diamond Sparkle parallels of 1977 Star Wars and Garbage Pail Kids in that set can sell for over $100 and there are 75 of each of those. Just imagine those same cards in a 1/1 superfractor type version. I would've definitely kept my eyes open for the one for "The Simpsons". Maybe for the 40th Anniversary set...

There's probably a lot of collectors that hold those Star Wars and Garbage Pail Kids in high regard. Having just one parallel limited to 75 without other parallels numbered to 50, 25, 10, and 1/1 probably contribute to the higher prices because it's not diluted.

About 2 years ago, they had those Garbage Pail Kids inserts in the comics

The common ones had white borders, while the black bordered ones were 1 in every 10th comic; they also did yellow bordered ones, supposedly only 100 of each made

On some website, a guy posted a scan of a red bordered one he pulled, and the back was stamped 1/1

One thing that we take for granted when discussing super rare parallels is that everyone realizes their significance.

It's just not true, may times you have to be an expert in that particular title or product or promo to even recognize that you have something special. For instance I'm not interested in GPK, so even though I like to think that I know a lot about non-sport cards, I could pass up a great GPK parallel and never even know it.

Maybe that's why some rare cards suddenly show up in bunches after they have not been seen in years. No one thought they were important.

quote:

Originally posted by AWR:
Was looking at the Checklist for the Panini Golden Age Set of 2013 (specifically the Bad News Bears Cards)

I loved this set!! To have Tatum and Jackie autographs with them in Bears uniforms was totally awesome!

I have to admit I despise parallel sets. Other than change some color scheme to reprint the same card it is nothing more than lazy manufactured rarity.

Seriously! Why do I want 3 or 4 and sometimes even 5 sets of the same card just to keep up with some stupid parallel scheme? I might as well just forget the base set and buy the highest parallel set I am willing to pay for and leave it at that.

How awesome it is to look at your base cards in a book and when you are done you can go look at your super cool parallel set! Stupid!

If you want to give me a rarer set than use some imagination and give me a different subset numbered to whatever.

In non sports the 1/1 (aka The Impossible Set) can work as a high end value card if it is a nice profile of a favorite character or a memorable scene but that is about all it is good for. Any that I have obtained were purely through pack pulls, I would never go look for one.