I have all of the Rittenhouse Xena sets, except for the last 1 or 2, with complete chase runs, aside from any autos they may have done

This may sound like a silly question, but are these Xena sets still popular ? Is there any demand for them anymore, or have the cards cooled off like other 1990s sci-fi shows ?

I'm no expert on Xena cards. I have my fair share of autographed cards from the sets, but was not a big follower of the series, so I don't have hard facts, just a general impression based on what usually happens with older TV show sets.

The cards came out between 1998 and 2006. The complete sets are pretty cheap now. The demand has cooled off because those collectors who wanted them already have them, while newer collectors don't seem to be discovering the cards or the show. I have not seen any Xena or Hercules reruns in quite sometime. They may still be running on cable somewhere, but they are now off the local channels in my area.

The autograph prices have leveled off or dropped, it depends on the set. Lucy Lawless is still in demand, just not as high. She held up better than Kevin Sorbo for value, but that's because she went on to do other roles. The other stars really didn't do that much after Xena, so it's not like people are looking for autographs because of other work.

I think Xena cards have all peaked in terms of value and any missing holes can probably be easily filled, but it doesn't put them in the same catagory as old sci-fi shows because the cards were better than that to begin with.

Lawless has done well to keep her profile up over the year, for sure. She is aging beautifully, which certainly helps, and since Xena, she did the series "Spartacus", a nice guest spot on "Parks and Rec", and she's about to become Mockingbird on ABC's "SHIELD", plus I'm sure some other stuff I didn't catch.

There is also a chance Xena could return to TV someday, which makes it pretty unusual among the huge array of syndicated shows from the 90's.

Finally, the cards were made by Topps and Rittenhouse, so they are top quality, and relatively limited runs, especially the Rittenhouse one.

As for the autographs beside Lawless, there are some from the cult movie hero Bruce Campbell, actor Kevin Smith who died tragically young, and Karl Urban who has gone on to "LOTR" and "Star Trek" movies.

All of that makes me rank Xena at least a couple notches higher than the average late 1990's/early 2000's sets. The 2nd Topps set from 1998 that had the first Xena autographs had one of the earlier comprehensive lineup of autograph signers in a set of cards.

quote:

This may sound like a silly question, but are these Xena sets still popular ? Is there any demand for them anymore, or have the cards cooled off like other 1990s sci-fi shows ?

I was a fan too of the Xena and Hercules TV series. Not sure about popularity of the cards in these days, but the character is present. I saw some photos from cosplay of new comic/cosplay/anime events and there is always some Xena in the area.

If someone decide to celebrate an anniversary of the series maybe we can see interest in the cards.

I go to a lot of smaller, rural shows and it seems the interest is much higher in sets like Xena, Buffy or X-Files (to name a few) there than in the metro area where I live. Supply and demand, I guess.

I have a lot of the earlier Xena sets, although not all of them complete...just the autos and costume cards I really wanted. I think the later sets were just the usual filler sets that didn't really add anything new for the collector.

Of the earlier sets there were a few little autograph gems:
Kathryn Morris who went on to Cold Case.
Danielle Cormack now totally nailing the part of Bea Smith in Wentworth Prison, (a remake of Cell Block H).
Karl Urban, as mentioned by others.

And Lucy Lawless always seems popular because of all the other things she's done too. She maybe doesn't command the prices she did at the height of Xena, but they still command some decent value.

I picked up the Kathryn Morris autograph card a long time back too. I really liked her on Cold Case and she did a movie, but I can't say what she is doing now that the show ended.

Karl Urban, forgetting about Star Trek, had a good FOX show last year called Almost Human and it is worth watching for those that missed it. Of course it was cancelled after one season, but that is FOX, keep the junk running and take off the good ones.

Another three nice Xena autographs are Tim Thomerson, Meg Foster and Bruce Campbell for all their work in the horror/sci fi genre.

With the exception of Xena herself, Lucy Lawless, I think of the rest of the autographs as commons. Some like O'Connor, Leick and Tydings, and even Sorbo, are still carrying fairly high values, but I buy signatures for the individual rather than trying to complete a set. Because most of the rest of the cast did not go on to do very much, I would pick those cards up only if I could get them at common prices. I haven't seen that yet, so I have to conclude that Xena still has demand in certain areas.

I still have my Topps Hudson Leick autograph card in a nice holder.

Also I still think after all this time that the ser 3 chase set Incarnations is one of the best looking chase sets ever.

Unfortunatly these cards suffer the same way all cards do when the show goes off tv, try trading some xena cards into a dealer and see what I mean, nobody will touch them, it is such a shame but most collectors are only intrested in the next thing, the next set, the next promo.

Yeah you're absolutely right wolfie and I hate that attitude. It's so anti-collector. If the next thing is always better and more valuable, why bother to collect at all? But it is generational up to a point and everything gets old a lot faster than it used to.

I have to reassess my own buying now that my circumstances have somewhat changed and its a new year coming soon. Going back to old unfinished sets may be the most rewarding way to go for many long time collectors.

I agree with you guys. I still have a few holes in my Xena, Buffy, Charmed, etc. sets. Going back and filling them sounds like a great idea.

How much is the whole set?

I'm a huge Xena fan, it got me into the hobby. I'm still filling out my ultimate collection. With variants and the Dangerous Liasians set. I love it! If anyone has any they need to trade, let me know. :-)