I'm sure any information about this is lost to time- but I seem to remember years ago that someone said Inkworks was working on a set that would make me incredibly happy and the inference was that they were going to do a Buffy/Angel set focused on Cordelia. I know that set never actually materialized but I wonder if anyone had any insights on that-

Val

I can see where a Buffy/Angel set was probably something Inkworks was considering, especially after Buffy ended, but I have no specific knowledge of it. Cordelia and later Spike were crossover characters, but I don't know that they would have been the focus of a hybrid set. The spotlight was always on Buffy and Angel after all.

I have said on Card Talk before that I was a big fan of Buffy in the earlier seasons and wound up really hating the show in the final seasons and with that big, stupid conclusion. The show was a huge disappointment to me, but I did keep up with cards all the way.

Ultimately my favorite characters throughout were the 3 who turned into the most underserved. Anya and Spike had no happy ending in Buffy. They were sacrificed. Cordelia really left a void when she transferred from Buffy to Angel after Season 3. In Angel that character was also eventually sacrificed, although Spike was sort of resurrected. On his own the Spike series didn't do much, but again at least I liked the cards.

I hope new card collectors realize how important the Buffy sets were to the history of modern non-sport trading cards. When the first set started things like certified autographed entertainment cards were not commonly guaranteed. Relic cards were a newer hit, and I don't believe that Inkworks ever put sketches or ink plates in the boxes. Those came in later products. For card collectors, Inkworks was a great company in that period from I would say 1999 - 2007. Then things started to go wrong.

On a side note, I have seen those new Buffy cards from Cardsmiths. They are cheap enough to sample, but that's about it. I don't know why they bothered. The designs are unattractive, you can't complete a base set, hits are all parallels you can't complete, and there are no autographs or any other cards of value. They are not another Inkworks.

I'd wager a guess that the rumored Cordelia-focused set was Inkworks trying to do a combination set like the Spike set. Spike was the only set that used both Buffy and Angel in the same set that I can remember.

I only ask because I strangely enough have a way to converse with Charisma Carpenter, due to her current Buffy First Watch Podcast and I'd love to know if she was ever aware that there was at least the germ of an idea that Cordelia would have her own set.

I definitely see what you are saying about Buffy in its later seasons- I still mostly enjoy it even in a rewatch, but the WB years were definitely the peak. And I haven't really done an Angel rewatch at all.

Val

Buffy the Vampire Slayer came on TV March 1997. The Season One cards from Inkworks were released in September 1998 and Season Two came out in February of 1999. A pretty fast commitment that they kept up throughout the run of the show. I was mainly interested in the certified autograph cards, which was not a new thing back in the late 90s, but the guarantee of one autograph hit in every box had just started to become a common practice in all premium products.

So I go to my favorite hole in the wall card shop, I had my choice of several at the time, and I see he's got a signed card laying in the showcase and it looks like a Buffy. I hadn't bought any cards from either season yet. He shows it to me and its Charisma Carpenter's A5. I ask how much and he says something like, "Well it's only got one name, twenty?" I say sounds good.

And that's the story of my first and best ever Buffy autograph card buy. I didn't rip him off. I didn't know the price either and he sold sports cards with no interest in non-sport. He was happy to get the twenty. I will forever remember that "Charisma" card and that's why we collect nonsensical stuff.

Since then, I was able to get a few of Carpenter's signature cards from other products as well. Please send her my regards.

Inkworks is my favourite although I only collect the promo cards have done since their start .
Before they capsized their promps on E Bay were very expensive and they used to advertise through their site the upcoming sets and all the inserts promos etc.
Never once did I see a mention of a Cordelia set .
I think Uncle Allan is still around perhaps he could chip in to clarify the matter.

quote:

Originally posted by piko:
Never once did I see a mention of a Cordelia set .
I think Uncle Allan is still around perhaps he could chip in to clarify the matter.

No idea where he is. He used to be very chatty on Card Talk but that was quite a while before Inkworks' demise, which came quietly, quickly and was a total surprise to many people who thought they knew him well. Such is life, but I wouldn't expect to hear from him about anything at this late date.

Allan is on Facebook but he hasn't posted since early 2024 and he doesn't post anything card related

quote:

Originally posted by piko:

Never once did I see a mention of a Cordelia set .
I think Uncle Allan is still around perhaps he could chip in to clarify the matter.

It was never explicitly said outright, all I remember was someone on this board mentioning that a forthcoming set would make me very happy specifically referring to my username. This was after the Spike set had come out and I think it was possibly teased at a Card Talk breakfast or something but I'm fuzzy on a lot of it tbh.

Val

quote:

Originally posted by Raven:
Buffy the Vampire Slayer came on TV March 1997. The Season One cards from Inkworks were released in September 1998 and Season Two came out in February of 1999. A pretty fast commitment that they kept up throughout the run of the show. I was mainly interested in the certified autograph cards, which was not a new thing back in the late 90s, but the guarantee of one autograph hit in every box had just started to become a common practice in all premium products.

So I go to my favorite hole in the wall card shop, I had my choice of several at the time, and I see he's got a signed card laying in the showcase and it looks like a Buffy. I hadn't bought any cards from either season yet. He shows it to me and its Charisma Carpenter's A5. I ask how much and he says something like, "Well it's only got one name, twenty?" I say sounds good.

And that's the story of my first and best ever Buffy autograph card buy. I didn't rip him off. I didn't know the price either and he sold sports cards with no interest in non-sport. He was happy to get the twenty. I will forever remember that "Charisma" card and that's why we collect nonsensical stuff.

Since then, I was able to get a few of Carpenter's signature cards from other products as well. Please send her my regards.

I've always loved the $20 story- I will try and pass your regards along.

V