quote:

Originally posted by WOMBLE:

quote:

Originally posted by X:
Haven't dealers and collectors been saying for years that they want base sets that are actually worth something? Seems manufacturers can't do right for doing wrong.

I don't agree with you, I think most collectors want a collectable set. All Rittenhouse are doing is making the throwback insert sets rarer, to a degree which makes them uncollectable to most collectors.

I agree with both of you, which might seem odd since you are disagreeing with each other. Yet you are both right in your opinions.

Collectors did want to increase the value of the base set and you aren't going to do that if every box yields a complete set. So score 1 for X.

However collectors also want to be able to afford the product. They don't like it when a title they really want is too expensive because of limited production or the fact that they have to get half a case for a complete run of a huge set. So score 1 for Womble.

I believe the problem is that there is a big difference between the way new cards and old cards became collectibles.

Old cards were bought at normal retail prices, which were a lot lower, and became collectibles over time based on the remaining supply and the current demand. The prices of the in demand titles increased, as a true collectible should.

New cards are manufactured as collectibles and are bought at a retail price that is often the peak price. Supply for those that are designated as premium products are held low in the manufacturing process and the remaining supply, even long after release, is often pretty close to the original production because the cards are not getting tossed out or even mishandled. The prices of the in demand titles struggle to hold up because buyer money is spread thinner and some collectors have to sit it out because they can't afford to buy.

In other words its complicated and how you view it, good or bad, depends largely on what your own budget will allow.

Does anyone know if they have ever tried to get Jeffrey Wright to sign?

quote:

Originally posted by Raven:

quote:

Originally posted by WOMBLE:

quote:

Originally posted by X:
Haven't dealers and collectors been saying for years that they want base sets that are actually worth something? Seems manufacturers can't do right for doing wrong.

I don't agree with you, I think most collectors want a collectable set. All Rittenhouse are doing is making the throwback insert sets rarer, to a degree which makes them uncollectable to most collectors.

I agree with both of you, which might seem odd since you are disagreeing with each other. Yet you are both right in your opinions.

Collectors did want to increase the value of the base set and you aren't going to do that if every box yields a complete set. So score 1 for X.

However collectors also want to be able to afford the product. They don't like it when a title they really want is too expensive because of limited production or the fact that they have to get half a case for a complete run of a huge set. So score 1 for Womble.
[...]
In other words its complicated and how you view it, good or bad, depends largely on what your own budget will allow.

This feels odd as I rarely disagree with you Raven but that last bit seems like an over simplistic summation.

Sometimes I feel my words may make me sound an RA/Bond fanboy and that they can do no wrong which is simply not the case. I can and have complained with the best of them directly to Steve on RA's boards.
Or because I don't decry the insertion of two gold parallel sets, limited to 100 sets each, I must have enough money to afford my opinion, which I wish were the case!

I agree with Womble only to the extent that it is indeed getting ever more difficult for people who see building master sets as the only collecting option.

As it goes, I reached saturation point with Bond Mission Logs and realised that I was picking up cards for completions sake, but even before then I'd decided not to collect all costumes/relics after Complete Bond in '07.
What truly affords me my opinion and more relaxed attitude towards companies like RA who don't do 'easy' master sets any more is that I have freed myself from the compulsion to own everything, some of which I didn't want that much anyway.
Now I just buy what I really want and at the price I think is appropriate, crafting my collections accordingly.

I have less these days but enjoy my collection so much more for it. It also means funds are spread less thinly so that certain expensive cards can be picked off more easily by ignoring the stuff I don't want.

I can't afford and wouldn't spend the money if I had it on the gold parallel sets for this release. It's not worth it to me for what are basically variant cards. But some people love parallels and at least RA are trying new levels of chase cards that do add value.

So for this set I'll get:
- binder
- promos
- Casino Royale base set
- x1 Casino Royale gold card
- Tomorrow Never Dies base set
- x1 TND gold card
- Skyfall expansion (as long as they're for the 40th anniversary chase)
- Whatever relics and autos tickle my fancy (funds allowing)

The sad truth is most people can't have everything they want - myself included! The days of easy to make sets for popular titles are long gone. Why people still have not come to terms with this is surprising.

quote:

Originally posted by Raven:


However collectors also want to be able to afford the product. They don't like it when a title they really want is too expensive because of limited production or the fact that they have to get half a case for a complete run of a huge set. So score 1 for Womble.

My point is that if AUST's info is correct you need to buy at least 30 boxes to complete a Throwback set, rather than the 5 they have done in the past. I do not know any dealers who open that quantity, so those sets are unobtainable(uncollectable) for me.

collecting is meant to be FUN which means a realistic chance of collecting it. So its not designed for the packet buyer. So who is it designed for?

I am with X, the collecting just what you like and crafting your own collection is really the only way to go now on most card sets, be in Bond, Star Wars, GOT etc. The sets have got so big, and in some cases the chase cards so rare, that it's not practical to be a completist. I decided ages ago for Bond I would collect against the films and Bond actors I liked. Therefore my Bond collection is;

Women Of Bond cards (still need several!)

The Living Daylight autos (fave film and fave Bond)

Licence to Kill autos (but still no Dalton..)

Goldeneye autos and relics (Great film, although a shame the 1st Brosnan was the high watermark..)

Casino Royal, QofS and Skyfall autos (but avoid some unnecessary duplication)

Roger Moore; (the odd auto here and there as he was the Bond I remember most from childhood)

For what it's worth, despite the duplicate higher end autos and almost crazy sized set, I think the next release looks good. I really welcome the route back to interesting props rather than endless costume swatches.

quote:

Originally posted by WOMBLE:

quote:

Originally posted by Raven:

However collectors also want to be able to afford the product. They don't like it when a title they really want is too expensive because of limited production or the fact that they have to get half a case for a complete run of a huge set. So score 1 for Womble.

My point is that if AUST's info is correct you need to buy at least 30 boxes to complete a Throwback set, rather than the 5 they have done in the past. I do not know any dealers who open that quantity, so those sets are unobtainable(uncollectable) for me.

So because you don't personally know of any dealers who will be busting 3 cases these cards automatically become unobtainable?

I would imagine for most dealers that isn't a massive amount of cases, and there will be plenty of dealers breaking a lot more than that, who could supply you with a set at a fair price. Yes, the new throwbacks are essentially 6x rarer but I doubt they will be 6x the price. I really doubt they'll be expensive at all. As ever people seem to prioritise and spend the bigger money on the autos, relics and incentives.

quote:

Originally posted by richnet:
collecting is meant to be FUN which means a realistic chance of collecting it. So its not designed for the packet buyer. So who is it designed for?

The packet buyer got left behind when manufacturers moved away from a product consisting of a base set and a couple of chase sets. That happened a long time ago. That argument is as limp as complaining one box will not yield most of the product people want. When did it ever?

Who is it designed for? People who like James Bond trading cards.

quote:

Originally posted by Goldfish:
I am with X, the collecting just what you like and crafting your own collection is really the only way to go now on most card sets, be in Bond, Star Wars, GOT etc. The sets have got so big, and in some cases the chase cards so rare, that it's not practical to be a completist. I decided ages ago for Bond I would collect against the films and Bond actors I liked. Therefore my Bond collection is;

Women Of Bond cards (still need several!)

The Living Daylight autos (fave film and fave Bond)

Licence to Kill autos (but still no Dalton..)

Goldeneye autos and relics (Great film, although a shame the 1st Brosnan was the high watermark..)

Casino Royal, QofS and Skyfall autos (but avoid some unnecessary duplication)

Roger Moore; (the odd auto here and there as he was the Bond I remember most from childhood)

For what it's worth, despite the duplicate higher end autos and almost crazy sized set, I think the next release looks good. I really welcome the route back to interesting props rather than endless costume swatches.

I so much prefer not trying to be completest because now when a new set (like this) comes out I'm not worrying how can I afford to get it all (I never could).
Now I always look forward to each new set knowing that although it will cost a couple hundred to get nearly everything I want I can justify it is not a massive extravagance as I don't really collect any other subjects. Spending approx. £250 once a year at release time (give or take a few quid) is £20 a month on my hobby which I don't think is a big deal.
And if there are stupidly rare expensive cards that comes out then I bide my time, save up and try and get it as cheap as possible when the opportunity presents itself. Or I wait until birthdays/Christmas and they become gifts.

I really struggle to understand the moaning and displeasure that large sets like these cause. If you want everything you either have to pay for it or get over the fact you can't have everything and enjoy what you can.


Funnily enough Goldfish I collect new Bond cards in a similar vein to you:

- I aim for all the Women of Bond autos as they are my favourite auto style and generally only feature memorable/main characters.

- Full-bleed autos of all the actors who played Bond (only got Brosnan so far).

- Full-bleed autos of characters/actors I enjoy. Because the Women of Bond autos receive priority when it comes to building the set it means most my full-bleed autos are from male actors, resulting in less repetition/duplication of signers. I break this rule for favourite female characters depending on price and the picture used on the card. I'd love the full-bleed 6-case Denise Richards card but I'll be damned if I'll be paying that kind of money when I got her WOB auto for £50! I also tend to focus more on names in the Brosnan era and I also tend to end up excluding bit-parters.
(I have about 30 full-bleeds, and there are about 15 more I want out of what has been released so far, but can't find them at the prices I want to pay)

- Any relics I think are cool or costume cards from memorable scenes I enjoy. Costume cards have to be cheap and relics reasonably priced. Eg. Bond's suit from the Whitehall scene in Skyfall (for under a tenner) or the case topper Aston Martin windshield from QOS (for £20)? YES PLEASE! And I LOVE the Connery Tuxedo costume card from Dr. No from 40th Anniversary.

Otherwise:
- The promos and sell sheet for each set.
- The more generic Bond binders more suited to holding multiple sets (like Archives/Complete Bond).
- Base/throwback sets of my favourite films from the series.
- x1 gold/silver card for each parallel set.
- Any original or nice looking chase cards/sets that catch my eye or are film specific (eg. the clear Skyfall poster cards or poster case topper)
- Expansion cards to the 40th Anniversary base and chase sets.


For the new set I am looking forward to which signers are released on what style of auto card and which picture is used. I love the large film specific sets, I love adding to the 40th Anniversary set so hope the Skyfall expansion have some cards for that, and like you say the props rather than costumes. Very much looking forward to seeing the GoldenEye cannister prop card.

quote:

Originally posted by X:

So because you don't personally know of any dealers who will be busting 3 cases these cards automatically become unobtainable?

To me yes.

quote:

Originally posted by ts:
Does anyone know if they have ever tried to get Jeffrey Wright to sign?

I think Rittenhouse have mentioned Jeffrey Wright has no interest in signing cards, the same goes for Eva Green.

quote:

Originally posted by WOMBLE:

quote:

Originally posted by X:

So because you don't personally know of any dealers who will be busting 3 cases these cards automatically become unobtainable?

To me yes.

Well, if you'll forgive me, that seems like a situation to which the phrase: "cutting off one's nose to spite one's face," might apply.

These throwback sets will be readily available elsewhere and I would imagine for a lot less than the cost of a single sealed box (I'd guess nearer half, give or take a few quid). Your loss I guess.

Eva Green was on The Jimmy Kimmel show last night

What has she done since Casino Royale, besides that "Dark Shadows" Johnny Depp film that flopped ?

I am starting to give up hope on Dalton signing. It's the one autograph card that leaves a gaping hole in my collection.

quote:

Originally posted by Tommy C:
Eva Green was on The Jimmy Kimmel show last night

What has she done since Casino Royale, besides that "Dark Shadows" Johnny Depp film that flopped ?

she has just been in Penny Dreadful and is in the new Sin City movie.

After Bond, Eva also starred with Daniel Craig in "The Golden Compass", and later did "300: Rise of an Empire" (2014)

In 2011, she was in a 10 episode mini-series, Camelot, according to the IMDB

Cheers for the info AUST!

Looks like another nice set in the making. Base sets aplenty, and some nice surprises already on the autograph line-up. Charles Edghill and Yvonne Shima are great additions for fans of Dr. No. Am also pleased to see Karin Dor back in the fold - I've been hoping for a 40th Ann. version from her for a long time. If they could only get Mie Hama back again too, I'd be very happy!

Anyone have any thoughts on the list so far?

Plus, it looks like Rittenhouse are introducing a new style 'silver series' autograph. With three styles already, I don't really see the need for this, but I guess it's something new!

Looking forward to getting the full details in the coming months.

quote:

Originally posted by X:

quote:

Originally posted by WOMBLE:

quote:

Originally posted by X:

So because you don't personally know of any dealers who will be busting 3 cases these cards automatically become unobtainable?

To me yes.

Well, if you'll forgive me, that seems like a situation to which the phrase: "cutting off one's nose to spite one's face," might apply.

These throwback sets will be readily available elsewhere and I would imagine for a lot less than the cost of a single sealed box (I'd guess nearer half, give or take a few quid). Your loss I guess.

You think so? It's confirmed that there are only 3 Throwback cards per film per box, having cards that are approaching the rarity of the Gold/Silver parallels is just pointless to me. My guess would be around $1 per card at least.

quote:

Originally posted by RP01:
.....Looking forward to getting the full details in the coming months.

There's some great looking pictures of the Autographs and Relics here:-
http://www.scifihobby.com/prod...chives2014/index.cfm

Some nice looking cards. I like the Craig auto and goldeneye relic in particular.

Just to add. I agree buying boxes and cases is an inefficient way of building up a collection, but it's also pretty fun, so you have to factor that in!