Odds according to Cryptozoic's site:

Sketch cards 1:1006 packs (1 in 41.9 boxes)
Printing Plates 1:691 packs (1 in 28.8 boxes)

Yikes!

Full checklist posted below. Two different designs for each autograph (vertical and horizontal) with three different foil parallels (silver, black, and gold) on top of the standard versions. I really hope this is just for Walking Dead and doesn't become the norm with Crypto sets.

https://www.cryptozoic.com/sit..._checklist_final.pdf

It's an attempt to shake it up a bit and get more rarity in the mix. This is the last season hoorah for WD by Crypto and I would overproduce the hell out of both Part 1 and Part 2 if I were them, but that's just me.

Since this could be the last of the on-card autographs for WD before TOPPS comes out, I would think that alone creates greater demand.

I don't mind the mix of vertical and horizontal autographs at all because each design has its fans. It's like the competition between full bleed and 40th Style in Bond, and full bleed and bordered or blue cards in GoT sets. There are people who confine themselves to only one style because it keeps it consistent and the money down. Others, like me, don't really care for anything but the autograph anyway, although I am more partial to the FB style myself. That doesn't stop me from buying different styles.

What I don't like in any product is dividing up cards on the basis of a bit of foil. We all know that the very production of cards is designed to create artificial rarity. That's the purpose of short prints, but if card collectors are going to be driven crazy by sets they can't complete, the least we could have is different cards. Not the same card with different color borders or some slapped on foil. If collectors didn't go along with that idea, it would have gone away long ago.

Look, these autographs say that the range is 25 on the gold, 75 on the silver and 125 on the black. They are apparently the same picture, certainly the same signature. So you have 225 autographs signed by that person. I don't know if all actors are doing the same number, I'm just going by what the checklist says. Also now see that there is a standard version of the autograph cards, so total number is not disclosed.

So obviously the shorter printed gold autograph card should be priced higher than the black that has 5 times greater supply. But how much higher? What are collectors willing to pay just because the foil is different?

I'm not willing to pay anything more. That's just the truth from someone who may want that signature, but is not trying to make a uniform set. A genuine autograph is the same autograph. At least it should be, although there are some signers who are wildly inconsistent and sometimes display quality may come into value for those.

For a consistent signer, only an added inscription or doodle makes one autograph card better than the other. So to me, every one of those 225 autographs, plus any standards, are exactly the same and I wouldn't pay more than average market no matter the number of whichever version I had. I know that flies in the face of what this hobby does, and it may seem too logical for some, but there you have it.

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

Two more for part 2:

Walking Dead Season 4, part I, subsection 13, lot 47, ZIP 90210

Well they are out. Looks like a bigger circus than ever and I am sure I have not seen everything yet. (YES!!! Hot Topic Insert!!)

I count 4 different Reedus autograph cards, not including the limited shiny foil ones.

Please tell me the poster cards aren't actual mini posters. But then there are only 4 in the set so yeah.....whatever.

Ok, It gets even better, looks like they put part I and part II Reedus sigs in part I boxes. So, if there are 4 standard sigs and 3 versions of shiny sigs that means this release technically has 16? different Reedus autographs!?!

There are also 16 Nicotero's (lets see, basic math = 225 foil autos per card. 225 x 4 = 900. Reedus and Nicotero foil autographs = 900 x 2 for 1800) That's 150 cases without their standard autograph. Extremely happy I did not pre-order any of this.

I've never felt embarrassed for a card company before.


I'll trade you my Terminus Resident 10.4 for your 10.7!

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

You really summed that up PERFECTLY!

I have cancelled my pre-order cases for Part 2 because of this Part 1 release. I am officially done with Walking Dead cards. I have my S1, S2, and S3 and that's all I need. I really do not need a dozen autograph's from the same actor. The numerous walker cards did not help either.

quote:

Originally posted by mykdude:
Walking Dead Season 4, part I, subsection 13, lot 47, ZIP 90210

Well they are out. Looks like a bigger circus than ever and I am sure I have not seen everything yet. (YES!!! Hot Topic Insert!!)

I count 4 different Reedus autograph cards, not including the limited shiny foil ones.

Please tell me the poster cards aren't actual mini posters. But then there are only 4 in the set so yeah.....whatever.

Ok, It gets even better, looks like they put part I and part II Reedus sigs in part I boxes. So, if there are 4 standard sigs and 3 versions of shiny sigs that means this release technically has 16? different Reedus autographs!?!

There are also 16 Nicotero's (lets see, basic math = 225 foil autos per card. 225 x 4 = 900. Reedus and Nicotero foil autographs = 900 x 2 for 1800) That's 150 cases without their standard autograph. Extremely happy I did not pre-order any of this.

I've never felt embarrassed for a card company before.


I'll trade you my Terminus Resident 10.4 for your 10.7!

So maybe it's me, but I don't see what is so surprising here.

CZE has lost the Walking Dead license. These last two releases, Season 4 Pt. 1 and Pt. 2, are the end for them. I would throw in everything, including the kitchen sink. Produce the heck out of it and get as much money as you can, while you can.

Is that not good business sense? Who would they be limiting and protecting the franchise for, TOPPS? Yes and Yes.

As for card collectors, more boxes and more available autographs should mean cheaper prices. More Reedus signatures might mean someone who couldn't afford one before can get one now. If there is also more junk in it, no one has to buy the junk. If there is a glut on the market it becomes a buyer's market.

I can understand why case buyers/dealers might feel that lower prices and overproduction don't benefit them, but weren't they the ones screaming about allocation when production was cut? They should have seen this coming once the license changed hands, plus the cards will still sell, maybe not as fast.

Again, how you view this is a matter of where you place in the food chain. For me it's good news, I might wind up getting more WD autographs in this season than any other.

quote:

Originally posted by Raven:
So maybe it's me, but I don't see what is so surprising here.

No, I understand the situation, but many of us collectors that went through the 90's are still in tune with a highly over produced product at a ridiculous price with the word "COLLECTIBLE" pasted all over it. If everyone else collects it, it's not really all that special.

Personally it is not a direction I would have preferred to see Cryptozoic go in. Also, this comes on at the tail end of a terrible looking Ghostbusters release.

Is it good business sense? Only time will tell that one. Lets also not forget that the Topps information didn't hit the street until after commitments were made. Also, how well will the second part of the set be received without any Reedus to draw attention? (assuming they were all dropped in part I)

You are correct, this is going to be great for the secondary market. However; this was a company that only two years ago I had complete faith in purchasing a case from. That part of our relationship is over.

quote:

Originally posted by mykdude:
You are correct, this is going to be great for the secondary market. However; this was a company that only two years ago I had complete faith in purchasing a case from. That part of our relationship is over.

I think this is a difficult time for the people who are in the business of selling cards. Even as a buyer, I've been involved in cards long enough to know that there are short term benefits and long term benefits as far as the secondary market is concerned and sometimes what looks good in the moment has bad consequences. So when I say it's good news to have lower prices for buyers, that may result in fewer dealers/sellers/case breakers for later on, which is not a good thing.

You mention the Ghostbusters release, I agree. For the prices they are asking, and the content and design of the product, it does not look like it is moving anywhere. So you can say, well it wasn't done right, but other new releases seem very soft, even on the bigger cards. I just picked up a brand new autograph card for $3.23. It was a common, but in a popular set at auction. It was seeded in $75 boxes. Good for me, but what does it say for value if you are buying that box? And what does it say for future products?

I think that the COLLECTIBLE part of cards has lost it's luster right now and card collectors are taking the advise that they have always been told, buy only what you actually like because it's for your own enjoyment, not an investment.

I totally caved and bought a box at my LCS. The box was Ok. My question is how do you tell the black foil base parallel from the redular base. I took them outside figuring that would reveal all but I sill can't tell. Can anyone help?

quote:

Originally posted by Lovemesomecards:
I totally caved and bought a box at my LCS. The box was Ok. My question is how do you tell the black foil base parallel from the redular base. I took them outside figuring that would reveal all but I sill can't tell. Can anyone help?

The black parallel is rough on touch and the letters look like they almost bleed onto one another. Help that helps.

Part 2 release date confirmed: August 17.