some nice pictures for the autographs
love the Melisandre one

Don't know how long it's been up - seems to have flown a bit under the radar compared to previous years, but the checklist is now up!

http://scifihobby.com/products...cklist.cfm?SetID=328

I think some of the main takeaways are that Lena Headey, Peter Dinklage and Kit Harington are only VL this time around as opposed to EL for the last few sets (I've yet to get any of their cards so this gives me a little extra hope than usual!); Night's Watch relics, a rare Dragonglass relic, and the archive box having printing plates.

I'm surprised they haven't got an autograph parallel set or a parallel set of a parallel set....oh wait, that would be the gold parallel to the foil parallel set, to the base set. Nuts and lazy!

I love this show, the actors and creators, and I've loved this product every year. And I'll be buying a few of the autographs, but whew, am I glad I didn't order a case and will definitely pick and mix, rather than collect most of it.
I'm not a fan of sketches and never seen the point in them, which means I'd be looking at the EL cards if I had bought a case. Hmm...

Aidan Gillen is an EL?? What's the point with that? I know he's a main character and a great actor, but he's signed so many cards already that I'm not sure many people will be paying EL prices to get it which will be hard on dealers, who are now no doubt hoping they get sketches and dragonglass in their cases. Same with Sophie Turner. It's not quite so odd as the Oona Chaplin EL card, but the EL list doesn't excite me.

I'm pleased to see Lena and Dinklage cards at VL, as I know a lot of people that would like a card and could never stretch to the previous EL prices, and this gives hope of actually getting one in a box, rather than paying for a case.

I'm not having a moan really, as I'll always support the sets...I'm just a tad disappointed.
But on the plus side there is no real bad autograph; all are characters that actually have speaking parts and involvement. However, buying the odd box or two is likely to be more expensive than the hits it contains. But I think that's an issue with most products these days.

By my calculations there are 49 different autograph cards in Season 5, including the incentives, and 23 of those are of new signers.

It is difficult to call anyone new a main character when they missed the first four seasons, but a few are known actors. Several of the repeats are main characters and at least a couple of good secondary characters are only on their second card.

I like the list, the only real complaints I have is that some actors are repeating card formats without having covered all of the styles (FB, B, Blue) and that Clarke has not appeared as a signer since sets 1 and 2.

As far as the EL designation goes, I haven't found that it means all that much in terms of price. By that I mean, someone like Headey is selling within a certain higher price range whether her card is called EL or VL. Someone like Gillian will sell in a certain lower price range whether his card is called EL or VL or L. Yes, in terms of production numbers it should make a difference, but in practical terms the actual price swing doesn't seem to be that much.

I wish I could pick up a cheap Headey, or Dinklage, or Harington, but they have a demand that will keep them at a certain price even when there is a greater supply and the card is a VL.

Of course EL could be 199 auto's and VL 201 auto's

There were only three cards I wanted when the signers started getting announced, and thankfully all of them are bordered since I don't collect the full bleeds - the Sand Snakes will be mine!

I am skipping boxes this year and just putting that money into the autographs I want, a quotable set and a base set.

I'm really pleased loads of minor repeat signers haven't been added. I feel that the majority of repeats are good and some lovely new additions.
Since I'm only looking at 10 autos I'd like I won't be box buying either.

I see the binders have been delayed

Well, got my two boxes (all I can afford). The Willgull luck still stands strong. I got three repeat signers that I already have and Joel Fry...yeah! Nothing else of note. Guess I shall now concentrate on buying single autos. I could have purchased about 10-12 for the price I paid for these two yuck boxes. You win some, you lose some I guess....LOL

Sorry for the bum break, willgull.

That was my fear with these, so I decided to forego boxes altogether. Instead, I got autograph singles from the various breakers for a pretty great price, bless 'em.

I spent what would have netted me around 4 sealed boxes, but I got a nice stack of the bordered autographs I collect, including all 3 Sand Snakes, Missandrei, Gilly, Myranda, and the bordered Melisandre I'd been anxiously awaiting since Season 1, plus 9 others, so 16 in all, if I'm counting right, which is 8 boxes worth and none I didn't want.

True, I didn't have a shot at one of the big autographs this way, but I already have the main stars from earlier series, and generally only need one card per signer. A sketch was a longshot anyway, and I don't generally collect relics, so this seemed the way to go. Looking forward to mail day early next week and putting another couple of pages of autographs into my GOT binder.

Unfortunately this a product with a large number of signers and a large number of minor characters in GoT. Even if you do not get repeat signers (and some of those are main characters that you most definitely would want), the average box more likely than not will have two autograph cards that are both regarded as commons.

I think most people who collect GoT understand that already, but giving up pack busting is taking away a whole lot of fun for me. So even though I know box buying is not the most cost effective way to spend your money, like willgull, I will still get my 2 or 3 boxes for the base set and hope to pull a dragon glass relic, or a sketch, or any bigger autograph that I probably wouldn't buy by myself. Then I will look to pick up those wanted singles after a have taken my chances.

The odds are always going to be against the breaker, but for a title that you are really vested in, pulling a card is better than winning an auction. It's sort of like the difference between feeling lucky and feeling like you worked for it. Money found is always better than money earned.

All too true. I always purchase a few boxes in the rare chance that I would get one of the rare cards (almost never happens). Otherwise, due to the limited funds, I purchase and bid on the auto cards I need. I have over 150 from the first four sets so I am not doing too bad, just few of the rare ones. Never, ever got a sketch, relic or other card though.

If we Don't buy boxes the hobby will die. Yes it can be bad but one or two boxes is a fun thing and keeps the hobby alive.

True, Hammer, but these singles are coming from case breakers, and the more they sell, the more likely they are to keep buying cases, which is even more important to the manufacturers and distributors than box sales are.

I did buy a box or two of Season 3 and 4 and will get at least one box of 5 at some point. I'm not interested in the relics, sketches, or full bleed autos from this series, though, so the singles route has been the way to go for me since series 3. (I got Archive boxes of Season 1 and 2).

Here's what I got for less than the cost of 4 boxes. Very pleased with this lot.

quote:

Originally posted by chesspieceface:
True, Hammer, but these singles are coming from case breakers, and the more they sell, the more likely they are to keep buying cases, which is even more important to the manufacturers and distributors than box sales are.

I did buy a box or two of Season 3 and 4 and will get at least one box of 5 at some point. I'm not interested in the relics, sketches, or full bleed autos from this series, though, so the singles route has been the way to go for me since series 3. (I got Archive boxes of Season 1 and 2).

I don't disagree with that attraction - and I will be buying a few auto's as well. Funnily enough it is the full bleed auto's that I like (we should buy boxes and swap LOL!). When you have a set this big you can't get it all buying boxes - but one box is worth a punt

There is a food chain in this hobby, just as there is any other business. This is a business to the people that manufacturer, distribute and sell non-sport cards. Each level of the food chain, from manufacturers, to authorized large distributors, to large dealers, to smaller dealers and hobby stores, to collectors that also sell, each level has to move things on to the next level and get their cut of the profit. The final destination is the collector who is not selling, who is merely the consumer of the product until such time as he/she doesn't want it anymore. If I missed anybody in the food chain, sorry, that's all I could think of as far as recognizable groups.

In that consumer group of collectors, we then can sub-divide again based on what you collect, how you collect, where you collect it and if you do intend to sell or trade cards as you are collecting them. Every one of those things makes a big difference to the individual collector, and that's why collectors have so many strong and varying ideas about how this hobby should be running. It all comes down to, not just pure opinion, but also availability of product and your own finances.

And every change in that food chain has both expected and unexpected consequences. Just as the pendulum keeps swinging from side to side and every few years things go too far and it falls backwards again. That's if it can, that's if the basic foundation hasn't already crumbled and there is nothing left to go back to.

You were right the first time hammer, the hobby stays alive when we have collectors buying some boxes. If box buyers continue to be discouraged from new products because the value of the contents isn't even close to the cost of the box, if manufacturers continue to tell box buyers that they really aren't interested in designing products for them, if other collectors continue to say that box buyers are old fashioned and it doesn't matter if you go away, if the idea that an AVERAGE box does not have to give you quality because it's just a lottery ticket anyway becomes accepted by everyone including the box buyers themselves, then box buyers will stop and those collectors will not move on where the hobby wants them to, the majority will stop buying new products.

That's my opinion on it. I am not going to become a case breaker, I can't afford it. I'm not going to pre-order custom sets, I can't tie up funds. I am not going to buy anymore individual cards than I already do, I don't have the time to sit on eBay. I'm not going to turn into a part time card seller/dealer, I have a job. I can't change, and I don't really want to change, but I can stop if forced to.

If the number of box buyers drops to any measurable degree more than it already has, how long before it effects the case breakers and small dealers who are also selling some boxes? How long before a drop in case orders effects the distributors and large dealers? How long before it comes back to the manufacturers counting pre-sales to determine if they want to release? How long before you think maybe losing those collectors matters?

Thoughts to ponder, I love this hobby.

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

Getting back on topic . . .

What has happened to all the GoT collectors for the Season 5 cards?

The just completed Season 6 has been arguably the best ever season of the show. We are nicely set up for what is supposed to be the final season with a bevy of Queens waiting to slug it out, while the White Walkers are pounding at the gates.

And we are at page 2 of this thread!

Has winter come here too? Is that all there is for comments on the new set and autographs?

I'm ready to say plenty, but if everyone's gone home, I'll just be talking to myself.

Still no new comments yuh?

So here's a question . . .

Has anyone read why Liam Cunningham has not been an autograph signer in this set yet?

His character Davos Seaworth has been present since the start I think. He is not a well known actor, so it's not a star thing, but he certainly has a good role here. I am sure RA has tried to get him every season.

So what's up with that, anybody?

Liam was certainly busy at the SDCC signing posters and what not for GOT. I myself have been busy trying to get all of season 5 autos....mostly successful with the exception of a few hard to locate (ahem*I cant afford) cards