This is supposed to be out in Feb, retail only. 100 card set plus stickers and tattoos, and 500 sketches.

Anyone see it yet ?

Sorry, coming February 25

I must say this has outsold all my expectations.

People are really liking the cheaper price point.

Very nice cards, which is all that is necessary some times.

Ed

quote:

Originally posted by Scifi Cards:
I must say this has outsold all my expectations.

People are really liking the cheaper price point.

Very nice cards, which is all that is necessary some times.

Ed

This is the first Star Wars set I have bought in over 2 years. It is not just the cheaper price point but the realistic chance of putting together a master set that makes it. I hope Topps take stock of this.

I am hoping Topps goes back to this price point for future sets (TFA anyone?).

quote:

Originally posted by JR2D2:

quote:

Originally posted by Scifi Cards:
I must say this has outsold all my expectations.

People are really liking the cheaper price point.

Very nice cards, which is all that is necessary some times.

Ed

This is the first Star Wars set I have bought in over 2 years. It is not just the cheaper price point but the realistic chance of putting together a master set that makes it. I hope Topps take stock of this.

I am hoping Topps goes back to this price point for future sets (TFA anyone?).

Not gonna happen, they sell the high end stuff just as well and it brings more attention to them.

quote:

Originally posted by igman7:


Not gonna happen, they sell the high end stuff just as well and it brings more attention to them.

Why does it have to be one or the other? My guess is that the goal is to have both and other spots in between.

As a consumer, that gives me choice. If I don't like or can't afford one thing, I'm not shut out entirely.

I read the earlier comment as Topps abandoning the higher price point in favor of the low end stuff. By all means, there is always room for inexpensive retail-driven sets that can (hopefully) convert some of the young ones to the collector side.

Topps actually should re-issue their recent "Chrome Perspectives" and "Masterwork" base sets and the standard inserts without all the whistles and bells so they can be sold at a price point similar to "Rebels", perhaps also as retail exclusives. This would allow longtime collectors who couldn't afford the premium versions to still get the card sets while remaining accessible to newcomers, some of whom are certainly purchasing the "Rebels" set.

Star Wars couldn't be any hotter than it is right now. They just sold a couple of million copies of the new first issue of the Marvel Comics series, and this in an age when the top-selling comic for each month is lucky to sell 100 thousand copies.

quote:

Originally posted by chesspieceface:
Topps actually should re-issue their recent "Chrome Perspectives" and "Masterwork" base sets and the standard inserts without all the whistles and bells so they can be sold at a price point similar to "Rebels", perhaps also as retail exclusives. This would allow longtime collectors who couldn't afford the premium versions to still get the card sets while remaining accessible to newcomers, some of whom are certainly purchasing the "Rebels" set.

Star Wars couldn't be any hotter than it is right now. They just sold a couple of million copies of the new first issue of the Marvel Comics series, and this in an age when the top-selling comic for each month is lucky to sell 100 thousand copies.

Re-issues would kill any and all value as well as make those who bought in feel burned. While Masterwork base cards are pricey, especially with the short prints, Chrome and all the other recent ones aren't too bad to just get if that's all you're after. It might not be as fun to just go and buy a set, but it can be much more affordable.

quote:

Originally posted by Ryan Cracknell:
Re-issues would kill any and all value as well as make those who bought in feel burned. While Masterwork base cards are pricey, especially with the short prints, Chrome and all the other recent ones aren't too bad to just get if that's all you're after. It might not be as fun to just go and buy a set, but it can be much more affordable.

Re-prints can work on vintage sets. I was very happy to get the re-print of Mars Attacks because I own exactly one of the original cards and I never saw the full set. I don't believe it had any effect on the pricing of the original cards because they are clearly identified. If anything it may have increased collector demand to obtain those original cards. I think that there are a few other vintage sets that could also be re-issued in a limited version and be successful.

Having said that I absolutely agree that to put out a re-issue or re-print on a modern set, especially one of these super premium jobs, would be unwise. Vintage cards acquired value over time as their numbers decreased and their grading deteriorated. The only reason modern cards have value is because they are produced as limited collectibles, often with high end prices, right from the start. Sad, but true.

If you were to release a premium set like Star Wars Masterworks and then re-print it at a lower price point shortly thereafter I don't know that it would necessarily kill the value of the original cards, but it would take away all confidence in buying that next super premium set. There would be a lot of screaming on these boards for sure.

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

They wouldn't be same fancy cards, so they wouldn't be considered the same sets. These reprint sets would (and should be) only issued on regular stock. They wouldn't be serial numbered (in the case of the Masterwork reprint), so I think such a re-issue would have zero effect on the desirability of the original issues.

Another pair of (fairly) recent Topps sets that should be reprinted are the 1995 Topps 3D "A New Hope" Widevision Set and last year's "Return of the Jedi 3D" widevision set. The 1995 set would benefit in from the advances that have been made in lenticular cards over the last 20 years. (The cards are thinner now, with better graphics and don't require the weird "oil" that was on the 1995 card surfaces, to prevent cracking, I presume.) The originals would still maintain their value (about $75 a set, currently) since those in the know would still prefer the original.
The Jedi 3D set was limited to only 1,000, which was just not enough considering the multiple thousands of sets of both the original Star Wars and Empire 3D sets. Obviously, the new Jedi set would not have the #1 card individually serial numbered and issued in a matching number Han Solo box, so those would still be preferable to the reprint in that way.

Topps has been doing this same thing for years on their sports cards. There has been "regular" economy priced Topps and Bowman sets for the various sports and then those same sets with a "Chrome" finish. Whatever it does to the value, it certainly doesn't stop people from buying both versions, they've been doing it for 20+ years now. This way is better. It allows the choice to remain with the buyer to purchase one or the other, or both, and leaves at least a "basic" version of the cards available to the budget of those who can't afford the premium.

Going the other direction, they've also released premium reprint sets of non-sport titles like Wacky Packages and Garbage Pail Kids. Those were successful and didn't at all damage the value of the original issues. In the case of those, I would say they enhanced the value of the originals.

Reprints. Make it happen, Topps.

quote:

Originally posted by Ryan Cracknell:

quote:

Originally posted by chesspieceface:
Topps actually should re-issue their recent "Chrome Perspectives" and "Masterwork" base sets and the standard inserts without all the whistles and bells so they can be sold at a price point similar to "Rebels", perhaps also as retail exclusives. This would allow longtime collectors who couldn't afford the premium versions to still get the card sets while remaining accessible to newcomers, some of whom are certainly purchasing the "Rebels" set.

Star Wars couldn't be any hotter than it is right now. They just sold a couple of million copies of the new first issue of the Marvel Comics series, and this in an age when the top-selling comic for each month is lucky to sell 100 thousand copies.

Re-issues would kill any and all value as well as make those who bought in feel burned. While Masterwork base cards are pricey, especially with the short prints, Chrome and all the other recent ones aren't too bad to just get if that's all you're after. It might not be as fun to just go and buy a set, but it can be much more affordable.

The Chrome Perspectives were already essentially re-issued on the cheaper stock (for the UK release), so there's already a precedent for it.

quote:

Originally posted by chesspieceface:

The Chrome Perspectives were already essentially re-issued on the cheaper stock (for the UK release), so there's already a precedent for it.

Yes and no -- both are licensed differently. So while the content is the same, in the eyes of Topps, one is for one crowd and the other for the other. Of course, we're in a globabl marketplace where we can get what we want.

The use of Chrome and non-Chrome could work. However, with sports stuff, they've carved out the brands with a lot more parallels.

But just strict reprinting for things like SW 3D and ROTJ 3D would turn more off than appease. With collectibles there needs to be some sort of limit on things, a finite finish.

Vintage stuff, there's a bit of room because generations have passed. And for Mars Attacks, the originals really are out of the grasp of most now.

For GPK and Wacky Chrome, I'd argue than neither has done exceptionally well.

If the multi-tiered thing was going to be done, it'd need to be announced in advance very clearly. But that will lead to confusion in the marketplace potentially as well. I've seen it in the sports side this year with Prestige Basketball. The base set actually has three levels. And I have no clue how to tell the Plus from the Premium, especially when each has a bunch of parallels to go with it.

I'm all for experimenting, but wholesale reprinting is very dangerous I believe. I can't speak for everyone, but I know I'd hate it in most instances.

Thank you, Ryan.

I don't like reprints in general, be it cards, comics, what have you, and I don't even usually think of them.

I actually did take the "less fun" route of not buying any boxes of "Star Wars Perspectives" (a first for me with Star Wars) and instead picking up the regular and refractors base set and the easy chase cards, but I can't really do the same on "Masterwork" because of those 25 different one per box ($300 box!) SP base cards. That certainly my influences my wish for a more economical version of those cards and the regular chase, although that's not the case on the 3D widevision sets. I have those, I just wish more people had a chance at them, and I would really like to see the original set from 1996 on the same improved card stock seen on the more recent ESB and JEDI sets.

I do think Topps could make a couple of thousand of those mini-masters of "Masterwork" on regular card stock like I've described, just the 75 base cards and the 30 regular chase cards, so 105 cards in all, (and maybe stick one sketch or auto per set, or even just a set of 9 vintage style stickers ) and sell them online for $100 just like they did the Return of the Jedi 3D set, and this with negligible harm the "Masterwork" brand while still getting the basic cards into the hands of long-time fans like me who found the premium version to be a non-starter due to the cost. (I also couldn't imagine opening one of those and getting, for example, a stamp card, a simply mystifying choice for a "hit" in a high end set when those stamps can be purchased to this day for pretty much the cost of regular postage).
I think it could even help with the selling of Masterwork II, which must already be in the pipline. The more people who have the first set, whatever it's form, the more potential to get them to buy the sequel as well.

Anyway, it's all academic. Not a knock on Topps, but I don't think fan input is especially high on their list of what goes into a set, or what form it is released in.

All that a "less expensive reprint set" would do is gut the market on a set that is insanely difficult to put together. It would devalue the actual set to the point where Topps would never be able to market another "super premium" set again as nobody would trust that they wouldn't do it again.

From my case, I put together a set of 1-50 and had the 8 SP cards. I was able to trade away some parallel cards to get the remaining cards that I needed to complete the 3 basic chase sets.

Sorry to say, but all collectors have to make the decision for themselves weather or not a set is worth having as part of their collection. For many, this set will never be a part of their collection because it costs more than they can (or are willing) spend. Just because someone has been collecting for xx many years, that does not entitle them to be able to have EVERYTHING.

I heard this same thing about various Topps products, sports and non-sports, for 20+ years now, various items that were controversial when issued, but ultimately accepted and collected.

Topps is in an unusual position for a card manufacturer in that it is strong enough to dictate the market as opposed to being completely shaped by it themselves. Not all collectors may like what Topps is doing but there have consistently been enough collectors/speculators to buy the stuff up, especially the hobby-geared stuff, so they don't have to worry so much about what people don't like. They have carte blanche for the most part when it comes to the formats of their sets and how they are distributed, and they use it, especially of late.

It's sort of like my hometown L.A. Dodgers in baseball these last few decades. It was difficult to get them to spend any real money on improving the team because they sold 3 million+ tickets every year anyway, thanks to the central location, the fairly affordable ticket prices, and the great weather, if not the actual baseball on the field. That they didn't win has hardly mattered. The place has been full pretty much since it opened in the early 60's. (Only with an incredibly lucrative TV deal have they recently spent any money on players, but only because they have run out of room to store it).

Topps is not that strong, obviously, but they are strong. Just the Star Wars license must be worth many millions and rising.

I've noticed on most of the Topps products I haven't "liked", other people ended up buying all of them anyway, so it was hard to lodge a protest by not picking them up. Might as well get one box, I'd think. It IS Topps...

Interestingly, the "Masterwork" set has followed the pattern of recent sets in terms of the cost of a "mini-master" set in relation to the cost of one box. The full box retailed for $200 (although you'd do very well to get one for $250 now) and the basic 50 card set and the three "easy" insert card sets can be had for around that same $200.

The same was true with Galactic Files although a sealed box and the mini-master set were only about $100 each.

In that regard, if you're not interested in or can't afford the whistle and bells, it is nice to know that you can forego the box and at a least get all of the regular cards for the same price as one sealed box. (Even if you bought a box, you'd only get one base SP card, so you'd still need 24 of them. They really are more "insert" cards than "base" cards as a result of that).

And of course, whether it was Masterwork, Galactic Files I & II, (and I believe Chrome Perspectives at about $140 for the box or the mini-master including a refractor base set), had you just purchased one box of them, you wouldn't have found enough cards in their to make the mini-masters, even with perfect luck on the collation.

In this way, there is some satisfaction to be had for the higher and the lower end collector, which really would make a reprint of Masterwork unnecessary, especially if it could incur the wrath of the higher end collectors, who are spending a lot of money on these, after all.

I do think it might be a good idea to make future Chrome sets in a cheaper version on standard stock, perhaps for retail, and I'd still very much like for them to re-do the 1996 3Di Widevision set for the reason I mentioned above.

Ok, ok, back to "Star Wars Rebels". Thanks for indulging...