10 Episode cards and 5 autos from 4 different signers. 1 new signer.

From RA's site...

2015 True Blood Collectors Set includes 10 Episode Cards - The Complete Seventh and Final Season - plus 5 Autographs Cards: Ryan Kwanten (Jason Stackhouse) Silver Signature Series Card, Rutina Wesley (Tara Thornton) Silver Signature Series Card, Mehcad Brooks (Eggs) Bordered Autograph Card, Chris Heyerdahl (Dieter Braun) Full Bleed Autograph Card, plus BONUS Chris Heyerdahl (Dieter Braun) Bordered Autograph Card."

Just checked RA's website and couldn't find this update, but maybe it's tucked away somewhere.

If this is the breakdown I don't get it, again. It seems like we are getting an awful lot of small specialty sets on titles that once had traditional releases in earlier seasons. Like these are the leftovers dragging to the finish line.

If card companies find it unprofitable to produce complete sets they should just end the title where it is. I don't see these 10 - 20 card products as being beneficial to anyone.

It's simple. True Blood was not the powerhouse title they thought they had.

These are indeed leftovers, of what could have been a set. Instead, they release the mini sets to produce SOMETHING from a set they paid for the license from and have paid actors to sign for.

It was too late in the life cycle of the show when Rittenhouse got the license. A few years earlier and they would have really had a couple years good run with it.

Ed

quote:

Originally posted by Scifi Cards:
It's simple. True Blood was not the powerhouse title they thought they had.

These are indeed leftovers, of what could have been a set. Instead, they release the mini sets to produce SOMETHING from a set they paid for the license from and have paid actors to sign for.

It was too late in the life cycle of the show when Rittenhouse got the license. A few years earlier and they would have really had a couple years good run with it.

Ed

Well yes, that's exactly right, but is producing something better than nothing? Not always.

Not if the manufacturer still has no demand. Not if collectors feel compelled to buy something they don't want just because it is supposed to complete what they already have. And if the reverse happens and there is a demand, then there is not enough supply to go around and both the manufacturer and collectors have lost an opportunity.

So I'm just complaining about poor planning I guess. I don't have a problem with condensing a title, put 2 or 3 seasons together if demand is winding down, but don't put out a handful of cards and call it a set.

Still, there's (at least) two levels of demand. Some shows won't stimulate a full mass-Hobby-market release with many levels of base and chase. But it still may have an avid community of fans who want to own the whole show. Some folks are primarily autograph collectors.

True Blood seems to have entered that category a few years ago. Rittenhouse released a single full set in 2013 to blanket Seasons 1-4 but used the Collector's Set approach both before and after -- Last year's Season Six 2014 Collector's Set had 20 episode cards and 10 autos. So I suspect that this year's limited release was all they planned for, to close it out with the final season.

Another factor that encourages sets with a limited base plus autographs is when the cardmaker can't get rights for memorabilia or sketch cards. TB Series 1 and TB Legends were each just 27-card character sets, so I don't think that the 2015 release is merely "leftovers" from a bigger set that was canceled. This franchise seems to have fallen into the "mostly only limited series" category from the beginning.

Think of it as a master set that's easy to complete.

If RA, or any other manufacturer, paid for a licence I don't begrudge them trying to recoup their costs. They're a business and collectors don't have to buy anything.

If the theories in this thread are accurate about RA not being able to capitalise on the licence as fully as they might have liked, well, what are they supposed to do with these left over cards if a full blown release is not viable? Just not release them?

I'm sure some collectors will be more than happy to have these cards.

Waiting and waiting for a Jamie Gray Hyder autograph card and not getting one is a pain.

quote:

Originally posted by X:
If RA, or any other manufacturer, paid for a licence I don't begrudge them trying to recoup their costs. They're a business and collectors don't have to buy anything.

If the theories in this thread are accurate about RA not being able to capitalise on the licence as fully as they might have liked, well, what are they supposed to do with these left over cards if a full blown release is not viable? Just not release them?

I'm sure some collectors will be more than happy to have these cards.

Ah, but there are other ways to release the leftovers besides creating the illusion of a collector's set that is not really a set at all. In fact it might be cheaper for the manufacturer to allow collectors to buy them directly, or make an incentive or rewards program, rather than produce a mini release to try to support those 4 or 5 autograph cards that might be hanging around the warehouse.

It would be different if there was something big to include that would justify an expansion set. Or if a larger release got cut down, but still had enough hits to put out a boxed premium release. I know my opinion is probably in the minority, but I'm not one of those who says "I'm just happy it got made". I'm a glass half empty kind of person.

I want to note that for me the best Set to come along in a few years was Smallville 7 to 10. Why? It completed the card series to go with the television series. I don't feel let down that there are no cards for seasons 7,8,9, and 10. I am sure there are Tru Blood Fans that want to finish the card series even if it is in the form of a micro set.

Info has now been posted on the Rittenhouse site:

http://www.scifihobby.com/prod...lectorsset/index.cfm

quote:

Originally posted by barobehere:
I want to note that for me the best Set to come along in a few years was Smallville 7 to 10. Why? It completed the card series to go with the television series. I don't feel let down that there are no cards for seasons 7,8,9, and 10. I am sure there are Tru Blood Fans that want to finish the card series even if it is in the form of a micro set.

It didn't bother you that Tom Welling and Kristen Kreuk never signed for any of the sets? It's a pretty big glaring omission and due to their absence I can never say a Smallville set is complete.

quote:

Originally posted by Dexterfan18:
It didn't bother you that Tom Welling and Kristen Kreuk never signed for any of the sets? It's a pretty big glaring omission and due to their absence I can never say a Smallville set is complete.

No, It did not bother me. So many sets have come and gone without major stars or guest stars that I am used to it. I loved the show and loved the sets. The fact that for years I was left knowing that Inkworks only covered seasons 1 to 6 that I was glad to get a set to cover seasons 7 to 10.

I fell the same way about Buffy. All seven seasons got a set. That SMG did not sign never bothered me.

quote:

Originally posted by barobehere:

I fell the same way about Buffy. All seven seasons got a set. That SMG did not sign never bothered me.

Well she is signing for RA's Buffy, also a truncated collector's edition as it turns out.

As far as Welling and Kreuk go, it's pretty much the same thing as SMG. These are still fairly young actors, but Smallville could represent their legacy roles whether they like it or not.

Just because they have refused to sign for a card manufacturer in the past is no guarantee that they won't change their minds tomorrow, or next year, or in 5 years. In fact, if past history is any indication, sooner or later they all strike a deal.

quote:

Originally posted by Raven:

quote:

Originally posted by barobehere:

I fell the same way about Buffy. All seven seasons got a set. That SMG did not sign never bothered me.

Well she is signing for RA's Buffy, also a truncated collector's edition as it turns out.

As far as Welling and Kreuk go, it's pretty much the same thing as SMG. These are still fairly young actors, but Smallville could represent their legacy roles whether they like it or not.

Just because they have refused to sign for a card manufacturer in the past is no guarantee that they won't change their minds tomorrow, or next year, or in 5 years. In fact, if past history is any indication, sooner or later they all strike a deal.

I agree with that, but Welling isn't an autograph guy, at all. I HOPE he does it eventually, but the fact that years ago during Smallville's, Welling pretty much swore off autographs in general because of the dealers (though in the last couple of years since Smallville ended, he's lightened up.) and I've never heard about one good encounter with Kristen Kreuk, and a friend of mine has met her multiple times.

I, for one, am happy even if it is only a small set. I love the silver signature but have yet to collect any, so adding two to my True Blood collection makes me very happy.

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

Welling and Kruek will probably sign something eventually, however I very much doubt there will ever be a another Smallville set. It's a real shame the last few seasons were never made into a set and it's been off the air for too long now for most people to even want another set.

When these actors want to make some easy money, they'll jump on the convention circuit and sign anything handed to them.