Sports Card Radio #146 Industry Summit, Getting Rid of Base Cards, Illegal Raffles

[Mike]

First of all, let me just say that I actually just listened to my first SportsCardRadio show last night. Actually I listed to a few of them last night. I'd heard of it before, but just never really bothered to listen until now. This just so happens to be the first one that I listened to, and maybe this was one of the better ones, but even the other one I listened to last night was quite good (long, but good).

Sports Card Radio #146 Desperate Times For Industry Summit + Getting Rid of Base + Raffles are Illegal

In this show Colin talks about how he and Brian Gray (owner of Leaf) were both banned from the industry summit, whether or not card companies should get rid of base cards, DACardWorld joining in on the illegal razz (raffle) hype, and then just gives some basic tips on saving your money.

One thing I'd like to bring up here to talk about in more detail with some of you guys is the debate over base cards. I've actually heard/seen people say that card companies should just get rid of base cards all together. Evidently so has Colin. The fact is, though, if you get rid of base cards completely (and it's not going to happen anyways) this hobby will lose even more collectors (buyers). Instead, these card companies need to find a way to make the base cards more "cool".

One thing Colin suggested, and it's something I've even talked with @Cool_Hand_Flash about before, is that card companies should find a way to incentivize the base cards. There are a number of ways you could do this. Mark and I discussed having the base sets work like redemptions for short printed autographs of big name players. For example, you complete a base set, send it in, and the card company mails you out a short printed autograph of one of today's top players. You think people wouldn't be collecting their base cards then? What Colin suggests during the show is having the first 99 (or 199, 299, etc) people who complete the base set send it in and they get a serial numbered set /99 (/199, /299, etc) in return. Pretty much the same concept, but it's just about making the base cards a little bit more collectible/valuable. I'm actually surprised no card company has tried this yet, but maybe it is something we'll see sometime soon.

What did y'all think of the show, or what do you guys think about this base card "redemption" program?

 

[sliqwill]

the problem with collecting for years has been the cost...when I started a pack of Topps was $0.35 for 15 cards, now its what $0.99 for 7?

there were no chase cards, kids collected...'insert' cards were glossy send in pack redemption things, or the rack packs had the All Stars or Rookie Team cards...you looked forward to pulling a Donruss Rated Rookie, a Topps Future Star, or a Topps All Rookie Team card...

then the 90s happened

then there were the chase cards, and scaling/searching began

now it is very rare if someone buys a retail pack, because there aren't shops everywhere, and due to things like Rookie Premiere autos, and Hobby Exclusive cards, a regular pack can cost $8, but they aren't going to pull anything because people poach the retail as soon as they hit the shelves, and I don't trust hobby shops...

now about the only way to 'trust' what you are buying, in terms of packs, is to buy a box...as a kid, I wasn't able to buy a box until I was 15 and was mowing lawns and such to get money, and then boxes weren't $80+, heck I remember when Value City bought out someone and they had boxes of 93 or 94 Donruss Baseball for $7, then a Hobby Shop (not a card shop, just a Hobby shop that had some cards) was closing because the old guy was retiring, so they had boxes of Action Packed from 90-93 for like $20...

I did a local show back in the mid 90s when I was in high school...I set up a table with a friend, it was like $20, lots of trading, very little selling

then eBay happened

and now, there is very little use for base cards...

I do like the concept of SPs, but not like with Topps Magic or whatever where they are 1 in 3 packs or whatever, but not to the extent of what regular Topps does where its like 1 per case...plus if they would number them on the actual card as A or B or whatever...I guess now Contenders has a star or no star to tell the SP from the regular, and that is alright I suppose, but there are so many shady folks that are out gaming the system, resealing packs, searching packs, weighing packs...its crazy, there is a weight difference between a serial number and no serial number

 

[andy]

Lower production (LOL....I know.....)
Serial number all but the really low end sets (plus if not all base have same PR)
Include more players (Bernard Pollard is only in 2 sets this year)
Contests involving collection of base (and not just collecting the set because breakers will take advantage)

 

[Mike]

Contests involving collection of base (and not just collecting the set because breakers will take advantage)

I don't think they'd be able to. I think more people would request their base be sent to them, which is really how it should be anyways.

 

[Bounty13]

They need to expand base sets and have huge sets that feature players that rarely get cards. The size of the set makes it difficult to complete and encourages trading. If I can complete a base set by opening 1 box, what is the point?

I've always wanted a company to make a set that features all 53 players for each team that are on the opening weekend roster. 1664 card set. In my experience selling on sportlots, the cards that sell the best are of players that have few cards. Throw in a parallel version and #/100 version like 1998 UD Choice, and you have the making of a true team/player collectors dream. 1997 Philadelphia was also a hot seller because it featured a bunch of no name players. Throw in some cards for coaches, maybe some of the top referees and maybe auto versions of all the players #/10, maybe 1 in 2 boxes, would be awesome.

 

[ernieren]

My thought has always been make random cards SP's a low tier vet or rc maybe 5 rc's and 25 -30 vets . Not so SP'ed that no one will find them but enough to make sets a little harder to make . Also lets get away from the 25 versions of a players rc or auto card. It does add value to a box or case but it puts to many auto's of a player in the market that in turn makes them dollar cards. Lets cut the amount of auto's new draft picks get or under 18 etc . Make them more desirable .

 

[sliqwill]

I like the idea of having Officials cards...

anyone remember 1993 and 1994 Upper Deck Fun Pack?...they had the Hot Shots or something like that and they were Hypercolor like cards, put your thumb to it and the black background went colored

and yeah, guys like Andy like getting base of the guys he collects, Ryan, I know there are hundreds of 'pack issued' Marinos since he retired, so doing a 'master set' is super expensive if even possible...I like the concept of the old Police Sets and such...

a 53 card 'team' set I would be against, in terms of 'pack issued' but I like how back in the day you could buy "Team Sets" at WalMart or whatever, maybe do the RCs for lineman, then the starting WR/RB/QB in the packs, but yeah, look at Exquisite, the 2005 'base' set is 42 cards...

 

[andy]

and yeah, guys like Andy like getting base of the guys he collects, Ryan, I know there are hundreds of 'pack issued' Marinos since he retired, so doing a 'master set' is super expensive if even possible...I like the concept of the old Police Sets and such...

So true, I actually busted a box of 06 Topps Total yesterday, got 12 different Purdue cards! Including the highlight for me....a Stu Schweigert Red! A very fun break if you collect those "undesirables" 24 packs with 30 cards per pack for $40 dlvd....