Challenge the Yankees: Reborn

[CTY64]

I'm excited to provide you with an update on Challenge the Yankees, the official Yankees board game since 1964.

On Wednesday, our Indiegogo campaign went live! To get your copy of this classic, thrilling game, just click here to visit our page: http://igg.me/at/cty. There are still plenty of copies left at a 20% discount, but you'll want to act soon to reserve yours!

Thank you for your support!

All the best,

Michael Sokolow
Partner, Challenge the Yankees
support@challengetheyankees.co
http://igg.me/at/cty

[Bestdj777]

Is there any designation on the cards or pieces that it is a re-release? Thanks.

[moeson]

Is there any designation on the cards or pieces that it is a re-release? Thanks.

Chris, I heard back from Michael and he indicated that the new cards would be exactly the same! That would serve to destroy the very collectors market they have cited in their marketing material! I have urged him to reconsider and put a reprint mark on the backs.

Howard Schenker

[Leon]

Chris, I heard back from Michael and he indicated that the new cards would be exactly the same! That would serve to destroy the very collectors market they have cited in their marketing material! I have urged him to reconsider and put a reprint mark on the backs.

Howard Schenker

Yes, that would seem it could cause some problems for previous collectors of the issue, such that, maybe it isn't a bad question to ask others too? For that reason, this thread was moved from the appropriate section (thanks Original Poster for that), to the front page. Happy collecting....

[cardinalcollector]

I supplied the photos for the McCarver and Groat cards for these folks. I didn't think to ask if they would mark them reprints. I assumed they would.

[Bestdj777]

Thanks Howard. That was my concern when I saw it. And, thanks for putting this on the main forum Leon so more people can be aware to look out for these on the market. It's a cool idea but hopefully something that will include the current year or "reprint" on it somewhere.

[brian1961]

Chris, I heard back from Michael and he indicated that the new cards would be exactly the same! That would serve to destroy the very collectors market they have cited in their marketing material! I have urged him to reconsider and put a reprint mark on the backs.

Howard Schenker

To quote Happy Quinn from the TV show crew Scorpion, "Not Good."

---Brian Powell

[swarmee]

Presumably the card stock or gloss would be completely different? But yes, for people looking at pictures on eBay, could be a concern.

[Butch7999]

Insufficient to mark only the cards as repros -- the box, charts, &c' need to have some distinguishing feature as well.
Collectors have paid good money for any components of the original game.

[Gary Dunaier]

Maybe they could use a different retro typeface for all the materials?

[Butch7999]

Wouldn't have to involve anything radical or any expensive redesign -- just something like "2018 repro edition" in small print
somewhere unobtrusive on the cards, charts, and box... like Larry Fritsch Cards marks "reprint" on all their repro sets...

[moeson]

I just received, and greatly appreciate, this response from Michael Sokolow. It alleviates some concerns about the reprinted cards but don't think game collectors will be too happy:

Hi Howard,

Thanks for your thoughts.

We're looking into this matter. However, I hope you'll consider some factors that should limit the effects of our relaunch on the collector's market.

If you currently own a copy of Challenge the Yankees or its cards, you can of course be confident that it is an original. If it's already certified by PSA, you'll also easily be able to sell it to other collectors. So those who have purchased PSA-graded cards should not be affected at all.

To be sure, more people may be interested in buying new copies of the game, which are selling for a fraction of the original copies. However, Roger Franklin spent years developing the game for kids to enjoy. Collectors are more than welcome to sell CTY for hundreds of dollars, but our greatest concern is to make this available to regular folks who enjoy our game.

Nonetheless, consider that we're also helping existing owners of CTY cards and games by spending thousands of dollars to bring attention to Challenge the Yankees. Many Yankees fans and players of games like APBA and Strat-o-matic had never heard of CTY, but are now intrigued by it. So as a trader, you may find that there will be more demand for original cards and full games, which in turn means higher profits for you.

Furthermore, experienced authenticators should still be able to differentiate between the original cards and the relaunched edition. The two editions appear identical, but the cards' weight and material are not exactly identical. Manufacturing practices have changed over time, so those traits are never going to be duplicated on a mass scale across 50 years. The ink colors may even be noticeably different to the trained eye, though I'm not sure of that. That being said, we're hesitant to make the differences between the editions obvious to the average Joe. That's not to trick collectors, but rather for quality and legal reasons. That is, we're promising our fans an exact reproduction of the 1964 game, and there are legal limitations on our ability to amend the original game while still using licensed material (including player likenesses and team logos).

Thanks again for reaching out, Howard. Please know that we're considering your concerns and will do all that we can to avoid damaging the collector's market.

Best regards,

Michael Sokolow

[Leon]

I just received, and greatly appreciate, this response from Michael Sokolow. It alleviates some concerns about the reprinted cards but don't think game collectors will be too happy:

Hi Howard,

Thanks for your thoughts.

We're looking into this matter. However, I hope you'll consider some factors that should limit the effects of our relaunch on the collector's market.

If you currently own a copy of Challenge the Yankees or its cards, you can of course be confident that it is an original. If it's already certified by PSA, you'll also easily be able to sell it to other collectors. So those who have purchased PSA-graded cards should not be affected at all.

To be sure, more people may be interested in buying new copies of the game, which are selling for a fraction of the original copies. However, Roger Franklin spent years developing the game for kids to enjoy. Collectors are more than welcome to sell CTY for hundreds of dollars, but our greatest concern is to make this available to regular folks who enjoy our game.

Nonetheless, consider that we're also helping existing owners of CTY cards and games by spending thousands of dollars to bring attention to Challenge the Yankees. Many Yankees fans and players of games like APBA and Strat-o-matic had never heard of CTY, but are now intrigued by it. So as a trader, you may find that there will be more demand for original cards and full games, which in turn means higher profits for you.

Furthermore, experienced authenticators should still be able to differentiate between the original cards and the relaunched edition. The two editions appear identical, but the cards' weight and material are not exactly identical. Manufacturing practices have changed over time, so those traits are never going to be duplicated on a mass scale across 50 years. The ink colors may even be noticeably different to the trained eye, though I'm not sure of that. That being said, we're hesitant to make the differences between the editions obvious to the average Joe. That's not to trick collectors, but rather for quality and legal reasons. That is, we're promising our fans an exact reproduction of the 1964 game, and there are legal limitations on our ability to amend the original game while still using licensed material (including player likenesses and team logos).

Thanks again for reaching out, Howard. Please know that we're considering your concerns and will do all that we can to avoid damaging the collector's market.

Best regards,

Michael Sokolow

At least the collectors of the originals should be able to tell the difference. That is a good thing.

[Bestdj777]

I hope they reconsider.

[moeson]

I hope they reconsider.

Me too. I've tried my best to convince them to make changes. Hopefully, they have heard from other collectors.

[stone193]

I just received, and greatly appreciate, this response from Michael Sokolow. It alleviates some concerns about the reprinted cards but don't think game collectors will be too happy:

Hi Howard,

Thanks for your thoughts.

We're looking into this matter. However, I hope you'll consider some factors that should limit the effects of our relaunch on the collector's market.

If you currently own a copy of Challenge the Yankees or its cards, you can of course be confident that it is an original. If it's already certified by PSA, you'll also easily be able to sell it to other collectors. So those who have purchased PSA-graded cards should not be affected at all.

To be sure, more people may be interested in buying new copies of the game, which are selling for a fraction of the original copies. However, Roger Franklin spent years developing the game for kids to enjoy. Collectors are more than welcome to sell CTY for hundreds of dollars, but our greatest concern is to make this available to regular folks who enjoy our game.

Nonetheless, consider that we're also helping existing owners of CTY cards and games by spending thousands of dollars to bring attention to Challenge the Yankees. Many Yankees fans and players of games like APBA and Strat-o-matic had never heard of CTY, but are now intrigued by it. So as a trader, you may find that there will be more demand for original cards and full games, which in turn means higher profits for you.

Furthermore, experienced authenticators should still be able to differentiate between the original cards and the relaunched edition. The two editions appear identical, but the cards' weight and material are not exactly identical. Manufacturing practices have changed over time, so those traits are never going to be duplicated on a mass scale across 50 years. The ink colors may even be noticeably different to the trained eye, though I'm not sure of that. That being said, we're hesitant to make the differences between the editions obvious to the average Joe. That's not to trick collectors, but rather for quality and legal reasons. That is, we're promising our fans an exact reproduction of the 1964 game, and there are legal limitations on our ability to amend the original game while still using licensed material (including player likenesses and team logos).

Thanks again for reaching out, Howard. Please know that we're considering your concerns and will do all that we can to avoid damaging the collector's market.

Best regards,

Michael Sokolow

This makes no sense to me at all.

Reproducing the game with "Reprint" on everything will have no impact on production cost.

I can't help but see a nefarious intention here?

If you "remanufacture" the game sans any disclaimer? You're sure to sell more copies.

Thanx for having my back in allowing me to have a copy regardless of how it affects the game collectors. [sarcasm]

[swarmee]

Yeah, that letter is worthless. "We have heard your concerns and summarily dismiss them. Enjoy buying these reprints on eBay."

[Gary Dunaier]

I just received, and greatly appreciate, this response from Michael Sokolow.

Hi Howard,

. . . . . there are legal limitations on our ability to amend the original game while still using licensed material (including player likenesses and team logos). . . . . .

Best regards,

Michael Sokolow

Just exactly what are the legal limitations? Surely they wouldn't prevent you from using a different, but of-the-period typeface, in place of the original.

[JohnH19]

Judging by the CTY website, it appears that the fundraising initiative has failed. I read on another forum that one of the contributors has received a refund.

[Rich Klein]

A note on APBA -- in checking the list of where the "12" is each year, it appeared to me that the 12 was changed any time a reprint set was issued.

For example, the 1964 set covering the 1963 season had the "12" on 43 in the original and 52 in the reprint set. That is more than sufficient for any APBA fan to figure out original v reprint.

Yes, there should be some way to differentiate reprints from the original. I remember in 1983 we as a hobby were not happy at Topps despite the fact the cards were different sizes and on different stocks. It was still a "reprint". That seems so quaint in retrospect.

Rich