Any Opinions on the Helmar cards on Ebay ?

[cardhog]

@T206dk: "...They are made here, on the same 12 color press that the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art uses to produce their high-end lithographs... thanks, Charles" (aka Sir Raffles)

Except that the MMA does not use a "press" - they use an Epson inkjet printer. And Helmar Brewing does not use a press, you use an inkjet printer too!
The portasite.com priceguide says:
"...they are worthless as collectibles. No matter how attractive they look, they can have no collectible value. The first reason is that there is an unlimited print run, and anyone can reproduce them cheaply. The second (and more important) reason is that digital inks are water-soluble, and the air is filled with tiny molecules of water, which eventually dissolves the ink. Light also breaks down these inks, as does ozone – two things which are omnipresent, even in the most controlled environment. These factors will incrementally destroy the ink, starting with fading and blurring, loss of detail, and a “washed out” look. Eventually, the image will vanish. All of this will occur within somewhere between 10 and 100 years in a museum setting, much sooner at home. So these type of cards will not survive long enough to acquire any age-related value. In fact, it is the exact opposite: Unlike “real” cards, which appreciate in value with age, any value assigned to these type of cards will go down with age as their condition slowly degrades. They are most “valuable” when they are brand new, and it goes down from there. Which is contrary to the whole idea of “collecting” cards, and is also why they are not considered collectible."
Nothing produced on an inkjet is a collectible, period. It's like collecting fruit - it eventually goes bad and starts to stink! And Sir Raffles knows the difference between an ink jet printer and a 12 head press, which starts at over $1 million.... Gadzooks!

Bob All.en