OT New $22,000.00 set from Topps..

[mighty bombjack]

Originally Posted by bn2cardz

If you are going to cut it up why not take the time to make a nice presentation with a photo of the player. Some of these do have photos and some don't.

Photos and, more importantly the rights to use them in a product for profit, cost money. Topps has rigths to some players, but not to others. They may be able to buy those (and should if they are charging this amount), but I've seen it speculated that Mathewson's card image rights are exclusive to Panini (apparently he has had cards made by them in the last few years). Again, I used to work at Topps (as baseball editor, not on contracts).

Originally Posted by bn2cardz

The original sold for $7170 in Heritage last year. We will see what the new value is after this sells.

Actually, that buyer profited nicely, as Topps bought this on ebay a few months ago for $12,500 (link below). I doubt that the card made from it will garner that much, but that is beside the point. The person who won the card paid under $200 to do so, and understanding that is the whole key to understanding the overall phenomenon.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Christy-Math...cAAOSwHaBWkvgr

[bn2cardz]

Originally Posted by mighty bombjack

Photos and, more importantly the rights to use them in a product for profit, cost money. Topps has rigths to some players, but not to others. They may be able to buy those (and should if they are charging this amount), but I've seen it speculated that Mathewson's card image rights are exclusive to Panini (apparently he has had cards made by them in the last few years). Again, I used to work at Topps (as baseball editor, not on contracts).

Actually, that buyer profited nicely, as Topps bought this on ebay a few months ago for $12,500 (link below). I doubt that the card made from it will garner that much, but that is beside the point. The person who won the card paid under $200 to do so, and understanding that is the whole key to understanding the overall phenomenon.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Christy-Math...cAAOSwHaBWkvgr

I knew Topps had Mathewson cards, but after your comment I looked and they must have lost the rights after 2011 since that is the last year he was on their cards.

It still doesn't change the idea though. Because this is suppose to be an ultrahigh end product. Why not make sure you were going to have the best design possible. In this case they didn't improve it. Since there is not a photo they could have left it as a full item and just matted it and framed it. It just looks tacky cut and not having the matte frame it very well.

I understand the casebreaks and the ability to get these items at great prices (gambling for memorabilia), but there is a company called Super Break who has figured out how to give out the entire memorabilia piece. Why can't Topps figure out how to do that with these cut signatures? It isn't like a bat where they can fill multiple products these are a single signature pieces repackaged to a single card that SOMETIMES (as is the case with the Mathewson) looks worse.

Again I have no problems repackaging a cut auto, but it shouldn't look rushed and lazy.

[mighty bombjack]

Originally Posted by bn2cardz

Again I have no problems repackaging a cut auto, but it shouldn't look rushed and lazy.

This is one point that I simply cannot argue with. You are totally correct. I can tell you what I believe would be the Topps company line here:

"The Transcendent Collection Cut Autograph Box Toppers are a set, and consistency and uniformity is important for sets and to set collectors. The autographs we purchased had to fit within the set design, not the other way around, and Mathewson autographs are far too rare for us to select one that fits."

There is a lot wrong with that statement and I'm not going to defend it, but that it what they would say if you asked them.

[Snapolit1]

Wayne,
As someone with some industry knowledge, can you comment generally on the plethora of cards in the 80s and beyond where they started cutting up bats, jersey, pants, etc. As someone who would never in 100 years buy a card with two threads in it, I'm just curious how all these cards worked out for the card companies. Did they make a killing on this phenomena for a long time, did it burn out very quickly, was it a perpetual cash cow? So many many of these cards on eBay I just can't fathom there were millions lined up to get a card with a barely perceptible piece of wood, but maybe I'm badly mistaken. Just curious.

[bigtrain]

Inspired by the new Topps Transcendent product, I am thinking to producing my own new product called "Transcendental". I would sell them for approximately $50,000 per box. Each box would contain priceless cards but only in the non-physical, spiritual sense. The cards pulled from the box would be whatever the buyer imagines them to be.

[mark evans]

Originally Posted by bigtrain

Inspired by the new Topps Transcendent product, I am thinking to producing my own new product called "Transcendental". I would sell them for approximately $50,000 per box. Each box would contain priceless cards but only in the non-physical, spiritual sense. The cards pulled from the box would be whatever the buyer imagines them to be.

clever

[packs]

I wish they would do a set that focused on the historical collector. They seem to have a penchant for wanting to be historical and connect with the past, but they're tied to the card beasts and make terrible looking inserts rather than give away the whole item. I'd pay a pretty good premium to buy a product that came with redemption cards for significant items rather than a patch of something.

[ls7plus]

Originally Posted by bigtrain

Inspired by the new Topps Transcendent product, I am thinking to producing my own new product called "Transcendental". I would sell them for approximately $50,000 per box. Each box would contain priceless cards but only in the non-physical, spiritual sense. The cards pulled from the box would be whatever the buyer imagines them to be.

Plus very, very low cost!!!

Best wishes,

Larry

[steve B]

Ok, uniformity within a set is understandable, but they could have retained uniformity by using a smaller window size that showed off the autograph better and retained the diamond motif. Heck, I could do that and I'm not a graphic designer. That they have actual graphic designers who fail that badly is pretty amazing.

I give my daughter the card pack inserts, and she's made me some pretty cool 1/1 sketch cards starting when she was about 18 months. I's almost bet she could do better, and she's only 6.

Steve Birmingham
Whole name, since I'm totally dissing the Topps design staff. Can I use "yeah ya had that one coming" as a defense?

Originally Posted by mighty bombjack

This is one point that I simply cannot argue with. You are totally correct. I can tell you what I believe would be the Topps company line here:

"The Transcendent Collection Cut Autograph Box Toppers are a set, and consistency and uniformity is important for sets and to set collectors. The autographs we purchased had to fit within the set design, not the other way around, and Mathewson autographs are far too rare for us to select one that fits."

There is a lot wrong with that statement and I'm not going to defend it, but that it what they would say if you asked them.

[Kenny Cole]

I guess all I will say is that I am not in and will never be. The very fact that this could occur says volumes, and none of it is good IMO. Really an awful offering. Evidently, history doesn't mean much anymore. Too sad.

[KMayUSA6060]

Originally Posted by bn2cardz

I knew Topps had Mathewson cards, but after your comment I looked and they must have lost the rights after 2011 since that is the last year he was on their cards.

It still doesn't change the idea though. Because this is suppose to be an ultrahigh end product. Why not make sure you were going to have the best design possible. In this case they didn't improve it. Since there is not a photo they could have left it as a full item and just matted it and framed it. It just looks tacky cut and not having the matte frame it very well.

I understand the casebreaks and the ability to get these items at great prices (gambling for memorabilia), but there is a company called Super Break who has figured out how to give out the entire memorabilia piece. Why can't Topps figure out how to do that with these cut signatures? It isn't like a bat where they can fill multiple products these are a single signature pieces repackaged to a single card that SOMETIMES (as is the case with the Mathewson) looks worse.

Again I have no problems repackaging a cut auto, but it shouldn't look rushed and lazy.

Answer to Bold Pt. 1

A good friend of mine told me this: Topps has figured out a way to sell the memorabilia item AND put their name on it.


Answer to Bold Pt. 2

Nobody is pushing Topps to be better when it comes to baseball cards. They have the exclusive MLB rights. They can rush and be lazy as much as they want, and as long as people still buy baseball cards, they will be around because they are the only producer of MLB licensed baseball cards.

I hate it.

[bn2cardz]

Originally Posted by KMayUSA6060

Answer to Bold Pt. 1

A good friend of mine told me this: Topps has figured out a way to sell the memorabilia item AND put their name on it.


Answer to Bold Pt. 2

Nobody is pushing Topps to be better when it comes to baseball cards. They have the exclusive MLB rights. They can rush and be lazy as much as they want, and as long as people still buy baseball cards, they will be around because they are the only producer of MLB licensed baseball cards.

I hate it.

I am not saying you are wrong about Topps thinking, but to think because they have a monopoly on MLB licensed cards and therefore able to do whatever is a very short sighted way of thinking.

Topps only has the rights until 2020. They have lost NHL to Upper Deck and NFL and NBA to Panini. Currently they only have MLS and MLB. MLS is a growing sport, but there is no way they will survive without MLB. I think Topps does a lot of things right, but they really need to take these suggestions to heart.