2008 National Treasures: The Great, The Annoying, & The Rejects

National Treasures to me is one of the most exciting products for football. It is a product that offers a chance at some really great looking cards and some really great pieces of history. The 2008 Edition is due to release on January 28th and many football collectors are excited I am sure (even at the IMHO gouging price of $400-$500). As the collecting world waits, Donruss has started to release some more images that look great, but also point to something really annoying that should not be happening in the high end products of sports cards. Let me break down my opinion

THE GREAT









I always love the chance of getting a cut auto. This year the Historical Cuts are amazing once again and the aesthetics of the cards is unbelievable. Mother Teresa would be an amazing pull. This year the addition of the Heisman Cuts is great. It is a chance for football fans to pull some cuts from some of the greatest "yearly" college football players.

THE ANNOYING







What's that you say? All those cards look awesome. You are correct. They are beautiful cards and I commend DLP for once again having some amazingly sweet looking cards. However, on to the annoying aspect. Each one of those Tony Romo cards is a 1/1!!! That is right each one of them is a 1/1. I know Gellman has written on this before, but when this crap starts dropping into National Treasures, then I start to get really annoyed. At least in the past runs of NT they have changed the foil embossment for the different print runs. And with "laundry tag" and other such "premium" patch cards they usually have been in a run of #/10. Not here though. We have three 1/1 auto cards and the only difference is what piece of the jersey they plopped in the "material" window. Not even a change of picture or embossment foil color change. This is annoying to me. If the only thing you are going to change is the piece of material, then for the love of everything sane and logical would you please number the above cards #/3!!! Don't play us like idiots. (Side question: Does anyone else feel like this is just a manufacture equivalent of the Ebay 1/1 sellers? There the sellers say the numbering or the "patch" make it a 1/1 because there is nothing like it. To me it seems like that is just what DLP is doing here except they legitimize it by "stamping" 1/1 on the back. I ain't buying it!) Annoying, but that doesn't even compare to the following "horrible" reject product that should cause box busters everywhere to puke.... Ladies and Gentleman I give you the following:

THE REJECTS









That is right folks. Manufactured Patch Autos! Never should DLP reuse a concept from a mid-end to low-end product in their "premium" set. Manufactured Patches are horrible in my opinion. As you can see some of the autos look alright, but as you can also see above some of them look horrible. Nobody likes sticker autos, but this can end up even worse then those annoying sticker autos because the autograph looks horrible. DLP has taken a pretty cool concept in "nickname" autos and paired them with one of the most pointless manufacturer moves in creating manufactured patches. These do not belong anywhere near the National Treasures set. As a side note, is it just me or does it seem that "manufactured patches and/or letters" are becoming the new "sticker" auto? This allows them to get the autograph before production like stickers but it seems that the vast majority of collectors think these are somehow better than sticker autographs and I don't know why. At least on the stickers the autographs can look bold. HORRIBLE!

All this being said, I am still excited for National Treasures because it has some really great looking cards as always, but DLP somewhat has disappointed with some questionable manufacturing production.

Beckett Doesnt Learn

Not only am I sick to my stomach from the awful camera work in this video (J'isthat Youma must have been fired), but also from the fact that this shit is still happening regularly. Again Beckett gets two boxes before the release date, and I still wonder why manufacturers give them the products despite knowing that collectors are extremely fucking angry that it happens. I posed a question to Scott Prusha during my interview, but he included it in the questions he couldnt answer. Scott, I must say, I am disappointed that this is still being allowed by you.

I am also disappointed by how much swag they accumulate around their offices. For a magazine that (wrongly) sets the price for cards in circulation, accepting gifts from manufacturers is a terrible conflict of interest. The fact that there arent any other people taking this issue head on, makes me a little concerned as to the type of people that collect these days. I mean, this hobby is full of scams, top to bottom, and the most public face in the industry is a walking contradiction to everything we love.

Funny enough, bad comments are starting to show up on the video and I encourage that to continue. Hopefully with a little work, the collecting base can make sure that this stops, for the love of what you hold dear. For those of who doubt that Beckett isnt a cancer on this industry, you are walking around with blinders on. If they were to go out of business tomorrow, the hobby would be a better place - no doubt about it.

Also, because I know for a fact that people from UD, DLP and Beckett all read this blog, feel free to drop me an email and explain to me what is being done to stop these beckett box breaking assclowns from carrying on with their pathetic existence.

Why Even Try?

I want to rant a little here, shocking I know, about something I have had a rash of problems with on the world's greatest marketplace lately. As of last year, the new feature of Buy It Now or Best Offer has become a staple of the card industry on eBay. What it also created was a showcase for people to basically show off the huge cards they have while demanding ridiculous prices for them. Whether its a full set of 03-04 NBA Exquisite RC patches or PSA 10 Alex Rodriguez RC, people have decided its better to let the people come to them rather than letting them fight it out in a bidding war.

Best Example EVER! 1,000,000? HA!

Right now there are 3 or 4 cards I have been looking for with no avail. One of them happened to pop up on eBay a few weeks ago with a major, MAJOR, problem. The guy put a BIN w/ BO at $100 dollars over true market value. When I offered more than market value for it, he declined in 10 minutes. What is the point of paying for the listing fees when you know you wont give it away at the expected price? The answer is that there are a lot of people who put cards up without the expectation of a sale. I cant understand this, but it happens so often that I want to punch eBay in the babymaker. Why even bother with spending the time and money if you wont let the card go?

I had a similar situation with an All Day auto from last year that I had been looking for. I offered the guy 20 dollars more than market value to make sure he wouldnt decline, and of course, he declined with extreme predjudice. His reason? "DUDE! This guy is going to be a beast next year. Do you really think I am going to give it away to you now when I can get 100 dollars more next year?"

My response:

"Then why arent you selling it next year?"

His response:

"Someone out there will pay next years price right now!"

At this point I stopped. Is this really worth my time? Fuck no, but it seems like so many people are expecting big things to happen when they go with this option. I know that this special auction format works well a lot of the time, but not when you are just baiting people. I have used it countless times to make sure I am not undercut by an auction that sells low - however, unlike these idiots, I never turn down the expected market value. It sucks for me because then I have to sit around and wait for someone to actually provide the card in a way that I can buy it, instead of looking at eBay like someone's photobucket account.

Basically, it blows chunks that people use this hobby as a way to make money. I know I do on occasion, but I always re-buy other cards with the money I made, and I never expect to make a dime of my favorite cards. Right now it seems like there are a lot of people who expect to make millions.

At It Again

As much as I hate to labor on one particular person, I really find myself more and more stupified each time I read Ben Henry's blog. He tries to create these ideas which he thinks everyone will jump onto, when in reality its just all a big ego trip. I think of him as the "Barney Stinson" of the blogosphere.



His new post describes what he calls the "Gimmick Card Era" in sports collecting. He spends most of the post talking about how tiresome these cards are, and spends the other part how he thinks they are "fun."

"Gimmick cards, when handled individually, are fun. Whether a dopey parody, a card written in Japanese or an obviously doctored photo, it's fun to get a card that's different from the rest of the set."



No, gimmick cards are lame, plain and simple. Not only because their nature is a dumb attempt to lure people into buying an otherwise shitty set, but also because the jokes are worse than Carrot Top at a church sponsored show. Now, this has only happened in two of the lowest end products in collecting, so I would hardly call it an "ERA." Granted those sets are widely collected, but it is far from widespread. I would more likely call it a "gauge the public reaction before we strike out for good" experiment.

Oh, wait, my bad, I totally forgot! You actually liked the squirrel card from last year, and you were pissed when your collection of them became worthless on eBay. I guess that excuses this all. Go about your business folks, nothing to see here.

Except this:



*Shudders*

Be sure to check out Chris at Stale Gum , Charlie at Hawk to the Hall, and Mario at Wax Heaven, because they have written extensively on their hatred for these cards. Chris even dropped some f-bombs, something that suprised me a little, but I guess thats how much he hated these fucking things.

This Is Beyond Ridiculous

I was reading through a few blogs today and I came across a post at The Baseball Card Blog that I thought was one of the most arrogant, non-collector friendly articles I have ever read on a sports card blog. His post titled "For The Love of Sitting Around and Flipping Through a Price Guide" took the stance that price guides are necessary to help keep the hobby in check, if not only so your local mom and pop card store wont go out of business competing with big bad eBay.

Let me reinterate what I have said countless numbers of times on this blog - BOOK VALUE IS FUCKING USELESS. We should be thankful to have a free enterprise marketplace on eBay that allows us to find the TRUE MARKET VALUE of any single card we want. Want to know what your 1/1 logo patch is worth? All you have to do is put it up and watch for 5 days.

My favorite paragraphs from the article (not altered):

"I'll admit, that's a dire read on today's hobby, but let's examine the situation. The hobby doesn't need price guides to exist, and yet would be chaotic without them. Beckett and FW Publications (publisher of Tuff Stuff) provide infrastructure for the secondary market. Dealers consult them when setting prices. You want to see a world without the consultation of book prices? Look no further than eBay.

With its low prices and open-source approach to assigning realistic value to cards and memorabilia, it's the new face of the hobby. It's slowly killing independent in-shop dealers. It's taken the bottom out of the value of game-used, relic, auto and other seemingly hard-to-find cards. That Poley Walnuts insert of the squirrel at Yankee Stadium from last year's Topps? Tuff Stuff has it at $40. Here are two eBay auctions: one's at $1.25, the other at $0.99."

Give me a motherfucking break. Chaotic without price guides? Youre worried about a squirrel card? I just threw up in my mouth, that is the dumbest thing I have ever fucking read. Listen buddy, I know your favorite store may not be able to hold up selling 1980-1990 rookie cards at full book, but that is the way of the world now. Other ebay competitive industries are adapting fine, and both of my local stores are doing fine selling what dealers should be selling - WAX. It sucks that you cant have a good ole half hour conversation with your ebay seller about the state of the hobby, but I am damn glad that I dont have to pay double what a card is ACTUALLY worth. Its a trade off I am glad to take.

Donruss Must Be So Pissed

They're baaaaaaaaaack. And they are worse than ever. Don’t believe me? Click here.



For this disgrace, they decided to ditch the formality, the room, and from what I can see, all pretenses of their dignity.

Luckily SCU had a spy with a hidden camera in the conference room during the set up meeting/table reading for the script. Here is the transcription:

Beckett Director: Ok, so DLP didn’t learn their lesson and they sent us another "box" of 2008 Prestige to open on video. After last time's clusterfuck, you guys are lucky to have jobs, let alone the chance to make another video. Lets not fuck this one up gentlemen, okay?

Tracy: You said fuck.

Beckett Director: Who let Hackler in here? He is supposed to be in daycare.

Beckett Lackey 1: Umm, you did.

Beckett Director: Fine, whatever, someone give him his passie before he gets fussy. Anyways, this time we hired someone to do the video for you so you guys don’t "beckett" this one up. (Aside to his assistant: Like that one? I put it on the message boards so people could think they have their own term. I am a god!) Right. So his name is J'isthat Youma.

Beckett Lackey 2: Who is that, sir?

Beckett Director: Remember the film of the tanks in Tiennemen Square and the guy? Yeah that was his. One of the most famous clips of all time. I got him for you. He said you can call him J'isthat Youma for short. Don’t piss him off. These assholes are all yours man. Im off to finish my "massage." (leaves)

J'isthat Youma (through translator): Gentlemen, you have sullied your honor and we must reclaim it like the ancient empire did in 1419. I have a plan.

Beckett Lackey 1: We are at your service.

J'isthat Youma: The focus of this clip will be the ancient Chinese sport of Ping Pong.

Beckett Lackey 2: Nice! We use our table all the time. We can move it into the break room for this.

J'isthat Youma: SILENCE! I will open on a glorius work of art and move into this, how do you say?, break room. There you will be playing and you will look happy like a lotus flower on the water of the pacfic.

Beckett Lackey 1(raising hand with the fear of a thousand jackals): All we have is this drawing by a guy we kept waiting too long.

J'isthat Youma: Fuck. You Americans are the scum on my sandal. It will have to do. When you are opening the cards, make sure you show more feeling. I have been told this was a problem last time. In fact, make sure you express emotions as if you were making love to a beautiful woman for the first time.

Tracy: I don’t know what that is like.

J'isthat Youma: Fake it. Miss - what ever your name is (points to lackey 1). Make sure you interrupt us to make this seem like it is filmed during the work day. I know you guys don’t work, so come dressed like you do. Now. Lets get on with the script reading. I know the company has inserted cards with names of players that are hard to pronounce for you heathens. They will be spelled phonetically on the back - take notice.

That’s about all the interesting stuff we got. Im surprised at how much of an idiot Tracy hackler is. Wait. No im not.

Eh, well I guess the guy filmed it just like the clip he is famous for. They sure didn’t convince me of anything other than they are ignorant douchebags. Well, that wasn’t too hard. Speaking of directors, I need one for my sisters birthday video. I wonder if they got J'isthat Youma's number. He did wonders making Hackler look like an adult, his next canvas can be her. Later!