Special Release Bulletin

In last week’s “Collector’s Edition” newsletter I promised to let you know more about the 2008 Series 1 Footy Card releases for both AFL and NRL.

Well I’ve now got that information to share with you!

2008 Select NRL Champions will be released on Friday, 7 March 2008.

2008 Select AFL Champions will be released on Friday, 14 March 2008.

Not long to wait…

Before we get into it… do you remember that last week I speculated on what I thought would be offered as part of the Series 1 releases in both the AFL and NRL?

Want to do a quick recap and see how accurate my “crystal ball ” was???

Here are the results for my AFL Predictions:

Prediction #1:
Select will continue to call Series 1 “Champions” for a third year running.

Result: Correct!
As I mentioned above, Series 1 is called…
2008 AFL Select Champions

Prediction #2:
The price will remain at $2.95 per packet, which will get you 7 common cards plus 1 holographic foil card.

Result: Spot on.
Base set of 195 cards, featuring 12 cards for each of the 16 teams and 3 checklist cards.

Prediction #3:
Select will run with the holographic foiled cards again, which will run in parallel to the common set (same images but with a holographic effect again).

Result: I should become a clairvoyant!

Prediction #4:
Foil PRINTED Signatures will be retained as they were in 2007. The set would include 6 players per team inserted 1 card in every 4 packs on average. This would make a 96 card subset.

Result: Almost perfect.

Everything was spot on with the exception of one small point. In 2007 the printed signatures were in GOLD foil. This year they will be in BLUE foil.

Prediction #5:
AFL Stars Sketch Cards will appear again. Still 2 players per team inserted 1 card in every 9 packs which would be a 32 card subset.

Result: This is too easy.
Full marks again! I can feel my head swelling in size.

Prediction #6:
Basic Draft Rookie Cards featuring players from the 2007 National Draft will probably be inserted 1 card per Box again — but they won’t be signed… just a photo.

Result: Nailed it… but I did get one small surprise.
There are 17 cards in this subset… I was only expecting to see 16.

Prediction #7:
Acetate Gem Cards will return again in 2008. One player from each club, inserted 1 card per Box.

Result: Good, but not perfect.
Select have added a twist to this card in 2008. The card features the head of a player and the cartoon body of the club mascot! They are called an Acetate Mascot Gem Card.

Pretty accurate don’t you think?

One area I forgot to make a prediction on was the Case Cards. The 2008 AFL Champions Series will include 300 Game Case Cards for:

• David Neitz
• Kevin Murray, and
• Barry Round.

Let’s move on now to see how my NRL Predictions went:

Prediction #1:
Select will stick with “Champions” for the Series 1 release again.

Result: Correct again!
As I mentioned at the start of this email, Series 1 is called…
2008 NRL Select Champions

Prediction #2:
Again, the price will remain at $2.95 per packet, getting you 7 common cards plus 1 holographic foiled card.

Result: Right again.
Base set of 195 cards, featuring 12 cards for each of the 16 teams and 3 checklist cards.

Prediction #3:
Holographic foil cards will again run in parallel to the common set, but it might not include all the checklists.

Result: Yes, and no.
The Holographic foil parallel subset is back… and it includes the checklists!

Prediction #4:
I was really hopeful the NRL again didn’t get the PRINTED signatures (just as they didn’t in 2007) because I feel it’s a little misleading and very confusing, but I had a feeling they COULD be included.

Result: My gut was right.
Printed signatures ARE in for 2008. Gold foil printed signatures, NOT REAL signatures, printed ones.

Unlike the AFL set, the NRL will feature 3 players per club and will be inserted 1 card in every 6 packs on average. This makes a subset of 48 cards.

Prediction #5:
More NRL Stars Sketch Cards, 2 players per team, inserted 1 card in every 9 packs again.

Result: Two thirds right.
They ARE back and there ARE 2 players per team. They will be a little harder to find in 2008 because they are now randomly inserted 1 card in every 12 packs.

Prediction #6:
The Award Winner Cards will make another appearance, featuring winners from the 2007 Dally M Awards.

Result: My first BIG miss. No points for this one.
No Award Winner cards at all.

It appears Select have gone with the Gold Foil Printed Signature cards instead of the Award Winners.

Prediction #7:
Acetate Gem Cards will make another return featuring one player from each club again, inserted 1 card per Box.

Result: So close.

The NRL set includes the Acetate Mascot Gem Cards just like the AFL. The cards feature the head of a player and the cartoon body of the club mascot. The insertion ratio has also been reduced so more will be available. 1 card every 18 packets in 2008.

Again, I forgot to consider the Case Cards for 2008.

The 2008 NRL Champions Series feature 200 Game Case Cards for:

• Danny Buderus
• Nathan Hindmarsh, and
• Brett Hodgson

There you have it. The results of my fearless predictions for Series 1 in 2008.

I surprised myself with my accuracy.

Did you think I would be that close?

What would you have liked to see in the Series 1 release?

I was VERY hopeful that Select would include a few Signature Redemption cards in these releases.

Including something scarce and valuable like this would reward all the collectors who fork out their hard earned money to collect every set of Footy Cards that Select release. Unfortunately it wasn’t to be in 2008.

At least there is always Series 2 which is only a couple of months away (approximately June 2008).

That raises another good question.

What would YOU like to see in the Series 2 release later in the year?

Add your comments below and share your thoughts with everyone else.

As always… as soon as we receive a copy of the Promotional Flyer we will post it on our site. We haven’t received them yet, but it’s only a matter of days.

We will put the AFL version will be here:
http://www.footystars.com.au/Free_Stuff/AFL2008ChampionsFlyer.pdf

And the NRL version will be here:
http://www.footystars.com.au/Free_Stuff/NRL2008ChampionsFlyer.pdf

And finally, before this Special Release Bulletin is completed, one final reminder…

We will not be stocking the Champions Series cards.

I explained my reasons in last week’s newsletter, but in case you have a memory like a gold fish, click here to read the article.

Even though we won’t be stocking the Champions Series we do still have the full range of Ultra Pro Accessories to help you keep your collection in mint condition IF you do choose to collect the Champions series.

Chances are you will want Top Loaders, Premium Card Sleeves, or even 9 pocket pages. You can find them all (plus loads more) by clicking here…

All the best,

Ian

The articles that make up Issue #010 of the FootyStars “Collectors Edition” newsletter can be found in this newsletter archive by following these links.

Editorial
http://newsletter.footystars.com.au/2008/02/what-footy-cards-can-we-expect-in-2008/

Footy Card Collectors Tips
http://newsletter.footystars.com.au/2008/02/the-mother-of-all-errors/

Footy Card Spotlight
http://newsletter.footystars.com.au/2008/02/2007-premiership-boxed-sets-limited-edition/

Protecting Your Investment
http://newsletter.footystars.com.au/2008/02/3-card-holder-by-ultra-pro/

Sign up to receive your own free subscription to the Footy Stars “Collectors Edition” newsletter delivered directly to your in box as soon as it’s published — a $47 value — yours FREE! Just click here to subscribe.

Welcome back… is it just me or did that off season seem to go on forever???

I’m excited once again because the season proper starts in only a matter of weeks… and right now we’re getting a taste of things to come with the NAB Cup and NRL trial matches taking place.

Last time I wrote to you the hottest cards around were the Premiership Predictors, and right now it’s all about the cards the Predictors redeemed.

There are also the Limited Edition Premiership Box Sets for the Geelong Cats and the Melbourne Storm which were released mid November. We will talk about these in the “Card Spotlight” section below.

As the Footy season gets closer, so too does the release of the Series 1 cards from Select Australia (Select).

Select print and produce a number of different series each year. Most often, they produce a “value” set (Champions Series ) which is available through Newsagents, and a “premium” series (released around the middle of the year) which is available only through Hobby stores. Last year the Premium Sets were called Supreme (AFL) and Invincible (NRL).

The differences between the two sets are many, but the most noticeable are the price of the packs, the number of cards in each pack, and the thickness of the card stock (cardboard) on which they are printed.

The value packs retail in Newsagencies for $2.95 per packet for 8 cards (7 cards + 1 holographic foil card), whereas the Premium Hobby set retails for approximately $4.95 per packet and include at least 10 cards (9 Premium cards + an insert card (a die cut card for NRL last year, and a Hall of Fame for AFL).

The thickness of the cardboard or “card stock” as it is known in the printing industry, demonstrates the cards durability. The thicker the card stock the more valuable the card and the less likely it is to get bent or creased.

When you hold the different versions of each set in your hands you can immediately tell the difference in card stock.

I guess the bottom line here is this…

Know what you’re buying… know why you’re buying it, know why one series is priced lower than the other, and make an informed choice from there.

We will not be stocking the Champions Series (if that’s what they are called again) for either the AFL or NRL in 2008.

We have never stocked the Series 1 releases preferring instead to concentrate on the Premium Hobby Series.

I personally don’t think Series 1 is worth the trouble of collecting, and with that in mind I don’t feel comfortable selling them to you.

Of course this won’t stop me from telling you all about them when the information is released.  That I promise I will do.

So far… all we know about the Series 1 release, are approximate release dates.

NRL is due for release Mid March.

AFL is due for release Late March.

In the mean time though, I’ve got my “crystal ball ” out to do a little future gazing… a little speculation on what I think will be offered as part of the Series 1 release in both the AFL and NRL.

So here goes…

Firstly, I predict that Select are predictable!

After going two years in a row with the same name for both the AFL and NRL… my first prediction is that they will continue to call Series 1 “Champions” for a third year running (must be harder than you think to come up with a new name each year?).

So, for the AFL, that means I think they will call it:

2008 AFL Select Champions

Keeping on the same track I predict the price will remain the same at $2.95 per packet, which will get you 7 common cards plus 1 holographic foil card.

That means it’s likely to be a base set of 195 cards, featuring 12 cards for each of the 16 teams and 3 checklist cards.

They are likely to run with the holographic foiled cards again, which will run in parallel to the common set (same images but with a holographic effect again).

I predict they will stick to the Foil PRINTED Signatures (not real signatures) as they did in 2007, which would include 6 players per team inserted 1 card in every 4 packs on average. This would make a 96 card subset.

The AFL Stars Sketch Cards were popular in 2007, so I reckon these will appear again. Still 2 players per team inserted 1 card in every 9 packs which would be a 32 card subset.

Basic Draft Rookie Cards featuring players from the 2007 National Draft will probably be inserted 1 card per Box again — but they won’t be signed … just a photo.

And finally, I reckon the Acetate Gem Cards will return again in 2008. Last year these featured one player from each club, inserted 1 card per Box which will probably happen again. Expect different players to be featured of course though.

I really hope Select have a surprise up their sleeve with Series 1 AFL — something new, something exciting, even something novel to keep collectors on the edge of our seats! I’ve got my fingers crossed anyway.

Now, we move on to the NRL… which is likely to be named:

2008 NRL Select Champions

Again, I predict the price will remain the same at $2.95 per packtet, which will get you 7 common cards plus 1 holographic foiled card.

That’s a base set of 195 cards, featuring 12 cards for each of the 16 teams and 3 checklist cards.

Holographic foil cards will again run in parallel to the common set, but it might not include all the checklists.

I am really hopeful the NRL is spared the PRINTED signatures again this year, but there is every possibility they COULD be included.

I’m expecting to see more NRL Stars Sketch Cards, probably 2 players per team, inserted 1 card in every 9 packs again.

The Award Winner Cards will make another appearance, featuring winners from the 2007 Dally M Awards inserted 1 card in every 18 packets. Select will probably include somewhere between 5 and 8 Award Winner cards this year.

The Acetate Gem Cards will make another return. These were popular in 2007, and will likely feature one player from each club again — inserted 1 card per Box.

I’ve again got my fingers crossed for a surprise from Select… hoping for the best.

So there you have it. My fearless predictions for Series 1 in 2008.

Next month we can take a look and see just how close my predictions were to reality. Anyone care to have a little wager?

As soon as we get full confirmation of what IS included in the complete release I will let you know and share it here.

And as always… we will post a copy of the Promotional Flyer on our site for you to see… even though we won’t be stocking the product… just in case you’re curious.

Enjoy this month’s newsletter. I’ll catch you again next month.

Ian

In the last few issues of the “Collectors Edition “ in 2007 we were discussing Error Cards… and little did we know Select had the Mother-of-All-Errors just around the corner for us in the 2007 Series release of the Predictor Redemption Cards for both AFL and NRL.

What was the problem I hear you ask?

It’s a pretty simple error, but nonetheless a BIG one.

The Graphic Designers at Select put the 2007 Series 1 Champions Logo on the front and back of every Predictor Redemption card rather than the correct Series 2 Supreme 2007 Logo or the Invincible 2007 Logo!

Why is it important?

Because the Champions Series cards are the cheaper, lower quality cards sold via newsagencies, whereas the Series 2 releases (Supreme and Invincible) are more expensive, better quality and more collectible set (because of the inserts) available only through Hobby Stores and Specialty Retailers like Footy Stars.

The Champions cards are a cheaper (and in my opinion) inferior set which means the NRL Enforcer cards and AFL Rookie Cards are potentially devalued by having the Champions Logo included.

As soon as our Redemption Sets arrived we emailed Select to see if they were going to reprint corrected cards?

The answer we received was:

“…we are not reprinting at this stage but I will let you know if we do.”

I was; and I remain, pretty disappointed that a simple and VERY obvious error like this can slide through the entire production process and NOT get spotted… IN BOTH AFL and NRL RELEASES!

I still hold out SOME hope that Select will reprint the cards… but I get the feeling it will take a lot of support and energy to get them to do it.

If you would like to put your energy and support behind the cause here’s how you can do it.

Think of it like an electronic petition… please email Select and encourage them to reprint and redistribute the Predictor Redemption Sets with the correct Logos.

The email should be directed towards Di Nash , the NSW Licensing Manager for Select using this email address:
info[AT]selectaustralia.com.au

While we’re at it.. these cards were released WITHOUT any numbering on the back of the cards too. As collectors, we have no way of knowing they are limited release, let alone how many cards were created.

In my opinion, these cards should at least have 1 of 350 (for NRL) or 1 of 450 (for AFL) on the back of the card, so we know just how scarce they are.

If enough people email Select and voice their disappointment we MIGHT see them respond positively. 2007 was a hellish year for the team at Select, one I’m sure they would all like to put behind them. We’ve seen a number of errors slip through their quality control processes in 2007 and included in this list of errors are:

• 4 x AFL Legend Hall of Fame cards - Wrong Numbering
• Craig Gower - Wrong Picture
• Darren Glass - First name spelling error
• Brad Fittler - Surname spelling error
• 16 x AFL Premiership Redemption Rookies - Wrong logo
• 16 x NRL Premiership Redemption Enforcers - Wrong logo

We certainly hope some changes have been made to their quality control and proofing processes for 2008, and I for one hope they have a MUCH better year.

As they say…

The proof will be in the pudding!

At the end of November 2007, Select released the ever popular Premiership Boxed Set for the winning teams in both the AFL and NRL.

So whether you want to celebrate the Geelong Cats record breaking Premiership success in 2007, or the Melbourne Storm’s dominant Premiership success in 2007, this Limited Edition 25 Card Box Set from Select is the perfect way to remember the victory.

With only 3000 sets for each team released to the public, these Limited Edition Boxed Set features a beautifully presented collectors edition outer sleeve encasing the Ultra Pro 25 card hard case — ensuring your limited edition set will maintain its value for many years to come.

The images used for the 25 cards feature action photos from the memorable Grand Final action.

With only limited supply of these Premiership Sets available they won’t last long so be quick to get your order in now.

Geelong Cats Premiership Boxed Set… click here

Melbourne Storm Premiership Boxed Set… click here

Given the Premiership Redemption Cards were released in December 2007, many collectors will be looking for the best way to keep their set safe and in first class condition.

This month’s featured protection method is also a fantastic way to display your collection… on your wall or desk.

We’re talking about a 3 Card Holder from Ultra-Pro.

This card holder looks so good because of the bold black outline around each card.

Punctuating the bold black outlines are 8 striking gold coloured screws which add a touch of class to the finished display.

The Card Holder is made of 2 pieces of clear rigid-plastic held together with the gold coloured screws.

The clear rigid-plastic pieces have a recessed area to hold and protect your cards from being creased or folded , and it also protects the sides and corners from damage.

Being clear (except for the stunning bold black outlines) they still allow you to view both sides of your cards — allowing you to retain maximum visibility at all times.

For me, these card holders are the perfect way to show off your favourite cards.

—————
All the Ultra Pro Accessories mentioned in this newsletter at great prices on our website at:
http://www.footystars.com.au/store/ultrapro-c -25.html

Each month we highlight a different Ultra Pro item, taking a look at who uses it and why, and discussing if it will suit your requirements.