On one of the articles in the News section I saw someone post a semi-rhetorical question (this is paraphrased): "why does it seem you never pull the value of what you spent on a box?" My answer was that it was the collectors. Nobody collects all the same 10 people, and some people don't want a product with high runs of AU or GU, and some of us don't want too many rookies (because some of them won't pan out). Well, as I was typing up my response to that person, it made me think the following question:
Now, I just thought of this this morning and haven't fully thought it through...that's why I wanted to post it. I don't fully know how the card making process works. I know that there are printing plates that are used and I'm sure they wouldn't want to have hundreds of different printing plates for each player, but maybe there's another way. I honestly don't know.
But what if they allowed you to create your own set? Say they said, "We have a new product called 2012-13 Create-It. We have chosen 90 (or 60, or 30) players, the top 3 from each team, and we have 10 different designs you can choose from, 5 pictures of each player you can choose from, and we want you to create your own set. You can even choose from a selection of blurbs of what you want on the back of the card, or just stats, or both. You can even choose if they are die cut and what pt they are." Now, they could maybe say that there will only be 999 sets and the set costs X amount, but you'd create your own set, receive the whole set once it's been printed, and each card would have the same serial number, maybe even a printed username on the back to show that you were the one who created it, and/or maybe a special serial numbered box for them to be stored in.
What if they didn't allow you to do a set, but maybe a whole insert set or only one card out of an insert set. I have an Upper Deck MVP Christian Laettner card somewhere from when Upper Deck let some people create their own card. I think even Fleer or Hoops did the same somewhere around 1997-98 or 1998-99. You received a booklet you had to mail in and you chose the front and the back of the card. You had to pay for shipping and handling of course.
Now, there are other things that can be thrown into the set/card possibly. Say you're making a set or insert set, but you want to add a GU or AU or both from each player into the card. These could come at a premium. And maybe, they allow you to choose exactly what piece of GU or Patch you want in the card. Say you don't have the money for a Patch and you just want a GU swatch in there, and say you're a Lakers fan but you don't like the white or yellow swatches, and you want a purple one, you can choose that too. And to choose a patch, which would cost more, you could see what your patch looks like before you finish making your card. And maybe for those sets, they lower the number that are created (say from 999 to 99 or lower). Maybe you want to do combination cards, or booklet cards. These come at another premium. But rather than you looking online to find that one card you're willing to spend $200 on, you could create your own card, or your own set.
Again, I don't know how the manufacturing process works, so it may not be something that could be accomplished or for it to be accomplished the prices would have to go up some. My question is, would you be interested in that? I know that not everyone is a set collector, so maybe they choose an insert set, or only one card that they want to create. But these would be fully licensed and backed with the manufacturer guarantee (not that all manufacturers have been completely legit). They would also essentially be 1/1's.
Now, some might ask how I think this answers the question that was asked in the beginning of this post. While we all love to break product because of the thrill of possibly scoring something big to either flip or put in our PC, many times we're not happy with the design, the pictures, the information, etc. There will still people that break their other products in hopes of getting that big hit to throw it out there and flip it or put it in their PC, but some of us could actually get a set each year that we like and want to keep. For one product, you wouldn't have to worry about whether or not you got your value because in reality, that set/card is priceless to you, you created it.
And then again, maybe you use this to make money. Say you create an insert set you think many people will really want and you have the money to make that insert set have a Patch and AU on each card. Say you choose 10 superstars for the set and you think you can get major money for it. You could do that too. You could do whatever you want with it.
Give me your thoughts on this. Would you be interested in doing something like this? Creating your own set/card, having it personalized to you, paying what you're willing to pay (meaning if you can't afford GU, Patches, AU, etc., then you pay for what you can afford) rather than competing with people on an auction for a card you merely think is ok.
I would love this. May be the only set I chase each year (except for maybe some low end sets too). I also think it would be cool, not sure of the legalities, if you could create sets for years prior. Say I wanted to create a set of the top 90 players from 1996-97, being able to choose the players from that year with pictures from that year and stats from that year (or the year prior).
What if the card company allowed you to make your own cards?
Now, I just thought of this this morning and haven't fully thought it through...that's why I wanted to post it. I don't fully know how the card making process works. I know that there are printing plates that are used and I'm sure they wouldn't want to have hundreds of different printing plates for each player, but maybe there's another way. I honestly don't know.
But what if they allowed you to create your own set? Say they said, "We have a new product called 2012-13 Create-It. We have chosen 90 (or 60, or 30) players, the top 3 from each team, and we have 10 different designs you can choose from, 5 pictures of each player you can choose from, and we want you to create your own set. You can even choose from a selection of blurbs of what you want on the back of the card, or just stats, or both. You can even choose if they are die cut and what pt they are." Now, they could maybe say that there will only be 999 sets and the set costs X amount, but you'd create your own set, receive the whole set once it's been printed, and each card would have the same serial number, maybe even a printed username on the back to show that you were the one who created it, and/or maybe a special serial numbered box for them to be stored in.
What if they didn't allow you to do a set, but maybe a whole insert set or only one card out of an insert set. I have an Upper Deck MVP Christian Laettner card somewhere from when Upper Deck let some people create their own card. I think even Fleer or Hoops did the same somewhere around 1997-98 or 1998-99. You received a booklet you had to mail in and you chose the front and the back of the card. You had to pay for shipping and handling of course.
Now, there are other things that can be thrown into the set/card possibly. Say you're making a set or insert set, but you want to add a GU or AU or both from each player into the card. These could come at a premium. And maybe, they allow you to choose exactly what piece of GU or Patch you want in the card. Say you don't have the money for a Patch and you just want a GU swatch in there, and say you're a Lakers fan but you don't like the white or yellow swatches, and you want a purple one, you can choose that too. And to choose a patch, which would cost more, you could see what your patch looks like before you finish making your card. And maybe for those sets, they lower the number that are created (say from 999 to 99 or lower). Maybe you want to do combination cards, or booklet cards. These come at another premium. But rather than you looking online to find that one card you're willing to spend $200 on, you could create your own card, or your own set.
Again, I don't know how the manufacturing process works, so it may not be something that could be accomplished or for it to be accomplished the prices would have to go up some. My question is, would you be interested in that? I know that not everyone is a set collector, so maybe they choose an insert set, or only one card that they want to create. But these would be fully licensed and backed with the manufacturer guarantee (not that all manufacturers have been completely legit). They would also essentially be 1/1's.
Now, some might ask how I think this answers the question that was asked in the beginning of this post. While we all love to break product because of the thrill of possibly scoring something big to either flip or put in our PC, many times we're not happy with the design, the pictures, the information, etc. There will still people that break their other products in hopes of getting that big hit to throw it out there and flip it or put it in their PC, but some of us could actually get a set each year that we like and want to keep. For one product, you wouldn't have to worry about whether or not you got your value because in reality, that set/card is priceless to you, you created it.
And then again, maybe you use this to make money. Say you create an insert set you think many people will really want and you have the money to make that insert set have a Patch and AU on each card. Say you choose 10 superstars for the set and you think you can get major money for it. You could do that too. You could do whatever you want with it.
Give me your thoughts on this. Would you be interested in doing something like this? Creating your own set/card, having it personalized to you, paying what you're willing to pay (meaning if you can't afford GU, Patches, AU, etc., then you pay for what you can afford) rather than competing with people on an auction for a card you merely think is ok.
Note: Do not think about what manufacturer it is. Maybe it's Topps, maybe it's Upper Deck, maybe it's Panini, maybe it's ITG or Sportkings or Press Pass, whomever. You have no limitations, use your imaginations.
My personal thoughts on this product
I would love this. May be the only set I chase each year (except for maybe some low end sets too). I also think it would be cool, not sure of the legalities, if you could create sets for years prior. Say I wanted to create a set of the top 90 players from 1996-97, being able to choose the players from that year with pictures from that year and stats from that year (or the year prior).
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3,850+ diff Pistons cards
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