Wacky Packages Series 8 SPOILER thread

[sco(o)t]

I think you did really well. You should be happy!

    I am indeed, I didn't expect to get a gold border and a sketch in one case. Was just hoping for one or the other. 

[Dr Popper]

But the good news is ..... (drum roll) what Slayskool always talked about). Since the mind blowing odds are soo against everyone completing golds, they probably will not be that popular = less demand = less value when put on the market. Do not throw in the towel just yet. I do not have a mega-budget to work with, but was able to complete my silvers of both FB's more easily than I thought (I also realized many would be throwing in the towel to complete them). I bet I was able to do it for this very reason.

First wait to see what they'll go for in a about a month or so, then decide.

You're probably right that I shouldn't write it off completely yet, but even if they drop down to $75.00 each that's $4K for a set!  One chance is if a set surfaces a year later that someone wants to dump cheap. That happened with the Flashback series. 

[BumChex]

You're probably right that I shouldn't write it off completely yet, but even if they drop down to $75.00 each that's $4K for a set!  One chance is if a set surfaces a year later that someone wants to dump cheap. That happened with the Flashback series. 

The thing is you may not care about it as much in a year with all the other stuff coming out later.

[Playbug]

The thing is you may not care about it as much in a year with all the other stuff coming out later.

Once again, that is why the price drops, because it's no longer the "latest greatest" thing. But it's risky, that is also why no one may even try to sell em...

[Playbug]

But one question: Why was the Wacky Packages Go To The Movies subset reduced from 10 entries to 8? And why was Ironed Man and Avatart - the 2 other planned entries - shut out? Maybe Ironed Man and/or Avatart could end up in ANS9.

Ironed Man - Just the title is great! Sounds like a great wacky for the Movie subset, would of like to have seen that one.

[Crust]

Does anyone know if the art for Ironed Man or Avatart was completed? Are there any other lost wacky's from series 8?

[Gurgle]

Does anyone know if the art for Ironed Man or Avatart was completed? Are there any other lost wacky's from series 8?

I know Dave Gross finished Avatart, but I'm not sure about Ironed Man. I think he did.

[dth1971]

I know Dave Gross finished Avatart, but I'm not sure about Ironed Man. I think he did.

I wish I could see the shut out art for Ironed Man and Avatart.

Also: Did Mark Parisi do a drawing for at least 1 movie DVD parody for this Wacky Packages ANS8 subset that never made the cut? I even know from Mark that an Off the Mark Wacky Package week with 6 more never made the ANS8 cut roughs is planned for sometime in August 2011.

[Fanatical_and_Sickly]

I just received the weekly email my local comic shop sends out listing the new releases for the week.  Sure enough, ANS8 is listed.  I'll call tomorrow to confirm, but it does look like they're a go for this week.

I see that ANS8 is now listed for ship/arrival at comic shops next Wednesday. They already showed up in shop this week. Kind of bizarre.

[Playbug]

I see that ANS8 is now listed for ship/arrival at comic shops next Wednesday. They already showed up in shop this week. Kind of bizarre.

Maybe they're estimating their release dates more cautiously now ?

[Gurgle]

I wish I could see the shut out art for Ironed Man and Avatart.

Also: Did Mark Parisi do a drawing for at least 1 movie DVD parody for this Wacky Packages ANS8 subset that never made the cut? I even know from Mark that an Off the Mark Wacky Package week with 6 more never made the ANS8 cut roughs is planned for sometime in August 2011.

I did the roughs for both Avatart and Ironed Man, but they did get painted so they technically were accepted even though they got cut at the last minute. I also did the roughs for Trans Farmers and Twilice. I didn't do any other rejected roughs for the DVD set so there will be no DVD roughs showing up in Off the Mark.

[BumChex]

It's kind of sad to see people aren't going after the golds and sketches because they are so tough to pull. I see a few golds have sold for around $125 each and sketches haven't sold well. One sold today for $260. It's funny how people are holding out for the prices to drop. I think a lot of collectors think sketches should sell in the $100 range since the OLDS an PC series sold in this range. The ANS8 sketches are a bitch to find in the wild but that is way it is. I'm so glad I'm not a huge buyer to have such odds that I'm planning to sell my sketches for $800+. These are so tough to pull and to get one and not get a price it deserves is really tough to deal with. I'm not taking this light. The sketches and golds are really tough. I've already spent more than I said I would on this series and I have pulled one gold and one sketch. I've spent about $1200 and I'm elated that I pulled a sketch. You have no idea what goes through your head when you open so many packs without pulling a gold or sketch. You feel you are beating your head against the wall with no results. I think the sketches should easily be sold for around $1k based on the odds and golds should easily command around $300 or so. It's that tough.
The biggest issue with these odds is people will get discouraged and no one will buy them because they can't make up their cost searching for the tough chase stuff. If no one is buying all of these buyers will vanish fast. It's going to be interesting to see what happens but at this point I see a total disaster.

[JasonLiebig]

It's going to be interesting to see what happens but at this point I see a total disaster.

I'm not sure I follow.  Are you saying that it's a total disaster because collectors that spend $500+ on a single series can't make their money back on inserts?  I hope that's not the line for success of a new series of stickers. 

If the majority of the product is selling to folks who spend more than $100 on them, I'd say something is wrong, anyway.  But perhaps that's where this hobby has ended up - casual, sub-$100 collectors have mostly departed, leaving only higher-dollar collectors to buy-and-sell to/from each other.   Again, I hope that's not the case, but if it is, it's an ongoing disaster, whether or not the remaining few can continue to profit from each other.

Rather, if the product is good, which it does seem to be, I'd think that the healthiest scenario is if the majority of it sells through based on its' merits as a series (not on it's merits as an insert-card-profit-center), and only a small percentage should sell to "case-buyers".   

[BumChex]

I'm not sure I follow.  Are you saying that it's a total disaster because collectors that spend $500+ on a single series can't make their money back on inserts?  I hope that's not the line for success of a new series of stickers.  

If the majority of the product is selling to folks who spend more than $100 on them, I'd say something is wrong, anyway.  But perhaps that's where this hobby has ended up - casual, sub-$100 collectors have mostly departed, leaving only higher-dollar collectors to buy-and-sell to/from each other.   Again, I hope that's not the case, but if it is, it's an ongoing disaster, whether or not the remaining few can continue to profit from each other.

Rather, if the product is good, which it does seem to be, I'd think that the healthiest scenario is if the majority of it sells through based on its' merits as a series (not on it's merits as an insert-card-profit-center), and only a small percentage should sell to "case-buyers".  

The insert profit center drives big sellers. Guys like Cardgary that buys 5000 packs but now find themselves with a ton of inventory that isn't moving for prices they felt they should be getting based on previous series. If the big sellers quit buying then what do you think happens? It's pretty obvious.
If sellers can't move their ANS8 stuff and take a big loss then their orders will be quite a bit smaller for ANS9. If that happens ANS9 could be the last retail wacky series and to me that is a disaster.

[FourRoses]

It's kind of sad to see people aren't going after the golds and sketches because they are so tough to pull. I see a few golds have sold for around $125 each and sketches haven't sold well. One sold today for $260. It's funny how people are holding out for the prices to drop. I think a lot of collectors think sketches should sell in the $100 range since the OLDS an PC series sold in this range.

Maybe people are just exhausted and burned out and need some time to refresh after the releases of Olds2, PC7, Erasers, etc..,

[JasonLiebig]

The insert profit center drives big sellers. Guys like Cardgary that buys 5000 boxes but now find themselves with a ton of inventory that isn't moving for prices they felt they should be getting based on previous series. If the big sellers quit buying then what do you think happens? It's pretty obvious.
If sellers can't move their ANS8 stuff and take a big loss then their orders will be quite a bit smaller for ANS9. If that happens ANS9 could be the last retail wacky series and to me that is a disaster.

I don't disagree with your conclusions, as you state them.  I just think that, once you start designing a product around this kind of mass-buyer market to begin with, you go down a road that inevitably must end the line.  

I say that because you can't sustain a product that routinely allows people to sell off bits and pieces and make their money back, the same month they buy it.  Now, perhaps this artificial demand is the only thing that allows the product to exist in the first place - that's certainly up for debate, but if a product requires folks buying tons (so they can make their money on inserts), it's not a matter of if, it's a matter of when, the whole thing comes crashing down.  At least in my opinion, and I'll certainly grant that there is room for debate, but I base that on my experience watching and studying these things.  

It just reminds me of kids in a baseball card shop, in the early 90's; buying packs, opening them in the store, and selling singles back to the owner of the shop, somehow making their money back, and buying more - it didn't seem realistic, and of course, it wasn't.  That kind of return isn't realistic, and causes unrealistic expectations of what the product will give you.. and that leads to overproduction to meet an overinflated demand.  Which is bad.  If you're designing a card set as a secondary buyer's profit center, I'm not sure what you're designing, but it no longer is an entertainment product. 

It's why I was somewhat concerned when the Old School 2 print run was increased to 5,000 boxes.  I thought that was risky, and possibly detrimental to the future of the series.

[Plan 9]

The insert profit center drives big sellers. Guys like Cardgary that buys 5000 boxes but now find themselves with a ton of inventory that isn't moving for prices they felt they should be getting based on previous series. If the big sellers quit buying then what do you think happens? It's pretty obvious.
If sellers can't move their ANS8 stuff and take a big loss then their orders will be quite a bit smaller for ANS9. If that happens ANS9 could be the last retail wacky series and to me that is a disaster.

Your facts and theories are way off. Going back to one of your earlier posts, Topps doesn't produce 400,000 cases for a series. They only do about 1/10th of that as we determined a couple of years ago. The profit center for ANS is kids buying from the chain stores. Gary's purchasing power has no significant effect on the brand. Where did you hear Gary bought 5000 boxes? There's no way some guy in Phoenix selling stuff on ebay is going to invest in 5000 boxes of one card product. Even Greg didn't buy that much in his heyday.

[ilovenintendo]

As I posted in the other thread, I cleared out my local Target today. I bought two Bonus Box and 47 packs from the gravity.
I am new to the WP collecting so I had a great pull.

Aside from about three base sets and being 1 magnet and two tags short I also pulled my first Sketch. I collect GPK as well so I have been hunting for one for a while. It is a Neil Camera Band-Ache. I love it. Cant wait to dive into some more packs/box's.

[BumChex]

Your facts and theories are way off. Going back to one of your earlier posts, Topps doesn't produce 400,000 cases for a series. They only do about 1/10th of that as we determined a couple of years ago. The profit center for ANS is kids buying from the chain stores. Gary's purchasing power has no significant effect on the brand. Where did you hear Gary bought 5000 boxes? There's no way some guy in Phoenix selling stuff on ebay is going to invest in 5000 boxes of one card product. Even Greg didn't buy that much in his heyday.

Sorry it was packs and not boxes. I have boxes on the brain!

[Playbug]

If you're designing a card set as a secondary buyer's profit center, I'm not sure what you're designing, but it no longer is an entertainment product. 

THAT HTS THE NAIL ON THE HEAD !  My thoughts exactly about this supply/demand/profit/buying/selling conversation.

You also have to think ahead, I see many kids really loving wackys these days and it will be their future nostalgia. Which is awesome and marketable I am sure, just look at us.

[RawGoo]

THAT HTS THE NAIL ON THE HEAD !  My thoughts exactly about this supply/demand/profit/buying/selling conversation.

You also have to think ahead, I see many kids really loving wackys these days and it will be their future nostalgia. Which is awesome and marketable I am sure, just look at us.

I agree.  Not every Wacky product is geared specifically towards adults who started collecting in the 70's and 80's.  ANS is marketed at major retail stores, with a primary target customer of kids.  For ANS, the "big sellers" are Target and Walmart - their profit can be made on buying wholesale, selling retail.  I'm hoping the series is a success just on the basis of retail sales, and I'll be doing my best to make sure the kids I know find out about it.

[BumChex]

I think it's great having these types of discussions. It keeps everyone active on the forum with their opinions. My observation is only one side of the hobby - the sellers. I also find it odd that Clint now has a sketch up but he is only asking $300 while everyone else is about $500+. This guy always overpriced his auctions.

[Dr Popper]

It's kind of sad to see people aren't going after the golds and sketches because they are so tough to pull. I see a few golds have sold for around $125 each and sketches haven't sold well. One sold today for $260. It's funny how people are holding out for the prices to drop. I think a lot of collectors think sketches should sell in the $100 range since the OLDS an PC series sold in this range. The ANS8 sketches are a bitch to find in the wild but that is way it is. I'm so glad I'm not a huge buyer to have such odds that I'm planning to sell my sketches for $800+. These are so tough to pull and to get one and not get a price it deserves is really tough to deal with. I'm not taking this light. The sketches and golds are really tough. I've already spent more than I said I would on this series and I have pulled one gold and one sketch. I've spent about $1200 and I'm elated that I pulled a sketch. You have no idea what goes through your head when you open so many packs without pulling a gold or sketch. You feel you are beating your head against the wall with no results. I think the sketches should easily be sold for around $1k based on the odds and golds should easily command around $300 or so. It's that tough.
The biggest issue with these odds is people will get discouraged and no one will buy them because they can't make up their cost searching for the tough chase stuff. If no one is buying all of these buyers will vanish fast. It's going to be interesting to see what happens but at this point I see a total disaster.

But we were all hoping that Topps improved the odds for the Golds and Sketches, and they did do that, making them @ 3X easier this series.  The problem with the Golds is that they increased the set to 55, so that significantly reduces the # of collectors who will chase a complete set.  That means more collectors will be content with 1 gold, and with 2,200 of them (my estimate) vs 1,000 for series 7, the prices drop even further.

The two other aspects working here is that like you said, most collectors realize not to be hasty and wait out the initial craze until prices drop down, which makes good sense.  And lastly, how many collectors can keep spending thousands of dollars on these golds and sketches series after series?  Not too many. 

   

 

[BumChex]

But we were all hoping that Topps improved the odds for the Golds and Sketches, and they did do that, making them @ 3X easier this series.  The problem with the Golds is that they increased the set to 55, so that significantly reduces the # of collectors who will chase a complete set.  That means more collectors will be content with 1 gold, and with 2,200 of them (my estimate) vs 1,000 for series 7, the prices drop even further.

The two other aspects working here is that like you said, most collectors realize not to be hasty and wait out the initial craze until prices drop down, which makes good sense.  And lastly, how many collectors can keep spending thousands of dollars on these golds and sketches series after series?  Not too many. 

   

 

There seems to be a new collector (or one I haven't heard of before) going after a lot of golds. Just look at completed auctions. Anyone on the forum?
I think the golds are really nice but there is no way I can justify the price to try and get a set when the sketches are more unique. It's all priority I guess.

[dth1971]

I recently got my box of packs from Midtown Comics and didn't find any Frite Loops, Hawaiian Pants, and Aquafish stickers in the packs!

Also: Does one of the ANS8 entries - Plunder Bread - look like it should have been in the Wacky Packages Old School series since the package label looks like 1970's style Wonder Bread?

[Hustler08]

I recently got my box of packs from Midtown Comics and didn't find any Frite Loops, Hawaiian Pants, and Aquafish stickers in the packs!

Also: Does one of the ANS8 entries - Plunder Bread - look like it should have been in the Wacky Packages Old School series since the package label looks like 1970's style Wonder Bread?

No full base set from one box?? that's seems weird...

I agree with you on the 'Plunder' thought the same thing...

[HeadAndBoulders]

I thought Peepsi looked like it belonged in Old School series.

[slamjim]

One of the big rules for Old School is no products that were already spoofed in the OS so we couldn't use Peepsi or Plunder Bread for that series.

[dth1971]

I thought Peepsi looked like it belonged in Old School series.

Actually, Peepsi had the Pepsi logo prior to the current version logo introduced a few years back (circa 2009).

And it's doubtful Grenades and Ham - The 4th. Wacky Package to spoof a Dr. Suess book - was originally a lost never released 1992 Wacky entry. (Maybe for ANS9 we could see one other Dr. Suess spoof book, like maybe a spoof of Dr. Suess' Fox in Socks called "Fox on Rocks")

[Dr Popper]

Does anyone know what the code info is for on the ANS8 copyright's? 

Mine say "FOR TRACKING INFO, PLEASE SEE WWW.TOPPS.COM. CODE#7771101"

[View Monster]

Does anyone know what the code info is for on the ANS8 copyright's? 

Mine say "FOR TRACKING INFO, PLEASE SEE WWW.TOPPS.COM. CODE#7771101"

I saw it also a few days ago, my codes are 7771110. Between these two codes it looks like different Manufacturers and locations.

http://www.topps.com/cpsia

[Dr Popper]

I saw it also a few days ago, my codes are 7771110. Between these two codes it looks like different Manufacturers and locations.

http://www.topps.com/cpsia

Cool, I couldn't find that link.  So now the question is........does anyone consider this a copyright variation? 

[Webskinz]

hello i'm new...but anyway I ordered my 55 card base-set for ANS8 on i believe 7/27, today (8/3) I got them in the mail, and i was super excited!! The person even threw in "Cream of Tweet" and "DeLays" which was a great, great surprise!!

[Playbug]

hello i'm new...but anyway I ordered my 55 card base-set for ANS8 on i believe 7/27, today (8/3) I got them in the mail, and i was super excited!! The person even threw in "Cream of Tweet" and "DeLays" which was a great, great surprise!!

Welcome !! That is a nice surprise !

[Webskinz]

Welcome !! That is a nice surprise !

hahaa thaanks!!