Author Topic: LOST WACKYS  (Read 74964 times)

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Offline Fanatical_and_Sickly

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Re: LOST WACKYS
« Reply #210 on: May 26, 2018, 05:42:35 AM »
eBay auction: #163063541934
Looks like some colorized roughs, a piece of lifted Saunders art and who knows what else.
And using those 4 Star Wars titles? I wonder what kind of interest Disney would have in these? They are very protective of their properties.

Offline Baked Bears

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Re: LOST WACKYS
« Reply #211 on: May 26, 2018, 08:47:55 AM »
Haven't I recently seen "Feces" somewhere before?

And polka-dot panties?  Really?  I had my heart set on something a little more high-class such as silver, gold, or diamond panties.  Guess I'll have to wait for Lost Series 5.  :sad:

Offline DrDeal

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Re: LOST WACKYS
« Reply #212 on: June 08, 2018, 06:28:55 PM »
Looks like we will see a Wacky Packages Boxes Series 5 later this year.  There is a double sticker on the bay with the Black Label for the Series 5.  Very productive Bootleggers.

Offline slamjim

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Re: LOST WACKYS
« Reply #213 on: June 21, 2018, 01:55:49 PM »
:)
« Last Edit: December 26, 2018, 08:52:16 AM by slamjim »

Offline RawGoo

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Re: LOST WACKYS
« Reply #214 on: June 21, 2018, 02:34:23 PM »
So on Facebook there is a guy named Jason Hanks that posted photos a ton of sketch cards he's making using the Wacky Packages logo and the Old School toothpaste nameplate (from mine and Jay's design). These are for some kind of Lost Wackys set for Greg. I assume in pack or as some kind of special set. I posted to the guy that they are bootlegs, can't use those logos and he went off on my page in a post I made about my daughter's softball team (and a cute GPK style card I made for the girls) then went on the Garbage Pail Kids Underground site and went bonkers cursing me out and attacking me before they banned him. Apparently he also takes commissions from people, takes their money and never does the work and has been banned from GPK Facebook forums as well. In other words he's a dick. So watch out for his bootleg Wacky stuff. Straight stolen from Jay and myself.

I guess buying sketches, ludlows, or "new" stickers in general that don't come right from Topps are now all big gambles. I remember the colored in b&w sketch, and I remember someone faking ludlows.  Way to wreck the fun...…….

Offline Fanatical_and_Sickly

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Re: LOST WACKYS
« Reply #215 on: June 21, 2018, 04:32:15 PM »
So on Facebook there is a guy named Jason Hanks that posted photos a ton of sketch cards he's making using the Wacky Packages logo and the Old School toothpaste nameplate (from mine and Jay's design).
these are the ones that are sketched on the puzzle side of old checklist cards?
looks like they put down a white surface, and put the modified wacky logo on it, along with your toothpaste tube.
there were several artists doing these.
iirc they first showed up at the spring philly show?

« Last Edit: June 21, 2018, 07:13:33 PM by Fanatical_and_Sickly »

Offline Baked Bears

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Re: LOST WACKYS
« Reply #216 on: June 22, 2018, 06:04:01 AM »
Granted, this nonsense is getting out of hand, though it isn't very surprising.  (And always seems to be spinning around the same spider cleverly positioned in the center of its web.)

But then and again, hasn't Topps opened themselves up for just such nonsense?  I would think sketch cards would be the easiest thing to imitate.  I have tried - unsuccessfully thus far, in my strict opinion - to paint a parody that has that distinct and singular Wacky look and feel.  It's difficult.  A sketch card, though - particularly a black and white sketch card rendered in black Sharpie - would be the easiest thing in the world to forge and slap an "artist's name" onto.  Sketch artists vary from year-to-year and series-to-series.  Unless I did some major digging, I would be very hard pressed to ascertain whether a particular sketch artist was legitimate or not.

There's something to be said about sticking to the basics and not over-expanding.

Like RawGoo said, everything's now a "gamble."

On another note, I believe that a few of the "Lost" Wackys are on par - or even better than - some of the official Wackys during the past few years.  Simply put, they have more of the original Wacky "flavor" and/or "spirit."  Thus said, it seems almost inevitable that someone would step in to take advantage of this market - a void that Topps left open.  Last year, Topps could have made a deal with Neil Camera and his Halloween set, thereby satisfying fans with nice, simple parodies on par with original Wackys.  Instead, though, we got...



Need I say anything more?
« Last Edit: June 22, 2018, 01:42:49 PM by Baked Bears »

Offline slamjim

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Re: LOST WACKYS
« Reply #217 on: June 22, 2018, 02:20:08 PM »
Granted, this nonsense is getting out of hand, though it isn't very surprising.  (And always seems to be spinning around the same spider cleverly positioned in the center of its web.)

But then and again, hasn't Topps opened themselves up for just such nonsense?  I would think sketch cards would be the easiest thing to imitate.  I have tried - unsuccessfully thus far, in my strict opinion - to paint a parody that has that distinct and singular Wacky look and feel.  It's difficult.  A sketch card, though - particularly a black and white sketch card rendered in black Sharpie - would be the easiest thing in the world to forge and slap an "artist's name" onto.  Sketch artists vary from year-to-year and series-to-series.  Unless I did some major digging, I would be very hard pressed to ascertain whether a particular sketch artist was legitimate or not.

There's something to be said about sticking to the basics and not over-expanding.

Like RawGoo said, everything's now a "gamble."

On another note, I believe that a few of the "Lost" Wackys are on par - or even better than - some of the official Wackys during the past few years.  Simply put, they have more of the original Wacky "flavor" and/or "spirit."  Thus said, it seems almost inevitable that someone would step in to take advantage of this market - a void that Topps left open.  Last year, Topps could have made a deal with Neil Camera and his Halloween set, thereby satisfying fans with nice, simple parodies on par with original Wackys.  Instead, though, we got...



Need I say anything more?

It doesn't matter if you feel there is a void in material the bottom line is you can't steal other people's art or intellectual property for your own benefit. Definitely doing a new Old School set for this year and I suspect there will be a few other WP products coming down the pike.

Offline MoldRush

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Re: LOST WACKYS
« Reply #218 on: June 22, 2018, 04:40:45 PM »
So on Facebook there is a guy named Jason Hanks that posted photos a ton of sketch cards he's making using the Wacky Packages logo and the Old School toothpaste nameplate (from mine and Jay's design). These are for some kind of Lost Wackys set for Greg. I assume in pack or as some kind of special set. I posted to the guy that they are bootlegs, can't use those logos and he went off on my page in a post I made about my daughter's softball team (and a cute GPK style card I made for the girls) then went on the Garbage Pail Kids Underground site and went bonkers cursing me out and attacking me before they banned him. Apparently he also takes commissions from people, takes their money and never does the work and has been banned from GPK Facebook forums as well. In other words he's a dick. So watch out for his bootleg Wacky stuff. Straight stolen from Jay and myself.
Never ceases to amaze me how the wrongdoers so quickly and naturally go on the offensive and attack and vilify you simply for calling them out on their assholery.  There are sooooooo many delusional MFers out there.  Scary.

Offline Zenergizer

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Re: LOST WACKYS
« Reply #219 on: June 22, 2018, 05:26:06 PM »
Rob, most of the Trumpocracy titles like the one you posted were not submitted by us regulars.  I think I speak for most of the "submitters" that we tried to make them more like products in the Wacky style.  There were definitely a lot of clunkers towards the end of that run, but I hope we can resurrect the Alternate Facts or any of those subsets, there are so many great possibilities for parodies with all the news happening.

Offline RawGoo

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Re: LOST WACKYS
« Reply #220 on: June 22, 2018, 06:07:17 PM »
Rob, most of the Trumpocracy titles like the one you posted were not submitted by us regulars.  I think I speak for most of the "submitters" that we tried to make them more like products in the Wacky style.  There were definitely a lot of clunkers towards the end of that run, but I hope we can resurrect the Alternate Facts or any of those subsets, there are so many great possibilities for parodies with all the news happening.

I would prefer that politics be avoided in future Wackys.

Offline Zenergizer

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Re: LOST WACKYS
« Reply #221 on: June 22, 2018, 06:10:53 PM »
Agreed, I think we all feel like that.  I was more referring to stuff such as the "Samantha Bee Dictionary"
or anything like that, news stories for people that I won't make any comment about nor do they deserve
any recognition LOL.

Oops, politics.

Offline DrDeal

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Re: LOST WACKYS
« Reply #222 on: June 23, 2018, 03:30:01 AM »
I hate it when wackies are used by Topps to advance a particular political agenda. That is subverting and degrading a precious memory. Don't mess with my wackys!

Offline Baked Bears

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Re: LOST WACKYS
« Reply #223 on: June 23, 2018, 10:18:51 AM »
It doesn't matter if you feel there is a void in material the bottom line is you can't steal other people's art or intellectual property for your own benefit. Definitely doing a new Old School set for this year and I suspect there will be a few other WP products coming down the pike.

SlamJim,

I am not trying to defend Jason Hanks and his "assholery" (great word, by the way, MoldRush,) nor was I trying to imply that it is okay for anybody to forge art and profit from it for any reason.  What Hanks is doing is wrong, wrong, wrong, and yes, it must suck and I'm sure nobody here can blame you (and others) for getting pissed.  (Nor is it okay for others to reproduce somebody's art and slap the name "Lost Wackys" across the package.)  And then for Hanks to retaliate and come back at you in the manner that he did... well, I'd be livid, too, and probably entertain serious thoughts about searching him out and giving him a few whacks upside the head with a Wiffle ball bat.  (That or driving him out of his mind by signing him up for a hundred magazine subscriptions, pizza deliveries, anonymous complaint letters from neighbors, etc., etc., etc..)

Art forgery has been going on for centuries and will continue to go on for centuries to come.  And there really is no way around it.  It can be made more difficult, however.  Is Topps policing the playing field, however?  No.  (When I say Topps, I mean the few individuals making the ultimate final decisions, not the peripheral artists and concept writers.)  Did Topps crack down on the Lost Wackys?  No.  They're still out there.  One can bid on them this very second.  The only thing that was cracked down upon was the shilling, and this was done by eBay. To be honest, I wonder if Topps really cares that much about Wacky Packages at all?  I see little or no active promotion (yet I receive baseball card promotions everyday.)  More often than not, WP are not their own separate entity any longer, but instead lumped under the GPK banner.  I'd even go so far as to say that if you and a few other people didn't push for Wackys, there would probably be little or no Wackys at all.  In fact, I would bet money on this (and I'm not a betting man.)  Again, Topps really doesn't seem to care.  Wackys are not something even left on the back burner, but rather in a bowl in the back of the fridge.

A couple towns over from me, there is a small community with a revitalized "Main Street."  Rather than let it languish, though, the town actively fosters and promotes businesses and events.  They show films in the park, have a weekend farmer's market, close off streets and hold book signing events, have parades, and hold concerts in a glorious old theater with a stained glass ceiling (to name but a few things.)  I have attended many concerts there - Kansas, Jethro Tull, Renaissance, America - as well as frequent many of the community shops.  The streets are well-lit, free of trash and graffiti, and well-policed.  Sound familiar?  One finds these revitalized towns scattered along the east coast.  What's more, I spend my money there.

However, what if this town stopped caring?  What if they no longer promoted and hosted events?  What if they no longer were proactive, but rather looked the other way and focused on other interests?  All too soon, the town would become a veritable shit hole.  What's more, you would have more of a criminal element moving in.  This is the kind of "void" I am referring to.  If Topps refuses to be proactive when it comes to Wackys - I mean, fully embrace Wackys and give them equal attention as any other of their franchises - then they should expect the rats to come out of the woodwork.  Its inevitable.  I'm not saying that creeps like Jason Hanks are justified in doing what they're doing - not at all.  But apathy is only paving the way for just such people to operate freely and unfettered.

Topps should be embracing your sets, Neil Camera's sets, and any other artist who wishes to contribute a decent set.  Topps should be embracing the elements that made Wackys strong, great, and funny back in the 70s, as well as their millennium renaissance.  Topps should be putting Wackys back in loaves of bread and cereal boxes.  (As a teacher who hands out Wackys as incentives, I can tell you that my kids love them.  Yet how on earth would my kids even know about them if it wasn't for me handing them out?  It's not as if there are any advertisements for them.  It's not as if they walk into Walmart or Target and spot a placard stating, "Hey, kids!  Wacky Packages right this way!")  Topps should be making deals with retailers and cereal companies to manufacture exclusive boxes: "Frosted Flakes" featured on one side; "Frosted Snakes" featured on the the other.  Topps should be licensing mini plastic figures of WP characters.  Unlike Disney, most companies do not have a problem with WP.  They are free advertising.  Again, FREE ADVERTISING.  I could be mistaken, but I would think that Pepsi would definitely embrace a limited edition "Pupsi" can.  It would make people warmly laugh and smile.  It would place their product directly into people's hands (and the people's money directly into Pepsi's coffers.)  Topps should also be actively protecting their property and going after the bootleggers and forgers.

And yet, Topps isn't doing any of this.  Instead, we get pink borders (golly gee whiz!) or medallions or relics that 99.9% of kids cannot even afford.  I am not a businessman or mathematician, however I would think that millions of kids would equate to millions of dollars (even if every kid only parted with one dollar.)

Again, what child cares about the following?  Why would they care about it?



Seriously?  What adult cares about it either?  I, for one, don't.  It's not as if it has mass market appeal.

And I really don't believe that Topps gives a shit, either.  And when you don't give a shit, that's when things start to fall apart.

Rob

By the way, looking forward to your next set.  At least a few people still care.  Thank you. 

Offline Baked Bears

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Re: LOST WACKYS
« Reply #224 on: June 23, 2018, 10:27:51 AM »
Rob, most of the Trumpocracy titles like the one you posted were not submitted by us regulars.  I think I speak for most of the "submitters" that we tried to make them more like products in the Wacky style.  There were definitely a lot of clunkers towards the end of that run, but I hope we can resurrect the Alternate Facts or any of those subsets, there are so many great possibilities for parodies with all the news happening.

Paul,

I understand where you are coming from - and there were some really good Trumpocracy titles.  I choose that particular title to stress my point, namely that Wackyland is slowly degenerating into a ghetto - complete with a criminal element, a direct result of Topps' apathy.

And trust me, I do appreciate that you and others do care and try your best to adhere to only the highest Wacky standards.


Offline vahsurfer

  • Posts: 1523
Re: LOST WACKYS
« Reply #225 on: June 23, 2018, 11:03:35 AM »
Dave (SJ),

Stealing is stealing and you are correct!

"you are entitled to the facts, just not your own."

#StayWacky

If they keep it up they will be in Jail-O ..... HAAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAH

Offline slamjim

  • Posts: 2054
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Re: LOST WACKYS
« Reply #226 on: June 23, 2018, 07:48:14 PM »
SlamJim,

I am not trying to defend Jason Hanks and his "assholery" (great word, by the way, MoldRush,) nor was I trying to imply that it is okay for anybody to forge art and profit from it for any reason.  What Hanks is doing is wrong, wrong, wrong, and yes, it must suck and I'm sure nobody here can blame you (and others) for getting pissed.  (Nor is it okay for others to reproduce somebody's art and slap the name "Lost Wackys" across the package.)  And then for Hanks to retaliate and come back at you in the manner that he did... well, I'd be livid, too, and probably entertain serious thoughts about searching him out and giving him a few whacks upside the head with a Wiffle ball bat.  (That or driving him out of his mind by signing him up for a hundred magazine subscriptions, pizza deliveries, anonymous complaint letters from neighbors, etc., etc., etc..)

Art forgery has been going on for centuries and will continue to go on for centuries to come.  And there really is no way around it.  It can be made more difficult, however.  Is Topps policing the playing field, however?  No.  (When I say Topps, I mean the few individuals making the ultimate final decisions, not the peripheral artists and concept writers.)  Did Topps crack down on the Lost Wackys?  No.  They're still out there.  One can bid on them this very second.  The only thing that was cracked down upon was the shilling, and this was done by eBay. To be honest, I wonder if Topps really cares that much about Wacky Packages at all?  I see little or no active promotion (yet I receive baseball card promotions everyday.)  More often than not, WP are not their own separate entity any longer, but instead lumped under the GPK banner.  I'd even go so far as to say that if you and a few other people didn't push for Wackys, there would probably be little or no Wackys at all.  In fact, I would bet money on this (and I'm not a betting man.)  Again, Topps really doesn't seem to care.  Wackys are not something even left on the back burner, but rather in a bowl in the back of the fridge.

A couple towns over from me, there is a small community with a revitalized "Main Street."  Rather than let it languish, though, the town actively fosters and promotes businesses and events.  They show films in the park, have a weekend farmer's market, close off streets and hold book signing events, have parades, and hold concerts in a glorious old theater with a stained glass ceiling (to name but a few things.)  I have attended many concerts there - Kansas, Jethro Tull, Renaissance, America - as well as frequent many of the community shops.  The streets are well-lit, free of trash and graffiti, and well-policed.  Sound familiar?  One finds these revitalized towns scattered along the east coast.  What's more, I spend my money there.

However, what if this town stopped caring?  What if they no longer promoted and hosted events?  What if they no longer were proactive, but rather looked the other way and focused on other interests?  All too soon, the town would become a veritable shit hole.  What's more, you would have more of a criminal element moving in.  This is the kind of "void" I am referring to.  If Topps refuses to be proactive when it comes to Wackys - I mean, fully embrace Wackys and give them equal attention as any other of their franchises - then they should expect the rats to come out of the woodwork.  Its inevitable.  I'm not saying that creeps like Jason Hanks are justified in doing what they're doing - not at all.  But apathy is only paving the way for just such people to operate freely and unfettered.

Topps should be embracing your sets, Neil Camera's sets, and any other artist who wishes to contribute a decent set.  Topps should be embracing the elements that made Wackys strong, great, and funny back in the 70s, as well as their millennium renaissance.  Topps should be putting Wackys back in loaves of bread and cereal boxes.  (As a teacher who hands out Wackys as incentives, I can tell you that my kids love them.  Yet how on earth would my kids even know about them if it wasn't for me handing them out?  It's not as if there are any advertisements for them.  It's not as if they walk into Walmart or Target and spot a placard stating, "Hey, kids!  Wacky Packages right this way!")  Topps should be making deals with retailers and cereal companies to manufacture exclusive boxes: "Frosted Flakes" featured on one side; "Frosted Snakes" featured on the the other.  Topps should be licensing mini plastic figures of WP characters.  Unlike Disney, most companies do not have a problem with WP.  They are free advertising.  Again, FREE ADVERTISING.  I could be mistaken, but I would think that Pepsi would definitely embrace a limited edition "Pupsi" can.  It would make people warmly laugh and smile.  It would place their product directly into people's hands (and the people's money directly into Pepsi's coffers.)  Topps should also be actively protecting their property and going after the bootleggers and forgers.

And yet, Topps isn't doing any of this.  Instead, we get pink borders (golly gee whiz!) or medallions or relics that 99.9% of kids cannot even afford.  I am not a businessman or mathematician, however I would think that millions of kids would equate to millions of dollars (even if every kid only parted with one dollar.)

Again, what child cares about the following?  Why would they care about it?



Seriously?  What adult cares about it either?  I, for one, don't.  It's not as if it has mass market appeal.

And I really don't believe that Topps gives a shit, either.  And when you don't give a shit, that's when things start to fall apart.

Rob

By the way, looking forward to your next set.  At least a few people still care.  Thank you.

Hey, real quick on just a couple of these things, you are speaking on a few things in this that you really don't know some facts on so I will fill you in on it a bit. Topps did go after the Lost Wackys. They keep changing their names and putting them up. They are going after them again. Someone here tipped them off and I ended up getting a phone call from Topps a number of months back asking me if some of my art was being used. So someone there is on it.

Also, it's a two way street for advertising. You can't just stick your cards into loaves of bread or into cereal if those companies don't want you. Topps has a ton of licenses going for GPK right now with more coming. Wacky Packs is a much tougher license. I'm sure Topps would love to do any of that you mentioned and so much more. Someone else is going to have to want to get that license and feel they can make money off it.

Offline DrDeal

  • Posts: 3414
Re: LOST WACKYS
« Reply #227 on: June 24, 2018, 03:33:49 AM »
SlamJim,

I am not trying to defend Jason Hanks and his "assholery" (great word, by the way, MoldRush,) nor was I trying to imply that it is okay for anybody to forge art and profit from it for any reason.  What Hanks is doing is wrong, wrong, wrong, and yes, it must suck and I'm sure nobody here can blame you (and others) for getting pissed.  (Nor is it okay for others to reproduce somebody's art and slap the name "Lost Wackys" across the package.)  And then for Hanks to retaliate and come back at you in the manner that he did... well, I'd be livid, too, and probably entertain serious thoughts about searching him out and giving him a few whacks upside the head with a Wiffle ball bat.  (That or driving him out of his mind by signing him up for a hundred magazine subscriptions, pizza deliveries, anonymous complaint letters from neighbors, etc., etc., etc..)

Art forgery has been going on for centuries and will continue to go on for centuries to come.  And there really is no way around it.  It can be made more difficult, however.  Is Topps policing the playing field, however?  No.  (When I say Topps, I mean the few individuals making the ultimate final decisions, not the peripheral artists and concept writers.)  Did Topps crack down on the Lost Wackys?  No.  They're still out there.  One can bid on them this very second.  The only thing that was cracked down upon was the shilling, and this was done by eBay. To be honest, I wonder if Topps really cares that much about Wacky Packages at all?  I see little or no active promotion (yet I receive baseball card promotions everyday.)  More often than not, WP are not their own separate entity any longer, but instead lumped under the GPK banner.  I'd even go so far as to say that if you and a few other people didn't push for Wackys, there would probably be little or no Wackys at all.  In fact, I would bet money on this (and I'm not a betting man.)  Again, Topps really doesn't seem to care.  Wackys are not something even left on the back burner, but rather in a bowl in the back of the fridge.

A couple towns over from me, there is a small community with a revitalized "Main Street."  Rather than let it languish, though, the town actively fosters and promotes businesses and events.  They show films in the park, have a weekend farmer's market, close off streets and hold book signing events, have parades, and hold concerts in a glorious old theater with a stained glass ceiling (to name but a few things.)  I have attended many concerts there - Kansas, Jethro Tull, Renaissance, America - as well as frequent many of the community shops.  The streets are well-lit, free of trash and graffiti, and well-policed.  Sound familiar?  One finds these revitalized towns scattered along the east coast.  What's more, I spend my money there.

However, what if this town stopped caring?  What if they no longer promoted and hosted events?  What if they no longer were proactive, but rather looked the other way and focused on other interests?  All too soon, the town would become a veritable shit hole.  What's more, you would have more of a criminal element moving in.  This is the kind of "void" I am referring to.  If Topps refuses to be proactive when it comes to Wackys - I mean, fully embrace Wackys and give them equal attention as any other of their franchises - then they should expect the rats to come out of the woodwork.  Its inevitable.  I'm not saying that creeps like Jason Hanks are justified in doing what they're doing - not at all.  But apathy is only paving the way for just such people to operate freely and unfettered.

Topps should be embracing your sets, Neil Camera's sets, and any other artist who wishes to contribute a decent set.  Topps should be embracing the elements that made Wackys strong, great, and funny back in the 70s, as well as their millennium renaissance.  Topps should be putting Wackys back in loaves of bread and cereal boxes.  (As a teacher who hands out Wackys as incentives, I can tell you that my kids love them.  Yet how on earth would my kids even know about them if it wasn't for me handing them out?  It's not as if there are any advertisements for them.  It's not as if they walk into Walmart or Target and spot a placard stating, "Hey, kids!  Wacky Packages right this way!")  Topps should be making deals with retailers and cereal companies to manufacture exclusive boxes: "Frosted Flakes" featured on one side; "Frosted Snakes" featured on the the other.  Topps should be licensing mini plastic figures of WP characters.  Unlike Disney, most companies do not have a problem with WP.  They are free advertising.  Again, FREE ADVERTISING.  I could be mistaken, but I would think that Pepsi would definitely embrace a limited edition "Pupsi" can.  It would make people warmly laugh and smile.  It would place their product directly into people's hands (and the people's money directly into Pepsi's coffers.)  Topps should also be actively protecting their property and going after the bootleggers and forgers.

And yet, Topps isn't doing any of this.  Instead, we get pink borders (golly gee whiz!) or medallions or relics that 99.9% of kids cannot even afford.  I am not a businessman or mathematician, however I would think that millions of kids would equate to millions of dollars (even if every kid only parted with one dollar.)

Again, what child cares about the following?  Why would they care about it?



Seriously?  What adult cares about it either?  I, for one, don't.  It's not as if it has mass market appeal.

And I really don't believe that Topps gives a shit, either.  And when you don't give a shit, that's when things start to fall apart.

Rob

By the way, looking forward to your next set.  At least a few people still care.  Thank you.

This should go out as an open letter to Topps Staff. Well said! 

Offline bandaches

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Re: LOST WACKYS
« Reply #228 on: June 24, 2018, 05:44:59 AM »
Hey, real quick on just a couple of these things, you are speaking on a few things in this that you really don't know some facts on so I will fill you in on it a bit. Topps did go after the Lost Wackys. They keep changing their names and putting them up. They are going after them again. Someone here tipped them off and I ended up getting a phone call from Topps a number of months back asking me if some of my art was being used. So someone there is on it.

Also, it's a two way street for advertising. You can't just stick your cards into loaves of bread or into cereal if those companies don't want you. Topps has a ton of licenses going for GPK right now with more coming. Wacky Packs is a much tougher license. I'm sure Topps would love to do any of that you mentioned and so much more. Someone else is going to have to want to get that license and feel they can make money off it.
How do you know someone from here tipped them off?  Many of you artists who have been working for Topps and have been well aware of their activities hadn't said anything to Topps all this time?  My opinion is that topps and its employees have been so lax in enforcing the copyright that they have invited this infringement.
Contact me at bandaches@yahoo.com as I have tons of wackys for sale!  Visit my website http://www.wackypackage.com/

Offline Baked Bears

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Re: LOST WACKYS
« Reply #229 on: June 24, 2018, 06:16:04 AM »
Hey, real quick on just a couple of these things, you are speaking on a few things in this that you really don't know some facts on so I will fill you in on it a bit. Topps did go after the Lost Wackys. They keep changing their names and putting them up. They are going after them again. Someone here tipped them off and I ended up getting a phone call from Topps a number of months back asking me if some of my art was being used. So someone there is on it.

Also, it's a two way street for advertising. You can't just stick your cards into loaves of bread or into cereal if those companies don't want you. Topps has a ton of licenses going for GPK right now with more coming. Wacky Packs is a much tougher license. I'm sure Topps would love to do any of that you mentioned and so much more. Someone else is going to have to want to get that license and feel they can make money off it.

You are right.  I don't know all of the facts - and thanks for enlightening me.  I can only go by what I see and hear in the world around me, as well as this forum.  Yes, I now remember you mentioning getting a phone call.  However, if you know who is changing their eBay name, and I know who is changing their eBay name, I doubt it would take any real effort for Topps to figure out who is changing their eBay name.  And yet, they are still operating.  Whats more, they are expanding.  Along with "Lost Series 3," there is now Lord knows how many "Box" series, as well as the brand new "Lost Series 4!"



And as they expand, they keep crossing this line and that line.  They outright stole George Wright's "Miracle Warp."  Greed knows no bounds.  And now other - entirely different - vendors are auctioning "Lost Wacky" cards.  And now we have Jason Hanks stealing your art, as well.  Dude, with all due respect, this shit isn't stopping - it's growing and growing.  If you get enough forged sketch cards out there, I would think the value of all sketch cards would decrease.  That, or people will become hesitant about buying sketch cards.  And where is this going to put you?  Not a pretty place.  Think about it.  Granted, people can play it safe and only buy sketch cards from Topps.  But most of these people are dealers who are expecting to resell the cards.  And who are they going to sell them to?  Me?  Why would I buy them if I have doubts as to their legitimacy?  I would suggest that Topps do something more such as applying a small holographic label to each sketch card.  This may not stop the forgery, but it would make it more of a pain in the ass for the forgers.

I would also suggest that Topps actively pursue licensing arrangements as opposed to sitting on their ass.  You're absolutely right.  Topps cannot cram a Wacky into every loaf of bread or cereal box at whim.  But you know what, though?  Bread and cereal companies aren't going to come to Topps.  We could wait a hundred years, and this probably wouldn't happen.  Instead, Topps should approach them: Bread, cereal, candy, cookie, snack, ice cream (to name but a few) companies - any company that manufactures food that a child would eagerly cram into his or her mouth (which constitutes a rather sizeable portion of the supermarket.)  In addition, Topps should create a simple mythology or back story for the Wacky characters - similar to what was done with the McDonald's characters or Freakies back in the day.  Also, if Topps were to have cards in, say, cereal boxes, why not assign point values to the different cards - 10 points, 25 points, etc.?  Just a small number in a circle, nothing more.  And what would kids do with this information?  They'd come up with rules and invent their own games.  Wackys would now serve another purpose - besides simply being looked at and/or bound with rubberbands.  Lastly, as part of this, reissue - or update - some of the older ANS titles.  If Topps, indeed, is targeting the 8 - 10 year old group (which sometimes I strongly doubt,) why not reissue or update "Frosted Snakes" - being this title was issued before the 8 - 10 year old group was even born?  In other words, issue a cereal box set of attention-getting older cards (which most kids have never seen) featuring familiar, iconic characters, as well as some new cards (for old farts such as myself.)

I don't believe that Topps is doing nothing.  Instead, I believe they could be doing much, much more.
« Last Edit: June 24, 2018, 06:18:52 AM by Baked Bears »

Offline Fanatical_and_Sickly

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Re: LOST WACKYS
« Reply #230 on: June 24, 2018, 07:23:38 AM »
And as they expand, they keep crossing this line and that line.  They outright stole George Wright's "Miracle Warp."  Greed knows no bounds.  And now other - entirely different - vendors are auctioning "Lost Wacky" cards.  And now we have Jason Hanks stealing your art, as well.  Dude, with all due respect, this shit isn't stopping - it's growing and growing.  If you get enough forged sketch cards out there, I would think the value of all sketch cards would decrease. 
just an fyi, but these sketch cards are not just a Jason Hanks thing. "Somebody" (ahem) created a pile of sketch card blanks on old checklist cards, using the well known Wacky typeface and the Jay/Dave toothpaste tube. The look and feel is certainly Old School/Binder puzzle piece. These blanks were farmed out to multiple artists for them to sketch on. I've seen at least four artists now.
Of course, these sketches 'mysteriously' first showed up at the Philly show.

Offline slamjim

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Re: LOST WACKYS
« Reply #231 on: June 24, 2018, 07:32:25 PM »
How do you know someone from here tipped them off?  Many of you artists who have been working for Topps and have been well aware of their activities hadn't said anything to Topps all this time?  My opinion is that topps and its employees have been so lax in enforcing the copyright that they have invited this infringement.

I'm a freelancer not an employee and it's not my job to patrol Ebay for them. With that logic I'd say you and everyone else here also knew about them for a long time and also should be informing them I gave them all the info they asked when they contacted me though. I did tell them about this new guy and his bootlegs if that makes you feel better. No one invites infringement. The person(s) doing the infringing are ALWAYS in the wrong.

The only person at Topps I speak to is the editor, Colin Walton and this stuff isn't in his job description either. This is strictly the law department at Topps responsibility.

Offline bandaches

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Re: LOST WACKYS
« Reply #232 on: June 25, 2018, 03:38:34 AM »
I'm a freelancer not an employee and it's not my job to patrol Ebay for them. With that logic I'd say you and everyone else here also knew about them for a long time and also should be informing them I gave them all the info they asked when they contacted me though. I did tell them about this new guy and his bootlegs if that makes you feel better. No one invites infringement. The person(s) doing the infringing are ALWAYS in the wrong.

The only person at Topps I speak to is the editor, Colin Walton and this stuff isn't in his job description either. This is strictly the law department at Topps responsibility.
How do you know it was someone from this forum who tipped them off?  I retired from patrolling ebay years ago.  I suspect "someone" is printing fake 1st series ludlows too but again, there is no reward in patrolling for this hobby.  Collectors have no issues with hanging out with scoundrels so the bar is set pretty low.  I know of many companies who patrol ebay looking for grey market products of their brands.  It is one of the most popular places to move stuff.  If Topps needs to be tipped off on obvious infringement of their copyrights on ebay, then they don't care or don't have a clue and both are invitations for infringement.  Obviously I am not using the word "invite" in the proactive sense.  topps has allowed the wild west to settle so it is the wild west we have.
Contact me at bandaches@yahoo.com as I have tons of wackys for sale!  Visit my website http://www.wackypackage.com/

Offline bandaches

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Re: LOST WACKYS
« Reply #233 on: June 25, 2018, 03:45:06 AM »
I'm a freelancer not an employee and it's not my job to patrol Ebay for them. With that logic I'd say you and everyone else here also knew about them for a long time and also should be informing them I gave them all the info they asked when they contacted me though. I did tell them about this new guy and his bootlegs if that makes you feel better. No one invites infringement. The person(s) doing the infringing are ALWAYS in the wrong.

The only person at Topps I speak to is the editor, Colin Walton and this stuff isn't in his job description either. This is strictly the law department at Topps responsibility.
Wouldn't free lancers have a vested interest in wanting to report this stuff to topps? It can only hurt free lancers if all money waiting to be spent on wackys is spent on fraudulent wackys.  Less money spent on real wackys means fewer projects for the free lancers. Somebody must be getting a kickback here as topps is being too blatantly stupid and careless about this.
Contact me at bandaches@yahoo.com as I have tons of wackys for sale!  Visit my website http://www.wackypackage.com/

Offline RawGoo

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Re: LOST WACKYS
« Reply #234 on: June 25, 2018, 05:33:08 AM »
How do you know it was someone from this forum who tipped them off?  I retired from patrolling ebay years ago.  I suspect "someone" is printing fake 1st series ludlows too but again, there is no reward in patrolling for this hobby.  Collectors have no issues with hanging out with scoundrels so the bar is set pretty low.  I know of many companies who patrol ebay looking for grey market products of their brands.  It is one of the most popular places to move stuff.  If Topps needs to be tipped off on obvious infringement of their copyrights on ebay, then they don't care or don't have a clue and both are invitations for infringement.  Obviously I am not using the word "invite" in the proactive sense.  topps has allowed the wild west to settle so it is the wild west we have.

While I wait for some of the PSA Wackys I am missing to show up at reasonable prices, I had been considering pursuing some ludlow auctions, but, being unable to be sure they aren't recent fakes, I decided to buy some Rittenhouse Archives cards instead.  While this doesn't impact Topps' bottom line, concerns of fakes could hurt the value of legitimate ludlows on the secondary market.

Offline Bigmuc13

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Re: LOST WACKYS
« Reply #235 on: June 25, 2018, 05:59:44 AM »
While I wait for some of the PSA Wackys I am missing to show up at reasonable prices, I had been considering pursuing some ludlow auctions, but, being unable to be sure they aren't recent fakes, I decided to buy some Rittenhouse Archives cards instead.  While this doesn't impact Topps' bottom line, concerns of fakes could hurt the value of legitimate ludlows on the secondary market.

There have been a few auctions recently on ebay that have had 1st series black luds for sale that looked almost too nice.  You have to wonder about NM copies of these showing up for sale.  It stinks that we have to worry about buying authentic pieces now with technology making it easier and easier to produce high level fakes that are really hard to distinguish from authentic copies.
Still looking for Series 17

Offline RawGoo

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Re: LOST WACKYS
« Reply #236 on: June 25, 2018, 06:34:08 AM »
There have been a few auctions recently on ebay that have had 1st series black luds for sale that looked almost too nice.  You have to wonder about NM copies of these showing up for sale.  It stinks that we have to worry about buying authentic pieces now with technology making it easier and easier to produce high level fakes that are really hard to distinguish from authentic copies.

Series 2 blacks and reds, also.  A lot of slightly OC cards, or cards with tilt, but clean and with good corners, are suddenly showing up with ludlow backs.  Too good to be true, and now I won't buy any ludlows, not even graded ones, because stuff slips past PSA.  Like you said, technology has made it a lot easier to produce high level fakes, and I'm actually now even wary of graded cards with recent PSA numbers. 

Offline Baked Bears

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Re: LOST WACKYS
« Reply #237 on: June 25, 2018, 10:26:14 AM »
See?  More and more, this nonsense is proving detrimental to the hobby.

Offline NationalSpittoon

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Re: LOST WACKYS
« Reply #238 on: June 25, 2018, 10:46:39 AM »
See?  More and more, this nonsense is proving detrimental to the hobby.

Anyone who prints fakes can do it. I don't care. They get to live with the guilt of making money off of collectors who don't know any better. If you have pointed it out, let the world know. These frauds who print fakes won't make any money. They'll realize what they've done. And, guess what? Why would they print any more? Anyone who actually bids on these fakes is uneducated and not a real collector.

Offline Baked Bears

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Re: LOST WACKYS
« Reply #239 on: June 25, 2018, 01:45:20 PM »
Anyone who prints fakes can do it. I don't care. They get to live with the guilt of making money off of collectors who don't know any better. If you have pointed it out, let the world know. These frauds who print fakes won't make any money. They'll realize what they've done. And, guess what? Why would they print any more? Anyone who actually bids on these fakes is uneducated and not a real collector.

But they are making money.  Lots of it!  Why should they stop?

And I highly doubt they are feeling guilty as they saunter along to the bank with a big s--- eating grin plastered across their faces as they think about taking a cruise come August.  You are I might feel guilty if we pulled such a stunt, but others?  Well, some people don't feel a thing, especially pity or remorse (just like the Terminator!)

And uneducated collectors - say, like newbies - deserve to be ripped off?  (Well, baptism by fire is one way to learn, I suppose.)  And, hey, remember:  At one time, all of us were uneducated newbies.

-----------------------------

Hey, I've an idea!  We're both creative, right?  Let's create the "lost" 17th Series using Photoshop!  33 spectacular, never-seen-before cards straight out of the pages of history!  If people fall for it, so what?  And if they're smart enough to realize what we did - and we do a superb job (or at least a better job than what was done on some of the PoDs) - so what?  People will buy them anyway!  Guaranteed, within a year you will have so much money that you'll be able to own every original Wacky title - PSA 10!  Or maybe, just maybe, the ever-elusive PSA 11!  Just think of it!

Let's begin with this VHS tape, shall we?



Sincerely yours,

Mephistopheles (formerly known as Baked Bears)
« Last Edit: June 25, 2018, 01:50:03 PM by Baked Bears »

Offline Baked Bears

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Re: LOST WACKYS
« Reply #240 on: June 25, 2018, 01:56:22 PM »
Join me, youngling, and we'll rule the Wacky universe together!



Offline NationalSpittoon

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Re: LOST WACKYS
« Reply #241 on: June 25, 2018, 03:29:28 PM »
But they are making money.  Lots of it!  Why should they stop?

And I highly doubt they are feeling guilty as they saunter along to the bank with a big s--- eating grin plastered across their faces as they think about taking a cruise come August.  You are I might feel guilty if we pulled such a stunt, but others?  Well, some people don't feel a thing, especially pity or remorse (just like the Terminator!)

And uneducated collectors - say, like newbies - deserve to be ripped off?  (Well, baptism by fire is one way to learn, I suppose.)  And, hey, remember:  At one time, all of us were uneducated newbies.

-----------------------------

Hey, I've an idea!  We're both creative, right?  Let's create the "lost" 17th Series using Photoshop!  33 spectacular, never-seen-before cards straight out of the pages of history!  If people fall for it, so what?  And if they're smart enough to realize what we did - and we do a superb job (or at least a better job than what was done on some of the PoDs) - so what?  People will buy them anyway!  Guaranteed, within a year you will have so much money that you'll be able to own every original Wacky title - PSA 10!  Or maybe, just maybe, the ever-elusive PSA 11!  Just think of it!

Let's begin with this VHS tape, shall we?



Sincerely yours,

Mephistopheles (formerly known as Baked Bears)

All seriousness aside, that's actually an awesome parody.

What about Salem's Lot...? Salem's Bot??

Offline Baked Bears

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Re: LOST WACKYS
« Reply #242 on: June 25, 2018, 07:29:58 PM »
Works for me!

Offline bigtomi

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Re: LOST WACKYS
« Reply #243 on: June 26, 2018, 03:43:29 PM »
that's actually an awesome parody.
I agree. I think I'd just extend the tag line under the one that's there: "by scaring the devil outta you!"

Offline bandaches

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Re: LOST WACKYS
« Reply #244 on: June 26, 2018, 06:50:56 PM »
There have been a few auctions recently on ebay that have had 1st series black luds for sale that looked almost too nice.  You have to wonder about NM copies of these showing up for sale.  It stinks that we have to worry about buying authentic pieces now with technology making it easier and easier to produce high level fakes that are really hard to distinguish from authentic copies.
Buy one and check it out with a loupe....I am hearing there are fakes being printed by someone.  That is not infringement, that is fraud.  I hope finally someone who deserves it, goes to jail....
Contact me at bandaches@yahoo.com as I have tons of wackys for sale!  Visit my website http://www.wackypackage.com/