Dave, very cool, nice to know the origin of Olds. Also, getting some original art by Jay Lynch was the reason I got back into collecting.
It seems that everyone is saying that they love the formula for Olds, don't change it but we still need to recognize that we're not supporting it enough to keep it going.
I've been spending a lot on Old School since the beginning, partly figuring that it's extra support so they don't stop producing it. But, 10 boxes of Old School 5 with expensive shipping, and then tax on the price and shipping, and then a $20 binder, is apparently no longer enough. And that's considering that they eliminated the cool wax wrappers that came with the early binders.
If Topps had used Star Wreck as the puzzle in Old School 5, I believe many Trek collectors would have wanted that, thus boosting box sales. I put that on Topps as a wasted opportunity.
Of the Old School inserts we've seen so far, I loved the very first 5x7 stickers, and wish they had done the whole set. I also really like the recent die-cut cards. The tattoos were OK, but they don't display well, and I'd rather they drop them and just give us extra base stickers if that would drop the price enough to continue the series.
For the "base" stickers, I can do without the tan backs - my favorites are the white backs, with Ludlows second (although I don't ever again want to deal with camel feet varieties). And, if they want resellers to keep supporting them, they should consider going back to where there are enough puzzle pieces to go with most sets.
Topps has to also realize that they're seriously tapping into the older Wacky collectors' money with their ANS releases with the special collector boxes. If ANS was like it was before, people would have more cash to spend on Old School. When sketches started tanking, they could have used the patches and placks with Old School boxes instead of sketches, and instead of messing with ANS. At least that way, you're linking the material with the older collectors.
Anyway, I feel like I've been doing my best to support Wackys. I'll keep trying, but I really prefer the postcards and Old School sets, and if they want the deeper pockets to keep spending, they might need to reconsider some of their marketing practices. I sincerely hope that they will do this instead of just writing off the brand.