Signatures on stickers on cards?? huh???

[Guest]

[dellamorte]

Being an avid collector of all autograph cards from Topps, Inkworks, Artbox and Rittenhouse, I must express a major concern. The new Superman and Star Wars series from Topps is a new low in card making. They are no longer signed trading cards, but signed stickers applied to trading cards.
It not only looks ridiculous, but unreliable and an insult to the intelligence of autograph card collectors all over. There's not only not enough room for the signer to sign, but the overall look of the card is very shoddy and thrown together, especially the Evolution ones which used to have nice full signatures in the white areas of the cards. It looks very stupid in my own opinion, but others may disagree. I mean other autograph card collectors out there have to be thinking the same thing...I hope?

It's by far the dumbest idea since their original idea with signature cuts inserted into cards (which they have accidentally sold fakes in the past of Harrison Ford and Mark Hamill). It just looks awful. This marks the end of my buying from Topps. I have 3 complete sets of Trek Skybox cards, full sets of LOTR autograph cards, which I adore, Batman Begins, etc etc. I can't imagine owning these 10 years from now and pulling one out of the sleeve, only for the sticker to pull loose off the card.

I think they took the cheap way out. I'm not a fish, I am not fooled by shiny lures like foil stickers. I want a real signature, on a real card. After all, isn't that what it's always been about? I would have LOVED, and welcomed Superman and Star Wars autograph cards, but now I am out. Good thing this didn't happen with Batman Begins. You seen how large Liam Neeson's signature was? Can you imagine that on a tiny sticker pasted on a card? Even if it does stay on for eternity, it still looks horrible, and not a good example of anybody's signature.

I hope others are thinking the same, and will speak out of their disappointment. For those of us that have complete, or near complete Star Wars Evolution signed cards, well, they will never match again. I just got word from a local card dealer that a lot of people are canceling their orders for these cases. Of this I do not doubt.

You can almost picture little Dan Radcliffe whacking away at a stack of Artbox Harry Potter cards. Ir Liam Neeson signing great signatures on Topps's recent Batman series. If this continues, where's the connection anymore between card and celebrity if they aren't even signing the cards? I am sure some of you are thinking the same, and some probably still aren't even aware of the wool being pulled over.

[Nienna]

Those are all excellent points you raise over these autographed stickers - or 'band-aids' (as they look very like a plaster you'd put over a cut! )
I've seen scans of some of them and I'm not impressed with them in the slightest.

I would hate to have any auto card signed in this manner - is the adhesive archival-safe or will it peel off the card at some future date as you say?
Auto cards are what interest me most in card collecting and I just don't think these cards will be any good and I certainly don't intend buying any.


oh and Welcome to the Yak Shack dellamorte!
Do you have a name you would like to be known by or are you happy with 'della'?

[dellamorte]

I joined just for this point. Been checking this place out for awhile now and things stay cool on this forum. I like that!

Dellamorte is Italian for death, derived from a movie I am fond of called Dellamorte, Dellamore, which means Death and Love (I believe). It's called Cemetery Man here in the states.

Thanks for the input, and the welcome!

[tialessa]

I hate the stickers, but it was pointed out to me that I need to send Topps a letter (not an email) about my displeasure with this idea for nonsports cards...

[EmmasOneandOnly]

If they are sticker then why is this posted on the Topps website



Do you think they had them sign like that then decided the stickers would be more appealing (when apparently they arn't )

[kbmum]

On the Topps site, it says right under the card that it's a prototype and the signature isn't real.  Here's a link to an auction for the actual auto:

http://cgi.ebay.com/TOPPS-SUPERMAN-RETURNS-BRANDON-ROUTH-AUTO-AUTOGRAPH-06_W0QQitemZ6279158662QQcategoryZ219QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

[dellamorte]

I heard the same, which makes it an even bigger thorn. They don't listen to customers like Inkworks and Rittenhouse does. Rittenhouse goes as far as personally responding on their own message boards. Impressive. It's a good thing Rittenhouse picked up the rights to distribute the new X-Men cards, Topps had it last, and had they kept it, we would have teeny tiny little Patrick Stewart signatures on a fingerprinted foil sticker...on a trading card. Woopbee do!

My only fear is this becomes a trend, and I would hate to see other companies follow. If so it will save me loads of cash I guess, because I won't invest in that anymore than I will pay $3000 for a signature cut and placed in a fancy card. It's ignorant.

[EmmasOneandOnly]

On the Topps site, it says right under the card that it's a prototype and the signature isn't real.  Here's a link to an auction for the actual auto:

http://cgi.ebay.com/TOPPS-SUPERMAN-RETURNS-BRANDON-ROUTH-AUTO-AUTOGRAPH-06_W0QQitemZ6279158662QQcategoryZ219QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Must have missed that, thanks

[wedge1977]

This is so sad. I wonder what happened with Topps!?

I am so glad that Topps' LOTR, Batman Begins and X-Men 1&2 auto cards didn't look like this. I have complete auto card sets for these lines, but I wouldn't have bought a single one if they had used signed stickers instead of having the celebs sign the card itself. I was almost done getting all the older Star Wars Evolution and Heritage cards, but now I think I'll just stop and sell what I have. These new cards will simply not fit in with the old look, so why should I continue a set that I will end up hating?  They look like total crap.

As the original post says above, what if they were to peel or start to lift off? I personally find the whole presentation ugly, and to think that I have always liked Topps cards the best for overall design. As long as Topps continues this practice, I for one will stop buying their cards. All I ever really cared about were the autograph and costume cards anyway, and I *was* planning on getting the new Star Wars and Superman cards. Hayden Christensen, Kevin Spacey or not, they can count me out for sure.  I am so glad Rittenhouse, Artbox, and Inkworks have not gone this route!

I wrote to Rittenhouse, Inkworks, and Artbox about this ridiculous subject, and two of the companies wrote me back.

From Artbox:
___________________


Thank you Greg,
 
This will never happen with us!
We would like to keep pride in our products!
 
Thanks again!
 
 
----- Original Message -----
From: -------@-----.com
To: customerservice@artboxent.com
Cc: sales@artboxent.com
Sent: Friday, May 05, 2006 5:43 PM
Subject: concerns from an Auto card fan...


i love the cards that your company does, and the autograph cards are my favorite.  it is these cards that get me to buy any particular series, and i must say, keep up the great work.  i hope that your company will NEVER do what Topps has recently done: they are now having celebrities sign a sticker instead of the actual card.  the sticker is then appplied to the card and it looks like total crap.  i will not buy any series that uses this technique (even though Star Wars and Superman are both great properties).  i understand that it is probably cheaper to go this route (and the company is not "out" any cards if the cards are never returned by the celeb), but as a collector, it looks like little effort has gone into the whole thing, not to mention that the overall look is simply awful as well.  to add further insult to injury, the celebs are now forced to write smaller to fit their autograph into a much smaller area.  please don't change, and you will have a happy customer for life!   
 
 
best,
 
         greg
_____________________________
 
The Rittenhouse president, Steve Charendoff responded to my similar letter with one word: "Thanks".  Seeing as how my last line says that I will be a loyal customer for life if they don't change to the new sticker ways, I assume this is a good response?

Oh, and I almost forgot... I am new to these boards, but as you can tell I am no stranger to autographs and the non-sports market.  I look forward to meeting more of you over the next few months/years!

Well, to close, I sincerely hope that Topps will change their newfound ways. For the time being, at least, I can save a ton of money.


Best,

       Greg

[Nienna]

Welcome to the Yak Shack Greg!!
Several of us are eagerly awaiting the next Harry Potter set - Goblet of Fire Update - due out in the next few weeks by all accounts, so I'm sure we'd all like to hear your views as to how the set looks etc once the case breakdowns start being posted.

I'm glad people are taking the trouble to contact the card manufacturers directly to find out whether they planned on getting their future auto cards done similarly and it's heartening to know the Artbox and Rittenhouse have said 'definitely not'!
I think these sticker autos look horrible - they make the cards look cluttered unnecessarily ... you need a good-sized clear area (if possible) for a crisp signature to be written there. I thought the Superman auto looked really good but it will be ruined if the auto is on a sticker on top of the auto area.

You ask what happened with Topps? They got greedy is what happened .....

Della - glad you came out of lurk-mode to join in the convo ... the natives are friendly and we don't bite ........ much! 

[dellamorte]

I guess we all need to just duck out our window and yell "I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take it anymore!!!!" (from the movie Network, for those of you too young to know) hehe.

[savage727]

Welcome aboard Dellamorte and Wedge1977!      I could not agree more with what everyone here is posting.  In addition to pointing out our displeasure with the companies that are doing this - Topps - I also recommend talking to the owners of the places where you buy your product from and telling them why they will not be seeing your money.  Tell them to tell the distributors or Topps directly that their actions are costing the shop owners money.  If you hurt their bottom line someone is going to listen.

[sketchqueen]

"The Rittenhouse president, Steve Charendoff responded to my similar letter with one word: "Thanks". Seeing as how my last line says that I will be a loyal customer for life if they don't change to the new sticker ways, I assume this is a good response?
"

*lol*  I never saw the email, although as the head of customer service I usually see them all like Kay and Sue (Artbox and Inkworks CS Mgrs), so I'm not sure about the response, but the fact that you got a response is indeed a good thing

Stickers are icky! I say loudly as a collector

[Martyn]

Well, to close, I sincerely hope that Topps will change their newfound ways. For the time being, at least, I can save a ton of money.

I very much douby it. If collectors want the autographs then no matter how bad the card look they will buy it. I dealer on eBay bought a "VERY LARGE" amount of cases of Superman Returns. & with other dealers buying cases. Topp's also did the WWE set with stickers and the new Star Wars. Sales mustn't of been that bad for them as if they where they might of considered scrapping the stickers for the Star Wars set but they havn't.

So they orders and the money must be coming in or Topps would notic something was wrong and change.

I know people arn't very happy with the stickers, but the signer still touched the sticker. & with just signing the cards is there any proof signers actually touch the cards?

I think stickers are kool, sure the auto isnt too big but for $40 a box on most Topps items there cheap enough

[kbmum]

I don't like the look of auto stickers and I worry about the adhesive eventually letting go.  Wouldn't signing on foil also produce more smudged signatures?  I think Topps is forgetting, or more likely doesn't care, that there are differences between sport card collectors and non-sport card collectors.   I'm very glad that the major non-sport manufacturers don't want to go this route.

If enough case orders get cancelled, the dealers will report this to their distributors and Topps.  It won't make a difference for any sets that are currently being produced, but maybe Topps will abandon the practice for other entertainment licenses.

[sketchqueen]

FIRST of all - all those Superman orders were placed before the product was released and therefore noone knew about the stickers beforehand as the solicitation showed actual signatures on cards.

SECONDLY - this statement confuses me :I know people arn't very happy with the stickers, but the signer still touched the sticker. & with just signing the cards is there any proof signers actually touch the cards? :

How can you verify that someone signed a sticker any differently than them signing a card?? Isn't it the same thing, just shinier? And if shiny is what attracts you, I have some lovely aluminum foil in my kitchen that you might like *JUST KIDDING*

[LikORish-Spider]

FIRST of all - all those Superman orders were placed before the product was released and therefore noone knew about the stickers beforehand as the solicitation showed actual signatures on cards.

SECONDLY - this statement confuses me :I know people arn't very happy with the stickers, but the signer still touched the sticker. & with just signing the cards is there any proof signers actually touch the cards? :

How can you verify that someone signed a sticker any differently than them signing a card?? Isn't it the same thing, just shinier? And if shiny is what attracts you, I have some lovely aluminum foil in my kitchen that you might like *JUST KIDDING*

  Correct, they all wore clean white cotton gloves when the signed the cards. 
The jokes on us.

[dellamorte]

I really hate being so negative about the whole ordeal. On a positive note towards topps, I really love their older sets of Batman Begins and Lord Of the Rings. I have nearly all of those.

It's a shame is all I have to say, because the sets they have coming out I would have been all over if it wasn't for those foil stickers. Us card collectors got spoiled, we've had some of the biggest names in show business sign on our cards in the last 3 years. If companies start this kind of garbage, I will bail. I do look forward to Rittenhouse's X Men and Artbox's Harry Potter cards, which I was informed they have no intentions on ever turning to the darkside of sticker signatures. (*sign of relief*).

Thanks for all the great responses and input! Hopefully someone over at Topps hears all this hoopla.

[Roz]

On a positive note towards topps, I really love their older sets of Batman Begins and Lord Of the Rings. I have nearly all of those.

Great stuff. I only got my Liam Neeson auto to complete the set about a month ago

[wedge1977]

<< "The Rittenhouse president, Steve Charendoff responded to my similar letter with one word: "Thanks". Seeing as how my last line says that I will be a loyal customer for life if they don't change to the new sticker ways, I assume this is a good response?
"

*lol*  I never saw the email, although as the head of customer service I usually see them all like Kay and Sue (Artbox and Inkworks CS Mgrs), so I'm not sure about the response, but the fact that you got a response is indeed a good thing 

Stickers are icky! I say loudly as a collector >>


I didn't send the e-mail to customer service but directly to Steve himself, so I guess that explains why you never saw the e-mail.  Sorry about that.  I figured going straight to the horse's mouth was the best approach.  I now have the e-mail address for Topps' president too, so as soon as I shoot off an e-mail to him, I will post it here so others can do the same!   

Thanks, everyone, for making me feel welcome.  I can't believe it took me so long to find a good forum.  The Topps boards seem rather dead, so I am glad to be here.  I am not the most active poster on message boards, but I will try to be around as much as possible. 


Best,

       Greg