World of HP in 3D -- 2nd Edition

[Guest]

[sfmuggle]

I believe Topps has done that with a number of their products where they've included the film director or creator of story. 

Auto of the directors would at least be different than what we've seen from Artbox and a nice addition to boot.  But I still keep praying for autos from the cast members who haven't signed (Robbie Coltrane, Alan Rickman & Emma Thompson).  Guess I better keep 

[Bryanjs14]

Yep! Topps and Inkworks have BOTH done director autographs (Guiermo Del Toro from Hellboy, Mark Steven Johnson from Daredevil just to give an example) and Rittenhouse has Jon Favreau signing for Iron Man in the upcoming set...I would love to see an autograph for each director, because there have been some amazing ones so far

[kbmum]

The rumor is that Robbie Coltrane will never sign for any trading card set.  He was approached for a James Bond set and declined, supposedly because he doesn't believe in people having to spend money to obtain his autograph.

[terryweasley]

That's a nice sentiment.  He obviously lives in his own little world because people do sell the autographs they get from him for free. 

[stoney]

Thanks to everyone who thought my idea was a good one.
I had to have at least one in my lifetime didn't i !.

Timothy Spall hasn't done an auto card yet either has he?. It would be a shame if we don't get him to sign.
And if the rumour about Robbie Coltrane is true then that is going to be a big shame indeed.

[sfmuggle]

The rumor is that Robbie Coltrane will never sign for any trading card set.  He was approached for a James Bond set and declined, supposedly because he doesn't believe in people having to spend money to obtain his autograph.

That's good to know about Robbie Coltrane but, at the same time, a shame too.  Well I'll still hope for Alan Rickman and Emma Thompson (and perhaps Mr. Coltrane will have a change of heart one day).

Keep them comin Stoney 

[stoney]

Keep them comin Stoney 

Sorry sfmuggle...i think that's it....at least for another 20 years

[sfmuggle]

I know it but I can always dream, right? 

[stoney]

I hope you are prepared for plenty of sleep then!.

[erevine]

Potomac distribution is offering presale of the 3d series 2 harry potter cards.

http://www.potomacdist.com/detail.asp?ItemId=potterw3d2b&a=

[Hikarist]

Does anyone know if Tom is taking pre-orders? I e-mailed him a second ago... also, how much are the cases (I realize Potomac has cases, but don't they raise the price?)

[allender]

Yes, Tom is indeed taking pre-orders.  If he doesn't get back to you right away, I'll forward his email to you.

I've always been delighted with Potomac too, but as their biggest customer, Tom has been able to have Artbox "drop ship" direct from California to USA customers, so the shipping component of the price is lower.

(Yaksters have been good in reminding people that this benefit will go away if people start selling things before the official street date.)

[Hikarist]

Thanks for sending the e-mail. I went ahead and ordered a case from him this morning. I just hope they have some other neat autograph inserts (though the two mentioned are pretty neat).

Another reason they may be releasing the second 3D set is that the autograph redemptions for the first set are due in at the end of May. This may give them time to decide what to do with any remainders.  :S

[kbmum]

I don't think the redemptions for the first 3D set have any bearing on the release date for the second set.  Artbox won't take the leftover autos and add them to the second set.  If anything, those extra cards may find their way into the SDCC goodie bags in July (if Artbox does those again this year).

The timing of the 2nd edition is purely financial.  Like any business, Artbox needs money and it can't wait until November's HBP set for an influx of cash from its most successful license.

[Hikarist]

Which brings me to another question... how soon after a movie do the sets come out? I got into the game a little too late with the OOTP set, and would like to pre-order a case this time around...

[kbmum]

The first set for a movie can be released anywhere from a couple of weeks before the movie premiere to a week or so afterward.  Pre-orders start roughly two months before then.  If you use a particular dealer/distributor, you could contact that person in September or so to ask about pre-orders for HBP.

[allender]

The usual "goal" for the cardmakers has been to release the set a week or two before the movie comes out, so that all of the cards can be in stores at the time of the premiere and they can draw on the free advertising the movie provides. In today's world they can cut it closer for a hobby release because so much of the buying is by internet and there's only one or two trucks moving.

Sometimes a movie company will not want any of its key images released before the movie, and if the card company can't find enough material, it might have to release the set on the day of (or just after) the movie. Sometimes the goal date is delayed a bit if the cardmakers didn't receive material for props or costumes early enough. (They have to depend on the amount of attention the movie production is paying them during the rush to edit and print the film.) Artbox will use autograph redemptions, but they won't be happy if they get prop and costume material late. That free advertising can be critical for "counter sales" of boxes and packs. At movie time you'll also see a new flurry of Potter discussions at The Yak Shack.

For the Potter films, where we know there is going to be a first release and then an update set, some of the yowsa images or story spoilers can be held for the update set. Almost always the update sets are scheduled to come out at the same time as the DVD release. More free advertising and renewed fan interest.

But one cool thing about pre-ordering, is you might get your cards and know what's in the movie before everybody else in town has had a chance to see it. You can go to the movie and tell your friends to "Pay attention here, you're gonna love this." You might even be able to share some spoilers after the film, like telling people the barman was Aberforth, revealed by the titling of the OOTP McManus autograph. Book 7 hadn't come out yet, so Jo hadn't confirmed it.

So you have a reasonable prediction that shipping dates won't slip very much for sets that are tied directly to the movie or DVD release. Projected release dates can be tentative for other sets like 3-D, Memorable Moments, etc. The timing depends more on what other sets the company is working on, and a principle (sometimes violated) that they shouldn't be bringing out too many series for the same universe too close together. Like other people have pointed out, as long as Potter sells, Artbox will try to bring out a new specialty set whenever there's a gap before the next movie set or update.

[kbmum]

Promos 1 and 2 have shown up on eBay.

http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-1751-2978-71/1?AID=5463217&PID=1738318&mpre=http%3A%2F%2Fcgi.ebay.com%2Fws%2FeBayISAPI.dll%3FViewItem%26item%3D360046016827

[Bitsy]

Promos 1 and 2 have shown up on eBay.

http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-1751-2978-71/1?AID=5463217&PID=1738318&mpre=http%3A%2F%2Fcgi.ebay.com%2Fws%2FeBayISAPI.dll%3FViewItem%26item%3D360046016827

Those look really good!

I like the idea of getting director/producer autos, in addition to the actors...imagine a JKR auto card! Not that it would ever happen, but what an amazing card that would be. 

[kbmum]

We have a little more info.   Dan, Rupert, and Emma will all sign for the set.  New props will include Draco's lantern and Hedwig's cage.