Trading Card Company Ratings/Opinions

Vargaman · 05-09-2018, 02:14 PM

So I'm curious after the Black Panther checklist drop and those comments and then Topps general consensus about sticker autos and such, what card company is truly getting it right?

It seems for Topps the pros are the rare signers, but the cons are they're limited and on stickers. Also way too many sets released per year.

For Upper Deck it seems they can no longer get the top tier signers and the box value isn't there, but the sketches are typically really nice (although all over the place in terms of subjects versus confined to a set/character) and they have gotten the big signers before.

What I'm not familiar with is Rittenhouse, Panini and Cryptozoic.

So I guess, if you have to funnel everything down to one manufacturer or alternatively had to remove one form the market, who would it be?

StevieV · 05-09-2018, 02:44 PM

All of the companies have issues but my 2 favorite are Cryptozoic and Rittenhouse. My biggest complaint against Rittenhouse is the incentives, which I'm not a fan of to put it mildly. Put all the cards in the packs and let each set stand on it's own merits. If box busting was more worthwhile to collectors prices would go up and dealers wouldn't need to rely on incentives to make back their money (while simultaneously dumping what's in said boxes). Cryptozoic would probably be my number one pick if they put more than one autograph per box. Pulling eight or nine $5-$10 autographs of a $800 case isn't too much fun. If they inserted autographs at 2-3 per box like Rittenhouse does, I would put them on top. But those complaints aside, they are still the two best companies to me. I won't even get into Upper Deck or Topps.

kerg · 05-09-2018, 02:50 PM

UD and Topps aren't my favorite, but doesn't mean I want them gone. They all serve a purpose in the marketplace. Competition for your collecting dollars isn't a bad thing.

Maybe the checklists aren't the greatest sometimes, but there is absolutely nothing forcing me to spend money on any product. If it is a dud, I'll pass and spend my money on something else. If the product cost goes to a point where I'm ok with opening, I'll get it.

Cryptozoic is my favorite, but wish they would try something different with cards sometimes (to UD's credit, at least they try different things with cards). I like Rittenhouse from a collecting standpoint, but from a opening standpoint, I find it very boring to open their product.

robomole · 05-09-2018, 02:52 PM

Getting it Right: Rittenhouse and Cryptozoic

If I had to choose an overall favorite it has to be Rittenhouse. They are the definition of consistency when it comes to overall quality. Clean beautiful cards with on card autos and great relics. Their sketches are limited and top notch, how they should be. They always get top signers and you never have to worry about dud sets. My one and only complaint is Archive Exclusive cards and Incentives. While I understand and appreciate their purpose, I think some should be pack inserted so the best cards are in packs in at least in some capacity.

Cryptozoic is also awesome with on card and great looking autograph cards. Sometimes they have trouble getting the top signers but overall they put out great stuff. Their price point can be a bit high for what you get but the cards are so cool I can deal with it. More hits per box are definitely needed though. My only big fat gripe is that they do nothing with the DC Films license. I don't care whether you love or hate the films or if you're a Marvel or DC fanboy. Some Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, film cards are much needed and I feel it's a huge waste of an opportunity that's hard to ignore.

Getting it Meh: Panini, Topps, and Leaf

Panini puts out perfectly adequate trading card sets but they don't every really knock anyones socks off.

Topps is a massive company and I appreciate their efforts with the licenses they get. You can't dispute they get good signers. But they make a lot of misguided decisions and flood the market with their sticker autos, sketches, and manufactured junk. But they choose their licenses so wisely they get away with it. People will buy it no matter what.

Leaf is always hit or miss. Some products are great, some are meh, some are bad. But they get some high quality unique signers. Sometimes it's the same signers over and over, but they throw in some surprises and top names and make some cool products.

Getting it Wrong: Upper Deck

Just go to the Black Panther thread to see the long list of issues with this company. Missing hits and the hits that are there, are manufactured garbage, lame sticker autos from a poor list of signers, and relics containing authentic swatches of material that may or may not have been ordered from the same linen company the costume designer shopped at. Now you see the best hits coming from e-pack and it makes you wonder why you buy boxes at all. The sad thing is they used to put out decent stuff. The original Thor set is one of my all time favorites. Dark World and Avengers 1 were also great. But the signer list just kept shrinking as time went on and the quality dropped overall significantly. When you compare their cards to Rittenhouse's Iron Man and Agents of Shield sets it's really sad imagining what could have been if they still held the license. Shame on me because I still buy their stuff. I like Marvel too much not to, but it's hardly ever a pleasant experience. I just wonder how I'm gonna get screwed over this time. It would be an easy pick to vote Upper Deck off the Island.

Sharard · 05-09-2018, 03:19 PM

Upper Deck does a decent job on sets that are not based on movies, marvel masterpiece type sets. You also need look how much has changed in last few years with Disney basically taking over the 2 biggest IPs with Marvel and Star Wars .

So I agree the two mentioned do great jobs with tv stuff and I’m sure lot easier to get autos and relic type stuff. I mean look at upper decks daredevil.. it’s Tv and upper deck was able to get a great assortment of autos. Probably cause it was just more accessible.

Not making excuses but it’s plain to see, once Disney took over, both these IPs have suffered.

Vargaman · 05-09-2018, 03:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sharard

Upper Deck does a decent job on sets that are not based on movies, marvel masterpiece type sets. You also need look how much has changed in last few years with Disney basically taking over the 2 biggest IPs with Marvel and Star Wars .

So I agree the two mentioned do great jobs with tv stuff and I’m sure lot easier to get autos and relic type stuff. I mean look at upper decks daredevil.. it’s Tv and upper deck was able to get a great assortment of autos. Probably cause it was just more accessible.

Not making excuses but it’s plain to see, once Disney took over, both these IPs have suffered.

It is true about Disney. Now, perhaps both Topps and Hasbro had employee turnover once Disney acquired Star Wars, but I noticed huge differences in quality since they took over.

The Star Wars toys took huge steps backwards, but I believe two of the main Hasbro people had left and that was a partial reason, but then again you're telling me that if the head chef leaves the kitchen, no one else can follow a recipe?

I almost feel like we need someone years form now to do a card podcast and talk to people off the record/anonymously from these big companies and explain the whole process in detail.

That, or I'd like a kickstarter type set-up where if they meet thresholds they include more content, so it'd start with a base set, then movie relics, then sketches, and finally on-card autos (arguably the most expensive part of the set).

gdelan1 · 05-09-2018, 03:29 PM

I'd say that Rittenhouse & Cryptozoic ste the best right now, and I'd rank them in that order, mainly because of the # of hits per box. I think crypto is going to kill with the Rick & Morty license, and there hasn't been a better value per box than the recent star trek beyond set from RH.

Topps is doing what Topps has done for decades in the sports card market, flood it with many multiple sets, devaluing the cards by sheer quantity.

I like the leaf pop century products, both the pictures and the cards, but it's pretty obvious they are targeting the breaker side of the business. The archive boxes over at Rittenhouse are there for the same purpose.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

northwellguy · 05-09-2018, 03:57 PM

IMHO....

I really liked Inkworks a lot

Yes, I know they are out of the biz

I also really liked Breygent
Yes, I know they are out of the biz

Rittenhouse (scifihobby) is great but unless it's Star Trek they don't seem to really do anything anymore

Cryptozoic's quality has dipped the last few years but still have some decent licenses - I think losing the Walking Dead licence was great for them and maybe allow them to expand some more instead of focussing on that set all the time

Leaf is good but they use stickers and they are way overpriced

Allen & Ginter is very niche but some good stuff can be found

Topps I don't like due to all the sticker autos, overpriced and overwhelming Star Wars sets that have flooded the market and their designs often look amateurish

UD is absolute trash

1992UDFootball · 05-09-2018, 04:16 PM

Panini is slowly ruining the sport's card collecting side of things by keeping price tags high on anything really worth a damn and watering it the hell down with parallels and secondary sets. Their QC is the absolute worst; nothing like getting a fairly hot RPA for it to have chipped corners, foil damage, smudged auto, and/or tearing issues. I've all but stopped buying their products, barely bought anything of theirs this year really. Panini is the damn devil, Bobby Boucher. Still waiting on RPAs from 2014, so redemptions are an issue.

Topps has some nice stuff but they've gone well overboard with Star Wars, to the point they seem to be reusing photos and whatnot a lot. WWE Undisputed seems to be a consistently good product and I enjoyed UFC Chrome. Redemptions are an issue.

Upper Deck seems to be in a downward spiral as of late. On top of the boneheaded things they're doing with the movie releases they did some weird stuff with Premier this last go'round. There are some bad "artists" in the product, folks that have no business being in something as "premier" or perhaps something with such a price tag. I'm concerned that this year's Marvel Masterpieces will be more of the same, with blind 3rd graders having their scribbles approved in a product that will command a price that's more deserving of quality sketches. The Premier Busts were hot garbage as well.

Haven't bought a lot of Rittenhouse, but from what I have of their Star Trek releases I've enjoyed the products.

Out of those four Rittenhouse may be the better of the four, then Topps slides in, Panini is a somewhat sleek total waste of money, and Upper Deck is turning into a dumpster fire.

gerry609 · 05-09-2018, 04:34 PM

All i can say to Rittenhouse is....."if you insert it, they will come".

finfangfan · 05-09-2018, 07:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gerry609

All i can say to Rittenhouse is....."if you insert it, they will come".

Yeah... I love Avengers Silver Age, but in general I think Rittenhouse business strategy is shortsighted by their reliance on archive boxes and multicase incentives. If your business model is to sell a lot to a few, then it seems like you aren’t making an effort. By holding back the biggest hits as incentives, they seem to be shooting themselves in the foot.

At any rate, Avengers Silver Age was fun!

Vargaman · 05-09-2018, 08:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gerry609

All i can say to Rittenhouse is....."if you insert it, they will come".

That's what she said hahahaha

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

star wars hit tracker spreadsheet
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets...t?usp=drivesdk

nabzy28 · 05-09-2018, 09:29 PM

Cryptozoic is the only non-sports that I buy from distributors or the online stores any more. If the Rick & Morty sketch odds don't reappear at 1:16, or better, when they finalize, I may be done with them as well. They solicited the product at 1:16. As for the rest, Rittenhouse seems to do well with most products, but I haven't bought anything from them since the 1:box Marvel sketch stuff. UD, haven't touched anything of theirs since about Thor: Dark World. Rarely buy Topps anymore, even SW. Not even throwing money at Masterwork this year. Almost can't even give away parallels, inserts from that anymore. It's a dying franchise, in its current incarnation.

Wolf8MeVillie · 05-09-2018, 09:41 PM

There was actually a NASCAR racing company, Press Pass Inc, that had a few non sports sets. They by far had some of the best relic and autograph ideas. Almost all of their products were on card autographs, they had absolutely amazing customer service, and fair prices. I miss that company and what it brought to the table. I am so over the over production on Star Wars cards and sticker autographs I stopped collecting Topps and sold everything off. I am lucky to have been able to go the conventions and get almost all the signers in person including Carrie Fisher for a lot less than what her stickers go for now that she is deceased. I am sure Topps has few thousand stickers in stock and will continue to use them to drive up their product prices.

05-09-2018, 02:14 PM	#1
Vargaman Member Join Date: Feb 2014 Location: Milwaukee, WI Posts: 7,095 mikeinator1st	Trading Card Company Ratings/Opinions So I'm curious after the Black Panther checklist drop and those comments and then Topps general consensus about sticker autos and such, what card company is truly getting it right? It seems for Topps the pros are the rare signers, but the cons are they're limited and on stickers. Also way too many sets released per year. For Upper Deck it seems they can no longer get the top tier signers and the box value isn't there, but the sketches are typically really nice (although all over the place in terms of subjects versus confined to a set/character) and they have gotten the big signers before. What I'm not familiar with is Rittenhouse, Panini and Cryptozoic. So I guess, if you have to funnel everything down to one manufacturer or alternatively had to remove one form the market, who would it be? __________________ My FS/FT thread https://www.blowoutforums.com/showthread.php?t=1112127 Star Wars Hit Tracker https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1lqC7BKe5JZs5ucYxt0oa0gRPk1iZ9ISfjfFw0gYB6kI/edit?usp=sharing

05-09-2018, 02:50 PM	#3
kerg Member Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: US Posts: 4,129	UD and Topps aren't my favorite, but doesn't mean I want them gone. They all serve a purpose in the marketplace. Competition for your collecting dollars isn't a bad thing. Maybe the checklists aren't the greatest sometimes, but there is absolutely nothing forcing me to spend money on any product. If it is a dud, I'll pass and spend my money on something else. If the product cost goes to a point where I'm ok with opening, I'll get it. Cryptozoic is my favorite, but wish they would try something different with cards sometimes (to UD's credit, at least they try different things with cards). I like Rittenhouse from a collecting standpoint, but from a opening standpoint, I find it very boring to open their product. Last edited by kerg; 05-09-2018 at 02:53 PM.

05-09-2018, 09:29 PM	#13
nabzy28 Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: In a warehouse of common sense Posts: 7,320 nabzy28	Cryptozoic is the only non-sports that I buy from distributors or the online stores any more. If the Rick & Morty sketch odds don't reappear at 1:16, or better, when they finalize, I may be done with them as well. They solicited the product at 1:16. As for the rest, Rittenhouse seems to do well with most products, but I haven't bought anything from them since the 1:box Marvel sketch stuff. UD, haven't touched anything of theirs since about Thor: Dark World. Rarely buy Topps anymore, even SW. Not even throwing money at Masterwork this year. Almost can't even give away parallels, inserts from that anymore. It's a dying franchise, in its current incarnation. __________________ Sent from my Danger Hiptop T-Mobile Sidekick in 2002

05-09-2018, 02:44 PM	#2
StevieV Member Join Date: Feb 2013 Posts: 881	All of the companies have issues but my 2 favorite are Cryptozoic and Rittenhouse. My biggest complaint against Rittenhouse is the incentives, which I'm not a fan of to put it mildly. Put all the cards in the packs and let each set stand on it's own merits. If box busting was more worthwhile to collectors prices would go up and dealers wouldn't need to rely on incentives to make back their money (while simultaneously dumping what's in said boxes). Cryptozoic would probably be my number one pick if they put more than one autograph per box. Pulling eight or nine $5-$10 autographs of a $800 case isn't too much fun. If they inserted autographs at 2-3 per box like Rittenhouse does, I would put them on top. But those complaints aside, they are still the two best companies to me. I won't even get into Upper Deck or Topps.

05-09-2018, 02:52 PM	#4
robomole Member Join Date: Feb 2015 Location: El Cajon, CA Posts: 1,551 babycitos	Getting it Right: Rittenhouse and Cryptozoic If I had to choose an overall favorite it has to be Rittenhouse. They are the definition of consistency when it comes to overall quality. Clean beautiful cards with on card autos and great relics. Their sketches are limited and top notch, how they should be. They always get top signers and you never have to worry about dud sets. My one and only complaint is Archive Exclusive cards and Incentives. While I understand and appreciate their purpose, I think some should be pack inserted so the best cards are in packs in at least in some capacity. Cryptozoic is also awesome with on card and great looking autograph cards. Sometimes they have trouble getting the top signers but overall they put out great stuff. Their price point can be a bit high for what you get but the cards are so cool I can deal with it. More hits per box are definitely needed though. My only big fat gripe is that they do nothing with the DC Films license. I don't care whether you love or hate the films or if you're a Marvel or DC fanboy. Some Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, film cards are much needed and I feel it's a huge waste of an opportunity that's hard to ignore. Getting it Meh: Panini, Topps, and Leaf Panini puts out perfectly adequate trading card sets but they don't every really knock anyones socks off. Topps is a massive company and I appreciate their efforts with the licenses they get. You can't dispute they get good signers. But they make a lot of misguided decisions and flood the market with their sticker autos, sketches, and manufactured junk. But they choose their licenses so wisely they get away with it. People will buy it no matter what. Leaf is always hit or miss. Some products are great, some are meh, some are bad. But they get some high quality unique signers. Sometimes it's the same signers over and over, but they throw in some surprises and top names and make some cool products. Getting it Wrong: Upper Deck Just go to the Black Panther thread to see the long list of issues with this company. Missing hits and the hits that are there, are manufactured garbage, lame sticker autos from a poor list of signers, and relics containing authentic swatches of material that may or may not have been ordered from the same linen company the costume designer shopped at. Now you see the best hits coming from e-pack and it makes you wonder why you buy boxes at all. The sad thing is they used to put out decent stuff. The original Thor set is one of my all time favorites. Dark World and Avengers 1 were also great. But the signer list just kept shrinking as time went on and the quality dropped overall significantly. When you compare their cards to Rittenhouse's Iron Man and Agents of Shield sets it's really sad imagining what could have been if they still held the license. Shame on me because I still buy their stuff. I like Marvel too much not to, but it's hardly ever a pleasant experience. I just wonder how I'm gonna get screwed over this time. It would be an easy pick to vote Upper Deck off the Island.

05-09-2018, 03:19 PM	#5
Sharard Member Join Date: Feb 2014 Posts: 2,638	Upper Deck does a decent job on sets that are not based on movies, marvel masterpiece type sets. You also need look how much has changed in last few years with Disney basically taking over the 2 biggest IPs with Marvel and Star Wars . So I agree the two mentioned do great jobs with tv stuff and I’m sure lot easier to get autos and relic type stuff. I mean look at upper decks daredevil.. it’s Tv and upper deck was able to get a great assortment of autos. Probably cause it was just more accessible. Not making excuses but it’s plain to see, once Disney took over, both these IPs have suffered.

05-09-2018, 03:29 PM	#7
gdelan1 Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Evans, GA Posts: 9,181 soldier_79 gdelan1	I'd say that Rittenhouse & Cryptozoic ste the best right now, and I'd rank them in that order, mainly because of the # of hits per box. I think crypto is going to kill with the Rick & Morty license, and there hasn't been a better value per box than the recent star trek beyond set from RH. Topps is doing what Topps has done for decades in the sports card market, flood it with many multiple sets, devaluing the cards by sheer quantity. I like the leaf pop century products, both the pictures and the cards, but it's pretty obvious they are targeting the breaker side of the business. The archive boxes over at Rittenhouse are there for the same purpose. Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

05-09-2018, 03:57 PM	#8
northwellguy Banned Join Date: Dec 2014 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 1,077 northwellguy	IMHO.... I really liked Inkworks a lot Yes, I know they are out of the biz I also really liked Breygent Yes, I know they are out of the biz Rittenhouse (scifihobby) is great but unless it's Star Trek they don't seem to really do anything anymore Cryptozoic's quality has dipped the last few years but still have some decent licenses - I think losing the Walking Dead licence was great for them and maybe allow them to expand some more instead of focussing on that set all the time Leaf is good but they use stickers and they are way overpriced Allen & Ginter is very niche but some good stuff can be found Topps I don't like due to all the sticker autos, overpriced and overwhelming Star Wars sets that have flooded the market and their designs often look amateurish UD is absolute trash

05-09-2018, 04:16 PM	#9
1992UDFootball Member Join Date: Nov 2016 Posts: 698	Panini is slowly ruining the sport's card collecting side of things by keeping price tags high on anything really worth a damn and watering it the hell down with parallels and secondary sets. Their QC is the absolute worst; nothing like getting a fairly hot RPA for it to have chipped corners, foil damage, smudged auto, and/or tearing issues. I've all but stopped buying their products, barely bought anything of theirs this year really. Panini is the damn devil, Bobby Boucher. Still waiting on RPAs from 2014, so redemptions are an issue. Topps has some nice stuff but they've gone well overboard with Star Wars, to the point they seem to be reusing photos and whatnot a lot. WWE Undisputed seems to be a consistently good product and I enjoyed UFC Chrome. Redemptions are an issue. Upper Deck seems to be in a downward spiral as of late. On top of the boneheaded things they're doing with the movie releases they did some weird stuff with Premier this last go'round. There are some bad "artists" in the product, folks that have no business being in something as "premier" or perhaps something with such a price tag. I'm concerned that this year's Marvel Masterpieces will be more of the same, with blind 3rd graders having their scribbles approved in a product that will command a price that's more deserving of quality sketches. The Premier Busts were hot garbage as well. Haven't bought a lot of Rittenhouse, but from what I have of their Star Trek releases I've enjoyed the products. Out of those four Rittenhouse may be the better of the four, then Topps slides in, Panini is a somewhat sleek total waste of money, and Upper Deck is turning into a dumpster fire.

05-09-2018, 04:34 PM	#10
gerry609 Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Planet Earth Posts: 2,211	All i can say to Rittenhouse is....."if you insert it, they will come".

05-09-2018, 09:41 PM	#14
Wolf8MeVillie Member Join Date: May 2014 Posts: 1,399	There was actually a NASCAR racing company, Press Pass Inc, that had a few non sports sets. They by far had some of the best relic and autograph ideas. Almost all of their products were on card autographs, they had absolutely amazing customer service, and fair prices. I miss that company and what it brought to the table. I am so over the over production on Star Wars cards and sticker autographs I stopped collecting Topps and sold everything off. I am lucky to have been able to go the conventions and get almost all the signers in person including Carrie Fisher for a lot less than what her stickers go for now that she is deceased. I am sure Topps has few thousand stickers in stock and will continue to use them to drive up their product prices.