Marvel Masterpieces 1992-2020

[jdandns]

Just sent in my monthly comic preorder and finally went in for a couple of these:
Venom on Venom #31
White Queen on X-men #33
Black Cat on Black Cat/Jackpot #1

Thought about it but passed on the Wolverine found on Madripoor Nights #2.
Thanos, Human Torch, and Cap were available, too. Given there's been this many already, a pretty good chunk of the MM3 set should make it onto these variant covers by the end of the year.

[finfangfan]

Yeah… I think it’s a fun batch of variants. I’ve picked up them all but Kingpin… can’t bring myself to buying Kingpin or Professor X stuff.

[Watchmee]

Originally Posted by FAN4LIFE

This will be a yearly show. So maybe you can attend next year. The Card Art gallery will have a different theme each year.

By the way, this part you quoted is a description of The Marvel Card Archive. Not all that will actually be at the show. LOL

Just coming from the Orlando OAX -- amazing collections and so many great artists under one roof! Probably there will be number of bloggers that are more eloquent than me presenting the expo much better, but for me the Card Art gallery online session with the four 1995 MM artists was the best piece!

Alex

P.S. Got my kitty card signed 2nd time by Adam Kubert so I can take a pic of it next to the original pencil art

[DynaEtch]

Love that Adam Kubert piece and auto!

Im jealous of all who went That gallery of the 4 95MM artists sounds very interesting indeed. One of my fav sets...I so much wish UD could revisit that set with a new Dare to Compare MM set.

Edit: Always thought it was a shame what they did to the Kuberts' art in 1995 X-men Chromium, putting it underneath all that CG coloring/rendering and chrome. Nice to see the raw pencil art.

[finfangfan]

Yeah… that’s a great one!

[DynaEtch]

Originally Posted by BJohns015

Someone on Facebook said he has a full set of the no foil MM93 cards. He showed these 3. Apparently his dad worked for the printing company back in the day and he believes his dad got this set then (maybe stuff QC caught and pulled to prevent being inserted into packs?)

To follow up on this- some neat uncut sheets have been put out there on the market….he has some great stuff (sorry I know some were asking about these, wanted to make a more comprehensive post).

A no foil 93MM base uncut sheet



Closer look at the detail. No foil names or headings on the cards.


Of particular interest to old school marvel card collectors will be the following promo uncut sheets from 1993MM (first I’ve ever seen them). Nslists doesn’t even list them.

She-Hulk prototype uncut sheet (WITH foil)






Also a She-Hulk prototype uncut sheet without the foil.




This she-hulk prototype was given to dealers back then to preview the set, and says prototype on the back. These are the sheets of them. Note you can differentiate the prototype vs regular she hulk from the front: the promo has a green foil name, and gold foil masterpieces at top. The regular has it reversed: gold foil name and green foil masterpieces at top…(or, you could just turn the card over and one is stamped prototype )



The following is an uncut sheet of the promo no # cards, without foil: Daredevil, Venom, and Hulk 2099. Especially interesting about this is it reveals the relatively rarity of the 3 promos: 32 Daredevil : 7 Hulk 2099 : 3 Venom. You can see just how common the Daredevil is compared to the only 3 Venom National convention promos. With Hulk 2099 in between. Since Hulk 2099 came in a Tuff Stuff Collect Magazine, and the Daredevil was in a more common Hero magazine, this speaks directly to the relative print run of those mags. Notice just how well the market- with no clue about this sheet over the years- picked up on these relatively rarities, reflected accurately by the market value of the 3 different promos (Venom easily top, Daredevil cheapest).



Back of sheet


Finally, a bit on the complete set of individual no-foil error cards. As you can probably tell, I have been painstakingly trying to collect no-foils from 93MM, many shown in this thread, for example this post: https://www.blowoutforums.com/showpo...&postcount=446. You run into them- rarely- when opening boxes. Maybe 1 every 20 boxes or so. When I first saw the above about a complete set of these- my first guess was they aren’t ones collated from packs and buying singles (it would be *unbelievably* hard to do that- they just don’t show up enough. I have been working on the set for a long time and probably have like 20ish of the 90).

Alas, after inspecting this set, my instinct was correct and I can say they were not pack inserted, rather were likely cut from the a no-foil uncut sheet just like the above (which is not surprising, and what I was expecting). Probably factory cut just as the listing said, as the cut job seems very even and not a rough handcut job.


(btw, that all black checklist was predicted way back in post #171! https://www.blowoutforums.com/showpo...&postcount=171)

How you can tell not pack inserted: most obvious way is because the cards do not have the UV coated glossy surface. A no-foil error from a pack will have the same glossy coating that all 93MM base have. The sheet of no foil does not have it, and the individual cards do not. Another way of saying this is these cards won’t stick together/brick in the long run like regular 93MM cards will. Also the pack inserted no foils will often (though not always) have the imprint of the text, just not the foil- that you can see only by tilting in just right light, shown below with the Thanos. None of the no-foils in the complete set have this. Lastly, there is a *very* minuscule difference in size dimensions between these and regular cards.



This is that exact same card scanned (from post 179)- the imprint does not show up on scan.


Does it even matter? They are no-foil cards either way, and super cool to see a whole set of them…even if not the same ones from packs. I don’t think it’s worse, just different, and each item (the set of no foils and ones from packs) are neat in their own ways, just with separate origins. One is an error that accidentally got into packs, the other from a production sheet that wasn’t finished for whatever reason, or didnt get through QC.

[DynaEtch]

1993 Marvel Masterpieces is by no means one of the most popular masterpieces sets- not even in the top 5. But for some reason it has become a bit of a personal favorite (maybe because all the errors), and true to the name DynaEtch have collected the absolute bonkers out of this set . Below is the set consolidated in a pic- everything in this pic is from one set, 1993MM. It is about as complete of a master set as there can be (but as stated in the very first post ITT- no master set is ever 100% complete. There is always something else. In this case, a foil version of the no # promo sheet, original art, and additional errors). But for all intents and purposes…I’m done with this set. There comes a point you just have to be done.



My personal fav items from this set besides the sheets are, in order,
1. Cerebra error (Krystalin foil on back- post #252)
2. Sealed 93 Oct/Nov Tuff Stuff Collect with Hulk 2099 promo (at lower left in pic- post #341)
3. Silver foil checklist (see post #170..can you find it in above pic? Bit of a where's waldo).

Among other things are 50+ individual true errors, probably near 15,000 base and many hundreds of Dyna etch (only the result of busting countless boxes digging for error gold....with very little success btw- I've learned that is not the way to build an error collection. My goal is to wind it down to no duplicates, but selling it in bulk will be a challenge). As you can see the problem with doing the ultra master set thing- the darn space it takes up!

[fabiani12333]

That's pretty awesome to look at, Dyna -- thanks for showing it.

[DynaEtch]

Originally Posted by fabiani12333

That's pretty awesome to look at, Dyna -- thanks for showing it.

Just glad Im not boring everyone

I think it'd be nice to see a book on 93MM like we are (supposedly...ugh) getting on 92MM from FPG. And eventually books on all the sets, to make a complete library. As I collect more and more, it has become more about chronicling the history of these sets than anything else.

93MM is kinda funny, it's really not known to be a popular MM set. Heck the bonuses are X-men 2099.....X-men 2099, and the base set is a mishmash of artists. Not to mention it's only 90 cards. But I love the set for some reason. Maybe one factor is the sealed boxes are cheapest of any 90s MM set, and so is the one I can open (I would be nuts to open many of the other MM boxes).

[exotechktx]

I'm glad you were able to pick up some of his sheets! Unfortunately I've spent so much money on MM22 that I've had to put a halt on everything else, hehehe. Hopefully he will have some leftover and I might luck out to some cheaper pricing....but probably not on both points!

Either way, a fantastic catalogue of MM93!!!

[DynaEtch]

Originally Posted by exotechktx

I'm glad you were able to pick up some of his sheets! Unfortunately I've spent so much money on MM22 that I've had to put a halt on everything else, hehehe. Hopefully he will have some leftover and I might luck out to some cheaper pricing....but probably not on both points!

Either way, a fantastic catalogue of MM93!!!

Id say your investment in MM22 was well worth it!

I think you might be in luck though, as the new sheet listings seem to be continuing each week. It's pretty incredible how many are coming to market, including the duplicates. There is neat X-men series 2 stuff also, but alas I have made a conscious effort to solely restrict myself to MM.

[DynaEtch]

This vid from OAX 2024 was brought to my attention.



It is so incredibe to see this reunion of all 4 Dare to Compare artists. Like a meeting of the round table! Not to mention some of the ridiculous Original Art paintings shown from 95MM.

Please UD....oh please...make one of the future MM's a revisit of the 95MM set like MM16 was of Jusko's 92 set. Ideally with these same 4 artists, and if that's impossible...then with 4 others. Can use the great 95MM set for buybacks...expensive, sure, but worth it....even have buyback autos. Use the classic Dare to Compare advertising/packaging as well. A longtime MM collector can wish!

[exotechktx]

Originally Posted by DynaEtch

Please UD....oh please...make one of the future MM's a revisit of the 95MM set like MM16 was of Jusko's 92 set. Ideally with these same 4 artists, and if that's impossible...then with 4 others. Can use the great 95MM set for buybacks...expensive, sure, but worth it....even have buyback autos. Use the classic Dare to Compare advertising/packaging as well. A longtime MM collector can wish!

I caught a portion of the round table - it was beautiful just to see it all unfold!

I'm going back into hiding after MM22 but if your wish comes true, I am jumping right back into MM26 LOL. I do wonder who MM24 will be, and if it will drive the same compulsion in me that Dan's art did...

[jdandns]

Incredible round table, thanks for sharing!
I do think the 4 artists' collective San Diego appearance would've been 1995 and not 1996 as mentioned. My first SDCC was 1996 and even though I attended as an employee of our local comic shop that had set up a booth there, I still got several hours off each day to peruse the floor as my "pay" (along with the ride out there and a hotel room).

As part of that free time, I hit up the Skybox booth regularly, and don't remember anything promotional regarding 95 MM that year. but did get the coveted 1996 MM sell sheet. Possibly that same year (or else 1997), the promos from Skybox included a signed Marvel QFX card and booklet artist of that set, Joe Quesada).

By '99 or so, the sad end of Fleer/Skybox at Comic-Con in that era amounted to their booth basically trying to sell the massive unsold amount of "Wild, Wild West" card boxes from the flop Will Smith movie.

[DynaEtch]

Originally Posted by jdandns

Incredible round table, thanks for sharing!
I do think the 4 artists' collective San Diego appearance would've been 1995 and not 1996 as mentioned. My first SDCC was 1996 and even though I attended as an employee of our local comic shop that had set up a booth there, I still got several hours off each day to peruse the floor as my "pay" (along with the ride out there and a hotel room).

Heck, sign me up for this job!

Sounds like the golden age of cards at cons back then...oh have times changed. That 96MM sell sheet was a pretty major pickup though- it's very sought after and expensive now. Do you still have it hopefully? (I bought one on ebay like 5 years ago, posted ITT in the set post, but I've seen maybe one other total in the 5 years since then).

[Bunny Hop]

Originally Posted by DynaEtch

But for all intents and purposes…I’m done with this set. There comes a point you just have to be done.

Awesome collection. Thanks for sharing!

[jdandns]

Originally Posted by DynaEtch

Heck, sign me up for this job!

Sounds like the golden age of cards at cons back then...oh have times changed. That 96MM sell sheet was a pretty major pickup though- it's very sought after and expensive now. Do you still have it hopefully? (I bought one on ebay like 5 years ago, posted ITT in the set post, but I've seen maybe one other total in the 5 years since then).

Unfortunately not. It was in excellent, though not perfect condition, when I posted an image of it upon request on the Scoundrel Arts Board some 15 years ago.
I was offered $50 for it, which I promptly accepted (not being an all-in auxiliary items collector like you).

As to its rarity, I can say that there wasn't just a large pile of them sitting on the counter or I think I would've grabbed at least two of them. Instead, as I remember it, the booth host handed them out one by one from under the counter which would explain why virtually no one ended up with multiple copies of it, and also why the seeming vast majority of them were not saved. Sell-sheets were essentially disposable items in those days. I do love the alternate checklist on that one, though.

[exotechktx]

$50 from 15 years ago almost makes me not feel as bad about the price from a few years ago. Granted I still don't have a copy ;_; , but this scarcity makes sense!

[DynaEtch]

Originally Posted by Bunny Hop

Awesome collection. Thanks for sharing!

Thanks! Rather niche to focus so much on a particular set, but that's the fun of collecting I suppose.

Originally Posted by jdandns

Unfortunately not. It was in excellent, though not perfect condition, when I posted an image of it upon request on the Scoundrel Arts Board some 15 years ago.
I was offered $50 for it, which I promptly accepted (not being an all-in auxiliary items collector like you).

As to its rarity, I can say that there wasn't just a large pile of them sitting on the counter or I think I would've grabbed at least two of them. Instead, as I remember it, the booth host handed them out one by one from under the counter which would explain why virtually no one ended up with multiple copies of it, and also why the seeming vast majority of them were not saved. Sell-sheets were essentially disposable items in those days. I do love the alternate checklist on that one, though.

Ah man, $50! But there's no way to know just how coveted it would become, plus you obviously made money, so not too bad. As to what it goes for now...hard to say since it's so rare to make it to market, but I'll throw out $500ish as a guess.

To imagine them just handing them out at the table- sheesh. It's funny how these throwaway items end up being the scarce and valuable things. I would add to the reasons you mention, that 1996/1997 being at the very tail end of the marvel card scene, Im sure there wasnt a ton of interest. The one thing I wish they did with 1996MM was do a whole dealer folder kit- alas I dont think it exists, just this single sell sheet page. If it does exist, it's unfathomably rare.

[FAN4LIFE]

Glad you enjoyed the “Dare to Compare” panel. It was a pleasure putting that together for the collector community.
For those of you that collect MM18 and MM23, this is a link to that panel. And there were 3 other card art panels on the Spidey Hits channel.
https://www.youtube.com/live/q1BsU5K...VV_TJT6M6jgahH

[jdandns]

Originally Posted by DynaEtch

Thanks! Rather niche to focus so much on a particular set, but that's the fun of collecting I suppose.



Ah man, $50! But there's no way to know just how coveted it would become, plus you obviously made money, so not too bad. As to what it goes for now...hard to say since it's so rare to make it to market, but I'll throw out $500ish as a guess.

To imagine them just handing them out at the table- sheesh. It's funny how these throwaway items end up being the scarce and valuable things. I would add to the reasons you mention, that 1996/1997 being at the very tail end of the marvel card scene, Im sure there wasnt a ton of interest. The one thing I wish they did with 1996MM was do a whole dealer folder kit- alas I dont think it exists, just this single sell sheet page. If it does exist, it's unfathomably rare.

I'm still good with the $50, for sure, and I did get to keep a picture of it!

[DynaEtch]

Originally Posted by jdandns

I'm still good with the $50, for sure, and I did get to keep a picture of it!

Ha- nice

Beautiful sell sheet if there ever was one.

[DynaEtch]

A rather curious pickup- a marvel comic pack with a pack of 1994 Marvel Masterpieces inside. I knew there were retail releases for MM94 and what not…but this was a rather odd channel of release (the pack itself is a 10 card hobby pack. Unfortunately has some tears in the outer plastic).



From what I understand these were available at places like Toys R Us. It is unclear if they were direct from Fleer/Marvel or a 3rd party company bundling things together. Either way…not exactly the place you’d expect a MM pack.

I started to look into it more…this is a VERY random place to find a loose 1994 Ultra X-Men red foil team tryptych card.



I’ve seen other cards in the team triptych set as well in these X-Men 2099 packs. But there are plenty of these X-Men 2099 packs without any card, as well.

Got me thinking…perhaps this is an avenue to explore for what I call the supreme Masterpieces Mystery: where that 94MM 4-panel Magneto promo came from. There were a lot of different versions of these comic packs- some with extra card goodies, many with nothing and just comics. So far no luck in finding the Magneto panel.

[exotechktx]

I believe these were produced towards the end of Marvel's tenuous years, trying to offload their remaining stock. As such, there were many number of different combinations of books in these collector's packs, and a small subset of them had random packs of Fleer cards. I don't believe the timing/schematic fits for the 4-up panel

[bankdawg]

DynaEtch, Great thread. You bring a lot to this board.
I have question about 2016 MP. Has this reached iconic status and what do you all see the future value of this set could be? Has it reached its max value?