Topps Living Set

[bigsmooth]

Don’t complain about the cost of the weekly 3 card offering going up if you demand Mayumi Seto a pay raise, that cost will fall directly to us the collectors. I’m sure she is compensated just fine.

[HadWayTooMuch]

Originally Posted by alwaysworking

^^^^exactly how she is paid.

Which? Flat fee or 10% of the sales?

[Monty]

Originally Posted by bigsmooth

Don’t complain about the cost of the weekly 3 card offering going up if you demand Mayumi Seto a pay raise, that cost will fall directly to us the collectors. I’m sure she is compensated just fine.

So, her art is only worth so much to you? If the price went up (meaning she would receive more $$ for her efforts) you would stop buying? Hmmm, I'm glad you are so certain of her compensation. As a fellow artist, I am not.

[HadWayTooMuch]

As someone who cannot draw a simple circle, I cannot imagine what it takes to do the drawings on these cards.

That being said, exactly how much do you guys think one of these drawings is worth?

[bigsmooth]

Originally Posted by Monty

So, her art is only worth so much to you? If the price went up (meaning she would receive more $$ for her efforts) you would stop buying? Hmmm, I'm glad you are so certain of her compensation. As a fellow artist, I am not.

Yeah, I don’t want to pay more than 15 bucks a week for 3 cards, I’m sure most (non-artists) in this thread would agree with me.

[Monty]

Originally Posted by HadWayTooMuch

As someone who cannot draw a simple circle, I cannot imagine what it takes to do the drawings on these cards.

That being said, exactly how much do you guys think one of these drawings is worth?

More than likely, Ms. Seto receives a flat fee for each card she creates and she doesn't get to keep the original. In other fields (like comics), the artist gets paid a first time printing fee and gets to keep the original art. Topps does not do this. In the past, Topps has offered the original art back in lieu of payment (Topps National Chicle -football/baseball). I'm certain that is not the case here.

I touched on what would have been a novel payment approach to such a unique project as Living Set (see attachment and post #952 on this thread). At .25 for each printed card (the remaining $3.75 each card, Topps would keep), Ms. Seto would receive a decent return for her efforts, and Topps could easily keep the $15/3 card ratio.

Ms. Seto is the star of this set and should be paid as such. Without her, this set wouldn't be as successful as it is. Topps knows this. The true collectors of this set know this as well.

[bigsmooth]

Just want it to be known if Topps is reading this, if you raise the price of Topps Living Set then I’m out. If that doesn’t make me a “true collector” then so be it.

[HadWayTooMuch]

Originally Posted by Monty

More than likely, Ms. Seto receives a flat fee for each card she creates and she doesn't get to keep the original. In other fields (like comics), the artist gets paid a first time printing fee and gets to keep the original art. Topps does not do this. In the past, Topps has offered the original art back in lieu of payment (Topps National Chicle -football/baseball). I'm certain that is not the case here.

I touched on what would have been a novel payment approach to such a unique project as Living Set (see attachment and post #952 on this thread). At .25 for each printed card (the remaining $3.75 each card, Topps would keep), Ms. Seto would receive a decent return for her efforts, and Topps could easily keep the $15/3 card ratio.

Ms. Seto is the star of this set and should be paid as such. Without her, this set wouldn't be as successful as it is. Topps knows this. The true collectors of this set know this as well.

I know little to nothing about art. And I mean nothing. That being said, are you telling me you don't feel there is another available artist that could make these drawings? Again, I'm clueless.

[HadWayTooMuch]

Another thought. Let's say when this set was thought up, they used Topps Now as a barometer and expected to print 500-1000 of each.

They offered her the .25 per copy or a flat fee of $X. I'm confident she would take the flat fee.

I know everyone here knows everything, but before the first print runs were revealed, I was thinking this was just another Topps Now type product with PRs in the 100s-1000s. Nothing like it is.

Would she know better????

[Monty]

Originally Posted by HadWayTooMuch

I know little to nothing about art. And I mean nothing. That being said, are you telling me you don't feel there is another available artist that could make these drawings? Again, I'm clueless.

There are plenty, but Ms. Seto fits this concept perfectly. Her art is spot on perfect for this set.

[Monty]

Originally Posted by HadWayTooMuch

Another thought. Let's say when this set was thought up, they used Topps Now as a barometer and expected to print 500-1000 of each.

They offered her the .25 per copy or a flat fee of $X. I'm confident she would take the flat fee.

I know everyone here knows everything, but before the first print runs were revealed, I was thinking this was just another Topps Now type product with PRs in the 100s-1000s. Nothing like it is.

Would she know better????

No, it would have been a risk, but if you believe in the product, it would have been a risk worth taking.

[kidfan9]

I got my Mad Max three card set x2 today. All six cards look great!

[HadWayTooMuch]

Originally Posted by Monty

No, it would have been a risk, but if you believe in the product, it would have been a risk worth taking.

What would have led you to believe this would outperform Topps Now by so much? I could be wrong, but I don't think anyone saw PRs happening like this.

[Monty]

Originally Posted by HadWayTooMuch

What would have led you to believe this would outperform Topps Now by so much? I could be wrong, but I don't think anyone saw PRs happening like this.

A set like this, with it's specific limits and timeless design based on one of Topps' all-time sets, would have been the perfect set to try such a contract out. Topps would have been game, because the previous low print runs that you speak of would have favored them if they stayed the course. The artist would have benefited by PRs higher than 1,200.

It would have been risky only if the art was substandard. And it most certainly wasn't.

Alas, we will never know, I just wish Ms. Seto the very best and to keep up the great work! If Topps is reading this, they know in their hearts if they are treating her fair or not.

[letsgetlucky]

Originally Posted by HadWayTooMuch

What would have led you to believe this would outperform Topps Now by so much? I could be wrong, but I don't think anyone saw PRs happening like this.

I thought about topps now in 2016 doing sets from the beginning in quantity (20) but decided against it. For Living I have ordered a minimum of 40 sets per week with some singles up to 100 and was looking at it as something I would order forever. So basically committing 2k minimum to 3.5k maximum per month based on what I order each month. I took less then a few minutes to calculate and set my floor level of purchase since you know its 3 cards a week only in perpetuity. On topps now I thought about it for a long time till I decided against it as it being a large investment that didnt have a longer time frame exit strategy that seemed plausible to me. For longer term investing I put Topps Now on a scale of risk from 1 riskiest to 10 safest a 3. Would Topps now be as collectible as normal cards produced from packs. How many collectors would actually care longer term. Longer term for Living I had it at an 8. It was based off a popular set with great artwork thus collectors would find out about this set and start loving it. Each player would be limited to one card if they didnt change teams so players could actually go up in value based on new demand. New collectors of Living would have an incentive to collect the whole set unlike Now. Living was simpler, easier to maintain a collection(I could supply complete sets many years from now). Even though it was ongoing forever that was the appeal of it that it would stay true to the 53 design but be able to include rookies of new players as well as the past greats. I have to admit I couldnt predict seeing the prices on the first few weeks cards. But I knew this would be a great opportunity.

[mlbfan10]

What do you plan to do with all the cards? Sell them as sets?

[Malsk]

Originally Posted by letsgetlucky

I thought about topps now in 2016 doing sets from the beginning in quantity (20) but decided against it. For Living I have ordered a minimum of 40 sets per week with some singles up to 100 and was looking at it as something I would order forever. So basically committing 2k minimum to 3.5k maximum per month based on what I order each month. I took less then a few minutes to calculate and set my floor level of purchase since you know its 3 cards a week only in perpetuity. On topps now I thought about it for a long time till I decided against it as it being a large investment that didnt have a longer time frame exit strategy that seemed plausible to me. For longer term investing I put Topps Now on a scale of risk from 1 riskiest to 10 safest a 3. Would Topps now be as collectible as normal cards produced from packs. How many collectors would actually care longer term. Longer term for Living I had it at an 8. It was based off a popular set with great artwork thus collectors would find out about this set and start loving it. Each player would be limited to one card if they didnt change teams so players could actually go up in value based on new demand. New collectors of Living would have an incentive to collect the whole set unlike Now. Living was simpler, easier to maintain a collection(I could supply complete sets many years from now). Even though it was ongoing forever that was the appeal of it that it would stay true to the 53 design but be able to include rookies of new players as well as the past greats. I have to admit I couldnt predict seeing the prices on the first few weeks cards. But I knew this would be a great opportunity.

Thanks for the great write up. The board could use more of this. You have clearly thought this through and I agree with all of your points.

[HadWayTooMuch]

Originally Posted by HadWayTooMuch

Wow...just wow...the Panik and Castellanos are going to be $2 cards if anyone would even want them at that!

Call me Nostradamus!!!

[editorgaw]

Originally Posted by joejoemay

this add brought to you by gregg! :d

thanks for the introduction!!!!

[letsgetlucky]

Originally Posted by mlbfan10

What do you plan to do with all the cards? Sell them as sets?

My original business plan was to keep 30 full sets and sell them as sets over time and use the others I had purchased to keep funding my orders in the coming years. But as prices have risen so fast I have sold some raw and some graded at pretty crazy prices. I still have a psa 10 set right now but have sold a lot of the extras in graded format. I did send a batch to bgs a long time ago when they had the 10 day service and as prices are so much higher in psa slabs might have to resend those back to psa to get 10's. I still have over 30 sets but dont have a running total of each card since they are all over the place. Also I dont sell any unless they are have gone up a lot and worth the time too.

[smanzari]

Originally Posted by salthill

How are you all storing the early condition-sensitive LS cards? Sleeve and toploader as usual? Any concerns or precautions given how easily they chip?

Same way I'm storing my others- Penny Sleeve, Card Saver and Binder. Just be careful and you shouldn't have any issues- I don't think I chipped any of mine

[hairysasquatch]

Originally Posted by letsgetlucky

My original business plan was to keep 30 full sets and sell them as sets over time and use the others I had purchased to keep funding my orders in the coming years. But as prices have risen so fast I have sold some raw and some graded at pretty crazy prices. I still have a psa 10 set right now but have sold a lot of the extras in graded format. I did send a batch to bgs a long time ago when they had the 10 day service and as prices are so much higher in psa slabs might have to resend those back to psa to get 10's. I still have over 30 sets but dont have a running total of each card since they are all over the place. Also I dont sell any unless they are have gone up a lot and worth the time too.

Wow - that's an amazing quantity! Are you buying them at release from Topps or on the secondary market? Still has to be about $450/week, no? Go big or go home I guess, eh?

[ThoseBackPages]

opened my Aarons tonight

might be my favorite looking card released thus far

WOW!

[KB81]

Originally Posted by ThoseBackPages

opened my Aarons tonight

might be my favorite looking card released thus far

WOW!

Pics or it didn’t happpen.

[ThoseBackPages]

Originally Posted by KB81

Pics or it didn’t happpen.