2020 Marvel Masterpieces

[gosanostra]

Originally Posted by Rootleaf

I need to amend my statement because I just heard there was a second wave of invites for sketches for MM2020. Also, there is a thread in one of the Facebook groups discussing rejected sketches, many of them being female characters. The rejections coming from Marvel, not UD.

This release is eerily reminiscent of 2016 Star Wars Masterwork.

different artists or same ones?

[Rootleaf]

Originally Posted by gosanostra

different artists or same ones?

One artist mentioned 51 rejected sketches. A few other artists also made comments they had rejections as well.

[Lukacs]

So Im a new collector that recently found out about this set and Im genuinely perplexed on what to expect regarding the distribution of these cards. The last time I bought trading cards was the mid 90s. Clearly it’s a dramatically different landscape now. Initially I was shocked about the number of cards per pack as well as the extreme number of variant/chase cards. I came to terms that I may have needed to buy many boxes to even approach a mixed set. But the concern now from browsing these forums is that the boxes may be scarce themselves even upon initial release. Will there not be at least a modest period where they can be bought for msrp? Or is this such a niche product that it’s going to be immediately be pre sold out and then can only be purchased at an additional mark up? As a comic and action figure collector that has had my fair share of stress and heartache due to scarcity in those hobbies , I am trying to gauge whether I want to even bother at this point if I cant even expect a small window of availability before the secondary market inflates the value. Any insight would be appreciated.

[sjmdiablo]

Originally Posted by Lukacs

So Im a new collector that recently found out about this set and Im genuinely perplexed on what to expect regarding the distribution of these cards. The last time I bought trading cards was the mid 90s. Clearly it’s a dramatically different landscape now. Initially I was shocked about the number of cards per pack as well as the extreme number of variant/chase cards. I came to terms that I may have needed to buy many boxes to even approach a mixed set. But the concern now from browsing these forums is that the boxes may be scarce themselves even upon initial release. Will there not be at least a modest period where they can be bought for msrp? Or is this such a niche product that it’s going to be immediately be pre sold out and then can only be purchased at an additional mark up? As a comic and action figure collector that has had my fair share of stress and heartache due to scarcity in those hobbies , I am trying to gauge whether I want to even bother at this point if I cant even expect a small window of availability before the secondary market inflates the value. Any insight would be appreciated.

Hi. I'm you but 4 years removed. I got back into the hobby in 2016 with Joe Jusko's new Marvel Masterpieces set. It is very different than when we collected in the '90s. It's much more expensive. Original art sets are less common. Sets are laden with parallels and chase sets such that if you want a full master set, you're expending a lot of money and if you want just a base set, you've got a lot of extraneous stuff to wade through.

Now, as for 2020 Marvel Masterpieces - yes it appears that the boxes are not readily available right now. This could be for a myriad of reasons. Upper Deck has it's own online card platform called e-pack which makes it much more money. So, the speculation is they are holding more boxes for e-pack than they are allowing for physical distribution. There is also speculation that distributors may be sitting on boxes and cases as the secondary market sells much higher. Then, there's Covid and its impact on the rollout of the set and the seeming lack of information. All-in-all, it's a mess and no one will know for sure until we get to the release date.

[Rootleaf]

Originally Posted by Lukacs

So Im a new collector that recently found out about this set and Im genuinely perplexed on what to expect regarding the distribution of these cards. The last time I bought trading cards was the mid 90s. Clearly it’s a dramatically different landscape now. Initially I was shocked about the number of cards per pack as well as the extreme number of variant/chase cards. I came to terms that I may have needed to buy many boxes to even approach a mixed set. But the concern now from browsing these forums is that the boxes may be scarce themselves even upon initial release. Will there not be at least a modest period where they can be bought for msrp? Or is this such a niche product that it’s going to be immediately be pre sold out and then can only be purchased at an additional mark up? As a comic and action figure collector that has had my fair share of stress and heartache due to scarcity in those hobbies , I am trying to gauge whether I want to even bother at this point if I cant even expect a small window of availability before the secondary market inflates the value. Any insight would be appreciated.

In my experience collecting cards is much less frustrating than action figures. Most non-sports box/case prices drop after pre-order so it's pretty easy to get what you want. But 2016 and 2018 Marvel Masterpieces both went up so it stands to reason that 2020 will do the same.

Are you interested just in the set or looking to get sketches, printing plates, parallels, etc.?

[Lukacs]

Originally Posted by sjmdiablo

Hi. I'm you but 4 years removed. I got back into the hobby in 2016 with Joe Jusko's new Marvel Masterpieces set. It is very different than when we collected in the '90s. It's much more expensive. Original art sets are less common. Sets are laden with parallels and chase sets such that if you want a full master set, you're expending a lot of money and if you want just a base set, you've got a lot of extraneous stuff to wade through.

Now, as for 2020 Marvel Masterpieces - yes it appears that the boxes are not readily available right now. This could be for a myriad of reasons. Upper Deck has it's own online card platform called e-pack which makes it much more money. So, the speculation is they are holding more boxes for e-pack than they are allowing for physical distribution. There is also speculation that distributors may be sitting on boxes and cases as the secondary market sells much higher. Then, there's Covid and its impact on the rollout of the set and the seeming lack of information. All-in-all, it's a mess and no one will know for sure until we get to the release date.

This is exactly the kind of response I was hoping for. My original expectation was to get an entire set of just base carts And then any variance or chase cards would just be a bonus. But unfortunately due to the parallel situation, and the low number of cards per pack per box, I believe getting one contiguous set of any particular style of card will be prohibitively expensive. So I have come to terms with the fact that if the boxes are readily available at MSRP that I will try to get as many as I can to assemble a mixed set, which admittedly less than idela from a completionist perspective. But I legitimately am not willing to spend $1000 on boxes on the off chance that I might get a complete matching set.

[Lukacs]

Originally Posted by Rootleaf

In my experience collecting cards is much less frustrating than action figures. Most non-sports box/case prices drop after pre-order so it's pretty easy to get what you want. But 2016 and 2018 Marvel Masterpieces both went up so it stands to reason that 2020 will do the same.

Are you interested just in the set or looking to get sketches, printing plates, parallels, etc.?

Yeah It was definitely my understanding the trading cards don’t typically hold value as much as other things, outside of certain chase versions. But like you said the last two rounds of masterpieces still go for a huge premium. Which I’m fine with. But I have no interest in paying a premium immediately at release. If I can’t find these at MSRP when they come out I am just going to forgo the entire issue

[GoBeavs]

Originally Posted by Lukacs

This is exactly the kind of response I was hoping for. My original expectation was to get an entire set of just base carts And then any variance or chase cards would just be a bonus. But unfortunately due to the parallel situation, and the low number of cards per pack per box, I believe getting one contiguous set of any particular style of card will be prohibitively expensive. So I have come to terms with the fact that if the boxes are readily available at MSRP that I will try to get as many as I can to assemble a mixed set, which admittedly less than idela from a completionist perspective. But I legitimately am not willing to spend $1000 on boxes on the off chance that I might get a complete matching set.

If all you want is a set, wait until they sell on epack. Then you can put together a set very cheap by buying the singles on COMC. Until the recent pricing surge hit a few months ago, you could have put together the 1-81 base set from 2018 for less than $50. That includes the shipping costs.

[Sharard]

Well looks like September 10th release date now but who who knows. Blowout still shows 30th

[DynaEtch]

Originally Posted by Sharard

Well looks like September 10th release date now but who who knows. Blowout still shows 30th

Blowout now showing 9/10. Looking good that this could be the release date

[fabiani12333]

Originally Posted by Sharard

Here’s a great you tube interview of him , where in there he explains why some characters look like you say wimpy or less muscular than others. Kinda long but interesting if have time. https://youtu.be/Scjx2J5kmPI

I finally got around to watching this -- listened to it while walking my dog.

I thought it was cute how he had to borrow his mom's '96 set because he never realized he didnt have it in his own collection. I think his Daredevil is a homage to his mom's version. It was interesting how he assigned a song to each character he painted -- that's a clever idea.

Making so many paintings over two years, while also doing commisions, takes more discipline and focus than I think I've got. He talked about doing research for the characters and modeling each painting -- sounds exhausting.

[Sharard]

Cardboard connection has added a checklist. I’m sure there will be surprises in the tier 4. Sure went a different route

[DynaEtch]

Originally Posted by Sharard

Cardboard connection has added a checklist. I’m sure there will be surprises in the tier 4. Sure went a different route

You’re not kidding. Ego the Living Planet?

Only time I remember him ever appearing on a marvel card was 1992 marvel universe.

I guess it makes sense to not have the same main characters Spidey, Hulk, Capt America Thor etc as the tier 4s every time, but wow yeah that’s different.

[bealay]

You can hear us interview Dave Palumbo on our new episode of the Marvel Card Collectors Podcast.

Our page post about it here https://tinyurl.com/y4cun7zz

Anchor; https://anchor.fm/mccp/episodes/EPIS...es-2020-ej2emg

iTunes; https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1467989379

Enjoy!

[Gambit C10]

Originally Posted by Lukacs

This is exactly the kind of response I was hoping for. My original expectation was to get an entire set of just base carts And then any variance or chase cards would just be a bonus. But unfortunately due to the parallel situation, and the low number of cards per pack per box, I believe getting one contiguous set of any particular style of card will be prohibitively expensive. So I have come to terms with the fact that if the boxes are readily available at MSRP that I will try to get as many as I can to assemble a mixed set, which admittedly less than idela from a completionist perspective. But I legitimately am not willing to spend $1000 on boxes on the off chance that I might get a complete matching set.

Order a few boxes from blowout and you'll be close to a complete mixed set except for high numbers. Blowout usually has solid prices.

Then stalk eBay for auctions or low priced cards and scoop them up.

Also consider taking part in a draft here on blowout. Another inexpensive way to fill holes and trade before host mails out everyone's haul.

Then when it hits e-pack, buy more on there and trade away what you don't want for what you need. On e-pack you can buy by the pack to keep budget in line.

You can also buy on comc after e-pack release to get cheap singles.

If you want the nostalgia of opening boxes, you could probably have a full base set except for high numbered for $500 if you sell what you dont want and use the options above to fill holes.

[MMguy]

Managed to pre-order 6 boxes.

These boxes were definitely more expensive than the 2016 MM Joe Jusko boxes.

[uncodan]

i'm seeing $225/box at daca. steep?

[sfgiants4life]

2016 MM on epack was $180 wasn't it? I remember it was higher on epack than online. I think it is steep but all product seems to be higher this year with the high demand to open packs. Does anyone know what the price was on BO? I see the sold out sign but I don't ever remember it being actually for sale.

[DynaEtch]

It’s definitely more than what 2016 and 2018 MM were going for (if I recall, both in the 150-180 range). But as mentioned, this is just what sealed product in 2020 has come down to. Factor in the huge following the MM brand has, I am not surprised to see this price raised (it was 200 at one point, now 225)....they know it will sell. Heck 1992 Marvel masterpieces sealed boxes are pushing $200 now, if anyone has been paying attention to that. Crazy wax prices.

[cmixer]

Originally Posted by DynaEtch

You’re not kidding. Ego the Living Planet?

Only time I remember him ever appearing on a marvel card was 1992 marvel universe.

I guess it makes sense to not have the same main characters Spidey, Hulk, Capt America Thor etc as the tier 4s every time, but wow yeah that’s different.

My guess is that someone watched GOTG2, and said "EGO is hot and the collectors will chase!" LOL.

[Mephisto]

Originally Posted by cmixer

My guess is that someone watched GOTG2, and said "EGO is hot and the collectors will chase!" LOL.

He was in the last Flair set. I find Martinex if the old school Guardians and a minor role in the second film more of a head scratcher in Tier 4.

I haven’t seen many comment on the new images from the set released on UD’s Facebook and Twitter accounts yesterday.

[DynaEtch]

Originally Posted by Mephisto

He was in the last Flair set. I find Martinex if the old school Guardians and a minor role in the second film more of a head scratcher in Tier 4.

I haven’t seen many comment on the new images from the set released on ID’s Facebook and Twitter accounts yesterday.

Ah. I stand corrected. Forgot about his appearance in 19 Flair.

I wonder what this will do to tier 4 prices in terms of whether they’ll be more affordable (less big names so less character collectors chasing). Or maybe it won’t matter because set collectors are going for the set anyway.

[Mephisto]

Originally Posted by DynaEtch

Ah. I stand corrected. Forgot about his appearance in 19 Flair.

I wonder what this will do to tier 4 prices in terms of whether they’ll be more affordable (less big names so less character collectors chasing). Or maybe it won’t matter because set collectors are going for the set anyway.

I can see them commanding lighter prices especially even if there is a period of mania over the set. I know at least for a time Mephisto and Doom didn’t command the same prices as the heroes in Tier 4 from the 2016 set. A lot of the people who I have heard comment on the Emma Frost art which is number 90 in the set have not been fans of it. So between art and characters in Tier 4 it would not be surprising to see lighter prices than previous sets for a lot of the Tier 4 cards.

[Sharard]

I’ve heard the opposite. Lots of fans of the Emma Frost. And time will tell on prices. , this year has proven anything, it’s unpredictable. With the pedigree connected to David, who knows.. Though I do see a drop in box prices, I don’t see 225 sustainable once release is upon us, but I could be wrong. Sketch quality will really need be strong.. disappointed no Fred Ian, but still lot of strong artists ...sets will really be tough this year it seems at least early on.

[Gambit C10]

Originally Posted by DynaEtch

It’s definitely more than what 2016 and 2018 MM were going for (if I recall, both in the 150-180 range). But as mentioned, this is just what sealed product in 2020 has come down to. Factor in the huge following the MM brand has, I am not surprised to see this price raised (it was 200 at one point, now 225)....they know it will sell. Heck 1992 Marvel masterpieces sealed boxes are pushing $200 now, if anyone has been paying attention to that. Crazy wax prices.

All 90s marvel boxes are up for the most part. 5 years ago it was easy to find 93 marvel masterpiece for $15-$20 And 94 marvel masterpiece for less than $30. 92 was always a little higher at around $50ish.

Pretty much every low end set that you could get for $35 or less is at least $50-$60. This run on prices started well before COVID though. I think a lot of 80s babies who were fond of these sets have returned to the hobby.