Force Tip of the Day: Looking At the Economy for the New Weekly Chases

Posted on June 8, 2015 by SCUncensored

Now that we are a few weeks into the new leg of the Marathon, the economy for the recently released cards is coming into focus a bit more. Because this is the first time we have had a beginning of a chase with so little user attrition, its different than week 1. Its clear that the week one inserts have a ton of trade value due to availability, a number that was far less than what we are seeing for week 11. With that, I want to take a look at what I am seeing, as there are definitely some very interesting trends.

Week 11 Release Cards

I think the groupthink was in play for the value here, as many people seem to be putting a HUGE trade value on the week 11 inserts. This is in spite of the fact that counts are not any higher or lower than they usually are. For whatever reason, people are tying together the trends from week 1 with the releases from week 11, and using that as a marker for their own valuation in making trades.

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Personally, I see this as a fool’s errand, as there are no real value indicators at bay – OTHER than character choice. I mean, the Boba Fett Attacks vintage should be more valuable only because it looks awesome, not because its week 11. Although the count is reduced by 250 copies, that is a negligible amount that should not contribute to a huge increase in trade value. Yet, as we are seeing, the trade economy is demanding more than even the character choice would dictate.

I absolutely think Week 11 was a strong week. The funeral pyre Widevision card is amazing in the way it looks, as well as what it represents. Han and Leia in a connections cards seems to speak to what the set should be all about. Boba Fett is immensely popular. Its not a coincidence that these choices are what they are.

Post Week 11 Releases

After the initial release of the new chase, things seem to be getting back to normal. Although week 12-13 cards are more valuable than comparable ones from the first chase, that can be chalked up to be in relation to the active chase. There are some character selection biases in value that are present (that Darth Vader vintage is awesome), but nothing that speaks to what we are seeing for week 11.

I want to say that weeks 12-20 will be relatively interchangeable in terms of trade value as the app progresses towards the next marathon milestone, but it all has to do with how crazy Topps wants to get with card counts.

During the first marathon, there were 3-4 cards per set that had a short printed card count per set, and its likely that will still be in play here too. All the week 11 cards will likely take up one of those slots, with Topps Choice Ashoka Tano being 500 less, Connections Han/Leia being 500-1000 less, and Boba Fett being 250 less. That doesnt necessarily mean that the trade value for the SPs will be decidedly higher, just that it will contribute to where those cards may fall in the difficulty rankings for that marathon.

2nd Leg Award Cards

The main awards each had about 660 cards delivered for their sets. I would guess that the award cards for the second leg will be in upwards of 1500. With users being relatively set on which awards they will chase, and the marathon being a more educated process this time around, it shouldnt be tough to complete sets.

This increase in completed award sets should also contribute to card values settling a bit, especially as the cards are released in weeks 16 and 17. The only saving grace for having a lower award count lies in the pack structure, knowing that it has become increasingly expensive to chase all sets. Daily bonuses only go so far.

My Advice

As much as I dont want to say it, make it a point to chase down the week 11 cards. Although I fail to see a clear reasoning for such a huge trade value in the cards, above and beyond character choice, groupthink will prevail – always.

I would also make it a point to go after the releases that feature popular characters like Vader or Maul. A character preference can create attachment in many of the top cards, and that makes things a bit more complicated.

Outside of that, find the sets you like and focus your attention. It will streamline your trading activity, and it should make things easier. There wont be as much of a strangle hold on the nicer cards this time around, as the hoarders wont have to work as hard to build their collection. Availability should be enough to meet demand this time. Keep that in mind. Just because the most vocal people on the fan feed wont give up their stash of 8 Boba Fetts, doesnt mean there arent a bunch more people who wont work out an easier deal with you. Its not like Han in the Millenium Falcon, where only a few were available for trade.

Things will be different this time around, and hopefully it wont be hard to figure out how different it really is.

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2015 NFLPA Rookie Premiere: Huddle’s First Officially Branded Event Arrives!

Posted on June 5, 2015 by SCUncensored

A few days ago, I talked about the Rookie Premiere that had taken place in Los Angeles over last weekend. If you arent aware, 40 of the NFL’s top rookies were invited to attend the event, do some press, take some pictures and sign tons of autographs. For the first time, Topps Digital’s Editor In Chief, Chris Vaccaro, was in attendance – and we all know what happens when Chris has an opportunity to take some pictures.

The first of the content that Huddle was able to get approved has been live now for two days, and for the most part, is generating a lot of interest in more cards that arent the typical head shots. Personally, I have been waiting for Huddle to take this jump, as non-game non-headshots seem to be well within their rights to produce cards. Being that the Rookie Premiere is the top NFLPA event of the year, it should be a no brainer that it get top billing in an NFLPA branded app.

MariotaRookiePremiereKevin White Rookie Premiere

Huddle already had enormous success with their draft program, an event I believe was as impressive as anything we have seen in any of the four apps. It is very difficult to build cards live, especially on a night as busy as the NFL draft. To do it with the cool factor they were able to achieve is another story all together. Quite the feat.

This set is different, as it is the first officially branded event in the history of the Huddle app. As an NFLPA event, they have access to use the logos for the event, as well as content delivered during the course of the activities. It adds a level of official-ness that has been long absent from the app, especially when you see how classy some of the cards are looking.

We havent gotten a full slate of what is coming yet, and I am SURE that there will be quite a bit of content yet to come. They have already released rookie premiere player cards, with variants, and a series of Selfie cards that are interesting in their own right. Additionally, we know that there will be at least one sig in the reward card offered for collecting all the steel variants of the player cards. Now that we know sigs are possible, I am CROSSING EVERY FINGER AND TOE that we can get offseason signature series type inserts with a Rookie Premiere logo on it.

Let me restate how important it is that Huddle is taking events like the rookie premiere seriously. For all the years that the game has been around, we have seen content from the event zero times. Digital has never even been a thought to consider in the grand scheme of things, and to see that they are now on the main stage, is a great thing. This should be the first of many additions to the repertoire of the Huddle portfolio, and I cannot wait to see what happens.

I have attended the Rookie Premiere a few times, and it is every bit the amazing event that it looks like it is. The rookies have a great time, the companies get a lot of content, and the press gets their first look at the top guys in the class. To see the event commemorated in the app is really cool on a lot of levels, and I hope more risks are taken in delivering fresh programs as a result of the success of the last two.

Most importantly, it falls on us to support it. If we want more content delivered in a fashion that isnt head shots on a new type of background, this is our chance to show them how much we like these ideas. Dont be apathetic, and definitely provide feedback via the channels that are available. Tell them what you want, and if you think these are terrible, tell them how to make these programs more appropriate.

Even more important than that – if you have any of the new cards and are looking for a trading partner, shoot me a message.

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Bunt Tip of the Day: Cheap Insert Sets and Changing the Game

Posted on June 3, 2015 by SCUncensored

On monday, Topps released a set of special cards to commemorate the relaunch of one of their confectionery brands that has been around for decades. Bazooka gum has roots in many of our childhoods, and now that they are looking to relaunch the line with updates for 2015, Bunt saw an opportunity to partner up with a brand synonymous with Baseball. The set served two purposes – create cool cards for Bunt, and advertise their other ventures. Win win.

That’s not what is unique however, as partnerships of this sort have happened in the past. The unique element was the ease of putting the full set together, as the cards seemed to be popping out of packs in a way like we havent seen in Bunt for ages. There were many people who believed that this is the way it should be as a rule, rather than the exception, and I think its time to discuss the validity of that approach. Does this change the game, and is that change for the better?

Background

First off, let me start off by saying that the point of EVERY release is to make money, not make friends. If making friends is a byproduct of making money, then so be it. Topps Bunt and Topps Digital is a BUSINESS first. Like every business, they need to keep the lights on before any other considerations are met. With that, many releases are structured so that Topps can generate the most possible revenue. If their company is anything like mine, each factor is built out in a model that showcases potential. Our models include user experience and perception, leading to attrition, so I would guess theirs do to. Based on historical data, I bet they have gotten pretty good at predicting what will happen with each release.

The Case For Easy Inserts

I mentioned yesterday in my variant article, no one likes getting skunked, especially when real money is involved. It is the most negative of any user experience, save maybe getting your cards stolen. Knowing that people hate coming up empty, easy insert sets to collect present a very positive user experience that has people walking away happy. That is good for business and likely good for revenue as a result. Happy customers keep people coming back. I saw a number of posts on twitter of people buying coins who wouldnt normally have bought coins for an insert in the past.

As we saw in the first weeks of Star Wars Card Trader, the more likely a user is to pull nice cards for a cheap price, the lower the attrition rate is likely going to be. Because the best cards could be pulled in the cheapest packs, the community built in Star Wars was strong. People found excitement in getting the best cards, and made each specific release into an event. I was known to schedule my conference calls around certain insert releases. When the inserts moved to a more difficult setting, some of that bond was lost. Although the community is still VERY strong compared to the other apps, its not where it was.

In all reality, providing easy access has one major plus, and that is growing your user base and keeping them around. It also can serve as a great conversion tool from FTP user to pay user, and I am sure data like that exists in spades over on Kick and SW.

The Case Against Easy Inserts

As mentioned above, the main goal of the Topps team is to create cards and releases that generate the most possible revenue. If a set is easy to collect, there is a gap in the POTENTIAL revenue that could be generated on the higher end side of the user base. Easy access means those big fish wont spend as much to complete the set. Because its a good possibility that they would have spent the money, that lost revenue is a big deal. The main question is whether or not that lost whale revenue is made up in revenue generated by onesie twosie users buying. Considering how much some of the whales are known to spend, Im going to say its likely a poor trade.

Additionally, part of every release is perceived value on the secondary market. I am of the group of people that believe that if I am going to spend the money, I want a chance at something that the free and low spenders are not likely going to have. Im not spending my cash on cards that the entire user base will get. Not only is there no trade value in those cards, but there is no vanity element either. No wow factor of “holy crap, I cant believe he has all those” when people pull up my sheet for trading. Is that shallow and vain? Of course it is, but its also reality!

There is a reason why most clubs have a VIP section, where big spenders get to have restricted access. Not only is it about the perks of that membership, but its also about BEING SEEN with the perks of that membership. In Bunt, its a very similar situation, and I am not referring to the actual VIP program. What I am saying is that people want something special, but they also want to be seen as possessing it.

The Case for Balance

I think this is really the strongest case, as that equilibrium between easy and hard can be the key to success. I would almost approach things on a spectrum – give each type of user as much opportunity to get a shot as possible. Some sets should remain hard and very hard to collect in order to preserve the red velvet rope. Others should be easy and very easy to create what we got with Bazooka.

The presence of this type of approach should be enough to keep more people happy and engaged. The Diamond VIPs will still have their special cards, and the casual spenders will have easier sets at their disposal. Both sides arent going to be totally happy, but there will not be this growing resentment that explodes into euphoria when a cheap set is released.

Although a ripple effect might be associated with devaluing the users that collect the cheap cards, its probably one that the free to play users would be fine with. People just want cool cards at their level, and they dont always care about the perception of their collection.

The opportunity cost could be high, especially if design resources are at a premium. Topps obviously wants to use their artists in the spots that will make them the most money, and creating all these extra sets will have a cost associated. That might be a large reason why the balance isnt available now.

Regardless of each type of set, the main thing people have to come to terms with is that the amount of money they spend will be directly proportional to the quality of their collection. You cant have every card unless you are going to spend a ton of money. There is no use trying if you arent ready to drop some cash. The quicker people realize it, the more fun they will have in the game.

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Variant Crazy – Looking At Execution and Value of Paralleled Inserts

Posted on June 2, 2015 by SCUncensored

As someone who collects as much as I do, any opportunity to have more opportunity to pull inserts is usually a good thing. Everyone hates spending money, cracking packs with the coins and coming up empty. There is no worse feeling in any app than getting skunked on a bundle, and I want every opportunity to have a better chance at the good stuff.

Over the last few months, its been pretty obvious that the Topps team has become obsessed with Variants. Basically, taking one insert or card and adding different colors or content to create another example of said card. In the physical collecting world, these cards are called “Parallels,” and they are done almost exactly the same way as they are done in the digital world.

The question created by their existence is a pretty simple one, but has a very complicated answer. Do they help things or hurt things? In fact, this might be one of the more difficult things to come to a consensus on. Personally, Im relatively indifferent, except in very specific circumstances. I just want the Variant to mean something more than just creating another card for me to spend more money. That statement in itself is really a loaded one, as every card created is done so for me to spend more money. However, with some Variants, it can be something that adds a ton of value to BOTH cards.

Looking at the Variant Sigs in Huddle and Bunt is a great place to start – as they seem to be an example that creates a lot of value in the way the cards are presented. Because so many people love the signature series cards, adding a VERY rare parallel is a pretty good thing. It actually serves to put the normal sig in value context even more clearly, as the variant is usually so much more desired that it increases the chase for the base version. Similarly, because there is usually only one parallel, and its easy to decipher, many people can latch on.

capture (1)

Taking this to the far end of the other side of the spectrum is the Shadowbox and Luminaries cards in Star Wars. I just dont see a need to create so many different versions that have so little difference in their availability. Those situations are ones that actually detract value and dilute interest, because there are so many versions to go around. Adding 25 cards onto a sig run of 250 doesnt do much to the overall availability. It keeps the value in tact.

Creating variants because you can is not a reason to do it. Just because a card is able to have a variant doesnt mean you should make 5, or even 2. The simpler the better, the more easy to follow, the better it will be on the secondary market. That’s not saying variants dont have a place, it just has to make sense. There are a number of examples where they have worked really well, even in a very complex release format. At the same time, there are examples when the cards just look like a way to add cards to the sheet because its available.

The last thing I want to see is for people to become apathetic to any parallel that exists. In the physical world, save a few very specific situations, that is exactly what has happened. Serial numbering and contrived scarcity was the way to increase value in a product line without adding more cost to the set. It was very successful at first. So successful that it became commonplace to parallel the crap out of any card that was released. Each insert had to have 4-6 different numbering parallels, all the way down to 1 of 1. It has gotten so out of hand, that cards that only have 10 copies are sometimes worth as much as those that have 50. People have almost completely written it off.

My concern is that this is exactly what will happen in the games. I sincerely hope variants and parallels remain as valuable as they are in most circumstances. However, Im getting the sense that things might get out of hand very quickly. I guess time will tell.

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2015 NFLPA Rookie Premiere: How Will the Event Impact Huddle?

Posted on June 1, 2015 by SCUncensored

If you are not a card collector on the physical side of things, you might not be aware of the Rookie Premiere and what it was all about. Each year in LA, the card companies (like Topps) fly in about 40 rookies to don their NFL uniforms for the first time as players. These pictures are used for trading cards across the entire spectrum of the football card world. I would venture a guess that if Huddle would go back to action shots for 2015, the photos taken during this past weekend are going to be a big part of that.

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From what it looks like on Twitter, Huddle had a presence at the premiere with Digital Editor in Chief, Chris Vaccaro attending the event for the first time. Although we dont know the reason he was there, my guess is that digital is finally getting to be at the forefront of Topps’ planning for each new year. That is a great thing for Huddle and the other apps as well.

Additionally during the premiere, Huddle released the first action shot cards in close to 9 months, with a set of 10 cards from last year’s rookie premiere.

Capture Capture

Not only do these cards look amazing, but they signify a potential shift back to what we saw at the beginning of 2014. If you are like me, im sure those words are music to your ears. I am aware that the NFLPA jerseys arent an ideal situation, but we can all know that it is better than another head shot that we already have seen 100 times before.

With companies like Leaf and Press Pass using retouched images in their trading cards through most of the pre-season, I was always curious as to why Huddle was so cautious about going that same direction. Im sure it has to do with any potential negotiations with the NFL for a full license, but hopefully they can find a way to make this “action shot middle ground” showcased at the draft into something that works. I know I am a HUGE fan.

Here is my 2015 Rookie Premiere preview from my physical trading card site if you are interested in learning more about the event.

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Bunt Tip of the Day: Upcoming Signature Series Award and the Chase

Posted on May 28, 2015 by SCUncensored

After next week, we will have completed the first 10 weeks of the 2015 Bunt season, a timeframe that brought about some furious chases in collecting weekly inserts. In addition to the normal Sigs and Editor’s Choice cards, we had new sets like Fresh Faces and From the Vault. What is different about this year, is that in 2014, there were milestones in the marathon for each of the 10 week intervals. This time around, EC only has a 30 week award, and no mention of a marathon award for some of the other sets.

Although there is a Marathon award for signature series cards at 10 weeks, the lack of a marathon milestone card for each of the other weekly inserts seems to be a hole in the checklist. Its odd, because there is so much more value that can be added to a card knowing that a special insert is just moments away. I digress, as the Sigs remain the most important insert cards of the game. That being said, its going to be a pretty impossible chase unless you have a significant amount of resources.

The other interesting part of this new structure, is that the part of the community that uses Android didnt even have access to the top sig in the whole game. Mike Trout was limited to a MINUSCULE 150 copies, and is without a doubt, the hardest sig to come by. There are a few users who have managed to see the writing on the wall, and made that card their quest for a long time, getting multiple copies of both the base and the variant. It makes it that much more difficult for everyone else who still needs one. I feel for the Android users who are left out in the cold.

4

Its worth mentioning that I do have all 9 sigs released so far. I knew how low that Mike Trout sig was going to be and I broke the bank to pull one back on week 1. Once I had it, I knew I would need to complete the rest of the set. It has taken time, luck, and lots of money, but I am now one card away from a reward card that should be VERY low in quantity.

The question is, will this be worth the time and resources I have spent to put into it. Like we see with physical trading cards, its rarely about the completed set. Its about the fun of working and putting in the effort to get to that stage. It breeds a sense of accomplishment. When you see that the reward card will NOT be as valuable as the sum of the parts, this situation should be clear. I think that even with the award card in hand, its going to be difficult to find a trading partner for an extra Trout. Too many people want the parts instead of the reward. It should also be mentioned that the parts are still in play for another Marathon milestone for having all 30 sigs.

As mentioned in previous posts, a nice collection of top cards in the game is a status symbol. The equivalent of driving a luxury car, or living in a posh house. Even though the respect is only gleaned when someone pulls up your sheet in a trade offer, the vanity of that awed feeling is worth it to many Bunters. I am among that group, for sure.

All things considered, I sincerely hope the award cards are as cool as they were last year. We saw a Roberto Clemente card that made my jaw drop. This set is so difficult to complete, all that needs to happen again. We need the big guns. We cant have a player who hasnt earned the Superstardom that comes with being a consistent contributor in the league, or a HOF legend from among the game’s titans.

When the award card is eventually revealed, and I get that sense that TOPPSMIKE and TOPPSHANFORD really put a lot of thought and did something that they knew would send waves through the collectors, that’s when Ill have my moment.

I hope you experience the same thing.

Here is the checklist in case you need it:

  1. Mike Trout
  2. George Springer
  3. Robinson Cano
  4. Max Scherzer
  5. Miguel Cabrera
  6. Felix Hernandez
  7. Matt Harvey
  8. David Ortiz
  9. Evan Longoria
  10. ???????
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Thoughts on the First Star Wars Card Trader Award Cards

Posted on May 26, 2015 by SCUncensored

After 10 exciting and grueling weeks, the first award cards for the app have been released, and I know people are chomping at the bit to be able to find out the rest of the awards as well. So far, we have seen Vintage, Widevision, Connections and Topps Choice get handed out, with Galactic Moments and a few others still to come. Here are some of my thoughts on how they turned out.

Vintage Award Card – Nearly Completed Death Star

vin

Projected Count: 661 (per ToppsSteve)
Value: Extreme
Cool Factor: Jedi Master

I cant even begin to tell you how long I have waited for a Death Star card. Although we have gotten a few cards that reference it, and a Shred Award card that features it’s destruction, this is the first that really hits it out of the park. At 661 its a little higher than expected, but you can imagine that any active account that had a Vintage Han did what they could to get the set, so its not too hard to believe. Easily the best award card of the bunch.

Widevision Award Card – Jump to Hyperspace

wv2

Projected Count: 665-670
Value: Strong
Cool Factor: Jedi Knight

Another sweet card for a set that was very difficult to complete. The “Help Me Obi Wan” Widevision card had been climbing in value over the last few weeks as people scrambled to build the set, and like we saw with the Vintage award, its going to be expected that everyone that had it was trying to get all the cards. The white lines of hyperspace have been copied by so many different pop culture institutions, and its fine with me that this is the place Topps decided to feature it. Great looking card. The only reason I ranked the cool factor where it is? Looks like this was when Lando was flying the Millenium Falcon, not Han and Chewy. Takes it down a notch for me.

Widevision Award Card – Variant Jump to Hyperspace

wv1

Projected Count: 665-670
Value: Strong
Cool Factor: Jedi Knight

This was an unusual situation. They accidentally gave the Topps Choice award card to all the people who had the widevision set by mistake. Obviously they had to correct the situation and gave out this card plus 10k coins as a sorry. It relatively diluted the market with these, making the award 1300 plus instead of 600 plus, but its good trade bait either way. Would have been much better to do a new card, but I know that takes some time to create and get approvals.

Connections Award Card – Darth Vader and Ashoka Tano

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Projected Count: 880-885
Value: Strong
Cool Factor: Padawan Learner

I get that the cartoons are part of the Star Wars Universe, and there are people in the app that appreciate them as something worth having as a part of Card Trader. I definitely believe they have their place. That being said, I wasnt excited about this card. I wanted to see a Luke / Vader card or even a Sidious / Vader card, but not a card that we pretty much already had once.

Topps Choice Award Card – Jek Porkins Gold

tc

Projected Count: 785-790
Value: Strong+
Cool Factor: Jedi Knight

There were a few issues on communication with this card, as mentioned above, but it looks like it eventually got to the right people. If you remember back, there was initial communication issues as well, as it wasnt originally labeled as a marathon. Either way, I think a Gold Variant works here, as Topps Choice is something that is akin to Editor’s Choice in the other apps. I dont think many were unhappy with it, and the card looks cool.

UPDATE:

Galactic Moments Award Card – First Video Game

gm

Projected Count: ???
Value: Strong
Cool Factor: Jedi Master

This card just hit the sheet this morning, and when I saw it, it definitely struck a chord with my nostalgic connection to this universe. This video game was one of the first to be tied to a movie, and has led to many hundreds just like it. From what I remember, this game was literally impossible, and didnt exactly generate a great response from the kids that played it. Regardless, its pretty valuable if you have it mint in box, and that is perfect for this series.

Overall, I think that the most important of the sets got everything right, which was probably the most important thing. If Vintage’s award card was a dud, it would have really put a big damper on the set. Glad they were able to get that done the right way. As for everything else, this was a bit rough around the edges, but it will work eventually.

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Force Tip of the Day: What are the Main Determining Factors of Card Value?

Posted on May 22, 2015 by SCUncensored

Let me start off by saying that value is a subjective situation, as intrinsically, it depends on the person to determine how much a card is worth to them. To one individual, a card may be worth very little, where to someone else, it may be worth exponentially more. Of course, certain value standards are applied to specific cards, which are universally accepted, but even that may fluctuate based on the person. That brings about the question of determining the different variables that contribute to a card’s BASE value.

Rarity/Card Count

With no gameplay element in the Star Wars app, the game becomes more about amassing the biggest collection. Rarity is almost the largest part of the value pie, solely because supply and demand will force collectors to have a more difficult time adding the card to the collection. That doesnt mean that its the ONLY factor, but a rare card has a much more likely chance to be higher in the value spectrum than one that is higher in count. That’s also not saying that a readily available card cant also be valuable, not in any way. That being said, in terms of the CHANCE that the card could reach the high side, a low count helps.

Universe

Right now, I would categorize the SW app into three universes, with each having its own point of contribution to a card’s value. The most valuable of the universes is the original trilogy, more specifically Episodes IV and V. Anything attributed directly to the original trilogy will LIKELY have more value potential than a card from the other two.

The second on the list is obviously the new trilogy of movies, followed by anything associated with any of the cartoons. Considering that there are certain users that wont go out of their way to obtain cards built around the cartoon universe, it should not be surprising that this presents the least chance of adding value to a card.

Character

This one should be a no brainer, as I have mentioned prior that using certain characters is automatically going to make things more attractive to collectors. Guys like Darth Vader (not Annakin), Maul, and Han Solo will always have more potential than someone like a random droid or a random soldier – even in spite of any of the other elements on this list. I would even go so far as saying that Han Solo is focused upon as much as he is due to the Vintage card that has taken over the game. Normally I would put him below some of the other characters in popularity, but he is the Clayton Kershaw/Mike Trout of this game.

Because Character is almost 100% in line with the universe the belong to, or are presented in, that can also be a big factor. A card of Darth Vader from the original trilogy is likely going to be less valuable than a Darth Vader cartoon card, all other things being equal.

Marathon Status / Awards

I could just talk about this element as the probability of getting awards adding to a card’s value, but its more than that with the marathons in place. If a card is designated as a weekly insert, the value will automatically be higher than if it is not. If an award is expired, like we have seen with Planets, the value will drop, regardless of the other factors in this post.

Marathon cards are a very unique situation, as everyone wants to complete their sets, as long as they have most of the set. The further away from the set a person is, the more likely that type of card will be worth less to them.

We all know that the community has put Vintage atop the mountain in terms of which marathon set is worth the most, yet Widevision, Topps Choice, and Connections all have very similar appeal as well. If the marathon was not in play, the cards would not be as sought after. There was no clearer example of this than what happened with Jek Porkins card value the second that marathon text was added to that article. It went from a trade compliment to a trade centerpiece overnight.

Let me put it this way – an extremely limited version of an active marathon card from the original trilogy that features a popular character will be the most valuable card in the game.

Availability / Pack Format / Age

Im going to close with this factor, because its the biggest wild card in my opinion. Cards that have odd pack formats can sometimes be more valuable than ones that just have a regular format. Same thing can be said about cards received through awards vs cards that are pulled from packs. Rare cards you pull will be likely more valuable than rare cards you get as an award. Im not sure why that is the case, but it seems to be true.

Similarly, if a card’s pack format limits the availability, the value can be severely increased or sometimes decreased. The weirder the way to obtain the card, the more the value will change. Its quite surprising.

More important than any of these factors is age. If a card is new or newer, it will automatically be more valuable than older cards of a similar construct, with few exceptions. I have seen new cards from a set go for double the value of older cards from the same set that have lower circulation. Crazy.

Bottom line, value as a whole is something that makes the game go ’round. Now, Im not saying that you should run out and find a price guide, or even use eBay as a marker. That will only serve to make this game less fun. There is nothing more satisfying that finding that certain trade partner that perfectly fits your needs, giving up something that perfectly fits their needs. Desire will trump value in most cases, as a user’s preference can be a powerful tool. Dont ever forget that.

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Bunt Tip of the Day: Breaking Down the Pros and Cons of New Contest System

Posted on May 21, 2015 by SCUncensored

When 2015 Bunt Started, I was really excited to see that there was going to be a change to the way the fantasy sports elements of the game were going to operate. Last year’s structure was a grind for 162 game season, forcing users be a slave to the MLB scoreboard in order to achieve any of the top spots. With contests, it was a day by day opportunity to start from scratch, adopting the Fan Duel one day league structure. I thought it was going to be awesome. The question still remains of whether or not it is working as well as I had thought it would.

Positive Elements

If you have the time and the collection, contests can be a VERY lucrative venture. With each contest offering a relatively big prize, you can make quite a bit of coinage if you can operate similarly to last year. Even if you dont have the time, playing at least one or two contests per day will get you some nice little bumps in the amount of spending power you have.

Additionally, Best of Bunt is now a one day contest as opposed to a week long contest. Its much easier to plan out a lineup with a focus on the specific players you will need to finish in the top part of the contest week by week. Like we saw in Huddle with the throwdowns, people can stock up all month for a specific few games, and really kill the competition.

There are also a number of free elements to the game that give casual players a place to participate without risk, and still walk away with a shot at some coins. If you play the three contests each day, you will get an opportunity to make a lot of extra daily coins without paying in at all.

Lastly, as discussed above there is no longer a tie to the scoreboard on a daily basis. You play when you want to play, which can provide a lot of respite when you need it. So many times I crapped out on a week last week because I had to miss a night here and there. Not anymore. Missing time doesnt cripple you anymore.

Negative Elements

Its pretty clear that points isnt as big of a deal this year. Because there isnt the weekly and yearly chase to rise to the top, the competition is only between a few select people that still love playing along. Last year, more than 5000 users would compete and play during the course of the week, where as this year, only a few hundred play the daily contests.

I think it has to do with a lot of different reasons, but the fact that the chase doesnt extend past that one contest is a big deal. There is no incentive to play and play hard on a regular basis unless you want more coins to spend the next day. That isnt a good situation for the people who were driven by the competition that lasted the full year in 2014.

This is only exacerbated by the fact that the Champions packs are still relatively uneventful. Although they guarantee a Gold and an Insert, those prizes just dont have a good reason to dive in. Coins are great, but doesnt really do much for a lot of people from what it looks like.

Lastly, having the same contests available every day isnt really keeping things fresh. Although its a lot of work to build new contests, I dont see much variety, other than the occasional fun one that gets loaded here and there.

My Feedback

I thought we would have more opportunity to have contests that were SUPER unique. We need more variety and we need a bigger reason to play every day.

Contests need to be changed and build on a daily basis. Make them fun. Something like ONLY 9 cards allowed, or ONLY pitchers, or ONLY hitters, maybe game by game one day. Hell, what about ONLY players that have been in the majors more than 5 years? Make it really fun. Do a contest where you can ONLY play one type of boost, or a contest where only inserts are allowed. The best part is, you can still have these along side the normal contests in case people dont like them. Its only a day long commitment to the format at a time, so if something doesnt work, it doesnt need to come back for a second day.

The Champions packs need their own draw. Add in a raffle ticket for a special insert only available in those packs. Add in coin cards that deliver some big bonuses like 100k or something like that. Develop insert sets that are only available in those packs, maybe something like the Bowman Diamond cards last year. Have the opportunity to pull a card that when traded to the producers gives you one level up on your VIP. Something awesome like that.

I would also add in some sort of weekly leaderboard. Give points for winning a contest, and then scale down those points for finishing in the money. Create a reward for people who finish with the most points on a weekly, monthly or yearly basis. Starting in May is okay, we know things are new and will be adjusted. Dont write off a yearly contest because it got started late.

I realize the IT, design, and development commitment that will be necessary to build these elements, but I feel like it will be worth everyone’s time. These are just suggestions that dont factor in those limitations that we know exist. Hopefully some of them are possible.

Overall, make points a focus again, and do it by something other that FORCING people into a 10k challenge to drive up numbers. Do it the right way.

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Force Tip of the Day: Award Card Mania Begins Tomorrow!

Posted on May 20, 2015 by SCUncensored

Its here, its finally here! The day when all that time, money and energy you put into collecting the first 10 weeks of the marathons comes to fruition. The articles have made it very clear how important it is to collect the sets, and I cant wait to see how the awards shake out. This is always one of my favorite times in the app, as the award cards can be extremely exciting and also extremely valuable.

Background

Award cards and yearly marathons started back with 2014 Bunt, and continued through every app that Topps did. Each game has their own weekly sets, some being the cornerstone of the game, others being less important aspects of why the fans keep coming back. In Bunt, some of the weekly cards were so rare, that only a handful of people were able to complete the entire chase. It made for some very valuable cards.

Potential Counts

In SWCT, the lowest count insert in any of the Marathons is 1500, which will present a very interesting situation when we start to see how many people eventually got all of the cards required for each award. Remember, just because the count is 1500, does not mean that all 1500 will have the means to collect the whole set. My guess is that Vintage will be 300-400 copies, and the others will hover around 550-650 in the amount of the sets that got done.  Galactic will probably have the most as many of the cards were 5k in count and above.

Value

This is where things get tricky. I mentioned before that the award cards will not be worth as much as the main cards in the game. Vintage Han will still be the top card. Widevision Obi Wan and Sith Connections will still be worth more than the Vintage award too. Those cards just have too much of a reputation to be unseated atop the heap.

People like the chase in the Topps apps, sometimes to a fault, but they care more about the chase cards instead of the award cards in most cases. The sig rewards in Bunt have been a big exception to the rule, but it all depends on how the cards are created. If they are cool and special, people will want them.

At the same time, I can see Topps not wanting to waste their best material on a card that cant be pulled from a pack. That would kill the spending potential in that respect. Expect something that is really cool, but not game changing like we all believe it should be. If the Vintage award ends up being Darth Vader, ill be shocked.

Future State

I have already resigned myself that its going to be very difficult to complete the 5 sets I completed this time around. Ill probably sit on Vintage as most will, and continue to build the set. I have managed to get 10 dupes, so maybe I can trade for ones I dont have to complete the next leg. Then again, it all depends on the way the award cards are done. If they are a let down for one set, but awesome for another, that could be a big factor.

Color me very excited for tomorrow. Very excited. May the force be with you in your awards this week.

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