Opinions of ITG

[30ranfordfan]

My opinion - They're the best card company in the market. This is not to say that I don't enjoy other companies products too, and not to say that I like every single product ITG has to offer, but overall, they make the best stuff.

No NHL license means no Rookie Cards, but IMO - this doesn't matter (unless all you want is rookie cards). They're the only manufacturer that offers up nice cards of players in junior, they've got an autograph lineup that can rival UD or Panini, and their Game Used stuff is typically much better.

Will their prices go up over time? Maybe, maybe not. As reoddai pointed out already..... in the last few years, there's been a steady decline in the price of most cards (even if a price guide doesn't always reflect it).

If you're thinking that you'll buy these cards now, and sell them at much higher prices down the road - you're going to have to get very lucky guessing which cards to invest in (this goes for all three companies). Honestly, I don't see it happening.

[Breakawaysc]

ITG produces some great products. We're having a lot of fun at the shop breaking Draft Prospects right now. ITG listens to what collectors want and its nice to be able to speak directly to owner. Dr. Price is active on the forums and it says a lot about him and his commitment to the hobby to engage directly with collectors like that. Looking forward to Decades (release date???)

[joecoolio]

ITG has the very best memorabilia cards of all manufacturers. You see the nicest patches, best multiple swatch cards, and biggest swatches. They seem to be leaning more on hard signed autos in releases as well. Really very very nice stuff.

[JackCampbellFan]

ITG has the best customer service - if a card is damaged, swatches are placed in the wrong window, etc. they are very helpful
ITG has the best memorabilia cards - incredible jumbo patches and multi-colored swatches
ITG has the best value - due to no license, they don't have to hike up their prices

[ginx86]

Unfortunately, I am primarily a team collector so ITG isn't able to produce many cards that I can add to my collection.

That said I've bought a box of H & P the last few years and I've always been happy with my breaks. There are usually two to three prospect cards I can use in the base set and I almost always pull the ones I need because it seems like ITG has much better base card collation than the other two companies. There's plenty of hits in the box and I've never had problems trading them for other cards I need. If your going to focus your collection on Windsor then no one else can compete with what ITG can offer you.

As far as value, the truth is nothing really holds its value no matter who releases it. If you just collect what you like you'll enjoy this hobby a lot more than if you worry about card values.

[netsinah]

Since you've returned to the hobby, you'll need to decide on your collecting interests and focus. If you're looking to recoup money from singles that you pull from packs, ITG cards usually don't have the highest resale values compared to other products like UD. You can easily investigate this by checking ebay sale prices of cards you consider comparable. I know the ITG collectors might take issue with this, but again make up your own mind by looking on the internet.

On the other hand, ITG does do well with vintage players and their memorabilia cards. So if that's your cup of tea, then ITG may be for you. You mention being happy with ITG Heroes and Prospects...perhaps that answers your question: if you're happy collecting something then stick with what gives you joy.

ITG has its core group of followers/fans (with many on this Board) but the I'd say the majority of collectors tend to focus on NHL licenced products where the cards show the players in their NHL uniforms. The nice thing about this hobby, is that there's no specific area(s) that's viewed as what should or should not be collected...it's entirely up to the individual collector and you need to establish that for yourself.

[Gallinator]

The more I read about licensing and the accompanying greed and control issues, the less I care about seeing those little logos or team uniforms. ITG puts forth a quality effort with almost every product, listens to its customer base and attempts to put value in every box, which UD hasn't done for a while and Panini can only accomplish sporadically. I try to support ITG by buying at least one box of everything that comes out (sometimes much, much more!) and I rarely end up stuck with unwanted product - it sells well on eBay and here on the boards, unlike some of the other brands out there.

[etr102]

Thank you everybody for your input. I agree with just about everything everyone has said.

The one thing that drives me nuts about the current state of the hobby is just how many sets there are. Back in the 80s, there was only 1 O-Pee-Chee Brett Hull rookie card. There was only 1 O-Pee-Chee Steve Yzerman rookie card, etc. Now with all the different sets, parallel sets, etc it's reached the point of ridiculousness. For example, I'm a big Baseball fan, and even though Topps has an exclusive MLB license, there are about 20 Yu Darvish rookie cards when you consider every Bowman Set, Bowman Chrome, etc, not to mention all of the parallel sets that just happen to have a different colored border or different colored foil, etc.

Anyway, what I like about ITG is the relative simplicity. There are a few different sets, but there doesn't seem to be nearly as many variations.

Another thing that has impressed me is the lack of doubles. I purchased a single hobby box of Heros And Prospects (18 packs of 8 cards, not counting the 'thick' redemption cards). By my math, that's 144 cards. Out of 144 cards, I only got about 6 doubles, so I ended up with about 85-90% of the complete 150 card base set, plus several autograph and game used cards. Maybe it's just luck, but I find I get FAR more doubles when I buy boxes of Topps baseball cards

What type of things does ITG give out in exchange for the redemption cards? It seems as though I'll have a complete set of everything I'm looking for in Heros and Prospects long before I have enough redemption cards to trade em in.

[clearshot]

ITG helped me find joy in collecting again. I used to stay away from ITG stuff like the plague, focusing only on NHL Licensed UD cards. After years of frustrations with collation, missing hits, overpriced products and never-ending redemption issues, I almost gave up. Then I decided to give it one last shot with ITG, BEST DECISION EVER. Sure they don't have an NHL license, but now they've charged my interest in CHL leagues and players. Waaaaay cheaper games to attend, no lockouts and super exciting to see guys pre-NHL. 90% of their products are successes, providing a more balanced return, definitely "best bang for your buck products."

[PoseyBuster]

I dont mean to hijack or anything- can someone tell me if there are more pros or cons to buying ITG ultimate collection box to bust for profit/PC? JW thanks