Two copies of the same 1/1 card...

[pacadie]

I recently bought a Dan Bouchard ITG Decades Number - Gold card from the Final Vault. It is stamped V 1 of 1.

Small problem though, I also own a Dan Bouchard ITG Decades Number - Gold, but without stamp... As some of you may know, in this set, the Number Gold variation are limited to... one copy.

So, how come there is TWO copies of the same 1/1 card???

I understand that In The Game keeps the stamped one in their vault and release it recently in the Final Vault Boxes. But again, why ITG would have a SECOND copy of a card that is suppose to be limited to only one copy?

What does it means to all the 1/1 cards produced by ITG during all these years? Are there two copies of each, the second being offer as a replacement or stamped and sold/given during shows?

Do someone have an explanation? And what do you think about this situtation?

[ncm7772]

If you've got some time, it's all explained here:

http://hobbyinsider.net/forum/showthread.php?t=391756

[pacadie]

Looks like I am late to the party! :)

Thanks for the link. I red 12 pages today... and my head hurts lol

As a longtime ITG fan and collector (Franchises and Decades are my favorite sets ever), I can't say that I like what I am reading.

What I can say is that it is instructive!

Thanks again for sharing!

[notoriousrob101]

In summation, Brian Price of ITG needed to cash in his retirement fund. Now everyone can have multiple copies at half the price! Or less?

[ncm7772]

Looks like I am late to the party! :)

Thanks for the link. I red 12 pages today... and my head hurts lol

As a longtime ITG fan and collector (Franchises and Decades are my favorite sets ever), I can't say that I like what I am reading.

What I can say is that it is instructive!

Thanks again for sharing!

No problem. I certainly understand your opinion. Personally, I don't have a strong opinion either way. On one hand, I think it's great that this allows collectors to get great pieces of memorabilia. But on the other hand, it's not fair to collectors that spent large amounts of $ purchasing the originals of the cards.

[RGM81]

There's a couple different reasons that the card could originally have had the second copy produced:
1. QC replacement - if the original was damaged somehow, the owner would definitely want a mint copy.
2. Expo/trade shows - ITG always had special cards at the special shows, often stamped versions of the original cards.

Once the liquidation started, though, any existing inventory suddenly flooded the market.

[pacadie]

That is my understanding as well. Thanks RGM81!

[jsokol1626]

To the best of my recollection, including reading every page of the discussion over at HI, a satisfactory explanation was never provided by ITG. Apparently the extra cards were intended to be replacements in the event the original cards were damaged in production. That would explain why ITG avoided numbering each individual card (1 of 5, 2 of 5, etc.) The concept of replacing a damaged card in kind is one that most card companies don't embrace. More times than not a replacement card is an alternative to the original which has been the source of controversy, as well. Replacing in kind raises a new issue, what to do with those cards if they are not needed as replacements? Clearly ITG decided, once they were closing their doors, to create "The Vault" series as a way to generate income and clear out inventory. Even though the foil "Vault" title was added to the cards, in every other way they were the same as the originals. The collectors market didn't react favorably, especially those people who spent a lot of money to acquire very, very limited print runs of the originals as "Vault" cards often sell at a discounted rate. Further, as in the case of the OP's Bouchard, has a 1/1 now become a 2/2, or a 3/3 depending upon the number of replacements produced. Would it have been wiser for ITG not to release "Vault" cards in order to honor the original stated print run and therefore protect those collectors against devaluation? Or, was it a better decision to introduce these cards into the marketplace so that the company reaps more profit and collectors get another opportunity?

[30ranfordfan]

Quality Control / Replacement card? I think what's more likely is they made extras of tons of stuff over the years... because they were often used as show giveaways... but had extra stamps on them.

This isn't so much an issue for the "true 1/1" type cards (i.e. the card in my avatar - there is only one copy of it, I have yet to see any evidence that alternate versions of any cards from sets like that exist) but over the last few years in particular... anything that had an unnumbered Gold / Silver / Black / whatever jersey - there were likely more copies than the stated print run produced.

So in the card in question (from the first post) - There was likely more than 2 copies made. I don't know what number makes printing "easier" but I'll be willing to bet whatever that number is - that's how many they pumped out. One may have been held back as a potential replacement, others had various show stamps added to them.... and they were given away like that. Maybe more than 1 copy was held back and sat in their archives for a few years.

And then.... yes.... a 1/1 Vault stamp was added to it, and it was packed out in that release.


So, I believe that there was only one copy of that card packed out in the original release - but I also believe there could be many more than just 1 "stamped" version out there. That's what all the evidence from the last year (or so) has shown us.

Does that mean your card is no longer a 1/1 ?? I guess that's a matter of opinion. I would say it is... as it's the only non-stamped Gold version.

[pacadie]

Thanks for the input guys! It is much more clearer in my head now. I have learn a lot about ITG practice (good and questionnable) during the last few days.