In The Gameland

[Bimola]

Forget about the redemptions - you're GIVING AWAY a game used Sittler Leafs jersey?!?! Please let me know how I get in on that one!

BTW: IMO your company has created some of the greatest hockey cards ever produced. They are what brought me back into collecting hockey again and currently form the cornerstone(s) of my collection (see 2 below!). Where else can you get jumbo emblems of Bobby Orr and Bill Barilko memorabiia? You should be thanked and not critisized for your contribution to the hobby.

[jim bradt]

Gorgeous looking cards. I will take any one the ones pictured, your choice. PM me for my mailing address.
Thanks in advance.

Just kidding. But you gotta try.

[Gallinator]

Forget about the redemptions - you're GIVING AWAY a game used Sittler Leafs jersey?!?! Please let me know how I get in on that one!

BTW: IMO your company has created some of the greatest hockey cards ever produced. They are what brought me back into collecting hockey again and currently form the cornerstone(s) of my collection (see 2 below!). Where else can you get jumbo emblems of Bobby Orr and Bill Barilko memorabiia? You should be thanked and not critisized for your contribution to the hobby.

Agreed 100%! No card company is perfect and there are always going to be issues, but ITG consistently has the collector in mind and has created some mind-blowing products over the years. Thank you, Dr. Price, for your efforts and try to ignore the mouth-breathers who somehow manage to pull their knuckles off the ground long enough to stab out a few words of hatred on a keyboard.

Go ITG!

[bprice]

We enjoyed our trips to Vancouver, Edmonton and Calgary with the Bossa Shows. But as I said, when our agreement ran out, it seemed that the promoter felt that he was giving us too much to attend. The cost of travel, set up and redemptions is a lot and we could not make it work. Maybe that will change one day. Hope so.

Brian Price

[centrehice]

People that set up trade-shows need to have Big Draw, and your company is just that, a Big Draw.

I've done hundreds of trade-shows in the Cigar, Smokeless Tobacco, Beer, Racing, Rodeo and Sport industry and manufacturers/players like yourselves are invited to Trade Shows, not charged to attend to set up your display booth.

Some people in the marketing environment, haven't a clue.

[nyiforce]

Sucks for collectors who can't make it to the Expo Toronto. Sick redemption cards, especially the ones with Sundin on them.

This x1000.

It is unfortunate that these give-aways are at shows of which a pile of collectors can't make it to due to travel expensives. I live roughly 4.5 hours from the nearest big card hub (Edmonton) and it would cost me quite a bit for fuel, food, hotel and then the boxes just to get one of those awesome cards. I have been trying the redemption card program with buying a case of 11-12 H&P but even with that would be short roughly 50 points.

It would be awesome if ITG, which in my humble opinion produces some of the nicest stuff out there wether it be high or mid-end, could come up with something for us loyal collectors to reach for without busting the bank (well pack ripping funds anyhow).

I will of course continue to collect ITG (check this pc of Franchises )
http://s199.photobucket.com/albums/a...anchises%20PC/

Props however to your compaany for even doing this kind of promotion and am looking forward to cracking more of your products.

[bdiam]

bdlam your post is very interesting. In a previous post you totally bashed us for having redemptions that were stamped cards that could be found in the product. Now that we have created totally unique cards that cannot be found in the product but only can be obtained through the redemption, your complaining about that as well.

I guess you can't please everybody, even if you give them what that want.

I know this reply will bring on more ITG haters but needed to make the point.

bdlam why don't you come over the booth and we can discuss your concerns in person.

Brian Price

Not sure why I'm bothering to reply, as your Acolytes always delete or hide my posts directed towards you

After reading your post and double-checking the link to your site, I will step-back from my comments and actually commend you for finally taking the Karl Marx portrait, out of your production meetings - I'm sure it was quite difficult

While I still don't personally agree with "wasting" quality memorabilia associated with these "give-aways", you are at the very least now "protecting" the "integrity" of your product - in this case a very high-end and costly one - Superlative. Further, you are allowing the people who purchase this product, to potentially be "rewarded", should they pull a big card - as it should be. You may even find that as cards start moving for higher prices on the secondary market, that the wax demand, will also increase. Collectors will no longer have to wait for that second "Stamped copy" / big boot to drop on them.

Normally, I would address the "ITG haters" comment that you frequently make (coincidentally & regularly in my posts) but I will pass this time. It just so reminds me of the mentality of a certain political party down south - that by not voting for their candidate, makes one a racist. Let's just hope that there are plenty of "racists" voting, in two-weeks.

As for stopping by at your booth, you don't really want that to happen I've long since put my "issues" regarding the Superlative Franchise massacre/farce behind me. Once upon a time, I would have presented facts to you, you wouldn't have believed them, I would have provided proof (invoices) and things would have deteriorated from there. These days, I try and reserve "ruining someone's weekend", to only a very select few. For some "strange" reason, I always envision a bunch of NDP'ers set-up at or near your booth and that would be just too much to take

Besides, coming to your booth would obviously mean travelling and spending my hard-earned money in TO. Since those of us out West, already send our "hard-working" Eastern neighbours huge chunks of money monthly (transfer payments), I need to preserve what I have.

Once again, kudos for the decision to protect the Superlative product. Now, if you could just figure a way to go back in time and remove all of the stamped cards from Bleu Blanc et Rouge, we'll leave that for another day

[iidaemmi]

For the start, I mention that I'm not a ITG hater nor lover.

I'm not excited these redemption's, why's that?

As you told Dr. Price, if you are player collector there's too much stuff out there. It's very easy to say wow great redemption's, I love those one's! But how if you have to collect them all? Your newest rivals including 30 Gilmour mostly high end cards and I'm going to after all of them, even Gilmour/Muller smudged auto. Just one set.
How many /9, /9, /9, /9,/9 etc redemptions comes next? I'm not a rich guy like you are, just a worker. I earn 30 000euros per year, it's a less than 40 000 bucks.

Many guys like's your program because it's free money, they can flip those redemption's and get 30 bucks.
They don't need to collect them all.

Harri

[Gallinator]

But how if you have to collect them all? ...They don't need to collect them all.

Harri

I'm really not trying to be mean at all, Harri, because I have the same compulsion to "collect them all" but at some point, much like gambling, it crosses the line from hobby to unhealthy obsession and ceases to be fun, no?

Paul

[iidaemmi]

That's a very good point Paul and I partly agree. I still have some passion left, so I wanna hang on the ride.
I see that many player collector's just stop. They do not criticize anyone, they just walk a way..

Is it better or best way to handle this over producing? Perhaps, but it's not my way.

Harri