Three Freebies From The Wrapper

 One of the Trading Card Trade magazines I subscribe to is called "The Wrapper" a low-budget publication that comes out every six weeks or so (7 times a year) and is Non-Sport specific. Often they dive deep into vintage Non-Sport sets as well as the occasional newer set, some super popular and well known and others that are rare and very obscure. I forget how many years I have been subscribed. Anyway when it comes to renewing your subscription along with the notice that your subscription is about to expire they will often send a few freebies to sweeten the deal. Here are three cards I received in my subscription renewal envelope; 1 I am pretty sure I already have, 1 I know I already have and the 3rd is "new" to me:

2004 Inkworks Charmed Connections Promo CC-3

1978 Donruss Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band -

58 Preston, the weathervane, sings "Get Back".

1997 Fleer/Skybox Star Trek Original Series 1 - 47 EP16.2 The Menagerie

Two Andromeda Autos Trance

So a couple of weeks back got a second autograph card from an actor from one of the Sci-Fi shows I like. The first one I got ages ago. This is from the show Andromeda. A sci-fi show created by an idea from Star Trek Creator Gene Rodenberry. A few months back I had posted an auto card of the show's star Kevin Sorbo. The cards I am featuring for this post is Laura Bertram who played the alien Trance Gemini.

The first of the two cards I like better even though the signature is not as legible,  and is the one I had gotten a few years back. It was also an oddball type of card as it was originally a sealed "Uncirculated" card, however the gold seal sticker was damaged and was hastily "repaired" with some scotch tape. I don't think I had done that, but maybe. Anyway I probably debated if I should remove and ditch the damaged seal which just adds other problems including not being able to view the entire card. I'm just going to ditch the useless sticker. Maybe back when I got it I thought the seals were cool, but now I don't care. I liked if I could get them, but always hated that they cover up too much info. Also sellers will charge way too much extra for the seal. Anyway that is the older of the two, even though it is from a later series of the cards.

The second more recent acquisition has its own story. I got it from Ebay and even though I paid over $20 ($26 and some change $20 plus postage and tax) the seller sent it by the new Ebay standard envelope. Cards valued over $20 are not supposed to go that way. (update: OK technically my card was just at $20 so it just sneaks by) Which I don't care for. Mostly because the tracking marks the package as "delivered" when it reaches your area's main hub post office, not necessarily your "home" post office that serves your address. I got it a day or two after it was marked as delivered. This has happened with another card I had received via the standard envelope as well.

2001 Inkworks Andromeda Autograph A4 Laura Bertram as Trance Gemini

2004 Inkworks Andromeda Autograph A5 Laura Bertram as Trance Gemini (with Uncirculated Seal)

2004 Inkworks Andromeda Autograph A5 Laura Bertram as Trance Gemini (raw)

Some Ranting And An Autograph

 Not sure what this post will be about just yet.

As usual when it comes to blogs and blogging I have been doing that barely post one post per month per each of my blogs. Another thing about blogs I have been doing lately well something I haven't been doing lately is reading other people's blogs. Years ago I would easily read 20 to 30 mostly card blogs to keep up with the goings on in the blogiverse, but now days I read very few if any. For about a year or so I have still gone through the daily ritual of seeing what the new posts are, but rarely bothering to read any posts in their entirety. I used to have a laundry list of blogs that I HAD to read each and every time they made a new post, now I don't HAVE to read any blogs anymore. Many days I don't read any blogs. My interest in reading blogs daily has dropped down to almost nothing. Now when I check for new posts I scan the initial preview and only if something interests me either in the title, the thumbnail image or the first couple of sentences showing will I read the post. I usually try reading the special Blogiversary posts or the highlighted special achievements.

That being said the few people following and reading my blog will probably drop from only a handful to next to nothing. Oh well that doesn't bother me - much. 

Anyway the card I decided to show was one that I have had for sometime. I scanned it last month with the batch of cards I ended up blogging about then. I have been planning on waiting to blog about it until I had gotten a similar card, since it is an autograph card I was waiting until I had purchased and received one of the other autographs from the same series and actor and then would post about both cards. But since I had scanned it and I don't know when (or if) I'll get the other card I present it here and now.

2001 Inkworks Andromeda Season 1: A1 Autograph Kevin Sorbo as Captian Dylan Hunt

Charmed Auto Alyssa Milano Times Two

This is a super duper quick post as I have less than 10 minutes to publish. OK I'll do a publish and then edit later to make my self appointed monthly deadline. I also had to do this with the January post for my Nationals "Curly W Cards" Blog. It is cheating a little bit as the meat of the post was not published just basically the title and a little bit of blah, blah, blah to get in under the wire.

Phew now my archived postings will not have a blank for January 2021. Where was I? Oh yeah a couple of Alyssa Milano on card Autographed cards from the television series Charmed. These were not pulled autos but after market signings probably done in mass before or after some convention through the company that produced the COAs for them Alpha Memorabilia. Both cards have a matching COA and a holograph sticker with certification number. Yeah, yeah an autograph with a COA big deal, doesn't mean it is legit. Maybe they are maybe they aren't for these I don't care. I got them from Ebay a few years back I forget exactly when or the exact cost of them. I know because of my cheapness I would not have paid more than $30 a piece not including shipping (shipping might have been free but I'm not sure as I don't recall exact prices here or when I got it. I might be able to research it and track down that stuff but I don't want to it isn't necessary. I think they were actually $20 or less I think possibly even $15. The cards the autos are on are not huge sought after cards from the series so I doubt they were too much. People want the certified autos that have the "A-#" numbers. The certified autograph cards of Alyssa and the other sisters from these Charmed sets that were distributed in the boxes and packs go for way way way too much usually at least 3 digits sometimes auctions start at OK price so it might be possible to get one for maybe $50 sometime, but I doubt it the way autograph prices for anything on cards are now-days. 

Both are from the 2006 Inkworks "Charmed Destiny" card set. The set consists of 72 base cards, which these cards are from, 11 Autograph cards, 9 Costume cards ("jersey"/Relic), 6 "Bad Karma" cards looks to be villians, 9 "Unforgettable" cards, which is a 9 card puzzle picture, 3 box loaders cards, a 1 card case loader autograph card of Brad Kern Executive Producer, and 5? Promo cards which I have a few of (at one time I had planed on making a post of those promo cards I do have. Maybe sometime I will). I might not have all the promo cards I'm not sure it's been a while since I've looked at what I have and TCDB doesn't list promo cards very well anymore. I have some promo cards from the television series Warehouse 13 that used to be there but are not there anymore. But I digress.

The first card is card number 20 Ask Phoebe

2006 Inkworks Charmed Destiny - 20 Ask Phoebe

Second card is number 25 On Ice

2006 Inkworks Charmed Destiny - 25 On Ice

Here are the backs of the cards with the backs of the COAs

So yeah it took me about 1/2 an hour to actually compose this post. I started the scanning of cards for this post (and my "Curly W Cards" January 2021 blog post) at about 10:30 PM on Sunday 31 January 2021 and it was 10 til Midnight when I was ready to start drafting these posts.

Why The Ridiculously High Price?

OK this post is primarily just a huge rant. It is mostly about the ridiculously high prices for individual cards that folks ask for on Ebay and elsewhere because some boneheaded collector or the silly folks at Beckett have said the card is worth that skyhigh price.

A case in point this "Lost In Space" The Movie autograph card made by Inkworks in 1998 of Lacey Chabert who played Penny Robinson, the teenaged "cute" younger sister played by Angela Cartwright in the original 1965 television show.

1998 Inkworks Lost in Space Autograph Card

A-2 Lacey Chabert as Penny Robinson black on-card sharpie

(Front and back)

 

Images from blog: retiredcomicguy.blogspot.com

 

For at least a year or two, possibly longer, I have been watching various copies of this card on Ebay. It isn't often listed as an auction, but usually as a fixed price item for sale. When it does it does come up for auction this card usually starts at OVER $100. At the time of this rant there are 3 Fixed priced listings currently at $108.39 + $10 shipping (in Australia using the Aussie Dollar Mate), one at $130 (or best offer, whoopie they probably won't take anything under $100) with $6.95 shipping in Columbia, Maryland bet they send it in a PWE and the third at $125 w/ Free Shipping from Phoenix, Arizona. That is plain RIDICULOUS with a CAPITAL "R".

Any collectors who know me know that I try to get the lowest price as possible for any of the cards on my want and wish lists. OK I am really really cheap. My standard maximum price I am willing to pay for an individual card, especially newer cards, is just about 40 bucks. Obviously for some vintage cards of huge stars I'll have to go a little higher, but NOT over $100. At least not until I am a confirmed millionaire and can afford to buy any card new or vintage for over $100.

The other two autograph cards A-1 Mom Maureen Robinson (Mimi Rogers) and A-3 little brother Will Robinson (Jack Johnson) from this set sometimes start at $50 or more, but can be found closer to my comfort zone of $20-$30 ($30 is my near-maximum price). So far I think $35 is the most I have EVER Paid for a single card.

For my Non-Sport collecting wants/needs I currently need ALL THREE of these cards. I am watching all 3 now, but haven't pulled the trigger on them yet. As I said the Lacey Chabert one I will NOT pay those ridiculous prices for.

Related blog post article: 1998 Autographed A-2 Lacey Chabert Lost in Space Movie Trading Card by Inkworks

Charmed Autos

Went fishing on Ebay and got a few Charmed Autos from Inkworks. They are from a few different sets Charmed Destiny, Charmed Conversations, Charmed: Season One and Charmed:The Power Of Three set. They are supporting characters with the exception of Leo Wyatt played by Brian Krause that was the most expensive one. I got most of them for an average of a little under $3.00. I would love to get the autos of the Main stars the Halliwell Sisters but those are usually astronomical.

For the three I got from the same seller I thought I had been shilled. The opening bid for those three were just 99¢ (one of them might have been a little more). On all three of them the same bidder with a large feedback number had bid, but my max had them outbid. One of them a second person bid on it bringing the total number of bids up to 5. Now that I study the bid history and bid times it looks like that first bidder was trying to snipe me unsuccessfully. Probably a seller trying to get something for real cheap and then turn it around for an insanely inflated profit. They were 3 day auctions and the later bids were on the final day. Even if I was "shilled" I got them for nice prices so it is OK.

 All of them are the sealed uncirculated case hits. I had mentioned one of these type of cards way back with my Non-Sport Autos post with Mimi Rogers as Diana Fowley from The X-Files Connections series. I hadn't mentioned the problem it has that it shares with two of these. The problem is that the gold seal covers up the character info on the back. SIGH! I guess that means I'll have to find some "regular" versions of these things and very rarely get these sealed ones. I will show the back of the Mimi Rogers card at the end of this post. I also need to mention a card I had gotten almost two weeks after that card (it is from the same series as the card I had mentioned along with the Mimi Rogers card).

2000 Inkworks Charmed: Season One Auto A5 Brian Krause as Leo Wyatt. I got this one for $14.99 plus shipping $2.95.

Due to the Back card design the huge gold "Razor Authentic Uncirculated" seal covers half of the character info. For some cards it covers up the character photo and the card number.

 

2003 Inkworks Charmed: The Power Of Three Auto A20 Michael Bailey Smith as Belthazor. This is one of the ones I thought I had been jipped on at first. I got it for $3.28 (2 bids) plus $3.50 combined shipping for 3 cards.

Again the great golden seal blocks half of the character info on the back.

2005 Inkworks Charmed: Conversations Auto A8 Patrice Fisher as Avatar Beta. Got it for $1.51 with 2 bids plus the combined shipping.

2006 Inkworks Charmed: Destiny Auto A5 Rebecca Balding as Elise Rothman. Got this one for only $2.99 with 1 bid shipping was $2.00.

Auto A8 Gildart Jackson as Elder Gideon. Never been a huge fan of the character since he is a bit nasty. Anyway got this for $3.01 after 5 bids the combined shipping.

As mentioned above here is a card I had previously mentioned that has that back info being covered up by the giant gold seal problem.

2005 Inkworks The X-Files: Connections Auto A3 Mimi Rogers as Diana Fowley (back)

Now the card I failed to mention back when I got it - 2004 Catwoman Auto A4 Kim Smith as Drina

Bonus Non-Sport Promo Cards

I forget when I got these promo cards but they came as a FREEBIE bonus from some seller I think from sportlots.com but it could have been from Ebay. I'm fairly certain though that my purchase had been some sports cards so why they included some Non-Sport cards I don't know. That is another of my little pet peeves of card sellers the inclusion of a "Bonus" card(s) that are not related to the card you purchased. If I buy some football cards then give me some football cards as a bonus preferably the same team, not baseball or basketball or non-sport. If I order non-sport cards either send cards from these same series, a similar series or something that is non-sport don't send me no baseball or football cards with my TV or general entertainment cards. I think it is better to not include a bonus than to include something totally unrelated.

Now onto the cards I received all of them are TV or Movie related and are made by Inkworks.

The first two are for sets from the TV show Charmed which starred Alyssa Milano, Holly Marie Combs, and Rose McGowan (who replaced Shannon Doherty). I haven't gotten the Charmed sets yet, but I would like to and maybe try to find some of the other promo cards, but not any of the costume cards those are the non-sport version of a jersey card. I have never liked the idea of cutting up memorabilia into little 1" squares to glue onto 2.5" x 3.5" pieces of cardboard.

 2006 Inkworks - P1 Charmed Destiny Promo Card

 2004 Inkworks - CC1 Charmed Connections Promo Card

2004 Inkworks - CC1 Charmed Connections Promo Card Back

This final card is from a family movie The Golden Compass by New Line Cinema. It is for trade or I might sell it for like 2 bucks.

2007 Inkworks - GC-P1 The Golden Compass Promo Card

The Death Card

I know this was a long while ago, I am trying to tidy up my collection and finally get to scanning some cards that first piled up by my computer then I had to move to a box or a shelf to clear my computer area. Anyway way back on 05 July 2011 of last year, I purchased a Non-Sport signature card from a fellow member at the TCC forums (I forget who now or how much I think it was either $10 or $12 and I'm too lazy to check old correspondence if it still exists).

2011 Family Guy Season 2 - A8 Adam Carolla Auto card

From Inkworks Family Guy Authentic Signatures Adam Carolla (Voice of Death) signed with a black sharpie (Of course in black he's Death.) I think the back of the card is cooler looking.

Family Guy Adam Carolla "Voice of Death" Auto Card (back)

Non-Sport Autos

From a fellow member on one of the card forum sites I discovered a short while ago (Card Collectors World), I bought a couple of Non-Sport Auto cards made by Inkworks. The Rolls Royce of Auto Cards. I've wanted to get some Inkworks autos for some time from various sets. They were either too darn expensive, or they were GU/Auto cards, or the signature looked awful. I finally decided to bite the bullet on a couple. Actually the prices weren't too bad, averages $10 a piece.

So here are the two beauties, with a couple of beauties on them.

Alex Borstein as Sally from the movie Catwoman Card A-2 (2004)


Mimi Rogers as Diana Fowley from X-Files (2005).

The X-Files one is an "uncirculated" card with a huge gold seal keeping the toploader sealed. Now that is fine and dandy and 10-out-of-10 for style for being super duper Mint condition, but minus several million for covering up part of the signature. Fortunately this card only the end "s" in Rogers is partly covered. I've seen other signatures where most of the signature is covered over. It also covers over most of the info on the back that describes the character or some of the actresses previous work. I may have to break the seal on it and live with an uncirculated card being tainted by having it's gold seal broken.