auto racing cards

[D. Bergin]

Not sure why the 2016 Top Trumps Verstappen doesn't rate. I'm obviously a fan of the game cards, but F1 cards didn't magically appear on the scene when Topps decided to start printing them.

I guess I'd compare them to all the STAR cards that came out in Basketball before the 1986 Fleers, except there's no counterfeit for reprint issues to worry about.

Not saying it because I have a stack of them either. I've got exactly one from a set I picked up awhile back, and the Verstappen ended up being the worst conditioned card in the deck.

Still haven't picked up a 2009 Hamilton Top Trumps either, though I do like that card also.

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by D. Bergin

Not sure why the 2016 Top Trumps Verstappen doesn't rate. I'm obviously a fan of the game cards, but F1 cards didn't magically appear on the scene when Topps decided to start printing them.

I guess I'd compare them to all the STAR cards that came out in Basketball before the 1986 Fleers, except there's no counterfeit for reprint issues to worry about.

Not saying it because I have a stack of them either. I've got exactly one from a set I picked up awhile back, and the Verstappen ended up being the worst conditioned card in the deck.

Still haven't picked up a 2009 Hamilton Top Trumps either, though I do like that card also.

Not sure that's a fair comparison. The Star are clearly conventional basketball cards, just issued differently. The game cards seem more like novelty items to me.

[D. Bergin]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

Not sure that's a fair comparison. The Star are clearly conventional basketball cards, just issued differently. The game cards seem more like novelty items to me.

Difference of opinion I guess. I'm surprised you have this stance, considering all of the oddball and foreign issues you specialize in and collect.

All cards are novelty items IMO. They are produced and distributed in many different ways.

Neither were issued in traditional random packs. Both were issued in complete set or team set form in the case of the Star Cards.

I'd argue the Game cards are a more conventional issue, especially the way they were distributed.

Most of the Formula 1 game sets were available to the general public in one country or another in various hobby shops, toy stores, department stores, etc...

They were/are much more accessible then the Star Co. stuff, which consisted of a dealer network of about a 1/2 dozen guys in the hobby, who then sold them through SCD, at random card shows, etc...

I was involved in the show circuit at the time when those were out or coming out...and not sure anybody considered any of the Star product line, including all those Jose Canseco, Will Clark, Don Mattingly, Daryl Strawberry, etc....sets, very conventional at all.

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by D. Bergin

Difference of opinion I guess. I'm surprised you have this stance, considering all of the oddball and foreign issues you specialize in and collect.

All cards are novelty items IMO. They are produced and distributed in many different ways.

Neither were issued in traditional random packs. Both were issued in complete set or team set form in the case of the Star Cards.

I'd argue the Game cards are a more conventional issue, especially the way they were distributed.

Most of the Formula 1 game sets were available to the general public in one country or another in various hobby shops, toy stores, department stores, etc...

They were/are much more accessible then the Star Co. stuff, which consisted of a dealer network of about a 1/2 dozen guys in the hobby, who then sold them through SCD, at random card shows, etc...

I was involved in the show circuit at the time when those were out or coming out...and not sure anybody considered any of the Star product line, including all those Jose Canseco, Will Clark, Don Mattingly, Daryl Strawberry, etc....sets, very conventional at all.

Dave, to be clear I was not critical at all of the game cards and I love oddball, I was just quibbling with the analogy to Star basketball.

[Kzoo]

Guys....... I'm loving this thread and your knowledge of the international racing sets/cards. I'm more of a vintage baseball card collector, but I've always been an open wheel fan and my 13 year old son has developed the same interest. We bought a couple F1 boxes this year without much success, unfortunately, but the cards are awesome. As cool as the Topps F1 sets are, I don't mind the older Hamilton and Verstappen 'game cards' as they're something earlier to collect of each driver. I haven't pulled the trigger on anything yet, but I have a feeling it's going to start costing me some $$$ very soon.

[D. Bergin]

Fair enough guys. I still don't understand the allegiance to Topps over all the producers of F1 cards that came before them..."game cards" or not, especially since most of these cards were distributed where F1 was actually followed the most at the time, but I won't belabor the point.

[Bored5000]

Originally Posted by D. Bergin

Fair enough guys. I still don't understand the allegiance to Topps over all the producers of F1 cards that came before them..."game cards" or not, especially since most of these cards were distributed where F1 was actually followed the most at the time, but I won't belabor the point.

Like Peter, I also meant no disrespect at all. Any kind of discussion of racing cards is good; just a different way of looking at what each of us would like in our collection.

[Bored5000]

Originally Posted by D. Bergin

Not sure why the 2016 Top Trumps Verstappen doesn't rate. I'm obviously a fan of the game cards, but F1 cards didn't magically appear on the scene when Topps decided to start printing them.

I guess I'd compare them to all the STAR cards that came out in Basketball before the 1986 Fleers, except there's no counterfeit for reprint issues to worry about.

Not saying it because I have a stack of them either. I've got exactly one from a set I picked up awhile back, and the Verstappen ended up being the worst conditioned card in the deck.

Still haven't picked up a 2009 Hamilton Top Trumps either, though I do like that card also.

I don't think the STAR card analogy works; the comparison that does work is the Fan Craze/National Game/Tom Barker game cards for baseball. There will always be some interest in those cards, just as there is for game cards in F1. But there is a reason people suggest cards like National Game and Tom Barker for cheap playing days cards of Ty Cobb and Shoeless Joe Jackson. The interest just isn't there to drive prices higher for the game cards.