Marketing Geniuses! Why Don't They

[craxz]

I do not post much anymore on forums, but I have been following the hobby since I starting cutting it out. If that makes sense...

But a question I wanted to ask or start a thread on for the longest time is.

Why hasn't Upper Deck followed up with the Mask Collection Series?

 

[quincy]

With all due respect to UD: the set was a dog. It didn't sell at the time. The next expo after it came out, UD was giving away cases: break two, get the third case free. Even then it didn't move well. It wasn't until the lockout year that all of the wax left over from 00-01 until the end of 04 started to dry up in the absence of other product.

They haven't repeated it because it failed to perform at the level it needed to reach.

 

[newfiecomicguy1]

Craxz and I are both Potvin collectors and some of his best and biggest cards are in that set lol

With all due respect to UD: the set was a dog. It didn't sell at the time. The next expo after it came out, UD was giving away cases: break two, get the third case free. Even then it didn't move well. It wasn't until the lockout year that all of the wax left over from 00-01 until the end of 04 started to dry up in the absence of other product.

They haven't repeated it because it failed to perform at the level it needed to reach.

 

[quincy]

Your love of a particular card or cards from that set failed to translate to great wax sales.

 

[Ferris]

That set is a bit of an anomaly. It was as cheap as could be when it came out, yet the secondary market has been quite strong, especially recently.

Hmmmm ... wonder if there is something to be learned there for card companies.

Step 1. Price the wax so it's affordable and gives good value. Then people buy multiple boxes, get good deals on singles ... they begin building sets ...

It sounds crazy, but it could work.

 

[RGM81]

It's very cost-prohibitive.

The big deal-breaker is the licensing to use the original artist's work. Dave Gunnarsson and some of the other big guys out there that do a lot of the mask designs gotta get paid too.

 

[99goals]

It's very cost-prohibitive.

The big deal-breaker is the licensing to use the original artist's work. Dave Gunnarsson and some of the other big guys out there that do a lot of the mask designs gotta get paid too.

That depends on the nature of the agreement and how the images are sourced. You are correct they need to get paid but there are cases where you can purchase for several years at a cheaper price. Depends on how they went about securing the rights. I don't think this is the sole deal breaker as Q pointed out a few other flaws as well.

 

[99goals]

Another thing to warrant consideration is the IP of the card itself. We know ITG produces mask cards, however does UD have the rights to do so. IP is a huge gambit in this game. Look at the whole "limited" situation with Leaf and Panini..