Tripredacus
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This is my outline for two sets that may appeal to people. I brought this idea up in another thread but figured it would be too OT for it. (NOTE: I changed this to one set while writing it out)
Do you remember those sets that gave you the ability to get cards for players that you normally didn't see in sets? There were sets that had lots of rookies or no-name guys. Pacific and early decade ITG sets did this. Early 90s sets did this also. Then there were the sets that had random retired players in it. Like Fleer Throwbacks and Legacy and then ITG Franchises and the Original Six sets that got partial release (Blackhawks, Maple Leafs, etc). This is what I want to see again. Here's how to start.
The Set
Let's have this set have 800 base cards. Let it have 2 insert sets. Let it use a multiple-tier parallel system. Let's put 10 cards in a pack. Sell it for $2 or $3 a pack. Make it so there isn't more than one card per player in the base set. Make it so it comes out every year and continues where the last set left off. Seed 1 insert per pack.
The Base Set
It doesn't matter where you start off, it would be easier to start in the present I suppose. Make 1 card per player on a team. The next season, the set can't have those players on that team. So then it could have traded players, or even go to retired players. So for example, in the first set you can have a Wayne Gretzky on the Oilers. The next year you could make a Wayne Gretzky on the Kings. This way after the first four sets you would have a Wayne Gretzky card in it, but then after that there would be no more Wayne Gretzky cards in the base set. Each player's card should have them wearing the jersey for the team they are featured being on. There should be no "Now with team x" or "Traded to team x" etc. And definately none of this business where it says "traded to team x" and they never actually played there. Notable examples are the 92-93 Stadium Club Christian Ruuttu that said he was on the Jets or the 96-97 Alexei Zhamnov cards that say he is on the Coyotes. Doing the base set like this means you can't possibly run out of players to put in it. And eventually (or even right away) you'll have those one-game-wonders or pre-season invitees or post-season guys. Another thing, no base set cards should be SPs.
Parallel Sets
Parallel sets give you a reason to keep buying packs or boxes even if you already have the base set. Because you still like to dream about the idea of upgrading your cards. There needs to be a good tier system in order for this to work. There should not be any un-numbered parallels, like Gold Medallion. Use the following tiers for the parallels: 1000, 500, 250, 100, 50, etc.
Insert Sets
The insert sets should be something special, something to show the history of the game. My ideas are these:
1. Uniform History
2. Records & Milestones
3. Coaches
The Coaches set will be a regular card insert set. No numbering, no memorabilia. Take all the coaches, scouts, team staff, etc that actually played hockey and make a card for them. Sure no one wants a card of a guy standing behind the bench. So make this card say "This guy does x with this team, between this year and that year" And the picture on the card should be that guy in his playing days for a team or two. Think of it like Pinnacle's Idols cards, or Now and Then. One pic of him as a coach (the now photo) and one of him as a player someplace. Just like the base set, no duplicate players in other years (use this idea when reading the rest). This set lets people know who the people are in their media guide, or they see in their broadcast.
The Uniform History will be your jersey cards set. Make one card per team, and pick any player. Year to year, besides not having duplicate players, you can't have duplicate jerseys. So we're talking that the jersey that guy has in his photo must match the jersey peice in the card. Let's say in Year 1, you use Patrick Kane wearing a red Blackhawks jersey. Year 2 you can't use Patrick Kane and you can't use a red Blackhawks jersey. So you can have Eric Daze wearing a black jersey. Then Year 3 you can have Doug Wilson wearing the Original Six throwback jersey, etc. Use only 1 jersey to make these cards. Make a patch variation and number them based on how many cards you can actually make using that 1 jersey. Make limited numbers based on numbers, nameplate and crest/patches, and do a super-rare for small logos.
Records and Milestones will be your Autograph set. This will highlight a player and their milestone or their record. Do 10 of each per year. So for records we know those, goals, assists, playoff plus/minus, you name it. For milestones you've got your 1000 game guys, 1000 goals, points, 30 shutouts, etc.
Keep rolling this set every year adding new players or players on new or old teams.
Tell me what you think.
Do you remember those sets that gave you the ability to get cards for players that you normally didn't see in sets? There were sets that had lots of rookies or no-name guys. Pacific and early decade ITG sets did this. Early 90s sets did this also. Then there were the sets that had random retired players in it. Like Fleer Throwbacks and Legacy and then ITG Franchises and the Original Six sets that got partial release (Blackhawks, Maple Leafs, etc). This is what I want to see again. Here's how to start.
The Set
Let's have this set have 800 base cards. Let it have 2 insert sets. Let it use a multiple-tier parallel system. Let's put 10 cards in a pack. Sell it for $2 or $3 a pack. Make it so there isn't more than one card per player in the base set. Make it so it comes out every year and continues where the last set left off. Seed 1 insert per pack.
The Base Set
It doesn't matter where you start off, it would be easier to start in the present I suppose. Make 1 card per player on a team. The next season, the set can't have those players on that team. So then it could have traded players, or even go to retired players. So for example, in the first set you can have a Wayne Gretzky on the Oilers. The next year you could make a Wayne Gretzky on the Kings. This way after the first four sets you would have a Wayne Gretzky card in it, but then after that there would be no more Wayne Gretzky cards in the base set. Each player's card should have them wearing the jersey for the team they are featured being on. There should be no "Now with team x" or "Traded to team x" etc. And definately none of this business where it says "traded to team x" and they never actually played there. Notable examples are the 92-93 Stadium Club Christian Ruuttu that said he was on the Jets or the 96-97 Alexei Zhamnov cards that say he is on the Coyotes. Doing the base set like this means you can't possibly run out of players to put in it. And eventually (or even right away) you'll have those one-game-wonders or pre-season invitees or post-season guys. Another thing, no base set cards should be SPs.
Parallel Sets
Parallel sets give you a reason to keep buying packs or boxes even if you already have the base set. Because you still like to dream about the idea of upgrading your cards. There needs to be a good tier system in order for this to work. There should not be any un-numbered parallels, like Gold Medallion. Use the following tiers for the parallels: 1000, 500, 250, 100, 50, etc.
Insert Sets
The insert sets should be something special, something to show the history of the game. My ideas are these:
1. Uniform History
2. Records & Milestones
3. Coaches
The Coaches set will be a regular card insert set. No numbering, no memorabilia. Take all the coaches, scouts, team staff, etc that actually played hockey and make a card for them. Sure no one wants a card of a guy standing behind the bench. So make this card say "This guy does x with this team, between this year and that year" And the picture on the card should be that guy in his playing days for a team or two. Think of it like Pinnacle's Idols cards, or Now and Then. One pic of him as a coach (the now photo) and one of him as a player someplace. Just like the base set, no duplicate players in other years (use this idea when reading the rest). This set lets people know who the people are in their media guide, or they see in their broadcast.
The Uniform History will be your jersey cards set. Make one card per team, and pick any player. Year to year, besides not having duplicate players, you can't have duplicate jerseys. So we're talking that the jersey that guy has in his photo must match the jersey peice in the card. Let's say in Year 1, you use Patrick Kane wearing a red Blackhawks jersey. Year 2 you can't use Patrick Kane and you can't use a red Blackhawks jersey. So you can have Eric Daze wearing a black jersey. Then Year 3 you can have Doug Wilson wearing the Original Six throwback jersey, etc. Use only 1 jersey to make these cards. Make a patch variation and number them based on how many cards you can actually make using that 1 jersey. Make limited numbers based on numbers, nameplate and crest/patches, and do a super-rare for small logos.
Records and Milestones will be your Autograph set. This will highlight a player and their milestone or their record. Do 10 of each per year. So for records we know those, goals, assists, playoff plus/minus, you name it. For milestones you've got your 1000 game guys, 1000 goals, points, 30 shutouts, etc.
Keep rolling this set every year adding new players or players on new or old teams.
Tell me what you think.
