2014 ESP Elite info discussion thread (Flyer P22 - Checklist P41)

[Bronco79]

As other people have said, not much to complain about with this set. I've only been purchasing cases in the past 2 or 3 years cause I love opening boxes, the thrill of finding something pretty cool like recently when I opened a box of Traders and found one of those redemption cards for the nrl grand final this year. My only problem is the size of the set to collect. I earn less than $25000 a year, so to have so many big sets a year, I simply can't afford it so it takes me ages to put full sets together. Am still chasing cards from the 2014 Traders and Elite is about to be released in a month or so. For me as a collector, I enjoy collecting the common sets and lower subsets. Signatures and higher end cards really don't interest me at all. I buy a case when I can afford to as I hope to get the majority of the subsets. Have previously done calculations on how many of each item should get in a case based on the info that has been received so far and if calculations are correct then the only subset that may be completed out of a case is the parallels. It would take 2 cases or more in some cases presuming no doubles to get complete sets of most of the subsets in this series. So, hopefully in future ESP think about us low income earners as well when creating series. Maybe cut down on the parallel sets. A common set and parallel set I don't mind, but a special parallel set on top of that, is going a little overboard on the parallels.

 

[thenamesgould]

People who want different images it sounds good in theory but your actually dreaming, it takes so long to render something properly!

Although they do do a huge base set for traders so maybe they have a heap of graphic designers? But in all honesty if you wanted different images on every card youd have to enploy a few new graphic designers

A) Select were always able to do it, so it's possible.

B) The base set at 144 cards is small enough anyway.

C) The images don't necessarily have to be cut out. The parallel set could be a retro design with a full image with background, designed to look like something Scanlens would have released.

Actually ... how cool would that be? haha. That would be a truly excellent parallel set idea, I reckon. One card per pack looks like an 70s/80s designed card with a different photo from the main set. It would satisfy the collectors who don't like every image of the players being cut out, and really add some variety to each pack.

 

[Diggaz TC]

As other people have said, not much to complain about with this set. I've only been purchasing cases in the past 2 or 3 years cause I love opening boxes, the thrill of finding something pretty cool like recently when I opened a box of Traders and found one of those redemption cards for the nrl grand final this year. My only problem is the size of the set to collect. I earn less than $25000 a year, so to have so many big sets a year, I simply can't afford it so it takes me ages to put full sets together. Am still chasing cards from the 2014 Traders and Elite is about to be released in a month or so. For me as a collector, I enjoy collecting the common sets and lower subsets. Signatures and higher end cards really don't interest me at all. I buy a case when I can afford to as I hope to get the majority of the subsets. Have previously done calculations on how many of each item should get in a case based on the info that has been received so far and if calculations are correct then the only subset that may be completed out of a case is the parallels. It would take 2 cases or more in some cases presuming no doubles to get complete sets of most of the subsets in this series. So, hopefully in future ESP think about us low income earners as well when creating series. Maybe cut down on the parallel sets. A common set and parallel set I don't mind, but a special parallel set on top of that, is going a little overboard on the parallels.

Buying more than one case is probably not the most efficient way to put the base and lower subsets together. In fact, if you are not really into the high end signature cards etc i'm sure you would have no trouble at all trading them to complete all the lower subsets you wanted.

 

[Dr Grange]

George,

You are correct that they do use the same printers but the direction that was given by ESP was that it should have been a signature in 2 out of 3 boxes and the other the F&F gold.

It ended up with boxes having 2 signatures in them and some boxes not having anything at all.

It was a pack out screw up.

That may be correct but its up to ESP to Quality control or oversee the packing as Select always do.Tony goes & checks while they are doing the packing run after all its one of the most important part of getting it right for the customer & the success of the product. Lets hope ESP get it right this times because if not there will a lot of unhappy customers like last year especially the people who only but 1 or 2 boxes. If you buy by the case it really doesn't matter.

 

[ChuckyBoy]

Just a thought on the Base, & parralel cards, why not do a base set of 18 cards per team, Silver parralel set of 12 (from those 18), then 6 gold, or you can make the numbers smaller.

 

[Diggaz TC]

That still decreases the value in a box...making a bigger base set and smaller parallel set.

Given the big price increase the product has just received (at a wholesale level) you can't then decrease the value of the set....unless they plan on halving the cost next year.

 

[j0hn]

A) Select were always able to do it, so it's possible.

B) The base set at 144 cards is small enough anyway.

C) The images don't necessarily have to be cut out. The parallel set could be a retro design with a full image with background, designed to look like something Scanlens would have released.

Actually ... how cool would that be? haha. That would be a truly excellent parallel set idea, I reckon. One card per pack looks like an 70s/80s designed card with a different photo from the main set. It would satisfy the collectors who don't like every image of the players being cut out, and really add some variety to each pack.

I agree that different parallel cards should be achievable - either with the smaller set in Elite or with the Traders - which use last year's photos, so they have plenty of time to source and format pictures.
A base/parallel in home/away jerseys would look awesome.

 

[Victor The Viking]

A base/parallel in home/away jerseys would look awesome.

You'd need about 7 different levels of Parallels to do that with the Warriors

 

[flipped]

You'd need about 7 different levels of Parallels to do that with the Warriors

Hahaha so true. They are wearing a women in league jersey this weekend bringing the total this year to 5 different jerseys 16 rounds in.......

 

[edygriff21]

That may be correct but its up to ESP to Quality control or oversee the packing as Select always do.Tony goes & checks while they are doing the packing run after all its one of the most important part of getting it right for the customer & the success of the product. Lets hope ESP get it right this times because if not there will a lot of unhappy customers like last year especially the people who only but 1 or 2 boxes. If you buy by the case it really doesn't matter.

Well it definitely does matter, even if you do buy cases!! I had a case last year with only one auto and another guy got a case with none!!

 

[tak35bne]

If using different pictures for each parallel set then costs would go up even further, don't they have to pay for the images they use OR it could be the NRL only gives them certain images to use...not real sure there.

 

[shane_sharks]

one thing i love about the sharks
they don't even have a away jersey anymore
just the original hoops

 

[edygriff21]

I think the release looks alright, but my opinion is that parallels have been done to death. Put in some other inserts like stat leaders ( ie top point scorer, try scorer, line breaks). And all these low production inserts should be foil numbered. Just my 2 cents

 

[Diggaz TC]

I think the release looks alright, but my opinion is that parallels have been done to death. Put in some other inserts like stat leaders ( ie top point scorer, try scorer, line breaks). And all these low production inserts should be foil numbered. Just my 2 cents

I do agree with the foil numbering and i've said it many times. Instead of saying a card is "limited to 80" or "limited to 250", stamp it with a serial number. Those production runs are low enough to warrant it. It's something that increases value in the card. We've all seen how certain numbers can push a cards perceived value up. It makes the numbering more official too. Just look at the Gold League Leaders from 2012 compared to the Gold Fast and Furious from 2013. There are actually less Fast and Furious Gold cards ut you wouldn't know so by the price. Serial numbering....a must for low production runs!

 

[Coolidgee]

I'm loving the look of these. Great set with some good ideas and I look forward to it. Two things:

1. Am I the only one who not only likes the parallel idea but also thinks they should have the same photo as the base otherwise they are not a parallel but a totally different card??

2. I like the ratios on the whole but I still think a case hit (as opposed to a case card) makes the busting that bit more exciting. I know it makes it easier for case searchers but last years Elite was just missing that little glimmer of hope that you might nail a Captain Sig worth $1000.

That said, still a great release and gets better each year.

 

[joeyhonson]

One way to think differently about this is how you display the cards in the folder. You could display the base card in the left column then the silver foil in the middle with the gold on the right that way the same picture works for the collector instead of against.

That's exactly what I did with the Traders lot. Looks much more presentable than having all the base then all the silvers then all the blacks.

 

[Dragon_Fire]

That's exactly what I did with the Traders lot. Looks much more presentable than having all the base then all the silvers then all the blacks.

Did you fit them all in one folder.?

 

[tak35bne]

I'm loving the look of these. Great set with some good ideas and I look forward to it. Two things:

1. Am I the only one who not only likes the parallel idea but also thinks they should have the same photo as the base otherwise they are not a parallel but a totally different card??

2. I like the ratios on the whole but I still think a case hit (as opposed to a case card) makes the busting that bit more exciting. I know it makes it easier for case searchers but last years Elite was just missing that little glimmer of hope that you might nail a Captain Sig worth $1000.

That said, still a great release and gets better each year.

True......if the parallel isn't the same pic its another card entirely. There is plenty that could be done to spice the parallels up a bit such as in the base set have one of the cards featuring the Captain's, have the same cards in the parallel set numbering them to 100 then have a 16 card parallel set of only the captains and numbered to something like 10. That could be your case hit.

 

[The Mad Hatter]

In regards to the NRL picking the player images, how in hell did they think the Robbie Rochnow and Jamie Lyon pics looked good? Where's the RLPA when you need them?

 

[joeyhonson]

Did you fit them all in one folder.?

Yes, quite comfortably, but had cards back to back in one slot. So 18 cards to 1 page - total of 24 pages for the base and all parallels.