Last weekend was the Winter Memorabilia show at the NEC Birmingham and, as is now more-or-less traditional, I was there, hanging around on the Non-Sport Update stand.
I was also recording interviews for the next episode of the podcast (Episode 06, out some time in the next week!)
Met up with loads of friends from NSU Card Talk and picked up a few bargains to fill holes in the old collection!
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
New and Notable!
At time of posting, UK CardCast (my trading card podcast) is being featured on the 'New and Notable' ribbon on iTunes (in the Games & Hobbies section) and it is also at number 16 in the "Today's Top Podcasts' in Games & Hobbies/Hobbies...
To be honest, I only ever thought a couple of people would listen to the thing once I put it online, so the fact that over 100 people have downloaded episode 01, and 20 or so people have gone for episode 02 in the week since I posted it is fantastic!
Now, of course, I have to think aobut episode 03...
To be honest, I only ever thought a couple of people would listen to the thing once I put it online, so the fact that over 100 people have downloaded episode 01, and 20 or so people have gone for episode 02 in the week since I posted it is fantastic!
Now, of course, I have to think aobut episode 03...
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
The Show
I had great fun on Sunday - courtesy of the Daily Star (and it's not often that I can say that!)
The tabloid had a token collect thing a couple of weeks ago - collect two tokens, stick them to a coupon printed in the paper and you got free entry to Star Wars Celebration Europe at the London ExCel, Docklands (which took place last weekend) I don't usually get the Daily Star, but a friend on NSU Card Talk, John the Hat, had a spare and he very kindly sent it to me.
There is a full report on what I saw at the show, with pictures, on the NSU Card Talk board and I'll also be covering it in the next episode of the UK CardCast podcast (including a couple of card related interviews!) which should be online by the end of this week, but to summarise - Wow!
Great show, and I seriously hope this is used by other show organisers as the model for how shows SHOULD be...
The tabloid had a token collect thing a couple of weeks ago - collect two tokens, stick them to a coupon printed in the paper and you got free entry to Star Wars Celebration Europe at the London ExCel, Docklands (which took place last weekend) I don't usually get the Daily Star, but a friend on NSU Card Talk, John the Hat, had a spare and he very kindly sent it to me.
There is a full report on what I saw at the show, with pictures, on the NSU Card Talk board and I'll also be covering it in the next episode of the UK CardCast podcast (including a couple of card related interviews!) which should be online by the end of this week, but to summarise - Wow!
Great show, and I seriously hope this is used by other show organisers as the model for how shows SHOULD be...
Friday, July 06, 2007
C'est CardCast, est Arrive!
So I managed, after a lot of trial an error, to finish the first episode of the podcast, and it is online now at CardCast.co.uk - it has been submitted to a number of Podcast Directories, including Yahoo and iTunes, and I've been talking about it in a number of places. Already, there have been 52 downloads!!! And that's BEFORE iTunes has accepted it...
Monday, July 02, 2007
Nearly here...
It's been 10 months since I last posted here about the podcast, and I finally have some news ro report - it is nearly here! Last weekend I recorded (via Skype) an interview with Harris Toser, the Production Manager of Non-Sport Update magazine (thanks Harris!) and I also updated the website for the podcast (which you can find here:http://www.cardcast.co.uk/
I'm currently working on the introduction and news segments and I hope to have the first episode online by the end of this week.
I'm currently working on the introduction and news segments and I hope to have the first episode online by the end of this week.
Monday, September 25, 2006
Podcarding
It's still in a very early testing and planning stage, but (as far as I'm aware) the first UK based podcast devoted to Non-Sport Trading cards and related stuff should soon be making itself available! UK CardCast (as it will be called) will cover the whole gamut of non-sport, from a UK perspective, and will hopefully include reports on some of the major, and not-so-major, shows.
Our first test is Collectormania 10 in Milton Keynes next weekend!
Au Res.,
Paul
Our first test is Collectormania 10 in Milton Keynes next weekend!
Au Res.,
Paul
Sunday, May 21, 2006
Doctor Who and the Railway Generation...
Last Bank Holiday Weekend, I was in Milton Keynes. Yes, I know how to live the high life!
The REASON I was in Milton Keynes is because a friend had invited me to go to the Collectormania show, held at the Milton Keynes shopping centre it probably has a fancy, expensively consulted upon name, but I can't be bothered to look it up - it's a shopping centre).
This was as good an excuse as any I could find to test out my recently acquired digital camera, so I accepted the invitation.
Below (hopefully) a couple of the pictures I took at the show, which had appearences from a wide range of TV and film stars.
The REASON I was in Milton Keynes is because a friend had invited me to go to the Collectormania show, held at the Milton Keynes shopping centre it probably has a fancy, expensively consulted upon name, but I can't be bothered to look it up - it's a shopping centre).
This was as good an excuse as any I could find to test out my recently acquired digital camera, so I accepted the invitation.
Below (hopefully) a couple of the pictures I took at the show, which had appearences from a wide range of TV and film stars.
LeVar Burton and Jonathan Frakes introduce the new Captain of the Enterprise - a strict disciplinarian who will have NO bother with the Borg...
Alan Tudyk (Firefly/Serenity)
Ron Glass (Firefly/Serenity)
I took a lot more pictures; these can be found on the NonSport Update magazine 'Card Talk' message board: http://www.nonsportupdate.com
X-Cards
One for the "OddBall" section - the UK tabloid newspaper The Mail on Sunday is offering 'free' X-Men 3 "Power Cards" - 20 this weekend and 20 next weekend. Based on the imminent X-Men 3 movie, each card depicts a character from the X-Men universe with details of strengths, super powers, weaknesses etc. Very much in the style of the Top Trumps card game.
The cards appear to be exclusive to the newspaper...
The cards appear to be exclusive to the newspaper...
Saturday, April 08, 2006
Quiet... Too quiet...
I've been neglecting this blog, mainly because I haven't had anything new to post about. No money, you see; if I don't have any spare cash to buy cards with, I don't have anything to write about!
Of course, I COULD write about the 'freebies' I've been getting - Inkworks, for example, will send you 'Internet Exclusive' promo cards for their new sets if you send them an SAE (or, if outside of the USA, an IRC)
Here are the latest cards to arrive from Inkworks - http://www.inkworkscards.com/
Family Guy Season 2
Firefly
Of course, I COULD write about the 'freebies' I've been getting - Inkworks, for example, will send you 'Internet Exclusive' promo cards for their new sets if you send them an SAE (or, if outside of the USA, an IRC)
Here are the latest cards to arrive from Inkworks - http://www.inkworkscards.com/
Family Guy Season 2 Firefly
Tuesday, May 03, 2005
From RA With Love...
Some time ago, I bought a couple of packs of "The Complete Star Trek The Animated Series" (by Rittenhouse Archives) from my local comic ship and, sitting in the nearby Burger King, I opened them up to find an 'Instant Win' card that could be redeemed for an original Star Trek SeriCel (a SeriCel is a limited edition screenprinted acetate panel using images from the show - don't worry, I didn't know either and had to ask for that explanation!)
I sent the card off, having checked with the people at RA that they would send out to the UK, and I waited.
And Waited.
And Waited.
And realisd that it had been lost in transit. Rats!
I contacted RA and they kindly offered to send a replacement SeriCel. Which they did.
I waited.
And Waited.
And Waited.
And realised that this one had gone walkies as well.
At this point (late 2004) I resigned my self to the fact that my SeriCel had gone the way of my Dart "Sabrina The Teenage Witch" Melissa Joan Hart autograph redemption card - into thin air. I assured RA that it wasn't their fault, that Iheld no grudge against them and that I was grateful for all their efforts.
Scroll forward to last week. I get a card in my letterbox advising me that there was a package to be collected from my local post office. I wasn't expecting anything, though I often enter competitions, so perhaps it was an unexpected prize.
I duly go, after work, to collect my package and when I see the return address label bearing the Rittenhouse Archive logo, Irealise what has happened - they tried again and this time, they succeeded!
I got it home and found not one SeriCel but Two different SeriCels! There were two different ones on offer in the mail in contest and RA had sent me both, and voided cards to replace the one I sent in andwhich they had returned with the original lost SeriCel!
You'll never hear me complain about RA... Oh, and if the person who 'lost' the original SeriCel is reading this (unlikely, but you never know!), please do the decent thing and return it to RA - the address will have been on the packaging... And if my Melissa Joan Hart autograph is out there somewhere, please come home - I miss you!
I sent the card off, having checked with the people at RA that they would send out to the UK, and I waited.
And Waited.
And Waited.
And realisd that it had been lost in transit. Rats!
I contacted RA and they kindly offered to send a replacement SeriCel. Which they did.
I waited.
And Waited.
And Waited.
And realised that this one had gone walkies as well.
At this point (late 2004) I resigned my self to the fact that my SeriCel had gone the way of my Dart "Sabrina The Teenage Witch" Melissa Joan Hart autograph redemption card - into thin air. I assured RA that it wasn't their fault, that Iheld no grudge against them and that I was grateful for all their efforts.
Scroll forward to last week. I get a card in my letterbox advising me that there was a package to be collected from my local post office. I wasn't expecting anything, though I often enter competitions, so perhaps it was an unexpected prize.
I duly go, after work, to collect my package and when I see the return address label bearing the Rittenhouse Archive logo, Irealise what has happened - they tried again and this time, they succeeded!
I got it home and found not one SeriCel but Two different SeriCels! There were two different ones on offer in the mail in contest and RA had sent me both, and voided cards to replace the one I sent in andwhich they had returned with the original lost SeriCel!
You'll never hear me complain about RA... Oh, and if the person who 'lost' the original SeriCel is reading this (unlikely, but you never know!), please do the decent thing and return it to RA - the address will have been on the packaging... And if my Melissa Joan Hart autograph is out there somewhere, please come home - I miss you!
Monday, November 29, 2004
No business like...
Well, I survived the Memorabilia show at the NEC Birmingham last weekend - I got back yesterday.
Fun. Busy on Saturday - especially as Harris Toser of Non-Sport Update (NSU) was hosting a meeting for Card Talk members (Card Talk is the online discussion forum hosted by the NSU website - http://www.nonsportupdate.com)
Thanks to a very good friend who is also a published trading card sketch artist (Patrick J. Hammill - his work appears in the Rittenhouse Archive "Art & Images of Xena: Warrior Princess"), two of my interests (trading cards and the author E.F.Benson) have combined to form this:
The view from the NSU stand (where I helped out for a while) was of the Tetley Tea van, and the massed ranks of sandwich and jacket potato eating show visitors, but it was still fun! Lots of new cards and hints about forthcoming sets which, if I repeated them hear, would mean me tracking down and killing anyone who actually reads this! However, I can reveal that there will be a new "Spike" set featuring the adventures of the character so memorably potrayed by James Marsters in both "Buffy The Vampire Slayer" and "Angel"; there is likely to be a set for "Stargate Atlantis" and a "Quotable Star Trek The Next Generation" set is in the design stage for release next year...
Fun. Busy on Saturday - especially as Harris Toser of Non-Sport Update (NSU) was hosting a meeting for Card Talk members (Card Talk is the online discussion forum hosted by the NSU website - http://www.nonsportupdate.com)
Thanks to a very good friend who is also a published trading card sketch artist (Patrick J. Hammill - his work appears in the Rittenhouse Archive "Art & Images of Xena: Warrior Princess"), two of my interests (trading cards and the author E.F.Benson) have combined to form this:
The view from the NSU stand (where I helped out for a while) was of the Tetley Tea van, and the massed ranks of sandwich and jacket potato eating show visitors, but it was still fun! Lots of new cards and hints about forthcoming sets which, if I repeated them hear, would mean me tracking down and killing anyone who actually reads this! However, I can reveal that there will be a new "Spike" set featuring the adventures of the character so memorably potrayed by James Marsters in both "Buffy The Vampire Slayer" and "Angel"; there is likely to be a set for "Stargate Atlantis" and a "Quotable Star Trek The Next Generation" set is in the design stage for release next year...
Tuesday, October 26, 2004
Some days have all the luck...
It's been quiet on the acquisition front, mainly because I'm saving up for the big Memorabilia show at the Birmingham NEC at the end of November. That said, I have picked up a couple of packs recently, and managed to get lucky.
My local store, which has always been a good place for me to test out my 'lucky hand' had a box of Inkworks "Angel Season 5" in the counter, so I picked, at random, a couple of packs, paid for them, and left the store to open them (as I usually do). Lo and behold, the first pack I opened had an Autograph card, signed by Mercedes McNab (who played 'Harmony' in both Buffy and Angel). "Nice pull" I thought to myself as I opened the other pack - only to find a 'Pieceworks' card containing a piece of shirt worn by Amy Acker (as "Fred")...
This store is like that - which is why I will always trust single packs bought there. I have had so many great pack pulls from just one of two pack purchases there - including my Shatner/Nimoy dual autograph (from Rittenhouse Archives' "TOS 35th Anniversary" set), a couple of nice LOTR cards and (though the following was bought by my sister, it was at the same time as the aforementioned dual autograph!) one of the scarcest Xena costume cards from Season 6, amongst MANY others.
Support your local store and, if you get lucky, support them even more!
My local store, which has always been a good place for me to test out my 'lucky hand' had a box of Inkworks "Angel Season 5" in the counter, so I picked, at random, a couple of packs, paid for them, and left the store to open them (as I usually do). Lo and behold, the first pack I opened had an Autograph card, signed by Mercedes McNab (who played 'Harmony' in both Buffy and Angel). "Nice pull" I thought to myself as I opened the other pack - only to find a 'Pieceworks' card containing a piece of shirt worn by Amy Acker (as "Fred")...
This store is like that - which is why I will always trust single packs bought there. I have had so many great pack pulls from just one of two pack purchases there - including my Shatner/Nimoy dual autograph (from Rittenhouse Archives' "TOS 35th Anniversary" set), a couple of nice LOTR cards and (though the following was bought by my sister, it was at the same time as the aforementioned dual autograph!) one of the scarcest Xena costume cards from Season 6, amongst MANY others.
Support your local store and, if you get lucky, support them even more!
Friday, June 18, 2004
The Things You Find In Supermarkets
It's not just in card stores and comic shops that you find trading cards you know; you can also find them in other, less likely, places!
Last Tuesday, I happened to be in a local branch of Tescos (a UK supermarket chain) and happened to be in the breakfast cereal aisle (a useful place to be if, like me, you like gimmicky 'free gifts') Lo, I spotted boxes of Kelloggs Cereal and Milk bars (made from Frosties, Rice Krispies or Coco Pops) with a 'Spiderman 2' picture on the front - each box has a 3D 'trading card' based on the movie. The cards are rather nice, actually - the 3D effect is achieved by using a lenticular card, and is most effective. There are 4 in the set.
The casual collector might think "What's the point in collecting these? There must be millions of them out there". Well, yes, that may well be true; but most people buying these cereal bars will either throw away the card, or give it to a child who will end up throwing it away themselves. Collect the set now, and you could well have something of interest later on. After all, Weetabix did a set of cards on their boxes years ago based on "Star Trek The Next Generation" and these are quite sought after now...
Last Tuesday, I happened to be in a local branch of Tescos (a UK supermarket chain) and happened to be in the breakfast cereal aisle (a useful place to be if, like me, you like gimmicky 'free gifts') Lo, I spotted boxes of Kelloggs Cereal and Milk bars (made from Frosties, Rice Krispies or Coco Pops) with a 'Spiderman 2' picture on the front - each box has a 3D 'trading card' based on the movie. The cards are rather nice, actually - the 3D effect is achieved by using a lenticular card, and is most effective. There are 4 in the set.
The casual collector might think "What's the point in collecting these? There must be millions of them out there". Well, yes, that may well be true; but most people buying these cereal bars will either throw away the card, or give it to a child who will end up throwing it away themselves. Collect the set now, and you could well have something of interest later on. After all, Weetabix did a set of cards on their boxes years ago based on "Star Trek The Next Generation" and these are quite sought after now...
Monday, June 07, 2004
The past is a different chase set...
So, between the general chatty bits, and on the basis that people probably won't actually see the contents of this blog so it probably doesn't matter WHAT I write, I thought I'd post the occasional bit of personal Trading Card history - how I got into collecting, odd things that have happened, that sort of thing.
The downhill path to penury started because a friend and colleague asked me along to a comic fair in London some 7 years or so ago. When we entered he room, I saw a crowd of people all looking at little bits of card, and I couldn't for the life of me work out why - then I saw the prices and made several comments about the sanity of those loons at the table. (this was before Pokemon etc hit these shores)
Some time later, I read a news item in a SciFi mag about a new set of trading cards for Star Trek that would have actual hand-signed autograph cards from members of the original cast! I was a huge Star Trek fan (I'm still a fan, though not as enthusiastic as I once was) so this was a bit of a 'must have' for me (this was before I started by brief period of going to conventions...)
I had some difficulty tracking down the cards - eventually I bought a Bruce Hyde autograph card from a dealer in Lakeside Thurrock, and placed an order for a couple of boxes of the next set, which would also have autograph cards. The die was cast...
The downhill path to penury started because a friend and colleague asked me along to a comic fair in London some 7 years or so ago. When we entered he room, I saw a crowd of people all looking at little bits of card, and I couldn't for the life of me work out why - then I saw the prices and made several comments about the sanity of those loons at the table. (this was before Pokemon etc hit these shores)
Some time later, I read a news item in a SciFi mag about a new set of trading cards for Star Trek that would have actual hand-signed autograph cards from members of the original cast! I was a huge Star Trek fan (I'm still a fan, though not as enthusiastic as I once was) so this was a bit of a 'must have' for me (this was before I started by brief period of going to conventions...)
I had some difficulty tracking down the cards - eventually I bought a Bruce Hyde autograph card from a dealer in Lakeside Thurrock, and placed an order for a couple of boxes of the next set, which would also have autograph cards. The die was cast...
Pulling
Well, the weekend came and went, and I ended up with a lot of empty packs.
Saturday, I went to pick up the latest issue of Non-Sport Update (NSU) magazine; whilst in the shop I picked up a couple of packs of "Charmed Connections", a couple of packs of "Stargate SG1 Season 6" and a cheap issue #1 of a Tekno Comix comic book that happened to have a trading card stapled inside (well, it was only 50p!(US readers - approx 80c))
I got a chase card in one of the Stargate packs, and a Pieceworks card in one of the Charmed packs - PWC6 to be exact. A nice start to the weekend!
Sunday, train into London (the local rail company was doing a special promotion, so it was really cheap to get in this time!), met up with some NSU Card Talk members and bought a couple of cheap boxes - "The Saint" and "The Prisoner", both by Cards Inc. £10 each box.
I got two autographs in the Prisoner box, and one in the Saint - which was nice.
If you've new to the hobby, or just haven't been to a card show, I'd recommend you try one out! You can get all sorts of interesting stuff, and the advantage of a show is that you can compare prices and card quality. Some of the bigger shows, you might even get some freebies!
Paul
Saturday, I went to pick up the latest issue of Non-Sport Update (NSU) magazine; whilst in the shop I picked up a couple of packs of "Charmed Connections", a couple of packs of "Stargate SG1 Season 6" and a cheap issue #1 of a Tekno Comix comic book that happened to have a trading card stapled inside (well, it was only 50p!(US readers - approx 80c))
I got a chase card in one of the Stargate packs, and a Pieceworks card in one of the Charmed packs - PWC6 to be exact. A nice start to the weekend!
Sunday, train into London (the local rail company was doing a special promotion, so it was really cheap to get in this time!), met up with some NSU Card Talk members and bought a couple of cheap boxes - "The Saint" and "The Prisoner", both by Cards Inc. £10 each box.
I got two autographs in the Prisoner box, and one in the Saint - which was nice.
If you've new to the hobby, or just haven't been to a card show, I'd recommend you try one out! You can get all sorts of interesting stuff, and the advantage of a show is that you can compare prices and card quality. Some of the bigger shows, you might even get some freebies!
Paul
Friday, June 04, 2004
Life in a Cardboard World
I collect non-sport trading cards.
No, I'm not an over-grown kid; yes, I do have a life; yes, I work with computers; yes, I like Star Trek. Your point?
This blog is where I'm going to post about my personal experiences in the non-sport trading card world. I am a regular poster to Non-Sport Update Magazine's "Card Talk" message board (Non-Sport Update magazine - click on the link to 'Card Talk') but sometimes there are things I want to talk about/rant about/enthuse about/whinge about which might not be appropriate for "Card Talk" - so I'll probably post them here.
Coming up this weekend is a card and comic fair in London - (at the Royal National Hotel, Bedford Square) at which I'm hoping to meet up with a few of my friends for chat and drinks. I'll report here on anything that happens that I'm not sworn to secrecy about!
Paul
No, I'm not an over-grown kid; yes, I do have a life; yes, I work with computers; yes, I like Star Trek. Your point?
This blog is where I'm going to post about my personal experiences in the non-sport trading card world. I am a regular poster to Non-Sport Update Magazine's "Card Talk" message board (Non-Sport Update magazine - click on the link to 'Card Talk') but sometimes there are things I want to talk about/rant about/enthuse about/whinge about which might not be appropriate for "Card Talk" - so I'll probably post them here.
Coming up this weekend is a card and comic fair in London - (at the Royal National Hotel, Bedford Square) at which I'm hoping to meet up with a few of my friends for chat and drinks. I'll report here on anything that happens that I'm not sworn to secrecy about!
Paul
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