2018 Overview & 2019 Collecting Goals

[ElijahCraigHyde]

What was your highlight for 2018?
What was your biggest disappointment for 2018?
What are your collecting goals for 2019?
What are you expecting in 2019 releases?
Are you expecting this year, in particular 19 Series II to be better than releases of previous years?
Can you name me for 3 personal favorite cards in Select/ESP-TLA history regardless of what you have on hand or not?

 

[ElijahCraigHyde]

What was your highlight for 2018?
Finally coming to terms and making progress towards the kind of NRL collector I want to be since completing my last master set; 18 Elite being the best release in a long time - it's as if TLA FINALLY nailed it! - the longingly anctipated Black /5 mojo concept and the Parallel signature variants are what made the release IMO
What was your biggest disappointment for 2018?
Nothing really however if I was to say something it would just have to be one buyer I had slight problems with but I realize it's not nice to say the sort of things over the internet that I would have had in mind lol
What are your collecting goals for 2019?
To remain on top of my IP-player elements of my collection in particular Teddy, Smith, Munster and Crocker; continue to building my unfinished master sets from previous years without any rush.
What are you expecting in 2019 releases?
A fifth mojo parallel out of 1 in series II: Only a matter of what it will look like (hopefully Black Opal?) along with replicates of Diamond /5, Emerald, Sapphire and Ruby and other variants to be single cards along with the rubies yet again. Apart from that noting really dissimilar from last year, only slight improvements where ever necessary.
Are you expecting this year, in particular 19 Series II to be better than releases of previous years?
Maybe not: but the Black Opal 1/1 mojo and improvement in the YG/LS signature variants may help
Can you name me for 3 personal favorite cards in Select/ESP-TLA history regardless of what you have on hand or not?
1. Andy Johns Legend signature, 2. Black parallel LS signatures 3. Platinum WCH cards from 14 Elite (in particular Smith one!) - call me crazy there but I like'em

 

[hobo]

What was your highlight for 2018?
I liked the Young Gun and League Sensation Blacks
What was your biggest disappointment for 2018?
The St George Fan day that got screwed up / the addition of more mojos
What are your collecting goals for 2019?
To get the IPs I still need from the messed up Fan day
What are you expecting in 2019 releases?
Same, same
Are you expecting this year, in particular 19 Series II to be better than releases of previous years?
Same
Can you name me for 3 personal favorite cards in Select/ESP-TLA history regardless of what you have on hand or not?
2013 Traders Legend Sig Raper
2014 Traders Legend Sig Provan
2017 Superhero Jersey Patch de Belin signed

 

[Brendan_B]

What was your highlight for 2018?
League Sensations Black were immaculate, one of the best subsets, if not the best produced by TLA to date. Even though Glory wasn't released until 2019, it was a 2018 based release, I love it. The LE Milestones sets are quite nice also and I really enjoyed the signature selection across the board for Canberra (Rapana, Cotric, Boyd, Austin, Tapine & Papa).

I also enjoyed knocking off a couple of lower end Select subsets I had pending for a while (Parallels, Tri Nations & Club Heroes from 05 Tradition)

What was your biggest disappointment for 2018?
The Captains subset from Elite looked quite poor. I had collected the previous two sets so this was a bit disappointing. I am not a massive fan of the /5 mojo set either, I would have been happy to leave it at the Emerald level. I am always disappointed with how low prices on good, limited edition cards drop.

What are your collecting goals for 2019?
Obtain Terry Lamb Inspirations (05 Power) to complete that set and also both remaining Immortal signatures (Beetson / Langlands) to finish my 08 Centenary Master.

Obtain as many Canberra cards from various 19 releases as possible and try to complete the master set of 18 Glory.

What are you expecting in 2019 releases?
Similar across the board. I expect Xtreme to be axed and I am always interested to see who the Legends signatures are. I hope the mojo sets don't grow! I also think that TLA will put together that box set they proposed last year and maybe one or two more LE releases.

Are you expecting this year, in particular 19 Series II to be better than releases of previous years?
TLA have improved every year since inception so it stands to reason that 19 Elite will again improve. While a product can never be perfect, they did very well with 19 Elite and I would really like to see some more innovation.

Can you name me for 3 personal favorite cards in Select/ESP-TLA history regardless of what you have on hand or not?
I can't just name three!

05 Power Inspirations
06 Invincible Laurie Daley Tribute Signature
08 Centenary Immortal Signatures
14 Traders Legends Wally Lewis (love all Legends but this is my favorite)

 

[Matt26]

What was your highlight for 2018?

Elite was the highlight for me, especially the Black Young Guns and League Sensations.....stunning cards. Following on these cards was the single Ruby Mojos which gave a wider spread of hits across group breaks and made them a lot more interesting and more challenging to collect. Please TLA do this for the other levels!

What was your biggest disappointment for 2018?

2018 Xtreme. I know its a kids release but having those figurines really didn't do much for card collectors and the signatures in this release while they are fun to chase, devalue the signatures of those players greatly.

What are your collecting goals for 2019?

Collect the Panthers cards that appeal to me not everything, just the cards I really like. Would be nice to have something really high end to chase down (Jersey Patch Auto).

What are you expecting in 2019 releases?

I would expect Traders to be similar to last year. Xtreme don't know (doesn't hold much interest for me)?

Elite I'd love to see go around in the same configuration again with some changes:

1 - All Mojos to be single cards......helps drive sales and actually increases value on the single cards. If they are introducing a 1/1 version, ditch one of the other levels (maybe the #/5). Have #/40, #/20, #/10 and the #1/1 Masterpiece.
2 - Ditch the Road To Finals concept (its run its course) and introduce a high end type card for each team (falling 1 per case). These would be #/40 (based on last years print run).

Milestones - ditch it and make a high end box break (not team boxes or boxes with 1 player from each team) release like National Treasures/Flawless/Immaculate/Topps Dynasty with jersey patch content. Doubt it would happen but would like it to!

Imagine a release like the one in the video below being done for NRL teams!!!!

View: https://youtu.be/wZlOOT90A8M?t=27


Are you expecting this year, in particular 19 Series II to be better than releases of previous years?

If it is, it will be a great release.........I hope it is cause last years Elite was pretty close to a perfect release for mine.

Can you name me for 3 personal favorite cards in Select/ESP-TLA history regardless of what you have on hand or not?

1 - Select Immortal Signatures
2 - Elite 18 Black League Sensations/Young Guns
3 - Marvel Patch Autos (stunning cards and wish my team had one)

Cheers
Matt

 

[Jaede]

What was your highlight for 2018?
Clint Gutherson traders signature card and the edition of the black LS/YG in elite

What was your biggest disappointment for 2018?
The captains cards, loved the previous sets but this years took a step backwards.

What are your collecting goals for 2019?
Continue my eels pc, collect my eels I.p from fan day.

What are you expecting in 2019 releases?
Alot similar to 2018 releases with exception of extreme to be discontinued. I also really hope they go forward with the team releases the proposed last year.

Are you expecting this year, in particular 19 Series II to be better than releases of previous years?
Same great release with the exception of the captains cards, I also don't chase mojos but I know others do.

Can you name me for 3 personal favorite cards in Select/ESP-TLA history regardless of what you have on hand or not?
2007 invincible Hindmarsh provan/summons signature redemption
2008 Centenary Immortal signatures
2011 Strike Hayne signature redemption
2018 traders Clint Gutherson authentic signature

 

[The Mad Hatter]

2019 is the year I take a back seat in the collecting game. 2018 was going through the motions and I'm really reassessing where I'm at in the collecting game as there is now too much product costing too many $$$ out there.

I'm just lucky I've had a generous, understanding dealer who helped me out for almost a decade put together common sets and sub sets and sig cards. I'm sure once Traders comes around, I'll still be buying. But at the moment I'm jaded.

Apologies for being a downer.

 

[Croz]

What was your highlight for 2018?
Black young guns and league sensations

What was your biggest disappointment for 2018?
2018 Elite - JT ball cards in a case and 2018 traders - three boxes and only a Canterbury predictor

What are your collecting goals for 2019?
Finish off the 2018 sets and the earlier ones and continue with 2019

What are you expecting in 2019 releases?
Same basically. What I would like is to see Printing Plates be included (I think they look cool ( I got one from 2013 Star Wars Legacy). 2019 traders a hit per box. Like many of collector, value for money. That’s why I do like elite. Extreme needs to drop those figurines

Are you expecting this year, in particular 19 Series II to be better than releases of previous years?
See above
And hope it costs less
Can you name me for 3 personal favorite cards in Select/ESP-TLA history regardless of what you have on hand or not?

2014 (I think ) traders Indigeonus Andrew Fifita, the 2016 NRL premier set and a few of the older scalen 70s cards (can’t remember names as still in move)

 

[MC_D]

Always love reading what other collectors are passionate about.

What was your highlight for 2018?
Couple more Thaiday sigs being the Elite jersey patch and the milestones release. Milestones to me are TLAs best quality card they have produced.
What was your biggest disappointment for 2018?
Not being able to buy Glory from news agencies. Takes the fun out of buying packets.
What are your collecting goals for 2019?
Still chasing the 2009 Select Lockyer captains sig.
What are you expecting in 2019 releases?
Hopefully Tom Raudonikis or Greg Alexander legends cards?
Are you expecting this year, in particular 19 Series II to be better than releases of previous years?
Yes they keep getting better the Elite black signature cards were awesome!
Can you name me for 3 personal favorite cards in Select/ESP-TLA history regardless of what you have on hand or not?
1994 Dynamic Kerrod Walters gold sig card. First ever signature I pulled as a kid
2008 Centenary Wally Lewis immortals sig. My favourite release ever.
2014 Corey Parker league sensations sig. took me for bloody ever to find it