Brendan_B TapnPlay CA & BBL breaks

Just managed to find some loose packets in the local newsagent.

Grabbed 6 packs and only jagged parallels. It is hard to pass judgement without having seen anything but commons and parallels in hand but at the very least I thought the price rise may have meant a thicker stock on the base cards.

From what I have seen these are okay, will buy a few more here and there but will only really chase a Lynn signature and if I hit a few Brisbane Heat cards I will hold onto those.

Maybe it is just a sign of the times but I just can't 'love' the Aussie Cricket team these days and I think that impacts my chasing of cricket cards. I still look back on the 09/10 Select release, Hayden/ Langer, Gilchrist, Waugh gems, classic players in the 5000 run club. I still buy those loose packets occasionally and thoroughly enjoy the bust every time.

Grabbed another 5 today from the same newsagent as yesterday, did much better than yesterday.

Steve Smith silver
Brad Hogg gold parallel - Not sure if this is an error as it has gold on top and bottom but nothing saying 'gold edition'like the Australian parallels @Matt26 ?
Memorable Moments MM06 Dan Christian
Award Winners AW15 Beth Mooney / Brisbane Heat
Silver jersey Khawaja #048 / 175

Able to comment a bit more now that I have seen a few more in hand. Moments and Award Winners are still very plain. I know they are low end inserts but they could use at least a silver BBL logo or border to dress them up

Silver jersey card is very, very nice, great addition. The fact that these are numbered makes it even worse that the signature cards are not!

The bbl gold's don't say gold edition, it's not an error. Nice work on the Khawaja!

6 packs from the servo

Farrell Best of the Bash
Silvers 100, 101, 134
Gold 075
Khawaja signature redemption!

Brendan_B said:

6 packs from the servo

Farrell Best of the Bash
Silvers 100, 101, 134
Gold 075
Khawaja signature redemption!

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Need to start a khawaja PC lol

4 more packets from two different newsagents;

Silvers 079, 143
Gold 042
Maxwell Match Winner - Nice looking cards although if you were inclined I think they would be easy to search for in a box.

5 more today

Sciver & Agar silvers
Bolton gold
Finch MM
Finch signature redemption!

That is 36 packets in total for me, smashing the odds!

Will trade Finch for a Lynn or $80 delivered registered

Brendan_B said:

5 more today

Sciver & Agar silvers
Bolton gold
Finch MM
Finch signature redemption!

That is 36 packets in total for me, smashing the odds!

Will trade Finch for a Lynn or $80 delivered registered

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Well done mate - on fire!

Need to get you to pick some packs for me LOL

Brendan_B said:

4 more packets from two different newsagents;

Silvers 079, 143
Gold 042
Maxwell Match Winner - Nice looking cards although if you were inclined I think they would be easy to search for in a box.

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I bought 2 "packs this morning and picked them up and the 2 packs felt vastly different.

And low and behold there was a match winner in one of them and I didn't even try to search the box

Mojo has deserted me!

5 packs for 4 x silvers and 1 x MM I already have doubles of.

At least they had folders so I can put the base together.

So I still can't find Ashes or BBL in any newsagents (been to 12 across South Brisbane). When I ask most give a quizzical look, shrug their shoulders and then say, 'they usually just turn up.'

I reply, 'GNS are distributing now, can you order me some?'

'They only do stationary though...'

1st world problems!!

Anyways onto my point. I found a box of 16/17 BBL with 7 packets left. I bought 4 and boom Chris Lynn redemption, the only one I really want!!

It's not all bad!!

Well done mate.

Still no ashes in Sydney either. Same responses as you said. With the ashes all but over I can't see me buying any more now - will pick up the signatures when they bottom out.

No BBL yet. Been to five WBBL games, fan days for thunder and Sixers with full squads at both and will be at my first BBL game tommorrow with no new cards to get done.

It is disappointing mate for sure. I understand that things happen beyond the control of TnP but I also feel that these releases have been very disorganised.

I saw a post on FB that showed the replacement Portraits are hand numbered. While it is great they are replacing them, hand numbering them is just cheap and easy.

For a premium release this should not occur!

Brendan_B said:

It is disappointing mate for sure. I understand that things happen beyond the control of TnP but I also feel that these releases have been very disorganised.

I saw a post on FB that showed the replacement Portraits are hand numbered. While it is great they are replacing them, hand numbering them is just cheap and easy.

For a premium release this should not occur!

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100% agree. I do believe they have recently hired someone who knows the distribution scene here in Australia very well so I think they will have it sorted for next years releases.

One of the biggest challenges was the fact that Network Services got purchased by Gordon & Gotch who have no idea about distributing products like these. The costs to go through them, payment and returns were all big issues and very costly.....hence the move to try something else which clearly hasn't worked.

I usually grab a handful of packs but this year those sales have been lost (not to mention all the others who would do the same) as they just aren't available.

I haven't seen any of the product in any local outlets and i'm just waiting to pick up a few of the signature cards when they are redeemed.

My biggest issue is that there is next to no quality control.......that is a huge area that needs to be addressed ASAP.

Cheers
Matt

Matt26 said:

100% agree. I do believe they have recently hired someone who knows the distribution scene here in Australia very well so I think they will have it sorted for next years releases.

One of the biggest challenges was the fact that Network Services got purchased by Gordon & Gotch who have no idea about distributing products like these. The costs to go through them, payment and returns were all big issues and very costly.....hence the move to try something else which clearly hasn't worked.

I usually grab a handful of packs but this year those sales have been lost (not to mention all the others who would do the same) as they just aren't available.

I haven't seen any of the product in any local outlets and i'm just waiting to pick up a few of the signature cards when they are redeemed.

My biggest issue is that there is next to no quality control.......that is a huge area that needs to be addressed ASAP.

Cheers
Matt

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Well said Matt. From all the dealings I have had with Neil, he is a really nice bloke who is doing his best. Just can't believe how much $ they would have lost with late releases and none in newsagents / servos. Can not see them making any profit from these two releases and my worry is that soon we won't have any cricket cards again as no business can last long if their products are not available.

Agreed 100% @Matt26 & @Wookiedragon

My dealings with Neil have only been via email and I have to agree, he seems decent and very accomodating.

I love the fact that cricket cards are being produced again but we are now 4 years in and the teething issues continue. Let's hope that things work out and we continue to have cricket releases for years to come!

Brendan_B said:

Agreed 100% @Matt26 & @Wookiedragon

My dealings with Neil have only been via email and I have to agree, he seems decent and very accomodating.

I love the fact that cricket cards are being produced again but we are now 4 years in and the teething issues continue. Let's hope that things work out and we continue to have cricket releases for years to come!

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I have gotten to know Neil quite well since TNP came on board and he is a really decent bloke and always someone who is willing to help a customer of his, but his lack of trading card knowledge and not really being a collector lets him down sometimes.

Not everyone can be a card nerd (im self proclaimed), but if you are in an industry you need to understand its intricacies and have a grasp on what your customer wants. He is learning but you cant learn in 3-4 years what people have spent 25+ years on. TLA learned this the hard way but in saying this they get it now and are making products collectors want and have been telling them to make for some time.

Most products are either a big success or a failure on 3 main factors.......its content (value for money), its quality and its distribution.

My main concern with TNP hasn't been the content as such more the price of the product and the distribution (of late). Quality in this Ashes series seems to have been a bigger issue than past releases.

Collectors these days have baseline expectations in relation to any release......if you have a serially numbered card......it has to be foil numbered. If you open up packs, you expect to get a product in good shape. If you buy a box or a case, you expect to get what you are promised. If you get a signature card the signature cant be smudged etc.

These are all little things when done right and at the right price, make your product a success. When you miss some of these things, it erodes confidence in your product and your company.

Collectors will understand if there are issues, and as long as these are kept to a minimum and offer solutions to fix them these are ok. But if the same issues are happening 4 years on, then a lot of trust in your product (which you are charging a premium price for) collectors will not be as accepting.

You only need to see the amount of Facebook warriors out there who love to have their say in their echo chambers but these comments can and do hurt perceptions of the products.

But if you get it right, with good quality at the right price point and make it available for all collectors......you can certainly make some great cards and products.

Cheers
Matt

To matt.Away from the collecting front,i admire what you have to say about about the card collecting industry,whether it be cricket,nrl or basketball.keep putting your opinion out there.also do you know that it has been over 20 years that joel and i met you and dave at the card shop at blacktown.

Paul_Ambrey said:

To matt.Away from the collecting front,i admire what you have to say about about the card collecting industry,whether it be cricket,nrl or basketball.keep putting your opinion out there.also do you know that it has been over 20 years that joel and i met you and dave at the card shop at blacktown.

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Thanks mate.... i now feel very old! haha

Paul_Ambrey said:

To matt.Away from the collecting front,i admire what you have to say about about the card collecting industry,whether it be cricket,nrl or basketball.keep putting your opinion out there.also do you know that it has been over 20 years that joel and i met you and dave at the card shop at blacktown.

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I remember the card shop at Blacktown - those were the days! Had one at Eastwood, one at parramatta, Liverpool and card Shaq in the city! Oh the memories, and yes @Matt26 it does make me feel old too...