Guess I still gotta go to work.
So I recently acquired a whole bunch more boxes of trading cards that I’m in the process of throwing onto the eBay store, including this particular goodie:
“Whoa, a whole box of Dark Crystal cards!” I thought, “with sealed packs and everything!”
“Surely this will be worth tons and tons of American dollars!” I briefly hoped until I looked up concluded sales on eBay and saw that it generally sells in the $20 range. I mean, full boxes of this set sell for more than that:
It was kind of a surprise. Judging by the number of boxes of these that are on, and have been on, eBay, there’s no particular shortage of them. Plus, as time goes on and the turnaround between “seeing a movie in a theater” and “owning the actual film in some home video format” shortens, the actual need for a movie souvenir that recounts the plot of the film is lessened. (Same reason why movie adaptations aren’t such a big deal in comics, anymore…the focus is on “prequels” or some other kind of new story to supplement the one on the big screen.)
That’s not to say these Dark Crystal cards won’t sell. They clearly are, just not for the “Mike can retire early” money I was hoping for.
Of course, that doesn’t explain why those X-Force cards sell for slightly better money. Those are all just pictures taken from the comics, as I recall. If you have the comics, you have all the images in this set. Is it just the act of collecting and collating the cards? There aren’t even rare chase cards in this particular set. Of course, the answer could just be “I like superhero comic cards, so back off, mister,” which is perfectly fine with me.
A few years back, older bro and I had one day, eagerly sat down my two nephews to display for them the imaginative wonder that is THE DARK CRYSTAL…
Sadly, They could not have been more bored or jaded (“um…puppets?” “I can see the wires.”) before they each departed the room, leaving older bro and I to continue watching, enraptured.
Danged kids.
So, I can only imagine that things like this are a niche collectible for a rapidly dwindling audience.
And if I didn’t already own the film and lavish books of Froud’s designs, I’d buy them myself.
Agree with Sanctum Sanctorum above. I LOVED this movie when I was little, and I still love it now. Saw it in the theater with my brother and parents, got it on DVD, got it on the newer remastered DVD, it was such an interesting little world.
Why do X-Force cards sell better? Yeah, probably a dwindling audience for older fantasy items and puppets/muppetry.
Now … I think I’ll watch DARK CRYSTAL again tonight.
Thanks for bringing back some great memories.
Sadly, I already own a complete set of those Dark Crystal cards, or I’d take them off your hands. I really only need one of each, though, not many, many packs of them. I’m 100% certain they’re more attractive than the X-Force ones, too. No accounting for taste.
Those x-force cards SUCK. the “artwork” looks even worse in card form, for some reason. (I got a set for free, later selling it in a garage sale). Those Dark Crystal cards are cool!
In a semi-related note, I still need to organize my Raiders of the Lost Ark cards that I bought about TWO years ago!
“Of course, that doesn’t explain why those X-Force cards sell for slightly better money.”
Only insanity can explain THAT.