Lets talk proofs and prototype card

_Lee_

Sith Lord
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May 7, 2008
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Sat here thinking today about the huge affection for proof cards and it led me to think why people love these so much when they are in fact just cardboard. I know we say the same about the prices for MOC figures, but those are sealed back in the day (unless you are Brightons answer to Ming) and do carry some memories as we bought them as that back then. However, with the recent escalation in repros etc im pretty sure that some people wouldnt feel any different holding a real proof than a repro - its the look that appeals to most. I myself love all prototype material because to me they were made years back, but the eye candy appeal can be had any day of the week. lets face facts, you could get a good repro and still tell your friends / pals that its a proof-its only us nerds that really know :D

So why are people paying such high sums for what is just a piece of cardboard? I know the ins and outs but do some collectors actually know what they have and how it served its purpose??
 
Some card backs realy display superbly in a nice case ,I suppose it's the artwork but those tool toys cards half ripped command serious dollar :roll:
 
i think having a piece of the production process is a very cool item, and there is no risk of the figure falling off, bubble cracking, yellowing ect. some of the prototype collections are amazing and way beyond just proof cards.
Proof cards are at the more affordable end of the prototype spectrum essentially, and are available most of the time in some form.

this is my klaatu skiff set, all three available for this character 77, 79 and POTF

paserLLm.jpg
 
I would guess that for most people it is the easiest and cheapest way to pick up a vintage 'pre-production' item - there are multiples of these out there but not in any great numbers - so in the rarity scale then they are pretty scarce compared to something like a VC Jawa or DT Luke - which are both fetching similar prices in today's market

I also think there has been a trend towards focus collecting - and a proof for your focus seems to be a standard requirement :D
 
You should see the look on peoples faces when I basically tell them i paid so and so for a piece of cardboard, its very hard for them to fathom out and to be fair if you think about it it does sound odd, they say whats so special about it or is there not even a toy.
I always compare it to a painting or a ornament, its just there to look at and appreciate.
 
I think the appeal for most is that they are an affordable way to add a pre production piece to your collection. Although the true proofs are the cromalins I think the proof cards have more aesthetic appeal to collectors and it's of course easier to put together a run of proof cards rather than one of a kind cromalins.

Proof cards can appear abundant but only because of the Revenge proof cards and because proof cards were produced for each card back wave. Aside from Revenge, ROTJ and ESB 45 backs most proof cards actually exist in very small numbers. For example revenge 65 backs, ESB 48 backs, ESB 47 backs, SW21 backs and ESB 41 backs are all exceedingly rare and most exist in numbers of 1 or 2. Even some of the more abundant proof cards are scarce for particular characters. In fact there is a huge range in availability depending on character and card back wave. For example not all POTF proof cards are ultra rare - some of the unproduced POTF characacters are more common than the produced ones

My interest in proof cards developed fairly recently. I had always been keen on figural pre production stuff but when I started a character focus I developed a real interest in putting together a run of proof cards. I liked the clean unmarked, unpunched cards without yellow bubbles, cracks and dents etc. Perhaps luck had a lot to do with it too because I chose a difficult character and if I hadn't made a few lucky acquisitions early on I might have lost the enthusiasm.

3d Figural pre production stuff has always been more desirable than the 2d stuff but recently there seems to have been a shift in interest to 2d stuff like proof cards. Perhaps the publicity of Mattias book; perhaps the increase in people starting character focuses or perhaps MOC collectors that are making the move to proofs because production stuff has increased in price so much. To be honest I wish I had jumped on more proof cards early on when I had the chances. Here's hoping some collectors will decide to cash in after/during/before the new movies and then perhaps i'll get another chance :)
 
It's not only fun to have a slice of the preproduction process, but it is also a challenge to put together a proof run of a favorite character or back. Anyone can make a run of carded figures, but it takes time, networking, patience, persistence, cash, and some luck to put together a decent proof card run. I think proof collecting is a great way for veteran collectors a add new level of difficulty to their collecting.
 
olisuds said:
I think the appeal for most is that they are an affordable way to add a pre production piece to your collection. Although the true proofs are the cromalins I think the proof cards have more aesthetic appeal to collectors and it's of course easier to put together a run of proof cards rather than one of a kind cromalins.

Proof cards can appear abundant but only because of the Revenge proof cards and because proof cards were produced for each card back wave. Aside from Revenge, ROTJ and ESB 45 backs most proof cards actually exist in very small numbers. For example revenge 65 backs, ESB 48 backs, ESB 47 backs, SW21 backs and ESB 41 backs are all exceedingly rare and most exist in numbers of 1 or 2. Even some of the more abundant proof cards are scarce for particular characters. In fact there is a huge range in availability depending on character and card back wave. For example not all POTF proof cards are ultra rare - some of the unproduced POTF characacters are more common than the produced ones

My interest in proof cards developed fairly recently. I had always been keen on figural pre production stuff but when I started a character focus I developed a real interest in putting together a run of proof cards. I liked the clean unmarked, unpunched cards without yellow bubbles, cracks and dents etc. Perhaps luck had a lot to do with it too because I chose a difficult character and if I hadn't made a few lucky acquisitions early on I might have lost the enthusiasm.

3d Figural pre production stuff has always been more desirable than the 2d stuff but recently there seems to have been a shift in interest to 2d stuff like proof cards. Perhaps the publicity of Mattias book; perhaps the increase in people starting character focuses or perhaps MOC collectors that are making the move to proofs because production stuff has increased in price so much. To be honest I wish I had jumped on more proof cards early on when I had the chances. Here's hoping some collectors will decide to cash in after/during/before the new movies and then perhaps i'll get another chance :)

In a nutshell Oli, I couldn't have said it better myself... I once said to Max Field around 2008 about Proof cards, what's the appeal ? it's just a piece of card board... He said so is A MOC just a piece of cardboard but with a cheap ass figure and bubble Stuck to it. He was totally right.

If you enjoy the vintage packaging like most of us do then Proofs offer an unadulterated piece of the packaging not to mention the fact that it served as part of the pre production process somehow. No cheap ass figure or bubble there spoiling the look. Plus I used to always worry about bubbles falling of my cards further down the line, petty but true. Just my 2 pence worth. 8)
 
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