This article addresses the last 7 years of collecting and how frustrating it’s been for carded collectors and why TVC 1.0 2010-2013 was the golden age of carded collecting. Most carded collectors treat each TVC figure acquisition as if they are buying an Honus Wagner baseball card (the rarest and most highly coveted collectible in history) seeking a flawless factory card, blister (bubble), and figure. We’ll take a trip down memory lane and recount the major issues the TVC card has encountered during the 2.0 era. I’ll always be a figure first collector, as I believe the figure on the cardboard and behind the bubble is primary but I also love to collect carded figures. It’s important to remember that carded collecting accounts for 50% of the collector base for TVC. We did a poll in the Facebook group with over 1,200 votes which gave a very sound picture of our community with a confidence level of 95% and + or – 3% margin of error. You can view the analysis here or view the graphic below to understand how important carded collecting is and that it’s just as important as loose collecting. Hasbro needs to take care of both carded and loose customer bases to ensure the best success and longevity of super articulated 3.75″ collecting. The vintage card is also paramount to carded collecting as it’s the nostalgia that keeps many of us coming back.

Let’s outline the major issues over the last 7 years.

• 2018 – 2019 Bubble Adhesion Issues
  • If you’re a carded collector you probably recall Steve from Hasbro calling attention to the issue with an environmentally friendly glue and reassured the collecting community that they will switch to a glue that keeps the bubble on the card.
• 2018 – 2022 Paper Thin Card Stock
  • The density of the card stock is much thinner than it was during it’s 1.0 years. In the graphic below you can see Corey’s (@beagan75) photo comparing Echo’s card stock to Antoc Merrick’s card where after 4 years of feedback Hasbro finally thickened the card stock back up.
• 2018 – Present Duplicative VC Numbering
  • It started with 164 error on Princess Leia Yavin which was corrected to VC150. This happened again with VC276 Bib Fortuna where Commander Blitz was already numbered 276…
• 2018 – Present Bubble Sizing & Spacing
  • During the first couple years if the figure was a normal size figure the bubble had an unusual amount of dead space behind the figure.
  • For the smaller figure in the beginning the bubbles were sized appropriately to the droid, jawa (with Kenner nod to boot!), or ewok but then it was decided that every figure will have the same size bubble. VC190 Paploo was the last figure to have a smaller bubble which is unfortunate since it replicated the look of smaller figures from the Kenner days and IMO just looks better.
• 2022 – Present Bubble Rub and Above Punch Tab Creasing
  • Hasbro’s fixing of the card stock thickness created a series of new issues due to them not adjusting the case assortment box dimensions to accommodate the thicker cards.
  • This somehow causes the card to squeeze up to each other more creating a litho tear along the film-out in the shape of opposing cards bubble.
    • This was also causing indentation on the card as well in the shape of the bubble of the opposing card.
  • The case assortment box not being adjusted to accommodate the thicker cards is causing the cards to squeeze inwards. This results in the weakest point in the cards above the punch tab getting creased.
• 2018 – Present Unpunched Missing in Mainline
  • TVC 1.0 not only had thick glossy card backs but they were also unpunched. It was another homage to the Kenner line when you got a figure that never made it onto a peg and the chad was still intact. Some box in a box offerings come unpunched but it’s never a guarantee.

I’ll say it again, being a carded collector is frustrating. You have to order multiples in hopes to get one free of issues. Whether it’s bubble rub, bubble indentation, or creasing above the punch tab. Even buying a case, or an assortment, or worse, buying a solid case of figures you’re not guaranteed at getting 1 of 8 that’s Mint on Mint Card. 7 years of frustration and here we are still dealing with this and it’s become an unbearable weight. To a certain extent I’ve stopped caring so much about being a carded collector and will always appreciate TVC 1.0 for this. I bet many other collectors are feeling this same unbearable weight and have given up on carded collecting. Shout out to all my collector friends that have helped over the years and believe me it always feels great to pay it forward.

Hasbro please fix bubble rub (make the shipper boxed a bit bigger), we’ve been asking for over 2 years now and please please please start offering case assortments unpunched. This will also reduce the amount of returns and replacements retailers deal with, including Hasbro Pulse which is something every company looks to avoid.