Since I've received so many questions about trading cards because of the new Twilight card set, I've created this guide to help clear some confusion.

TERMS - Here are some common trading card terms you should know: (Using Twilight specifically as an example).

Trading Cards - NOT the same as Gaming Cards (Yu-Gi-Oh, Magic the Gathering, Pokemon, etc.)  Trading cards are meant for keeping and collecting and are NOT played with.  Standard trading cards measure 2.5" X 3.5"

Retail  - sold in stores such as Target, Walmart, Toys R' Us etc, aimed at kids, contain base and chase cards, usually DO NOT contain any valuable premium cards such as Autograph, Costume, Prop, or Sketch Cards (some card sets do contain retail exclusive cards or premium cards at very high odds, but Twilight does not)

Hobby - sold in Comic and Hobby Shops, aimed at teens to adults, contain rare and valuable premium cards not available in Retail boxes
 
Case - what Boxes of trading cards come in (10 boxes per case for Twilight).
 
Case Topper (or Loader) - a bonus chase card that is only available in cases and not in boxes or packs (the "PROTECTOR" card for Twilight)
 
Box - what Packs of trading cards come in (24 packs per box)
 
Pack - contains (5 or 6) randomly inserted Base Cards and (0 or 1) randomly inserted Chase Card, Costume Card (called Pieceworks by Inkworks), or Autograph Cards, etc. (6 cards per Pack)
 
Base Cards - common cards with pictures and info about the card set (the movie Twilight in this case), each numbered between 1-72
 
Base Set - A complete set of base cards (all 72 base cards about Twilight) 1-2 complete Base Sets per box is standard for most card sets.
 
Chase Card - A trading card that you have to search for or "chase" because it is not as common as the base cards.  There are MANY different types of chase cards (Puzzle, Foil, Chrome, Die-Cut, Glitter, Sticker etc.), but for Twilight, there are 3:

• ALWAYS - A nine-card puzzle (9 cards - inserted approximately 1 per 11 packs or 2-3 cards per box).

• DIFFERENT - Six foil cards (6 cards - inserted approximately 1 per 17 packs or 1-2 per box).

• IN PURSUIT - Three foil cards (3 cards - inserted approximately 1 per 23 packs or 1 per box).

Chase Set - All 9 "ALWAYS" Puzzle Cards is one chase set, all 6 "DIFFERENT" Foil Cards is one chase set, etc...
 
Mini-Master Set - includes the Base Set and all of the Chase Sets together
 
Master Set - ALL the cards and sets that are produced for that trading card set including ALL the Costume Cards, ALL the Autograph Cards, etc.
 
Autograph Card - card personally hand-signed by the actors (actor list and odds are to be determined for Twilight but usually 1 per box for Inkworks sets)

Costume Card - card containing material cut from costumes worn by the actors (Inkworks calls them Pieceworks) (1 per box)
 
Prop Card - card containing material cut from Props around the set of films and tv shows (none are in the Twilight set)

Sketch Card - art drawn by professional artists on trading cards depicting scenes and images from the card set (none are in the the Twilight set)

Variant - a card (usually a Costume or Prop Card) that was intentionally designed or cut to look different than the other copies of that same card (more details and an example below)

Error - A card that was mistakenly produced a certain way that makes it different from other copies of that same card (wrong number printed on card, wrong costume on card, etc.)

SET BUILDING TIPS AND OPTIONS

In my opinion, the most cost effective way for someone to collect is to buy by the case and then sell or trade off all the spare and unwanted Costume and Autograph Cards, and extra base and chase sets (you should get 2-3 of each chase set per case and 15-20 base sets).  But it's A LOT of tedious work to sort out all those cards, scan, list, package, and then ship them.  You'll probably save money this way, and have a lot of fun opening the packs, but it's not easy to sell and takes A LOT of time.  Cases don't come cheap and there is the risk of getting a "bad" case, so this option takes serious committment.

A quick and easy option is to just buy a Master Set if you know you want and can afford one of EVERYTHING.  (Master Sets are NOT cheap!)  This will save A LOT of time and some money, but it's not as much fun because you can't customize your collection and pick and choose variants and costumes one by one yourself.

A more affordable way to go is to buy a Mini-Master Set to get the cheap stuff out of the way, and then pick and choose the costumes and autographs you want...trying to find bargains as you go.

Probably the most popular option is to buy at least 3-4 boxes to make your own Mini-Master Set, hope to get a rare autograph or costume in the process, and then buy the remaining cards one by one.  Keep in mind though that it's very possible to not complete a Mini-Master Set even after 3-4 random boxes and to pull duplicate autograph and costume cards.

BUYING/PRICING - What you can expect to spend and why...

There are several factors that go into pricing, but the two most important are rarity (odds per pack/box) and popularity (main character are in higher demand than side characters of course).  It's like the lottery: the higher the odds, the more money it's worth.

That's why chase cards/sets are so much more expensive than base cards/sets, even though you get so much fewer chase cards.  It takes AT LEAST 3 boxes to complete a chase set from Inkworks, while you can get at least one complete base set from just one box.

Because card manufacturers don't usually state the individual odds beforehand, it's impossible to know the individual odds of specific costume and autograph cards until A LOT of boxes/cases are open.  That's why pricing costumes and autographs for Pre-Order can be difficult and is mostly guesswork.

You can usually make educated guesses on pricing just based on how popular a character is, but don't forget how big/tall the actor is and what the actual costume material is.  For example, an Alice costume should be rarer than an Emmett costume card just because Alice is so much smaller than Emmett.  However, if it was Emmett's Tie vs. Alice's Dress, then the tie should be rarer.

Another factor into pricing are Variants.  Let's look at the Victoria Costume Card:

The shirt is mostly green, but there is also some white on the front.  Because the white portion is less, it's considered the variant.  From a Box, you could find a variant white or a common green costume card (or a white AND green piece).  If you get a Variant white costume card, it'll be rarer and therefore more valuable than the green.  In this example, the white's not that rare so it won't be that much more valuable (maybe $40 vs $20), but on some cards, the variant is VERY rare and could sell for $200 while the common version sells for $10.

So if you plan on buying cards and sets individually, you can expect to pay more for the rarer cards and sets.  If you buy by the box/or case, it's a gamble and you could get a great bargain or you could overspend.  For example, at $50 for a box, you will get 1-2 Base Sets, 4-6 Chase Cards, and 1 Costume Card.  If you get just a Laurent Costume, you probably overpaid, but if you get a Variant or an Edward Costume, you got a deal.

Also, keep in mind the Hobby boxes are limited, so once they're gone, they are gone.

Good Luck and Happy Collecting!!

-UN Collectibles

Please check my eBay Store to purchase Twilight Trading Card items.  Thank you.

PRESS RELEASE AND SET DETAILS FOR TWILIGHT PREMIUM TRADING CARDS

Released November 26, 2008

Inkworks announces a new trading card release for Summit Entertainment's upcoming movie TWILIGHT, that opens nationwide on November 21, 2008. Directed by Catherine Hardwicke, TWILIGHT is an action-packed, modern day love story between a teen-aged girl (Kristen Stewart) who falls in love with a "good" vampire (Robert Pattinson) who must protect her from the "bad" vampire (Cam Gigandet) while resisting his natural instincts. Based on the New York Times Bestselling series by Stephenie Meyer, TWILIGHT is a cultural phenomenon not seen since the likes of Harry Potter, with a devoted fan base that eagerly awaits this movie.

The premium trading card collection releases in November 2008 and will include scenes from the movie, character cards and much more. In addition to the 72-card base set, collectors will be able to find a variety of randomly inserted bonus cards including:

• A nine-card puzzle (9 cards - inserted approximately 1:11 packs).
• Six cards (6 cards - inserted approximately 1:17 packs).
• Three cards (3 cards - inserted approximately 1:23 packs).
• One case loader card (1 card - 1 per shipping case).

The following bonus cards can also be found exclusively in packs sold at hobby stores, card and comic book retailers (these packs have a suggested retail price of $3.49):

PIECEWORKS® CARDS - Cards featuring pieces of the costumes worn on screen during the movie (1 Costume Card per Box!).

1. Jacket worn by Kristen Stewart as Bella Swan
2. T-shirt worn by Robert Pattinson as Edward Cullen
3. Jacket worn by Ashley Greene as Alice Cullen
4. Jacket worn by Jackson Rathbone as Jasper Hale
5. Jacket worn by Kellan Lutz as Emmett Cullen
6. Vest worn by Nikki Reed as Rosalie Hale
7. Jeans worn by Taylor Lautner as Jacob Black
8. Jacket worn by Elizabeth Reaser as Esme Cullen
9. Shirt worn by Peter Facinelli as Carlisle Cullen
10. T-shirt worn by Rachelle Lefevre as Victoria
11. Pants worn by Edi Gathegi as Laurent
12. Jeans worn by Cam Gigandet as James