Star Trek claims to be the people who boldly go where no man has gone before, but since this is series 2 maybe it boldly go where some men have gone before… Rittenhouse is about to release the latest round of Star Trek TNG (The Next Generation) and it appears to be a continuation of last year’s series 1 effort. The product uses the same format and art theme as series 1, meaning that fans once again have 3 autographs per box to look for.
This round of Star Trek TNG cards add 88 more base cards to the set, bring the grand total for S1 & S2 to 177 cards, one for each TNG episode. These cards also come with a gold parallel at 1:24 packs that adds a facsimile signature of the set artist Juan Ortiz. The 1:48 pack autograph parallel adds Ortiz’s authentic autograph to the cards. This makes me question the need for a facsimile auto set, which seems to me to just be a waste if they are going to turn around and add an authentic version.
Star Trek TNG Autographs (Real ones)
Yes, that is Mick Fleetwood
Rittenhouse makes up for the facsimile blunder in the base set by providing a healthy class of authentic autographs from the shows cast. These autos come in the normal vertical version, with an extremely limited silver horizontal version for key stars. The normal version features names such as Doug Wert (Jack Crusher) and Brian Brophy (CMDR Bruce Maddox). Interestingly it also includes Mick Fleetwood, lead singer of Fleetwood Mac, who played an alien on one episode. The silver horizontal version is limited 4 different characters and it is here that fans will find Michael Dorn (Worf), and the much sought after Patrick Stewart (Cptn. Jean-Luc Picard).
Make it so
These autos all come with varying print runs. Normal autos like Gina Ravera (Ensign Tyler) have a run of over 500 copies, while Extremely Limited autos, including Patrick Stewart, are limited to 100-200 copies. This means that the bigger name stars are much harder to find. There is also a rare dual autograph of Brent Spiner (Data) and Denise Crosby (Tasha Ya), which acts as a 6 case purchase incentive.
Star Trek TNG Case Hits
In an effort to motivate case buyers Rittenhouse has added two series of case hits, both falling at 1:288 packs. The sketch card set has varying degrees of rarity and features sketch portraits of different actors who appeared in the series. The run on these cards varies from Limited (75+ copies) to Scarce (25 or less). It will take fans who a lot more about Star Trek than myself to figure out who all these people are, luckily for Rittenhouse, that is just about anyone. Since Star Trek fans are usually some of the most obsessive fans in collecting these should be a popular series.
The second case hit series falls at an average of 1:576 packs (master case) and features characters that even a Star Trek buffoon, such as me can recognize. Here fans will find names such as Wesley Crusher, Captain Picard, and Lt. Commander Data. These cards are divided into 2 subsets of Rendered Art & Silhouette Gallery cards and look to be a very hard set to put together.
Other Star Trek TNG Hits & Inserts
If autographs and sketch cards aren’t your cup of tea than maybe you will be interested in some of the other offerings that Star Trek TNG puts up. The most notable of these cards is the TNG Comics Archives Cuts series which include comic panels cut from the 1989 original version. These fall at 1:48 packs and have a full 40 card set to choose from. Fans of the original comic books are sure to enjoy these. Contrasting this set is the Comic Book Cards Set, which pays tribute to the 1989 original with more modern comic cells. This 39 card set fall at a rate of 1:24 packs. Both these sets seem like a fun little idea for fans and shouldn’t be all that difficult to put together.
The Enterprise
Other inserts include TNG Universal Art cards (1:24 packs) which continue with the product’s artistic feel, and the Ships of the Line insert (1:24 packs), which features images of some of the shows key vessels. All of these combine for a product that will attract Star Trek fans, and builds on the Series 1 effort. There also exists a small selection of case toppers and case incentive hits that Rittenhouse is clearly using as motivation to move product.
Thoughts
Rittenhouse’s Star Trek TNG cards are not a bad product for fans of the show and at a price in the $55usd range it is very affordable. With each hobby box producing 3 autographs, 1 gold base, 1 Universal Art card, and 1 TNG comics insert, fans shouldn’t be disappointed in the product. This defiantly isn’t a product for box breaks, but could work as a fun family oriented set that works to introduce kids to the show.
Looking for the Full Checklist? Check Out Subterfuge’s Post https://www.checklistcenter.com/star-trek-tng-portfolio-prints-series-2/
Fans of Other Checklists, Be Sure to Check Out Breakninja! https://www.breakninja.com/index.html
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