UPDATED: February 17, 2010
GUIDELINES FOR ADDITION OF TRADING CARDS INTO THE CCL DATABASE
Please follow the same guidelines when adding a trading card as a comic book.
In order to make the Change Request process as quick as possible and to ensure the accuracy and consistency of our database, we have established the following guidelines.
1) Before getting started, take time to familiarize yourself with these guidelines, the “Visual Help Presentations” found on our message board Help Desk (http://www.comiccollectorlive.com/forum/Default.aspx?g=topics&f=28) and the desktop software’s current information and formats.
2) Before submitting any Change Request, use the Comic Collector Live website to research what we already have in the database. Sometimes you just need to update your software so your local data matches the CCL web site. The website is always up to date. So, check the CCL web site and update often.
3) Make the change as complete as possible. If you are updating a series be sure to make the change as complete as you can. For example; if you are attaching a story arc to a subset in cards, be sure to check that the other information is complete as well (i.e. cover price, publish date, artists, characters, etc…), especially if the item is right in front of you. Add all missing information if possible.
4) Include a comment and, when possible, a link to supporting information. Explain why you are making the Change Request. This will help us approve your requests much more efficiently. It will also help us to better communicate with you. Please be aware that any inappropriate comments will result in account deactivation for the offending member, so keep it clean.
Our goal is to have the best, most informative database for the comic book community. You can find a "QUICK TIPS FOR NEW USERS" list for new submitters attached at the end of the guidelines. This is a great tool for "newbies" on CCL.
Policy On Quoting From Other Resources
1. Issue and title bios may include short pieces of text originating from the publisher and or creator and originally intending to act as a solicitation for the issue or title. If such text is included, it must be properly sourced, using formatting detailed in the guidelines.
a. Acceptable sources for quoting include:
i. Publisher's websites: marvel.com, dccomics.com, boom-studios.net, etc.
ii. Creator's websites: Jinxworld.com, neilgaiman.com, busiek.com, etc.
iii. Publisher sponsored title/character specific websites: spawn.com, astrocity.us, etc.
iv. Locations on the issue/item itself: Inside Front Cover, Back Cover, Dust Jacket Flap, Back of Package, Front of Card, etc.
v. Solicitations in other publications from the same publisher: Previous Issue, Marvel's Bullpen Bulletins, Marvel Age, etc.
b. Unacceptable sources for quoting include:
i. Independent fan sites and wikis: wikipedia.com, wildstormresource.wetpaint.com, marvel.wikia.com, dc.wikia.com, etc.
ii. Comics news sites: comicbookresources.com, newsarama.com, ign.com etc.
iii. Independent collector sites: comicbookdb.com, comics.org, comicbookrealm.com, collectorz.com, etc.
iv. Independent retail sites: ebay.com, mycomicshop.com, milehighcomics.com, etc.
v. Publications not from the same publisher: Previews, Comic Shop News, etc.
vi. Any site with a legal notice or terms of use that restricts usage or claims ownership of the text: Most, but not all of the above unacceptable sources have this notice.
The examples given of acceptable and unacceptable sources are not meant to be all inclusive, but are meant to illustrate what sort of sites are acceptable and unacceptable sources. Even if the text being quoted most likely came directly from the publisher, if the site it is being quoted from is unacceptable, the text may not be used. An alternative, acceptable source must be located in order to use the text.
If there is question/concern over whether a particular source is acceptable for quoting, it must be brought up for discussion before it can be used.
Add Missing Trading Cards Title
1) Look first! Use the website to research, and make sure that the Title does not already exist or listed under an incorrect format (e.g. Marvel Universe: Series 1 title listed under Marvel Series 1).
a) As an example, if the Cover Title that you want to add is "Marvel Universe: Series 1," you would search the database for "Marvel Universe. Avoid using the entire title as the fewer keywords will improve search results. This is important for preventing duplicate titles and ensuring the accuracy of the existing data.
b) "Add Missing Title" Change Requests are only for adding Titles that do not exist in our database. If you find a Title with inaccurate data in the database, please submit an “Edit Title” Change Request.
2) Titles should be entered using the following format:
a) Titles should match the wording on the actual package or manufacturers site most of the time and as much as possible. There are times when we can't use this information perfectly, but we try to pattern after it.
b) Titles may not begin with an article (a, an, the). Even if the official title according to the package begins with an article, the article should be dropped. Example: "The Dark Knight Returns" should be entered as "Dark Knight Returns" (see… not always by the indicia, but as much as possible).
c) Capitalize the first and the last word of a title and any internal words except:
i) prepositions of less than five letters (to, from, with, of, in)
ii) articles (a, an, the)
iii) coordinating conjunctions (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so)
iv) the "to" in the infinitive verbal form ("I'm Going to Lose My Mind" rather than "I'm Going To Lose My Mind")
Example: "Batman and Robin: The Official Adaptation of the Warner Bros. Motion Picture"
3) When adding a title, please put the Series denotation in colon, with subset info in paranthesis.
Ex: Marvel Universe: Series 1 (Base Set)
Ex: Smallville: Season Two (Pieceworks)
Some other examples of parenthesized information include: Holograms, Autographs, etc... and other denotations that separate one set or subset from another.
Ex: Valiant Era: Series 1 (Unseen Art Subset)
Ex: Valiant Era: Series 1 (First Appearance Subset)
Ex: Valiant Era: Series 1 (Base Set)
Ex: Superman (Reprint Base Set) - For any set that is a reprint of an existing Base Set, include the work Reprint in front of Base Set.
4) Do not use spaces before colons.
5) Do not use a period after vs or Vol
6) Sub Sets - A Sub Sets should always be listed under their own title. Usually because they have their own issue numbers associated with the set. *NOTE: For subsets, if cards have a specific RATIO per packs, please include this information in HARD BRACKETS, in the cover title description field beside the paranthetical like in a comic book submission. Whether talking of one card, or 20, please do this.
Ex: Fleer 1994 (10 Cards) [1:18 packs]
Note: When adding a title, please note the difference between a base set and a subset. Base set is the CORE set of figures, usually the largest set.
Caption Field - Works the same way as comics.
Acceptable examples would be:
a) Impel 1990 (162 Cards)
b) Upper Deck 1991 (150 Cards)
Note: The term "Cards" should be used for Trading Card Titles - unless it is a Title containing various size format cards. Please use "Items" when various size format cards are included in a single Title - this will most often be in Promo Titles.
Add Missing Item
1) Look first! Use the website to research, and make sure that the issue does not already exist.
a) "Add Item" Change Requests are only for adding an item to a title that is not currently there (i.e. – a new item release for that title). If you want to make a change to an existing figure, please submit an “Edit Item” Change Request.
b) If you are adding a missing variant, error or a promo, be sure to select the check box under the Add Missing Item radio button. That way, top level information will be filled in for you, and this makes adding them much easier.
2) Due to the amount of research time involved and the volume of submissions being generated and reviewed daily, we do not approve any “Add Item” or “Add Variant” submissions without the cover image included. Add item requests submitted without a cover scan will be rejected, unless the cover is adult-oriented (See section "c" below).
a) The image must be an exact, but packaged representation of the card - preferably of the FRONT ONLY in VERTICAL FORMAT. The preferred method is vertical for all to help them look as uniform as possible and to mimick the look of a 9-pocket page in the image view of the cards. If you can't FIND a vertical format, use the horizontal, but vertical is preferred.
b) We cannot accept a cover image that is watermarked, however, the generic camera icon watermark is accceptable as a temporary one.
c) There is an exception to this rule when a title contains adult/sexual content, nudity or adult language. We will not accept cover scans with this content, nor will we accept censored scans with "black boxes or bars". Instead, please use the special CCL created adult cover title stock image.
*Please Note: Your personal scans will default over stocked images.
3) "Issue numbers" on cards work the same as a comic if they are numbered: a place for everything.
4) Cover dates should default to 1/1/xxxx, with year being the cards were made.
5) Cover price should be entered as 0.00 unless the item has a specified manufacturer's price printed.
6) Caption: Please briefly state what the item is in this space. You may put the character/s that is replicated and/or the specialty item included.
a) Luke Skywalker
b) Spider-Man (Black Costume)
c) Catwoman
d) "I'm always around..."
e) Marion Ravenwood
f) Superboy
g) Checklist
7) Printing Field: In a series that includes multiple waves; please use the printing field to denote the series. In all other instances, this field should default to 1. (Example: if you are putting in Marvel Universe: Series 4...the printing field would be '4'.
8) Item Bio: The Item Bio can be anything that describes the content of the card..preferably the data on the back of the card.
Acceptable examples would be:
a) *The Teen Titans Koriand'r was a princess from the planet Tamaran as a child...but she had an older sister, Kornand'r, who was passed over for a royal position because of her sickliness. Now a powerful alien warrior, Kornand'r has returned as Blackfire to threaten the Titans! *Source DC Comics Website
b) *In the time between Han Solo's capture by the Empire and his delivery to Jabba the Hutt, a secret struggle for power took place within the shadows of the Empire. A clash between power hungry crimelord Prince Xizor and the dreaded Darth Vader meant certain death for Luke Skywalker. As the Rebel Alliance's only hope, a band of heroes l;ed by Princess Leia, Chewbacca, Lando Calrissian, and Dash Rendar set out to rescue Solo while protecting the young Jedi from a horde of bounty hunters and assassins.
Xizor is the head of Black Sun, an intergalactic criminal empire that supports literally millions of outlaw organizations and activities. Since entering the service of the Emperor, the Dark Prince is widely considered one of the powerful individuals in the galaxy. He controls his operations with cold, deadly accuracy assuring that those who dare challenge Xizor meet with swift death, often by his own hand. His hunger for power has put him at direct odds with Lord Vader, But Xizor is afraid of no one; his hunger for power has driven him to dispatch an onslaught of assassins with orders to eliminate Luke Skywalker. Xizor plots to spoil Darth Vader's promise to deliver Skywalker to the Emperor alive -- a maneuver that would undermine Vader's reliability and secure Xizor as the Emperor's most favored ally.
Darth Vader, Dark Lord of the Sith, has instilled terror throughout the galaxy since the beginning of the Empire. His devotion to the Emperor and mastery of the dark side gives him more power than any single individual in the galaxy except for the Emperor himself. Draped completely in black and wielding the ability to take a life with a mere gesture, Darth Vader stands as the incarnation of evil. His dislike of Prince Xizor is intense and his distrust well-founded. Though Vader would gladly eliminate Xizor, Emperor Palpatine has need of Black Sun's shipping operations to speed construction of the new Death Star. Xizor had best watch his back however, as Vader's control of the dark side of the Force makes him a most formidable foe. *Source: Rebelscum.com
d) Available at WW Los Angeles in 2007.
e) Piece of actor Tom Welling's shirt from Season 1 of Smallville.
9) Image File: The image must be an exact single card front view.
* Note: Please try to make all images as uniform as possible.
10) In an attempt to keep the database as clean and neat as possible, we ask that you group certain items together under a title.
Promo Cards
1) Promo Cards will be added in as their own cover title just like a subset.
Ex: Marvel Universe: Series 1 (Promos)
*NOTE: If a set of promo cards came PRE-CUT similar with 4 cards in them, do not CUT them and add them separate UNLESS they were distruibuted separately. These are also NOT considered UNCUT SHEETS.
2) Manufacturing errors are NOT considered variants.
Collector's Binders
1) Binders will be added to the CCL db, but be included in the generic cover title as ISSUE #3.
Uncut Sheets
1) Uncut Sheets are to be put in their own cover title in the same manner as the Binders, promos and subsets.
Ex: Valiant Era: Series 1 (Uncut sheet)
Note: Uncut promo cards are NOT considered UNCUT SHEETS. Uncut sheets represent the SET AS A WHOLE.
Dealer Sell Sheets
Dealer sell sheets are ad slicks given to shops in order to sell product. In some cases, these are sought after by collectors.
Please add these items as #7 in the generic cover title with sealed packs, boxes and binders...
Factory Sets, Sealed Boxes, Mail-Away Checkllists, and Sealed Packs
1) These will all be listed under one cover title, currently with NO paranthetical....
Ex: Marvel Universe: Series 1*
The place for issue #1 will ALWAYS BE the SEALED BOX.
The place for issue #2 will ALWAYS BE the SEALED PACK.
The place for issue #3 will ALWAYS BE the BINDER.
The place for issue #4 will ALWAYS be the FACTORY SET.
The place for issue #5 will ALWAYS be the MAIL-AWAY CHECKLIST (if applicable)
The place for issue #6 will ALWAYS be COLLECTOR TINS (generally this is for tins that are not sets).
The place for issue #7 will ALWAYS be the advertising sell sheet or advertising pack inserts (may be a single card size item or a fold out sheet).
*The cover title description will be numbered in conjunction with what is verifiable. For example, if a set of cards by Topps from 1997 only has 3 of the 5 things listed above, then the title description should state:
Topps 1997 (3 Items)
In some cases, the cover title might need to be edited. But in reality, unless there's a special circumstance, the generic cover title for card sets shouldn't go over (5 Items).
GIMMICK/"Chase" CARDS
CCL defines "Gimmick Cards" as cards with something extra that makes them more collectible. Typically these cards are distributed less than 1 per pack and have a per pack ratio. Some examples are:
Ex: Holofoil Cards
Ex: Embossed Cards
Ex: Film Cel Cards
Ex: Gold or Silver Bordered Cards
Most Chase or Insert cards will receive their own cover title as a SUBSET separate from the Base Set.
List each card in the database as close to representative of the number on the back in an add issue.
Example: A Hologram numbered "M-3" should go in as issue #3 of the Subset Cover Title and "M-3" should be entered in the Non-number field.
"Parallel" cards are cards where the card image remains the same, but something has been added to the card. There could be multiple levels of Foil Chase cards - Silver, Bronze, Gold for example - or Foil Stamped Base Set cards.
1) If the "Parallel" cards are based on the Base Set, create a new Title for the Parallel card set. Please be sure to include what makes it a Parallel in the parenthetical information in the title.
Example: Star Wars: The Clone Wars Widevision (Silver Foil Stamped Parallel Base Set)
2) If the "Parallel" cards are based on a chase or insert set, add the Parallel cards as variants of the original chase or insert set. Include the applicable ratio information in the Caption field in hard brackets [].
Example: Title: Indiana Jones Masterpieces (Foil Subset)
Caption: Topps 2008 (9 Cards) [Silver 1:4 Packs, Bronze Parallel 1:24 Packs, Gold Parallel #'d to 99 1:167 Packs, Refractor Parallel #'d to 1 1:15,829 Packs]
Unredeemed Mail-in Redemption Cards
Unredeemed Mail-in Redemption cards should be listed as the variant of the card it is to be redeemed for. In the event it is a redemption card for a random card, it should be listed as as card number 0 with a non-number of "nn" in the subset for the actual redeemed cards.
CASE TOPPERS
Case Toppers will ALWAYS be their own cover title.
Ex: Smallville: Series 1 (Case Topper)
Credits
You can link artists to a trading card if you see a visible signature built into the image of the card.
Characters
You can also link characters from that particular series to an item. When searching for a character, please use the character's full name. ADDING COMMENTS WITH THE SUBMISSION OF A CHARACTER IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT - this cuts down on unnecessary research.
You can also add any missing characters. Characters can only have one name. We list Spider-Man as a single character. Refrain from using parenthetical information on a character.
Only fictional organizations will be accepted into the database as characters (i.e. S.H.I.E.L.D., Hydra, etc.) Real world organizations will not be accepted (i.e. Interpol, NYPD, FDNY, etc.)
Only include a character's title when it's actually integral to the character's name or persona (i.e. Doctor Fate). Be sure to spell out the title (i.e. Doctor, Mister, Sergeant, etc.) if it applies. Do not include a character's title when it's a title applied to a character with an existing name (i.e. Doctor Bruce Banner).
Please use Jr. , Sr., and Mrs. - with the period as that is the proper form of the abbreviation.
Please do NOT list characters that are not included in that specific series. The character must be part of the actual set.
Please add characters listed on the FRONT of the card only, however, if your card is a 1-of-9 puzzle card that makes one large image of a particluar character, you may include that character in the table.
We only allow one unique character name in the character list with NO parenthetical info. Otherwise character reference could get way out of hand.
Story Arc
You can associate a story arc with an item. When searching for story arcs, be sure to type in a relevant word to find it. For example, when searching for "Deadly Foes of Peter Parker" you could simply type in "Deadly" for a search criteria and you would be able to pick from a list of story arc's with the word Deadly in them. The mentioned story arc should be there.
You can also add a missing story arc. A story arc is any story title that spans across 2 or more issues, and in this case, that the card is based off of. Be sure to spell correctly, and add a comment when submitting new story arcs.
Sexual Content and Adult-Oriented Material
1) Items that contain sexually-explicit or adult language will not be accepted.
2) Once a title is added, if the item's image contains either adult/sexual content, nudity or adult language that would normally need to be edited out with "black boxes or bars", the image will NOT be accepted. The submitter may add the scans into their personal version of the software. You CAN submit an add figures using the CCL made adult stock scan.
3) Characters who have names or nicknames that contain adult language will not be accepted when adding characters to the item.
QUICK TIPS FOR NEW SUBMITTERS
6) We CURRENTLY do NOT accept SPORT CARDS or GAMING CARDS in the TRADING CARD SECTION. Non-sport, non-gaming only, please.
5) Double check the database before adding new information to it.
4) Do not submit scans with watermarks. Vertical format please.
3) Please note the differences between "Sets" and "Subsets".
2) No adult-material scans will be accepted.
1) Variants can be tricky. Promos are their own cover title.
Thanks - and post suggestions for addition/changes in this forum!