At 12:17 PM -0700 3/19/07, Eric Lutzker wrote:

>hi- hope this question doesn't go too far over well worn territory. but
>i just purchased 1966 on ebay and was pleasantly surprised to see both
>advanced and super-advanced features (plus of course newer perforated
>cards) but looking for 1969 and 1970 on ebay and the strat website. i
>only see used original cards (on ebay, nothing from strat) that i'm not
>even sure have anything but basic. i know that they've been very slowly
>and scattershot updating cardsets to super-advanced (i see they just
>did 1971...can you tell i'm an o's fan?) but i presume they haven't
>gotten to 69 or 70 yet. (a shame, they're both fantastic seasons) so do
>69 and 70 even have the advanced lefty-righty breeakdown or what? and
>have they ever been repreinted at all? lots of questions asked all
>willy-nilly. sorry. thanks in advance. -eric

Hi, Eric,

Buying used Strat seasons on eBay can be tricky for just the reasons
you cited. You have to be careful that you get the features you're
expecting. The pre-1971 season sets you see on eBay can be the
basic-only originals, or, if it was a season that was re-released, it
can be an advanced or super-advanced set.

When Strat first started re-releasing sets about 20 years ago, the
most recent season it did was 1970, the last season for which Strat
released cards in basic-only format. But the re-release is *not*
super-advanced, which didn't exist yet. Those cards are set up for
advanced, resembling the original-season sets from 1977-1986. All the
super-advanced features from the perforated sets are absent. But at
least the advanced-game re-releases have the fielding "e" ratings
(unlike the original 1971-76 advanced seasons) and catcher's throwing
arms (unlike the original 1971 advanced-season set). The 1961, 1968
and 1969 seasons were re-released this way too, and probably others.
In fact, some gamers have clamored for a re-re-release of 1961, with
super-advanced features. Don't hold your breath waiting for that.

I know this is confusing. I can tell you that the game company is no
longer selling any of its re-released sets that aren't set up for
super-advanced play. So if the set you see on eBay isn't in Strat's
brochure, the eBay item doesn't have super-advanced features -- and
perhaps not even advanced ones.

Contrary to what you said in your post, Strat is *not* in the process
of updating all its old sets in super-advanced format. In fact, the
1971 season re-release was the first in years in which Strat
re-released a season that it originally released with advanced
features. Strat's policy had been that it wanted to stick to past
seasons that didn't exist in any form, explaining that 1970s seasons
with advanced features were already "available." Many customers,
including me, have chastised that thinking. It was ridiculous to say
that the 1970s seasons were "available" when a full used set, if you
could find one, cost hundreds of dollars. Since so many of Strat's
customers now are nostalgic middle-aged guys who wanted a
super-advanced set from the 1970s, with 1971 topping the wish list,
the game company finally relented; the 1971 season re-release is the
result. Next year, Strat will go back to publishing nonexistent
seasons (1951). The game company has said it will reproduce more '70s
season based on how well the 1971 season sells. We'll see.

I hope this answers your questions. Let us know if it doesn't. :-)

-Gary