Futera

Futera

Founded	1989
Country of origin	United Arab Emirites
Headquarters location	Dubai
Publication types	Trading cards
Official website	http://www.futera.com/

Futera is a trading card publisher founded in 1989. It is a privately owned company, its main markets being Asia, Europe, Australasia, US, with commercial and operational bases located in SE Asia, print and distribution facilities in UK/Europe and Asia-wide, and its headquarters in Dubai.

Licences

Futera's Football/Soccer Licences include English Premier League Clubs Arsenal, and Manchester City. Futera has also held Trading Card Licences with Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea, Leeds, Aston Villa, West Ham and Scottish Premier League club Celtic plus Newcastle , Derby County and Middlesbrough. In addition to Trading Cards, Futera held licences for stickers and phonecards with some Clubs, and in 2000 Futera created a licensed Confectionery line called 'Total Football' combining Futera's football cards from 10 English Premier League and Championship Football Clubs with Chupa Chups lollipops.

Other Futera Sports Licences have included Australian Cricket Board, Formula 1, Australian Basketball Association, Australian Rugby Union, Australian Baseball League, The World Surfing Federation, Tour de France, Scandinavian National Team Handball, and other titles including Boxing and Horseracing.

Futera's non-Sports Licences have spanned Mattel's "Barbie", BBC Television Sci-fi Series "Red Dwarf" in association with Grant Naylor Film Productions, and the feature film "Chicken Run" with Universal Studios, Aardman Animations & Pathé.

Products

Futera's history of 'world firsts' for the trading card industry

Futera has created several 'world firsts' for the Trading Card Hobby including the following:-

- In May 2014 Futera created 'Code for Collectors' - a code printed on-card which the collector can enter online to get information about their card's features and rarity, such as details about the game jersey featured on their Memorabilia Card; the date and location that their Autograph Card was signed by the player; how many cards of that type were actually released; what materials/special finishing processes were used; behind the scenes photographs/videos of the card and materials; and which provides a security feature for the card. - Futera created the 'Memorabilia Colour Grading' service for collectors to check how rare and potentially valuable their Memorabilia cards are. - Futera created individual numbering on Insert cards and Display Boxes; - Futera created the world's first '1 of 1' trading card, meaning that only one of its type or design was produced and exists worldwide; - Futera created the first virtual Memorabilia football (soccer) cards - Futera created the world's first professional Football Team to be managed by fans online from their computers ('Futera FC') by turning its online football/soccer card game into reality.

Memorabilia, porcelain, gold plated and diamond insert cards

Futera collections include "insert" or special cards, some featuring pieces of player jersey and celebrity autographs. In the creation of Futera's cricket "Heritage Collection", an autograph for every living Test Cricketer for Australia had to be obtained, and it took several years to complete. The Cricketing Legend "Don Bradman" acted as a figurehead in the project and helped put the collection together. Futera's "Grand Prix" collections have included Michael Schumacher’s race worn overalls and pieces of Ayrton Senna’s car tyre.

24ct gold, silver and platinum plated cards, as well as Porcelain cards and cards studded with diamonds were introduced by Futera from the early 2000s. Futera cards normally feature bios or interesting facts about the subject together with statistics and often show photographs of the subject on both front and back of their cards, sometimes several photographs on one card.

Futera football (soccer) cards – highest values worldwide

Futera branded cards have historically fetched the highest trading values for football (soccer) cards in the world. Single cards having sold on eBay for as much as US$8,500; and a virtual (digital) Futera 'FWF Online' card (Futera code only, no printed card exists) sold for US$485.90 (August 2012).

For the twelve-month period up to June 2013 Futera averaged over 20,000 active listings on online auction sites at any one time. An average 74% of the top 100 highest valued football (soccer) cards produced by current soccer card Publishers listed on eBay.com were Futera cards (completed single card sales).

Futera generally release two types of soccer Collections, an investment grade Futera UNIQUE Collection which is limited to around 200 cases worldwide featuring high-end cards with precious stones and hand-crafted cards, and its Futera World Football Card Collections (FWF Online) which also feature special inserts including 24ct gold plated autographed cards and player game jersey cards. Selected cards from both collections can be used in the online game FWF Online and traded on the eFutera live card trading market. In 2015 Futera released a rare, Limited Edition Premium Trading Card Collection of only 15 cases worldwide for English Premier League Clubs Arsenal and Manchester City.

Futera Football Cards Virtual Sports Card Collection

In 2008 Futera took an innovative step by taking the traditional Football Card "online" and "interactive" with the launch of "Futera World Football Online", known as FWF Online, combining management skills with the hobby of trading printed and virtual cards to play in live tournaments online with other players around the world or with friends. Futera wanted to make the game accessible to everyone, and made it free to register with a free Starter Pack of virtual cards to open. Cards download into a virtual online album. By 2009 millions of games had been played by card collectors and gamers from over 100 countries.

Following Futera World Football Online football pack releases Series 1 and Series 2 where printed cards combined with virtual cards in an online interactive experience, Futera released FWF Online Series 3 as a totally Virtual (digital card) Football Card Collection with packs bought online for 49 cents (US$) for 10 virtual football cards.

Although packs in Series 3 were virtual, Futera retained its special Insert card features including actual 24ct gold plated Futera '1 of 1' Autograph Cards and cards with diamonds plus prize items to hunt for which, if they are found in a virtual pack, were claimed by redemption and posted to the customer.

In October 2013 Futera released FWF Online Series 4 as a Virtual Football Card Collection, and in November 2013 FWF Online was launched on iPAD.

Promotional partners

Brands including Exxon-Mobil, General Mills (GM Foods), 7-Eleven, Coca-Cola, Nestle, Carrefour, Unilever, Pokka, Maxis Telecom, Guinness Anchor, Etisalat have chosen Futera collectibles as premiums. In 2014/2015 Exxon Mobil ran a National promotion through Esso gas stations across Hong Kong and Thailand, and in China General Mills (GM Foods) distributed up to 100 million packs of 'Bugles' snacks including Futera football cards.

'Futera FC' - the world's first Football Team managed LIVE by fans from their computers (2009)

Futera made football history by turning its football card game 'FWF Online' into reality through their unique football management method 'Futera FC' where a Team can be managed LIVE by an online community as the game is played out on the pitch.

Futera FC: a real Football Team playing in a real League (London, UK) ran as a trial project over 3 seasons. In 2012, Futera entered the professional football arena competing in SE Asia.

'Futera Seeker FC' - the world's first Professional Football Team to be managed LIVE by an Online Community (2012)

Following its trials with 'Futera FC' (London, UK), Futera made football history again when 'Futera Seeker FC' entered the professional football arena in SE Asia's Thailand Football League.

Through an interactive platform broadcasting LIVE streaming of the game, fans on their computers become "Virtual Managers" and have their say by voting on tactics such as formation, playing style, substitutions and other decisions, with their instructions being passed LIVE to the players on the pitch as the game plays out.

Futera FC Pundits chat with the 'Virtual Manager' fans live online during games and have included Scott Ollerenshaw former Socceroos Australian International, twice winner of the Malaysian Golden Boot Award and ASTRO TV Sports Pundit featuring on the Four Four Two Show; Brad Maloney, another former Australian International, Malaysian Goalkeeper Syed Adney, and footballing brothers Martin Sinclair (London Paralympics 2012) and Scott Sinclair of Manchester City (Team GB London Olympics 2012).

eFUTERA - live Online Card Trading Market (2013)

Futera launched a free live online card trading market called 'eFutera' where collectors can buy, sell and swap their Futera cards.

PSW Futera Football Academy (est. 2013)

PSW Futera Football Academy is host to over 250 children aged 6–16 years and is one of the largest academies in Thailand.

Led by former Thailand International Pisal 'Den' Rumrai, the Academy has 11 students who are playing at International level. The Academy's programme includes award of educational and training scholarships and providing opportunities for underprivileged children. Students can gain basic maths, language and computer skills learning through Futera trading cards and FWF Online game trialling in schools in Singapore and Thailand.

Virtual memorabilia cards (2013)

Futera introduced another first for the hobby with its 5-star Memostars Moments and Club & Country Virtual Card sets featuring legendary players with their game memorabilia from a special moment in their footballing history. The Memostars virtual cards feature one, two or three patches of memorabilia from jersey, boots and ball from the historic game featured on the card, are individually numbered, and state the rarity of the card.

'Code for Collectors'. A free service for collectors (2014)

Collectors can enter the code on the back of their card to get details about their card's features, history and rarity such as the card’s materials and finishing processes, how many cards were released, photos from behind the scenes, with certified on-card autograph card details giving the date and place where the player signed, and memorabilia card details including info like what game/date/season the card’s memorabilia is from, and photos and videos from the jerseys and memorabilia and making the cards. Futera launched this free service with cards from its Futera Unique 2014 Football Card Collection.

Memorabilia Card Colour Grading service. A free service for collectors

The colour grading is a free service where owners can go online to check how rare and how potentially valuable their cards are according to the number of colours, the rarity of the colours and combinations, and how rare that card is compared to others. The memorabilia cards are individually numbered and have a unique security code. The code also lets collectors access other data about their card. Cards can have several pieces of memorabilia on the same card. Futera have been producing colour grading charts for collectors since 2006.

References

• Don Bradman - Futera Cricket Collections - [1]
• Futera 'Total Football' Checklist: Football Cards & Chupa Chups Lollipop Packs [2]

Further reading

• M. Hollyman & N. Neophitou, "The Futera File - The Complete Guide to Futera Sports Cards, 1998" [3]
• Beckett Online Price Guide - Futera cards [4]

External links

• Official website

Notes

1. Futera, Futera FZ LLC [5] Video: [6]
2. Beckett Online Price Guide - Futera cards [7]
3. M. Hollyman & N. Neophitou, The Futera File - The Complete Guide to Futera Sports Cards, 1998 [8]
4. BBC/Grant Naylor Studios Sci-Fi TV Series Red Dwarf Interview with Futera [9]
5. 7-Eleven Campaign - What is World Football Online? [10]
6. Daily Express Newspaper, Malaysia: International Football Trading Card Game, anyone? [11]
7. Maxis 'Committed to the game' Campaign Malaysia - Futera 3D Football Collectibles [12]
8. Futera is on fire [13]
9. 1994-1995 Cricket (Futera) [14]
10. Sci-fi Red Dwarf TV Series (Futera Collections) [15]
11. Wikipedia Red Dwarf Red Dwarf
12. Futera TV [16]
13. World Football Online Annual Awards Ceremony [17]
14. About Futera [18]
15. Futera World Football Online Facebook (FWF Online) [19]
16. Futera TUMBLR [20]
17. Futera World Football Online [21]
18. Futera FWF Online [22]
19. Futera FC - Futera's own real Football Team managed live by an international Online Community [23]
20. Futera FWF Online football card game video [24]
21. Futera card playable in FWF Online - sold on eBay for US$4,500 (August 2012) [25]
22. Futera virtual card (code only) playable in FWF Online - sold on eBay for US$485.90 (August 2012) [26]
23. Futera - About: [27]
24. Futera FC / Futera Seeker FC - the world's first professional Football Team to be managed live by an Online Community [28]
25. Futera Seeker FC - FACEBOOK: [29]
26. Futera PSW FOOTBALL ACADEMY [30]