Futera

Futera is a trading card publisher founded in 1989. It is a privately owned company, its main markets being Asia, Europe, Australasia, USA 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 held Official Trading Card Licences in the '90s/early 2000s for UK Premier League clubs Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea, Leeds, Aston Villa, West Ham and Scottish Premier League club Celtic plus Newcastle, Derby County, Middlesbrough and Manchester City.

Futera released stickers and phonecards for some of the Clubs and in the year 2000 Futera created a licensed confectionery line called 'Total Football' combining Futera's football cards from 10 UK Premier League and 2nd Division Football Clubs with Chupa Chups lollipops.

Futera also released the Official Trading Cards for the Australian Cricket Board, Formula 1, Australian Basketball Association, Australian Rugby Union, Australian Baseball League and World Surfing Federation. Other Futera titles have included Tour de France, Handball, Boxing and Horseracing during the 1990s.

Futera was the official licencee for non-sport titles including 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 '1sts' for the Trading Card Industry

Futera has pioneered several 'world firsts' for the Trading Card industry including being the first Card Publisher to introduce individual numbering on Insert cards and Display Boxes; creating the world's first '1 of 1' trading card meaning that the card was unique and that only one of its type or design had been produced by the Publisher; creating a Colour Grading Chart where collectors can check the rarity of their Jersey Cards; creating the first virtual football (soccer) card game which became a real experience with a professional Football Team being managed live by fans from their computers.

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 USD$8,500; and a virtual (digital) Futera 'FWF Online' card (Futera code only, no printed card exists) sold for USD$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.

Futera Football Cards go online and interactive with a 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, where players combine their management skills with the hobby of trading printed and virtual cards to play in live tournaments online with other players around the world and to play in their own mini-leagues with their friends. Futera wanted to make the game accessible to everyone, and made it free to register where everyone got a free Starter Pack of virtual cards to open. Cards downloaded into a virtual online album. By 2009 millions of games had been played by card collectors and gamers from over 100 countries, building a strong Facebook following.

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, are 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

Futera's promotional partners including 7-Eleven, Carrefour, Coca-Cola, Nestle, Pokka, Maxis, SuperIndo, Unilever, Alfamart, Starhub, Etisalat have chosen Futera cards, online game cards and collectibles as premiums for their campaigns.

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

Futera created a unique management method 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 made football history again when it entered the professional football arena in SE Asia's Thailand Football League.

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

Futera made football history by turning its football card game 'FWF Online' into reality through their unique football management method 'Futera FC'.

Following 2 Seasons of 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

In 2013 Futera launched a free live online card trading market called 'eFutera' where collectors can buy, sell and swap their Futera cards.

Futera Children's Trading Card Collection and Online Game

Futera's release of a children's Online Game with cards and educational features is scheduled for 2014.

FUTERA FOOTBALL ACADEMY (est. 2013)

PSW Futera Football Academy is host to over 200 children aged 8-16 years and is one of the largest academies in Thailand.

Led by former Thailand International Pisal 'Den' Rumrai, the Academy has 6 students who are U-13 Internationals. In addition to providing several Coaches of an International level, the Academy provides scholarships and opportunities for underprivileged children, and all students can gain basic maths, language and computer skills learning through Futera trading cards and FWF Online interactive sessions. Futera works with schools and the community, with the Pichaya School donating Educational Scholarships for Academy students.

References

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

Further reading

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

External links

• Official website

Notes

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