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Shot, score! Upper Deck has just released its latest outstanding trading card set: 2010-11 Ultimate Collection Hockey! Blending an impressive mix of rookie content and high-end hits featuring the NHL’s best players, Ultimate Collection Hockey is ready to get collectors pumped up for even more intense on-ice action on the very near horizon.

ROOKIE BRUIN: Tyler Seguin autographed "Ultimate Rookies Patch" card is a keeper.

The 100-card base-level set boasts an outstanding lineup of talented rookies such as Taylor Hall, Tyler Seguin, Jordan Eberle and NHL Rookie of the Year Jeff Skinner, along with proven veterans like Sidney Crosby, Dany Heatley and Steven Stamkos. Retired NHL legends are also part of the mix, with names like Wayne Gretzky, Gordie Howe, Bobby Orr, Tony Esposito and Bobby Hull joining the party!

The ultimate hit inside this blockbuster release is no doubt the autographed 1-of-1 “NHL Shield Patch” cards. The rookie lineup features 42 up-and-coming standouts, including the aforementioned quartet of talented youngsters and P.K. Subban, Brayden Schenn, Mattias Tedenby and Derek Stepan. The “Ultimate Signature Logos” patch cards, also numbered 1-of-1, spotlight fan favorites like Alex Ovechkin, Joe Thornton, Jonathan Toews, Ryan Miller, Carey Price, Stamkos and Crosby, along with legends like Mark Messier, Mario Lemieux and Gretzky.

SUPER SLAPPER: Steven Stamkos adds power and precision to Upper Deck's base set of Ultimate Collection cards.

The star-studded lineup of autograph cards found inside Ultimate Collection Hockey is second to none. The “Ultimate Rookies SP” assortment, with each card numbered to 99, showcases eight superstars in the making. Additional rookie autos can be found in “Ultimate Rookies (numbered to 299), “Ultimate Rookies Patch Variations” (numbered to 35, with short-prints numbered to just 25).

The multitude of memorabilia cards found inside the product seemingly knows no bounds. The “Ultimate Jerseys” collection, with each card numbered to 100, bats leadoff with players like Ovechkin, Heatley, Toews, Thornton and Miller featured along with greats like Howe, Gretzky and Patrick Roy. Additional memorabilia card inserts include: “Ultimate Duos Jerseys” (numbered to 50); “Ultimate Trios Jerseys” (numbered to 25); “Ultimate Duos Patches” (numbered to 25); and “Ultimate Trio Patches (numbered to 10). Additional oversized swatch memorabilia cards include: “”Ultimate Debut Threads Jerseys” (numbered to 200); “Ultimate Debut Threads Patches” (numbered to 35); “Signed Ultimate Debut Threads Jerseys” (numbered to 50); and “Signed Ultimate Debut Threads Patches (numbered to 25).

This stunning, action-packed release is currently available on store shelves, so what are you waiting for?

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Do you consider yourself the ultimate NHL fan? If so, the Upper Deck Company wants you to prove it! With the 2010-11 NHL season having just concluded with the Boston Bruins winning their first Stanley Cup championship in nearly 40 years, Upper Deck is challenging fanatical hockey fans across North America to submit their personal videos and/or photos to www.upperdeckultimatefan.com to get in the running to possibly be named the “Ultimate NHL Fan.”

DASHER BOARDS: At last year's event, Upper Deck put the rookies through the paces with flash cards.

The grand-prize winner, who will be selected by an unbiased committee comprised of Upper Deck staffers, will receive two all-access passes to the 2011 NHLPA Rookie Showcase event in Toronto along with round-trip airfare and one night hotel accommodations! It truly represents the trip of a lifetime for some lucky hockey fan that’s pretty adept at using a camera (video or still).

YOU DON'T SAY: Media interviews was an element that Florida's Erik Gudbranson handled flawlessly.

The 2011 NHLPA Rookie Showcase in Toronto is scheduled for Tuesday, August 30, and represents the first opportunity the NHL trading card manufacturers – like Upper Deck – get to photograph and videotape the rookie recruits sporting their new NHL uniforms. The contest winner and a friend will be provided all-access passes to the day’s event where they will be able to see the league’s newest talent earning their rookie stripes!

So grab your cameras and start compiling your entry on why you deserve to be called the “Ultimate NHL Fan!” The promotion ends at midnight on Friday, August 5, 2011, so hurry. The winner will be notified during the second week of August. For official rules, regulations and submission guidelines, please visit www.upperdeckultimatefan.com.

TRUE COLORS: Boston's Tyler Seguin handled his role at last year's event with poise and precision.

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Following months of preparation and anticipation, the Upper Deck Company, in conjunction with Marvel Entertainment, LLC, is pleased to announce this week’s release of its unique trading card project called “The Avengers: Kree-Skrull War.” Resurrecting a previously published story arc around popular Marvel characters including Thor, Captain America, Iron Man and Vision, the 190-card set boasts one original main story and four original side stories that share with Marvel fans untold tales from the legendary Kree-Skrull War. Upper Deck’s “The Avengers: Kree-Skrull War” set will be available in hobby stores on Wednesday, July 20.

HANGING ON: Captain America is featured inside Upper Deck's latest Marvel comic book card set.

In the early ‘70s, the Marvel Universe released a story arc of nine original comics called “The Avengers” (issues 89 through 97) that followed The Avengers in their daily struggles to safeguard the world against any threat beyond the power that conventional peacekeeping forces could handle. Now Upper Deck has reintroduced many of those characters with an all-new storyline complete with original artwork that being delivered via trading cards. The main story, entitled “Sacrifice” and featuring Thor, Iron Man, Captain America and Vision, consists of 20 pages that take Marvel fans and collectors on a unique journey authored by renowned comic book writer Sean McKeever. Story pages turn front to back just like a standard comic book and consist of nine cards per page. In addition to the riveting main story, four side stories are being launched simultaneously within the same set. Eager fans can read an eight-page story titled “The Debt,” following Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch; an intense six-page story called “The Fall,” following Nick Fury; and two four-page stories titled “Power” and “Soldiers’ Honor” featuring Super-Skrull and Captain America, respectively.

WHAMMO: Iron Man is another featured character within "The Avengers: Kree-Skrull War" storyline.

As a side promotion, Upper Deck has produced a special 22-page, limited-edition “The Avengers: Kree-Skrull War” binder in which collectors can preserve their cards. Box-topper flyers, complete with ordering information, will accompany each box. The first 1,000 collectors to fill out the flyers and mail them in will score their very own “The Avengers: Kree-Skrull War” binder absolutely free! Only original mail-in forms will be accepted; no copies allowed.

As many as 95% of the cards are self-contained; this means that the text and art shown on the particular cards will stand alone. But the remaining balance of the cards are pieces to the overall puzzle which collectors will need to put together in order to complete the full story line.

The product is packaged in boxes of 24 packs each, with nine cards falling in every pack. The nine-card packs, on average, are comprised of four main story cards, two-to-three character cards, one-to-two side story cards and one cover card. Collectors will receive the entire main story inside a single box, on average.

Not to be outdone by the original stories alone, additional insert cards are sprinkled into the mix consisting of the cover art; the main cover; a black-and-white variant; and a special art variant version will all be collectible within the set.

Order your Avengers Kree-Skrull War box today!

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Upper Deck is currently running a special promotion where one lucky soccer fan will win a trip for two to attend this month’s MLS All-Star Game on July 27! For the first time in 14 years, the New York Metropolitan area will host the 2011 AT&T MLS All-Star Game at the newly unveiled Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey, a 25,000-seat soccer-specific stadium which opened last year. And Upper Deck can get you and a friend there in style; all you need to do is “Collect the Set & Win!”

JERSEY CITY: Upper Deck spokesman Landon Donovan is part of the 20-card MLS Materials jersey insert card lineup.

In April, Upper Deck released its 200-card 2011 Soccer Set. Inside the stunning assortment of top-notch cards featuring the superstars of professional soccer falls 20 “MLS Materials” game-used jersey insert cards. In order to enter the contest, contestants are required to collect each of the 20 different “MLS Materials” insert cards from the set, which fall at an average rate of one-to-two per box (or 1:12 packs), and then contact Upper Deck for directions on how to submit them by emailing us at upperdeckmarketing@upperdeck.com. The first collector who submits all 20 insert cards will win the trip of a lifetime, which will include two tickets to the All-Star Game, one night hotel accommodations for two, a travel voucher to cover ground transportation and meals, and a gift pack from Upper Deck.

The frequency with which the MLS Materials cards pack out (1:10 packs) is quite doable for any seasoned collector. The trick is to get your collection in on time; the deadline for submitting your set to Upper Deck is Tuesday, July 19, at 11:59:59 p.m. The 20-player checklist includes the following names: Landon Donovan, David Beckham and Donovan Ricketts (LA Galaxy); Fredy Montero, Kasey Keller and Steve Zakuani (Seattle Sounders); Thierry Henry and Rafael Marquez (New York Red Bulls); Marco Pappa and Nery Castillo (Chicago Fire); Omar Cummings and Matt Pickens (Colorado Rapids); Sebastien Le Toux and Danny Mwanga (Philadelphia Union); Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake); David Ferreira (Dallas FC); Dwayne De Rosario (Toronto FC); Chris Wondolowski (San Jose Earthquakes); Brian Ching (Houston Dynamo); and Andy Najar (D.C. United). For full contest rules and regulations, please visit: http://ud.upperdeck.com/soccer.

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Just as the 2011 professional baseball season readies itself for its annual Mid-Summer Classic later this month, the Upper Deck Company is excited to release its second baseball-themed trading card set of the year: 2011 Goodwin Champions! The 231-card regular set features an impressive array of baseball legends and prospects plus memorable champions and standouts from many other sports as well!

NOTHING BASE ABOUT IT: Nolan Ryan is part of the 231-card regular set.

The box break summary is enticing to say the least, with three of the following four categories guaranteed (on average): hard-signed autograph cards; single- or dual-swatch memorabilia cards; embroidered animal patch cards; and 1-of-1 printing plates! In addition, on average, collectors can expect to yield 10 Goodwin Champions Minis per box; one “Figures of Sport” die-cut insert; one “World Traveler (5” x 7”) box topper; and one “Goodwin Citizen” insert card consisting of notable historical figures including Louie Pasteur, Herman Melville, Walt Whitman, Jules Vern, Louis Vuitton and Vincent Van Gogh.

LBJ: Each of the Commanders-in-Chief have a total of 10 hand-painted "Presidential Masterpieces" cards in the set.

Outstanding best describes the phenomenal lineup of hard-signed autograph cards found inside 2011 Goodwin Champions. A total of 84 sports stars have signature cards including Alex Ovechkin, Annika Sorenstam, Bode Miller, Chris Paul, Nolan Ryan, Bill Walton, Steve Carlton, Carlton Fisk, Candace Parker, David Robinson, Walt Frazier, Greg Louganis, Mia Hamm, Bo Jackson, Johnny Bench, Janet Evans, Jim Rice, Larry Bird, Bubba Watson, Landon Donovan, LeBron James, Johnny Miller, Michael Jordan, Michelle Wie, Mark Spitz, Wayne Gretzky, Ryne Sandberg, Bobby Orr and Tiger Woods. This release marks the first time that both Watson and Wie will have autograph cards appearing in a trading card set.

MRS. NOMAR: U.S. Women's Soccer icon Mia Hamm has autographed cards in the set.

The base set alone features 150 regular cards, 40 short prints, 20 super short prints, and 21 high series minis short prints. A brand new element to this year’s release is an impressive array of hand-painted “Goodwin Masterpieces Presidential Series” cards showcasing all 43 U.S. Presidents. Each President has a total of 10 hand-painted cards which allows collectors the opportunity to build a full set. Another new addition to the 2011 version is an insert collection entitled “Museum Collections Relics” which includes extraordinary rarities from historical icons like Abraham Lincoln, Annie Oakley, Napoleon, The White House and even the Spirit of St. Louis!

WATCH OUT: The Entomology lineup includes this interesting delivery of a rusty brown scorpion!

But wait, there’s more; “Animal Kingdom” patch cards make their Goodwin Champions debut as well. Seek out cool patch cards spotlighting the likes of such incredible animals and mammals like the salt water crocodile, the red-eyed tree frog, the North American Moose, the King Cobra, the humpback whale, the great white shark and the African elephant. The Animal Kingdom cards are all seeded at different rations based upon the featured animal’s actual endangered species status. Finally, rare Thoroughbred Hair Cuts cards return to the mix featuring Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver and 2007 Preakness winner Curlin.

Upper Deck’s 2011 Goodwin Champions Baseball set boasts five cards per pack, 20 packs per box, and is available on store shelves now.

The key elements (and seeding ratios) within 2011 Goodwin Champions are as follows:

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AUTOGRAPHS (overall odds 1:20 hobby)

This 84-card set is broken into six distinct tiers of scarcity as follows:

GROUP A (1:1,577 hobby)

A-AO Alexander Ovechkin
A-DR David Robinson
A-FR Walt Frazier
A-GH Grant Hill
A-JB Johnny Bench
A-LB Larry Bird
A-MA Magic Johnson
A-NR Nolan Ryan
A-OL Hakeem Olajuwon
A-RC Randy Couture
A-RD Derrick Rose
A-TW Tiger Woods

GROUP B (1:729 hobby)

A-CF Carlton Fisk
A-HA Mia Hamm
A-IL Igor Larionov
A-JA Bo Jackson
A-JT John Tavares
A-LO Lou Brock
A-MU Stan Musial
A-PA Chris Paul
A-RO Dennis Rodman
A-RS Ryne Sandberg
A-WF Whitey Ford
A-WG Wayne Gretzky

GROUP C (1:339 hobby)

A-AB Amanda Beard
A-BM Bode Miller
A-BO Jon “Bones” Jones
A-BW Bill Walton
A-CA Steve Carlton
A-CN Cam Neely
A-HO Gordie Howe
A-LD Landon Donovan
A-LJ LeBron James
A-MJ Michael Jordan
A-MM Manny Machado
A-MW Michelle Wie
A-SC Sidney Crosby

GROUP D (1:246 hobby)

A-AS Annika Sorenstam
A-GL Greg Louganis
A-JM Julia Mancuso
A-JR Jim Rice
A-NL Nastia Liukin
A-OR Bobby Orr
A-RL Ryan Lavarnway
A-TP Tony Perez
A-WA Bubba Watson

GROUP E (1:72 hobby)

A-AW Abby Wambach
A-BE Layne Beachley
A-BL Bill Laimbeer
A-CP Candace Parker
A-DH Damien Hobgood
A-HS Hope Solo
A-HW Hayley Wickenheiser
A-LP Laffit Pincay Jr.
A-LW LeVon Washington
A-MD Matt Danowski
A-ML Johnny Miller
A-OC Dennis “Oil Can” Boyd
A-PR Paul Rabil
A-SM Mike Smith
A-SP Mark Spitz
A-TG Tyson Gay
A-TH Tim Hardaway

GROUP F (1:35 hobby)

A-AA Amber & Angela Cope
A-BS Billy Sims
A-CG Cammi Granato
A-CH Cody Hawn
A-CJ C.J. Hobgood
A-GB Gretchen Bleiler
A-HM Hunter Mahan
A-JE Janet Evans
A-JG Jonathan Garcia
A-JL John Lamb
A-JO Marion Jones
A-KK Kasey Keller
A-KV Kolbrin Vitek
A-LI Brittany Lincicome
A-MO Mike Olt
A-PE Carlos Perez
A-PL Pierre Lueders
A-PT Peter Tago
A-RM Ramon Morla
A-RY Robinson Yambati
A-YV Yordano Ventura

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MEMORABILIA (overall 1:13 hobby)

This 51-card set is broken into four distinct groups of scarcity as follows:

GROUP A (1:14,613 hobby)

M-FDR Franklin Delano Roosevelt
M-HT Harry Truman
M-TR Theodore Roosevelt

GROUP B (1:179 hobby)

M-CD Clyde Drexler
M-DR David Robinson
M-JL Julius Erving
M-RD Dennis Rodman
M-RO Derrick Rose
M-SC Sidney Crosby
M-SY Steve Yzerman
M-TW Tiger Woods
M-WG Wayne Gretzky

GROUP C (1:31 hobby)

M-AI Troy Aikman
M-AM Alonzo Mourning
M-AO Alexander Ovechkin
M-AW Abby Wambach
M-BS Barry Sanders
M-EH Earl Campbell
M-GH Grant Hill
M-OL Hakeem Olajuwon
M-HO Hope Solo
M-JE John Elway
M-JM Johnny Miller
M-JO Magic Johnson
M-JR Jerry Rice
M-LB Larry Bird
M-LJ LeBron James
M-MD Matt Danowski
M-ME Mark Messier
M-MJ Michael Jordan
M-ML Mario Lemieux
M-PR Paul Rabil
M-RY Patrick Roy
M-YO Steve Young

GROUP D (1:22 hobby)

M-BJ Bo Jackson
M-CN Cam Neely
M-CP Chris Paul
M-DD DeWayne DeRosario
M-EL Eric Lindros
M-IL Igor Larionov
M-KK Kasey Keller
M-KS Kyle Skipworth
M-LD Landon Donovan
M-MC Michael Choice
M-MH Hunter Mahan
M-MM Manny Machado
M-NG Natalie Gulbis
M-PT Peter Tago
M-RB Ray Bourque
M-RW Russell Westbrook
M-TA John Tavares

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MEMORABILIA DUAL-SWATCH VARIATIONS (overall 1:320 hobby)

This 11-card is broken into five distinct groups of scarcity as follows:

GROUP A (1:87,680 hobby)

M2-TR Theodore Roosevelt

GROUP B (1:8,768 hobby)

M2-TW Tiger Woods

GROUP C (1:2,923 hobby)

M2-AO Alexander Ovechkin
M2-SY Steve Yzerman

GROUP D (1:877 hobby)

M2-JE John Elway
M2-LD Landon Donovan
M2-MJ Michael Jordan
M2-SC Sidney Crosby

GROUP E (1:585 hobby)

M2-JM Johnny Miller
M2-LJ LeBron James
M2-MM Manny Machado

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ANIMAL KINGDOM PATCHES (overall 1:62 hobby)

The checklist for this ground-breaking 100-card set is structured upon the actual endangered species status of each animal provided on the back of the card (ranging from Least Concern to Extinct).

LEAST CONCERN (1:78 hobby)

AK-1 Bald Eagle
AK-2 Emperor Penguin
AK-3 Koala Bear
AK-4 Platypus
AK-5 Robin
AK-6 Cougar
AK-7 Nine-Banded Armadillo
AK-8 Caribbean Flamingo
AK-9 Grizzly Bear
AK-10 Fennec Fox
AK-11 Ocelot
AK-12 Red-eyed Tree Frog
AK-13 Western Diamondback
AK-14 Swamp Wallaby
AK-15 Black-Tailed Prairie Dog
AK-16 Blue Footed Booby
AK-17 Texas Longhorn
AK-18 Mustang
AK-19 Zebra
AK-20 Canada Goose
AK-21 Orca
AK-22 Pacific Walrus
AK-23 Yellow-Banded Poison Dart Frog
AK-24 Jaguarundi
AK-25 Humpback Whale
AK-26 Flying Fox
AK-27 Baltimore Oriole
AK-28 Ruby Throated Hummingbird
AK-29 Blue Jay
AK-30 Monarch Butterfly
AK-31 Black Mamba
AK-32 Moray Eel
AK-33 Fire Salamander
AK-34 Greenbottle Blue Tarantula
AK-35 Bighorn Sheep
AK-36 Salt Water Crocodile
AK-37 Howler Monkey
AK-38 Warthog
AK-39 Wildebeest
AK-40 American Badger
AK-41 North American Porcupine
AK-42 Three-Toed Sloth
AK-43 Atlantic Puffin
AK-44 Wolverine
AK-45 Peacock
AK-46 Mandarin Duck
AK-47 Ostrich
AK-48 King Cobra
AK-49 Stoat
AK-50 Meerkat
AK-51 North American Moose
AK-52 Springbok
AK-53 Peregrine Falcon
AK-54 Eurasian Lynx
AK-55 Praying Mantis
AK-56 Raccoon
AK-57 Toco Tucan
AK-58 Chameleon
AK-59 Timber Wolf

NOT THREATENED (1:974 hobby)

AK-60 American Bison
AK-61 Beluga Whale
AK-62 Sand Cat
AK-63 Margay
AK-64 Giant Anteater
AK-65 Okapi

VULNERABLE (1:923 hobby)

AK-66 Galapagos Tortoise
AK-67 Great White Shark
AK-68 Cheetah
AK-69 Slow Loris
AK-70 Komodo Dragon
AK-71 African Elephant
AK-72 Mandrill
AK-73 Amazonian Manatee
AK-74 I’iwi Bird
AK-75 African Lion

ENDANGERED (1:1,096 hobby)

AK-76 North Island Brown Kiwi
AK-77 Northern Spotted Owl
AK-78 Giant Panda
AK-79 Sea Otter
AK-80 Lar Gibbon
AK-81 Snow Leopard
AK-82 Bengal Tiger
AK-83 Pygmy Hippopotamus
AK-84 Bornean Orangutan
AK-85 Whooping Crane
AK-86 Great Hammerhead Shark
AK-87 Tasmanian Devil
AK-88 African Wild Dog
AK-89 Egyptian Vulture
AK-90 Red Ruffed Lemur
AK-91 Takahe

CRITICAL (1:4,871 hobby)

AK-92 Black Rhino
AK-93 California Condor
AK-94 Hawaiian Monk Seal
AK-95 Western Gorilla
AK-96 Spix’s Macaw
AK-97 Mountain Pygmy Possum

EXTINCT/MYTHICAL (1:14,613 hobby)

AK-98 Saber-Toothed Cat
AK-99 Do-Do Bird
AK-100 Chupacabra

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MUSEUM COLLECTION RELICS (overall 1:2,237 hobby)

All nine cards from this compelling set are a challenge to track down, but there are four distinct groups of scarcity to note as follows:

GROUP A (1:54,800 hobby)

MR-AL Abraham Lincoln (Desk)
MR-AO Annie Oakley (Gun Handle)
MR-WHP The White House (Plaque)

GROUP B (1:16,237 hobby)

MR-NB Napoleon Bonaparte (Chair)
MR-WHB The White House (Wood)

GROUP C (1:6,959 hobby)

MR-LBJ Lyndon B. Johnson (Jacket)
MR-LN Lord Horatio Nelson (Battle Flag)
MR-SS Spirit of St. Louis (Medical Gauze)

GROUP D (1:4,473 hobby)

MR-EV Edward VIII (Handkerchief)

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