Archive for Basketball
LeBron James is Proving to Be a MVP On and Off the Court
Posted by: | CommentsAfter LeBron James made “The Decision,” most basketball fans immediately resented him. Maybe that is putting it mildly. The LeBron haters swiftly came out of the woodwork and have been pumping a steady stream of angry rants against the NBA star since he moved south to play in Miami. It didn’t help when the Cleveland Cavaliers’ owner Dan Gilbert piled on as well.
What has LeBron done in the aftermath of all that? It seems like all the right things. Last year he apologized to the fans in Cleveland for how it all went down.
Earlier this season LeBron shared that he wouldn’t rule out potentially returning to Cleveland while also sharing he doesn’t hold a grudge against Dan Gilbert for his comments. It is one thing to appear like you are growing up in the eyes of the press, but the real test of a man is what he does when he doesn’t think the cameras are on. We witness this a few months back when LeBron James made it a point to get his teammates to take pictures with members of the U.S. military while the team was waiting for their flight. This was a really great story. And just this week, LeBron humbly accepted his third NBA Most Valuable Player award.
He has his team poised to take the title this year and that is all he ever really wanted to play for. Can you blame him for wanting to play on the highest stage for one of sport’s greatest trophies? I don’t think so. And every positive thing he does now makes him more desirable to collectors. Almost a year ago, I shared that I felt LeBron James was the #1 athlete to invest in at the time. I’m sure those who took my advice are very happy they did as they invested when the market for LeBron was at an all-time low.
Upper Deck continues to enjoy a great partnership with 3-time NBA MVP LeBron James.
I still believe LeBron James collectibles are a good buy until he wins his first NBA title which based on how he is playing, may only be a matter of weeks away. If he continues to dominate the association as we have seen, the Most Valuable Player will soon have the “Most Valuable Collectibles.” And Upper Deck Authenticated is pleased to be the exclusive source for authentic autographed collectibles from “King James.” Take a look at some of the items available for LeBron by clicking here.
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Featured Collector – Donald C. and His Impressive Upper Deck Authenticated Collection
Posted by: | CommentsFrom time to time we love to spotlight our valued collectors on the Upper Deck Blog to showcase their collections. It seems like every collectors is different and we like to celebrate those differences here. Recently at a Michael Jordan event, we met a very passionate fan of our Upper Deck Authenticated memorabilia and he was kind enough to share a little bit of some of the very nice items in his collection. Here’s his story:
“My quest to score a Michael Jordan signature began in 1986. I was living in Indiana and had just got my driver’s license. I would pack my car full of friends and we would make the 45-minute trek to the old Chicago Stadium. Tickets back then were just $8.00 for standing room and we had a good time moving from seat to seat as the crowd came in to see MJ and ‘Da Bulls.’
“When the game was over we would wait for the players to drive through the fenced in parking lot and get their autographs. Michael had a pretty tricky way of exiting most nights by using two vehicles; a red Corvette and his Blazer. One would turn left going out of the stadium and the other would go right. I followed the Corvette one night hoping it would be the evening I finally land his autograph, but found it was Juanita driving the car. I felt like I had an open lay-up and out of nowhere got rejected.
“It got a little frustrating over the years trying to track down an authentic Michael Jordan signature, but after doing some research I found out he had an exclusive deal with Upper Deck Authenticated. When I realized how to get his collectibles, things got a little easier as I added a signed Michael Jordan baseball, a Six-Time Champion print, a jersey, a ‘Rare Air’ signed book, an 8×10 signature series card and one of my favorite pieces; the Nike ‘Wings’ poster. Each item was authenticated by Upper Deck and I felt pretty proud that I had put together such a comprehensive Michael Jordan Collection.
“In 1996 my company transferred me to Las Vegas, Nevada and I was happy to no longer suffer through the chilly Midwest winters. This happened to be the same year a young Tiger Woods joined the PGA Tour and he won his first event a few miles from my home at the TPC Summerlin. And with that I was ready to begin chasing another athlete who also happened to be an Upper Deck exclusive spokesman.
“In 1997 I volunteered to work The Las Vegas Invitational as a scorekeeper. As my group made the turn on the third round I realized I had left my sweater in the scoring tent. Maybe leaving the sweater was planned, maybe it wasn’t, I’ll never reveal, but I had to go back and get it right? I went back as Tiger came in to sign his card and I approached him after he finished up there. I asked him to sign a ‘Sports Illustrated: Sportsman of the Year’ issue for me and he agreed. We had a nice chat before he walked out to a see of admiring fans, it was pretty surreal as you could just see he was on the verge of becoming a superstar.
“I saw that a lot of fakes and forgeries would pop up through online auction sites I decided to invest wisely exclusively in the Upper Deck Authenticated items of Tiger Woods. The 5-Step process UDA uses really gives you a sense of ease as you know the item you are getting is legitimate.
“My Tiger Woods collection from UDA consists of two signed 2008 U.S. Open Pin Flags (one with and one without frame), the Black & White ‘Sweet Swing’ piece, both Dubai heli-pad framed prints, the ‘Breaking Through’ sand save piece, the large 2008 U.S. Open painting limited to just 66 copies and a range driven ball with signed card ‘Curve’ display. I love the quality of these pieces, but also added another Tiger signature to my collection when I ran into him in 2006 at the Buick Invitational. It has been really exciting to see that collection grow over the years.
“I have a pretty extensive collection of other UDA items as well that I have picked up through the years. I’ve grabbed some great jerseys from LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Kobe Bryant and more. Additionally I have some more great photos from athletes like Roger Clemens, Cal Ripken Jr., Peyton Manning and Mark Prior to name a few.
“With two young daughters (23 months and 3 weeks-old) my purchases have slowed a bit. My new quest is to be the best father I can be and the girls have brought me a joy I never could have imagined. I guess my priorities have changed a little, but I still love the collectibles I have that help bring me closer to the athletes I’ve always enjoyed watching. And I’m still looking for a signed pair of Tiger Woods cleats to complete my collection, so if you happen to be sitting on any, leave a comment with your contact information below.”
Thanks for sharing your story and your collection Donald! You’ve got some really impressive items to say the least. And good luck with the girls, they are sure to keep you busy for the near future!
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Artist Robb Scott Captures Michael Jordan’s Highs in a Whole New Way
Posted by: | CommentsMichael Jordan is one of the most iconic athletes of our generation. With so many different memorabilia items of Jordan in the market, Upper Deck Authenticated partnered with artist Robb Scott to bring something truly different to the market. And the artist came up as clutch as MJ with the ball on a final possession.
Scott's prints were signed by Michael Jordan and are limited to just 72 copies.
We asked Robb about what his inspiration was behind the piece was and he shared the following with us:
“I’ve always loved Michael Jordan. I loved everything about the way he played and approached the game. His talent, his drive, his passion and his will to win. Those things always stuck with me about his personality. When the opportunity to work with him presented itself, I knew immediately I wanted to try and capture those qualities.
There is an incredibly amount of detail to the piece and it is amazing to think that this was all done in pencil.
“To do that I carefully selected the ideas and went to work. His famous Gatorade dunk was the highlight and the image in the forefront. This was selected to showcase his power and pure athleticism. Then the background image of him overcome with emotion, holding the NBA trophy was meant to represent him as a winner, but also someone who was truly passionate about reaching his goal. Finally his quote pulled the image together. It was meant to represent what he was actually thinking. Together these images told me the story of MJ as a player.”
Robb worked on this incredibly detailed drawing over a two month span spending approximately 120 hours on it. The piece was created in pencil on 140 pound professional art paper. These prints are all sold through Robb Scott and are available through his website at www.RobbScottDrawings.com. They were recently signed by Jordan during an Upper Deck Authenticated signing session and are currently available for purchase. This is a limited-edition print of 72 in honor of the Chicago Bulls record setting 72-10 season. The prints retail for $1,950 and the original is $17,500.
The original is also available limited as a 1/1 collectible, signed by Jordan in a paint pen.
It is a very impressive work of art, from one of the most impressive athletes of our time. For more on Robb Scott, “Like” him on Facebook.
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Most college basketball fans are still lamenting over their busted brackets, but almost everyone is excited for the match-ups in the Final Four. With Ohio State set to take on Kansas and Louisville preparing to take on Kentucky, there is a lot of excitement in New Orleans as the Final Four is set to tip off this Saturday. As the official trading card of the NCAA®, Upper Deck plans on being a big part of the weekend festivities engaging fans at Bracket Town. The fun is scheduled to take place Friday, March 30 through Monday, April 2 at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, LA.
Upper Deck will have a variety of trading card and memorabilia products for sale at the corporate booth and with any purchase of a $1 pack, fans can get in the game at the Personalized Trading Card Station. UD will have jerseys from each of the Final Four teams on hand along with a green screen where fans can go through the experience of having their own personalized trading card made. When the photo shoot is over, fans can take home their very own Upper Deck collectible card. Upper Deck will have three stations running at the corporate booth throughout the entire show.
With any purchase of $19.99 or more, fans can score a commemorative card Upper Deck produced exclusively for Bracket Town featuring Grant Hill, Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird limited to just 250 total copies. There will be some great sales items as well including a Michael Jordan print signed by artist Shepard Fairey for only $99 (regularly $300).
There will be a variety of free activities as well including trivia contests and pack wars where fans can score great prizes from Upper Deck. Additionally the Upper Deck crew will be handing out some complimentary cards from the company’s new World of Sport product. We look forward to seeing you at Bracket Town, don’t miss it!
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House of Cards: The Likely Death of a National Pastime
Posted by: | CommentsA recent piece done by reporter Armen Keteyian on CBS Sunday Morning this last weekend has a variety of industry leaders up in arms objecting to this one-sided look at the trading card industry. Keteyian spent some time at a trading card show in New Jersey and reported that the industry is on the brink of death. I couldn’t be less worried. I heard the same thing in 2009 when Sports Illustrated produced a similar piece. I have seen lazy reporting like this before. Back then I put out a story refuting those claims, not realizing all the exciting new things that could happen in less than three years. It is interesting to look back at that now and I’m inspired by what is still to come for the industry.
The business certainly is different than it was in the late ‘80’s and early ‘90’s. It had a boom, but it is not on the brink of death. If anything, it has stabilized over the last year in particular and is actually poised for growth. There are a variety of encouraging signs and for those of you who were panicked by Keteyian’s story, I hope to put your fears to rest. Here is my NEW Top Ten Reasons Why I Know the Sports Card Industry will be Fine:
10. YouTube – Sports card shows like the one Keteyian visited are dying off not because collectors are gone, they are just changing the way they collect opting for the convenience of opening cards in their home in some cases. They still share their experience with the product however through YouTube. In 2009 I shared that if you search YouTube for “Upper Deck Box Breaks” you would find approximately 15,000 videos. Today that number has almost doubled. Collectors are producing videos where they open packs, boxes and cases then sharing what they get online. And the most interesting part is that other collectors watch these videos. Many of these videos have thousands of views and all they consist of in most cases is a pair of hands and trading cards.
Collectors spend a lot of time posting videos they make opening new Upper Deck packs, but they spend even more time watching these videos.
9. Diversification – Manufacturers realize that in order to reach new fans and collectors it is important to diversify the subject matter for trading card releases. At Upper Deck we still produce trading cards of baseball, football, basketball and hockey players, but we have expanded our offerings to trading cards of soccer, golf, MMA, boxing, lacrosse, surfing and other extreme sports that interest sports fans.
When you have exclusive agreements with athletes like Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods, it doesn't have to just be about baseball cards anymore.
Athletes like Landon Donovan have a huge following, even though they don't play baseball.
Additionally in some of our new trading card sets like Goodwin Champions, we have had tremendous success with producing non-traditional cards that are extremely collectible. Who would have thought Animal Patch trading cards and Entomology cards that include real insects would be popular with collectors? But they have and routinely sell for double and even triple digits. These quirky and weird cards are helping to create fun stories about our industry and bring new collectors in.
It's hard to call this a trading card, but people collect cards like these in huge numbers. There is a real wow factor with some of the new trading cards Upper Deck creates.
8. The Las Vegas Industry Summit – There was a time when this annual trade show comprised of the industry’s top trading card shops really was on the brink of death. It was held in Hawaii and it became increasingly more difficult for retailers and manufacturers to jet out there for this annual event. It has been resuscitated by a gentleman named Kevin Isaacson who, along with his team, have made it an extremely relevant show that serves to educate and inspire shop owners and manufacturers on how we can make this hobby better. If we are approaching “the likely death of a national pastime” as Keteyian asserts, then what are all these small business owners doing here?
The business is alive and well with hobby shop owners attending the Las Vegas Industry Summit in an effort to learn, share and grow.
7. The Upper Deck Volunteer Alliance – In 2010 Upper Deck created the Volunteer Alliance program. As we engaged more with collectors through social media, we found there was a core group of passionate collectors who wanted to work to make this hobby better. We decided to mobilize them and we routinely use them as a resource to help get the word out about new programs. These collectors are eternal optimists who are inspired to use all the resources they can to help make the hobby better, and Keteyian would be surprised to know that many of them are younger collectors.
Upper Deck's Volunteer Alliance members are very passionate about the hobby. One member created huge Upper Deck decals he applied to his car to help promote the hobby.
6. Improved Distribution – Last year Upper Deck changed the way we distribute our products to help eliminate a gray market that was emerging. We felt it was important to partner with the right distributors and only sell to brick and mortar retailers. It was not fair to have new Upper Deck product get into the hands of online resellers or show dealers who do not operate with the same overhead as brick and mortar retailers so Upper Deck decided to level the playing field there. This is likely one of the reasons the show Keteyian visited is struggling. With this change however, we are seeing more shops setting up at shows like the National. With these changes retailers compete less on price and more on service. The results have been incredibly positive for Upper Deck and our network of Certified Diamond Dealers and Authorized Internet Retailers.
Upper Deck's network of Certified Diamond Dealers work to positively promote trading cards with their customers.
5. National Hockey Card Day – National Hockey Card Day is one of the many things that I believe is good and right with this industry. It is a program where fans can go to their local hobby shop and get a FREE pack of Upper Deck Hockey Cards. This season we brought the program to the United States for the first time ever and we were really pleased with the response. It will be back in 2013 and it serves as a fun way to get trading cards in the hands of kids and sports fans that may not normally collect.
Stop the presses! Kids are collecting trading cards! And they actually like it!!!
4. Cards2Kids – One of the most disturbing parts of Keteyian’s story was the last sound bite from one of the show dealers he interviewed who said flatly, “Kids don’t care.” Well I’m here to tell you that they do and Upper Deck is proud to be helping to support one of them. John Makowiec is a high school kid who does care about trading cards and also getting them in the hands of other kids who may not have the opportunities to collect. He started a charity called Cards2Kids and it has grown leaps and bounds since their inception. They have collected over one million cards that they donate to children’s hospitals and Boys & Girls Clubs. John’s story is really inspirational, but I doubt Armen has a feature planned on him. Positive stories like this don’t get ratings.
Believe it or not kids do still care about cards. Just ask John Makowiec who started Cards2Kids to share the hobby with kids.
3. Stability – In 2009 I shared that we worked with 1,200 active sports cards shops in the United States and 300 in Canada. We were in the midst of a terrible recession and the Sports Illustrated story said that shops were dying off at an alarming rate. I am pleased to share that is not the case. Today we work with over 1,100 active sports shops in the United States and close to 400 in Canada. There are many more shops still out there as well that do not work direct with Upper Deck. These small businesses not only survived the recession, but have grown in Canada thanks to a very healthy hockey card market. New shops are actually springing up which leads me to the next point.
2. Growth – Over the last year our hobby sales team has received over 200 emails about opening a hobby shop and working with Upper Deck. This is largely a result of the distribution change we made where those looking to start their own small business are coming to realize there is money to be made in operating a store. We had so many inquiries we realized we need to do a better job of providing information on how to open a trading card shop. This is why we recently began a series on our blog featuring industry experts on how to do just that. By providing these small business owners the information they need to be successful, I’m excited to see what this industry might look like three years from now when the next negative story comes out on our industry.
1. Innovation – It is one of the cornerstones of what we do here at Upper Deck. We are pressing the envelope about what a trading card is by continuing to produce some of the most innovative cards in the industry. In 2009 I never realized all the amazing innovations we would have hit the market between then and now. Here are just some of the cards that show how we are taking trading cards to the next level here at Upper Deck. For us it is important to continue to capture the imagination and interest of collectors and ultimately bring them closer to the game.
Evolution Video Cards – Yes, there are actually trading cards now that feature video highlights of your favorite players including Michael Jordan. Upper Deck launched Evolution video cards in 2011 Upper Deck Football and the basketball versions recently released in World of Sport.
Booklet cards – One of the biggest problems for innovating a trading card is you run out of space really quick. Well Upper Deck has put out some amazing booklet cards the last couple seasons that expand to show some amazing content in releases like Exquisite and SP Legendary Cuts Baseball.
This card actually has four authentic signatures from members of the 1919 Chicago "Black" Sox team.
Museum Collection – Originally released in 2011 Goodwin Champions, the Museum Collection cards are basically shadow boxes housing extremely rare materials. In 2012 Goodwin Champions the Museum Collection cards will have a Civil War theme that should be extremely compelling.
This oversize card actually houses an authentic Confederate Note from the Civil War.
Exquisite Dimension – These cards are not out yet and this mock up really doesn’t do them justice because they are basically 3-dimensional cards that house the athlete’s signature on clear acetate at an angle. The autograph appears to be floating in air. These are truly show stoppers and they should dazzle collectors when they are discovered in packs this summer.
So is this “house of cards” about to topple? Not at Upper Deck. We are poised to continue innovating and engaging our customers. And as I shared last time, trading cards will go on. There is something indescribable about the bond between a father and child where fond sports memories are intertwined with that 2½-by-3½ trading card. There is something wonderful about trying to stop your hands from shaking after you open a pack of Upper Deck cards and discover an autograph card of your favorite player. It’s an experience to some, an investment to others, a business to the rest, but everyone with an affinity for the hobby got involved with it because it’s fun. And industries that provide their consumers with fun are not going anywhere. They are here to stay.
Collecting cards is fun, just ask this little guy!
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