Archive for Hockey
A Hockey Hobby: How to Get Started Collecting NHL Trading Cards
Posted by: | CommentsIf you are a hockey fan looking for a great hobby, then you should take a long, hard look at collecting NHL cards from Upper Deck. We are heading into a Double Rookie Class event for next season so now is the perfect time to start as you can capture twice the amount of great rookie content in one year’s worth of trading card products.
There are numerous advantages to collecting NHL cards over other sports. There are so many great players in the league that it is easy to find a favorite player or players to collect. Many fans love collecting memorabilia cards of their favorite teams which is great because hockey jerseys have some of the most beautiful and premium jerseys to be used on these unique cards. And nothing brings you closer to the game than scoring an autograph card from your favorite player!
Additionally you have an international fan base for hockey cards with die-hard puck lovers in the U.S.A., Canada and Europe in particular. In this age of computers, many hockey collectors engage each other and even conduct trades online through hobby related websites and message boards. Collecting hockey cards is an international experience!
And perhaps most importantly, it is a hobby that is best enjoyed with friends and family. Collecting is a hobby that provides friends and family to bond while putting together sets and chasing their favorite player’s cards. We have shared how families have enjoyed bonding over hockey cards in the past so if you are a father who loves sports, this is a perfect hobby for you to share with your children.
Collecting hockey cards is the perfect family hobby!
But one of the biggest concerns we hear from fans thinking about getting involved in the hobby is, “How do I get started?” Yes, collecting cards can be a little overwhelming and like anything, it takes some time to learn the art of the trade, etc. We asked members of Upper Deck’s Volunteer Alliance to provide some tips for fans who are thinking about getting involved in the hobby and here is what they had to say:
“I would start off with products like Upper Deck and O-Pee-Chee. Don’t jump into high-end products as you may get lost. These products offer a lot of cards at a reasonable price.” – Matthew G.
The flagship Upper Deck brand and O-Pee-Chee products offer hockey fans a large set to collect along with the thrill of finding other compelling insert cards!
“The most important aspect of collecting is determining what will make you the happiest to collect. Do you want to collect a certain player, a team or a particular set? I think a great product to start with is Upper Deck Series One and Two NHL cards. These boxes are loaded with everything from Young Guns rookie cards, to memorabilia cards to autographs. For collectors who like variety, these are products that deliver.” – Luis M.
“I think it is important to know that there is generally much better content in the hobby product than the retail versions of the product. I know when I first started I was just looking for the best price without realizing that the hobby product, while a bit more expensive, delivered much better value.” - Kyle M.
“Every person has their own way of collecting. Some like autographs while others go after certain players, that’s what makes collecting so much fun. New collectors should look before they buy and read the box to see what each set has to offer. And since every collector is different, there are always collectors looking for cards that may not be desirable to you. There are groups online where you can trade to get the cards you are after.” – Marty M.
“The biggest thing about being out of the game for awhile is getting a feel for the values again. If you undervalue your cards you could get ripped off and if you overvalue them, collectors will feel insulted by what you are asking for on them. The best way to get a refresher on values is to check completed listings on eBay for similar cards you have in your collection.” - Alex V.
“Being new to hockey myself, look for a team you like and get to know the players with trading cards. Follow them and the team on Twitter and Facebook. Read up on them and try to get your cards signed by the players after games. It makes collecting that much better when you have met the players and have that connection with them.” - Tim Y.
“Familiarize yourself with team or players you like and start small. Interacting with people on forums and not being afraid to say you are new to the hobby is a good way to get to know others and get more advice on how to build a big collection. If you are getting back into the hobby after some time off, do your research online to see what has changed and what some of your cards are worth now. And have fun with it!” – Griffin G.
And as you get started, you’ll want to make sure you space for your collectibles which means dedicating a little space for them. Most collectors have a room or at least a closet dedicated to their collections. The most important thing there is that they are stored in a safe are that is not too hot or too cold and is high enough to avoid issues with flooding or little hands if there are youngsters in the house. Take a look at Upper Deck’s Ultimate Fan showing off his collection of hockey memorabilia and cards!
One Could Argue the Chicago Blackhawks are the NHL Best Team to Collect
Posted by: | CommentsIt’s good to be a Chicago Blackhawks fans these days. The team has been extremely competitive since they drafted Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews giving them one of the best tandems in the NHL. And they have great support with loyal fans getting behind the team along with celebrity fans like Vince Vaughn, Jim Belushi, Michael Jordan and this season, even Mr. T.
For card collectors one could that the Chicago Blackhawks are the best team to collect for a variety of reasons. Yes, they are playing great and yes they have a lot of great stars playing for them today, but in terms of collecting, I think it is the uniform that puts them over the top. The biggest reason they are the best team to collect in my opinion is just how beautiful the game-used jersey patches look on trading cards of Chicago Blackhawks players. The jerseys are so colorful that there is a tremendously diverse grouping of premium patches to use for these cards. Take a look at just some of our favorites from over the years!
For the Chicago Blackhawks, even two of the same card can look very different because of the colorful patches on the jerseys.
And behind every great team are great players. When you are collecting a team, you want to have some big stars on the team that are desirable to all hockey fans and the Chicago Blackhawks certainly deliver that with the serious Jonathan Toews and free-spirited Patrick Kane. Take a look at some of the better cards of these two Upper Deck has produced over the years.
Lastly when you are collecting a certain team you like to have a strong lineage of legends with the franchise to collect as well. With legendary NHL stars like Stan Mikita, Jeremy Roenick, Bobby Hull, Tony Esposito and others to pull from, Chicago Blackhawks collectors can score big!
And there is plenty of great memorabilia to be had as well to help decorate personal Man Caves and sports bars throughout Chicago dedicated to cheering one their favorite franchise. Take a look at some of the awesome authentic signed collectibles for Chicago Blackhawks stars available from Upper Deck Authenticated.
Sure the Montreal Canadiens and Detroit Red Wings have a little more history (and certainly more Stanley Cups), but the Chicago Blackhawks are an Original Six franchise in a great hockey city that are playing at the top of their game right now. And for team collectors of the Blackhawks, things are look-Kane good!
Next year is going to be crazy for hobby shop owners with the 2013-14 NHL Double Rookie Class in Upper Deck hockey products so it is important they know who you are so they can help you get the Upper Deck NHL product you want next season. An event like the Double Rookie Class is a HUGE deal in the card industry where collectors can score two great crops of rookie talent in one year’s worth of products. Shop owners will have their phones ringing off the hook as fans look to score trading cards of these top rookies and will be willing to pay top dollar for them.
But as a collector, what should you be doing to prepare for this historic event?
In my opinion the best thing you can do is to make sure your local hobby shop owner knows who you are and that you appreciate them. And I think you need to start doing that today. These hobby shop owners are going to be your best resource to secure product from the 2013-14 NHL season and if you are just another face in the crowd, they may not be as inclined to take care of you like they would their other customers who have been loyal to them during the lockout and this season.
You don’t need to spend a lot of money with them in order to stick out of the crowd either. Here are some tips to make sure your hobby shop owner knows you so they will hopefully take care of you with new 2013-14 Upper Deck NHL products for the Double Rookie Class season.
Bring Them Lunch
Find out what the staff at the shop like to eat and bring them lunch one day during the week as a thank you for all they do to help you with your collecting needs. The quickest way to a hobby dealer’s heart is traditionally through their stomach so grease their wheels with their favorite food and they likely will not forget it. During lunch make sure to talk up how excited you are for the Double Rookie Class so they know to take care of you next season.
Help Out Around the Shop
There are always things to be done around the shop. Offer to help out by cleaning off displays, putting together sets, pricing cards, taking pictures or perhaps getting them set up with a Facebook, Twitter or Instagram account. Donating a little bit of your time to help make their shop better will likely go a long way with the dealers and make them want to help you when you find a product you want to go after for the Double Rookie Class season.
Take Them Out to the Ball Game
You don’t have to take your hobby shop owner to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final to make a good impression on them. Invite them to a local game where you can share your love for sports with them. Often they are busy and cannot attend, but just the invitation and thought can go a long way. By showing you are thinking about them, hopefully they will think of you when there is 2013-14 NHL Upper Deck products to be distributed.
Ask Them for Help
Get them involved in your collecting by having them help you complete a set you are working on. Most shop owners really love this and they likely have a little time to help with these projects now before all the hysteria begins around the Double Rookie Class. It’s a great chance to bond with them and share what you love to collect. When you finish, make sure to give them a lot of love on Facebook, Twitter and Yelp!
Just Be Around
Don’t be a stranger. Make sure you visit the shop and not just when they are running promotions. Sometimes when you visit and it is quiet you have a great chance to share your passion and get to know them better. Let them know what you want to collect from 2013-14 NHL Upper Deck products so they think of you when they get those order forms.
Unfortunately not everyone has a local card shop they purchase trading cards through. Some collectors do just great however by working through Upper Deck’s Authorized Internet Retailers to grow their collections. These Authorized Internet Retailers are going to be especially slammed for the Double Rookie Class season. Here are some tips on how you can stick out with them now.
Interact Online
Most of these dealers are very active online. On Twitter make sure you are tweeting at them and retweeting/favoriting their tweets. Share their posts on Facebook and interact with them there. Message them and ask how you can help them. There are plenty of ways to help online by sharing what they do well on hobby message boards and other places as well.
Box Review Videos
Create box break videos on YouTube where you give them shout outs and then shoot those over to them so they can use for content on their pages. Make these positive reviews complimentary to their services and they will likely be very appreciative. Upper Deck’s 2012-13 NHL SP Authentic is coming out soon and is a perfect product to do something like this with.
Offer to Help
Email them and ask them if there are ways you can help their business. Maybe they have a blog that you can write a story or two for. Whatever your talent is, use it to help them grow their business and they will remember you when the Double Rookie Class season comes.
This is the quiet before the storm. Collectors have about 2-3 more months before things start to get VERY busy for hobby shop owners with huge demand coming for new Upper Deck NHL products. Make sure you are doing your due diligence to stick out of the crowd so you can get the product you are after for this historic event. A double rookie class doesn’t come along every day. Prepare by showing some love to the people that will supply you with the product. Come this time next year, you’ll be happy you did.
For more on Upper Deck’s 2013-14 NHL Double Rookie Class, check out a couple videos from Upper Deck’s Authorized Internet Retailers on the subject.
Recently Upper Deck shared details on how the company had received approval to create an actual 5×7 version of Jack Hoffman’s Star Rookie card. The card has now moved forward with production and is currently available for pre-sale with all proceeds going to the Team Jack Foundation. Click HERE to pick up your inspirational Jack Hoffman card today with ALL proceeds going to the Team Jack Foundation!
And very recently we received approval for the card back of Jack’s first-ever trading card from Nebraska. It includes text written by Jack about his memorable run and so much more. Enjoy this exclusive first look of the card back.
Oh Canada! Finally an Upper Deck Set Dedicated Completely to Team Canada Hockey!
Posted by: | CommentsEarlier today Upper Deck shared with the company’s Authorized Distributor network a special new set of trading cards would be released exclusively for Team Canada Hockey. The 2013 Upper Deck Team Canada Hockey set will be right in line with the base Upper Deck brand in terms of price and configuration. There will be five cards per pack, 24 packs per box and 12 boxes per case. The cards will all feature the same great photography as collectors have come to expect from the flagship Upper Deck brand, but the product will have richer content with two autographs in every box on average and four boxes per case will have a third autograph card!
The base card set features 260 cards including 100 short prints. Approximately 200 former Team Canada players will have autograph cards in the set. Other fun aspects to the products are two trade cards good for two future star 2013 Draft Picks including rare signed versions. Additionally, a “Clear Cut Program of Excellence” insert numbered to 99 copies will utilize acetate technology to deliver a very exciting card fans of Team Canada will want to collect! Another technology insert collectors will love is the 60 card SE foil board set that will also have a rare gold die-cut parallel version.
Here is a breakdown on the box and case breaks for 2013 Upper Deck Team Canada Hockey which is slated to release on August 20, 2013.
Box Break: (on average)
- Twenty-Four (24) Base Set SP’s
- Four (4) Program of Excellence Alumni
- Two (2) Team Canada Signatures
- Four (4) Special Edition SE
- One (1) Exclusives Red (#’d of 100), Exclusives Gold Spectrum (#’d of 10) or Printing Plate (#’d of 1)
- Every third box will have a Program of Excellence BONUS autograph!
Case Break: (on average)
- Four (4) Program of Excellence Sigs (#’d of 175 & 75)
- Three (3) Special Edition SE Gold (1:96 packs)
- Two (2) Captains SP’s (1:144 packs)
- One (1) Trade Upper Deck SP card (1:288 packs)
One in every two (2) boxes will also have one of the following cards!
- Base Set Exclusives Gold Spectrum (#’d of 10)
- Base Set Signatures Black (#’d of 5)
- Base Set Printing Plates (#’d of 1)
- Clear Cut Program of Excellence (#’d of 99)
- Trade Upper Deck Gold Auto (1:1,460 packs)
Check out some preliminary images of the set that only Upper Deck can bring fans through our exclusive agreement with Hockey Canada!
Given the subject matter of this set, this product will be offered exclusively in Canada.
Product depicted for demonstration purposes only. Set content subject to change without further notice. Stated odds reflect an average of the entire production run; no ratio is guaranteed to exist in an individual box or case.
