Archive for Hockey
Upper Deck Brings a Cinco de Mayo Celebration to Canada
Posted by: | CommentsThe most common question Upper Deck staff heard during the Spring Sports Card & Collectibles Expo last Saturday was, “What’s with the sombreros?” As many fans know, Upper Deck is located only about an hour north or Mexico so we thought it would be fun to bring some Spanish flavor to the Expo for Cinco de Mayo. And fans seemed to have a great time with it, especially when it came time for the raffle later on in the day where a huge crowd gathered to take part in the festivities.
Take a look at a gallery of images from this fun filled fiesta!
UD staff were ready to signal any big pulls with whistles and maracas!
A father & son got in on the fun!
His hands were shaking a bit so it was difficult capturing the card, but we had no trouble capturing Senor Sandground in the background.
Our last Facebook winner swung by the booth to pick up his Adam Henrique autograph UDA puck!
There were a lot of smiles on UD's Cinco de Mayo Saturday!
Another collector got in on the fiesta!
Even Bobby and Wayne decided to dawn a mustache for a bit!
But nobody could compare to Sidney's mustache...
More smiles, more big pulls!
Senor Lowman grabbed the wise old man mustache that made even Gretzky jealous!
Unfortunately Senor Lowman later suffered a rather embarrassing mustache malfunction.
Ole! Another big pull!
We had a Mexican standoff as two factions debated who pulled the better Priority Signings card; Ovechkin or Crosby.
Arriba!
Si! Si! Si!!!
A lucky senora came forward to grab her prize at the Cinco de Mayo raffle.
Another happy winner!
This lucky lady scored THREE FREE Priority Signings cards at the Cinco de Mayo raffle.
This happy Leafs fan scored a new box of 2011-12 NHL Upper Deck Series Two!
And when it was all said and done, the team felt it was time to take a little siesta after a very busy day!
We thought it would be fun to keep the fun going. Take a picture of you with a mustache holding a favorite Upper Deck card for your chance to score a 2012 Upper Deck Priority Signings card. Post that image to the Upper Deck Facebook page by Friday, May 11, 2012 at 4:00 p.m. Pacific and we will select our two favorite images to receive a FREE Priority Signings card.
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Brag Photo: Show Us Your Hits at the Sports Cards & Collectibles Expo
Posted by: | CommentsWhen Upper Deck sets up at the Sports Cards & Collectibles Expo in Toronto, collectors bring by UD product in bulk to open at our booth to score rare Priority Signings autograph cards. Often collectors also bring other stunning Upper Deck pieces they have discovered in packs over the years or purchased on their own. Throughout the weekend we saw some absolutely amazing items and wanted to share a gallery of collectors showing us their hits. Enjoy!
The NUGE is HUGE!
A Tiger Woods & Michael Jordan dual autograph card from the Upper Deck World of Sports set.
Patch perfection from The Cup!
Two dual autograph cards from 11/12 NHL SP Game-Used!
Boston love!
What an amazing Team Canada patch card!
A very nice Letter Marks card of Maxime Talbot.
Some great pulls came out of 11/12 NHL SP Game-Used!
Ovi & Crosby!
Bourque & Clarke!
Bobby Hull!
Can I have my 11/12 NHL SP Game-Used case with extra Boomsauce please? Thank you!
Bourque & Roy!
Another St. Patrick!
Sweet Wire Photo autograph card from Parkhurst Champions!
More sweet pulls from 11/12 NHL SP Game-Used!
A Wayne Gretzky Masterpiece art card from Parkhurst Champions was pulled!
Both Sidney Crosby cards back together again! 1/2 and 2/2!!!
Sitting pretty with an amazing patch card!
Stay tuned, we will show off fans with some of their big pulls from the Priority Signings set soon!
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Upper Deck Markets to Kids at the Sports Cards & Collectibles Expo
Posted by: | CommentsThe Sports Cards & Collectibles Expo in Toronto is a show that always brings in thousands of fans during the weekend. And Upper Deck has been a mainstay at the show bringing a variety of giveaways and promotions for collectors young and old. This last weekend however, Upper Deck staff really spent a lot of time engaging kids as they are truly the future for this hobby.
Trading card shows provide Upper Deck with a great opportunity to share trading cards with young kids and see their smiles as they instantly become engaged in the hobby.
It’s never too early to expose kids to trading cards. Yes, if you get them too young, it is almost a certainty that the cards will end up right in their mouth, but maybe, just maybe, trading cards can help with teething. We loved seeing the look on youngster’s faces as they held Upper Deck trading cards for the first time over the weekend.
Two brothers and one sister competed head-to-head-to-head in the Upper Deck decoy toss where they tried to get the most decoy cards in a target.
The winner was thrilled and those who came up short, well, they had their own ways of getting revenge...
We scheduled some times where kids could compete in a decoy tossing game at the booth where they went head to head against each other or Upper Deck staff to win prizes like new Upper Deck packs. I’m pretty sure they would have competed just for the fun of it though. It was awesome to see the smiles on the faces of brothers, sisters and friends as they competed in this exciting game as supporters cheered them on.
This young man scored a FREE box of Upper Deck cards at the Expo raffle.
Hopefully this happy winner shared some packs with his sister!
Next we made sure we had kids involved in our raffle program on Saturday. Lots of kids were holding raffle tickets and since we had a lot of prizes, a good amount of kids won. It was great to hear their enthusiastic cries after they won as some of them took home their first ever trading cards and collectibles.
And sometimes we just got a little silly with the kids and came up with games for them on site. We had three brothers that were camped out at the Upper Deck booth on Sunday so we had the two older boys engage in a fun game for some packs while their younger brother Christopher looked on.
There is really no bigger thrill for me though as a new father than to see kids opening packs of Upper Deck cards with their fathers. It’s especially exciting to see a father teach his son or daughter how to open up the packs and their sense of wonder as they go through the cards for the first time. Through our redemption program, we saw a lot of kids coming through opening product at the Upper Deck booth this weekend. And some of them scored some pretty awesome Priority Signings cards!
This young man pulled a Ryan Nugent-Hopkins Priority Signings autograph card and was all smiles!
We allocated some of the Priority Signings autograph cards to use with fans this week, but if you want to take them home, you’re going to have to work for them. In the comment section below, please share your ideas (must be at least four complete sentences) on what more the trading card industry can do to get kids interested in collecting new trading card sets. We’ll select our three favorite ideas to receive random Priority Signings cards. Comments must be received in by 4:00 p.m. Pacific on Wednesday, May 9, 2012.
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Brag Photo: Collectors Share Their Favorite Upper Deck NHL Cards
Posted by: | CommentsWe asked our fans to share some of their favorite Upper Deck NHL cards with us and we were blown away by all the awesome pulls our fans had to share. It was awesome to see that sometimes favorites were not just about the high-dollar cards like we saw with Matthew Gilman.
The card(s) I chose definitely won’t be as flashy as others, but they were my first Upper Deck Hockey cards so they matter. I had left hockey for awhile and held onto them. Then when I found Upper Deck’s Facebook page, I made a return. The cards are a Martin Brodeur 90-91 NHL Black Diamond Myriad Level 1 and a Wayne Gretzky 91-92 Upper Deck NHL hologram.
Ernest Hebert has a hockey card that is a little different from a set we put out called Champ’s, where the ice meets the Ice Age. He pulled a very rare exchange card for a Fossil card from the set and received one of the better ones in the product, check it out.
I can look and look through my collection and this card will always be my most coveted card. It is incredible and the center piece of my collection! Here is my favorite Upper Deck card with its two biggest fans. Every time my niece and nephew come over they always ask to see it. It goes to show how fantastic this card really is!!!
Dantre Tarperson shared a card that helped get him interested in hockey cards, take a look at this one!
This is my favorite UD NHL card I own. I got it for what I considered dirt cheap and it pretty much pulled me into collecting hockey cards. It is hard to beat a four-swatch card of four different players.
James Arthur had a VERY impressive card to share that would be the centerpiece of almost any NHL trading card collection.
My UD Black Game-Night Ticket Autograph Wayne Gretzky card (01/25) is an amazingly sharp hard-signed card commemorating one of the biggest moments of his career, March 23rd, 1994. The Kings played the Canucks and this was the game in which he scored 802nd career goal, breaking Gordie Howe’s record. It was an amazing moment beautifully remembered on an amazing trading card!
Collecting NHL cards really is a family affair and Mark Grof Jr. proved that when he shared a card his son pulled.
This is my favorite card not because of price guide value, but because of sentimental value. It was my son’s fifth birthday and on the way to the Lightning game in Tampa we stopped at Target. We bought a $20 blaster box of Upper Deck he pulled an autographed Steve Yzerman header card numbered 19/25. It was a big day for my little guy.
And with the 2012 Spring Sports Card & Collectibles Expo taking place this weekend, Collin Jennings’ card was our favorite of the submissions we received. Some would say he had beginners luck by scoring this card, but we’ll see as Collin will be back at the Expo again this weekend to try his luck again!
Here is a picture of my 2011 Spring Expo Priority Signings Sidney Crosby autograph card limited of five. I was enough to pull this at my first ever Expo. This is by far the most sought after card in my collection. The thing I love about the card the most is that I pulled the card myself and didn’t have to buy or trade for it. Also, it being a Sidney Crosby autograph doesn’t hurt either.
Thanks to all the fans who took time to post some of their favorite NHL cards on our Facebook page this weekend!
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Don’t Miss the 2012 Spring Sports Cards & Collectibles Expo in Toronto this May!
Posted by: | CommentsWe are just one week away from the 2012 Spring Sports Cards & Collectibles Expo in Toronto, Canada and Upper Deck is prepared to make it a weekend to remember for collectors. As usual, the Upper Deck booth is sure to be a hotbed of activity all weekend long and the place to score the most valuable autograph cards through UD’s Priority Signings Wrapper Redemption program.
Here’s a schedule for activities at the UD Booth throughout the weekend:
Friday, May 4 – The Arrival
1:00 p.m. – Show opens
2:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. – Collectors who asked to have their redemptions replaced can pick up their cards. Also, case breakers can bust their case of 2011 NHL Parkhurst Champions, 2011-12 NHL Black Diamond, 2011-12 NHL Upper Deck Series Two or 2011-12 NHL SP Game-Used to get three (3) Priority Signings cards and a special instant redemption.
5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. (or until supplies are depleted) – The Priority Signings Wrapper Redemption Program begins. Collectors can bring one box per person, per day to receive a random Priority Signings Autograph card.
7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. – Collectors who asked to have their redemptions replaced can pick up their cards. Also, case breakers can bust their case of 2011 NHL Parkhurst Champions, 2011-12 NHL Black Diamond, 2011-12 NHL Upper Deck Series Two or 2011-12 NHL SP Game-Used to get three (3) Priority Signings cards and a special instant redemption.
9:00 p.m. – The Great Decoy Toss Challenge. Test your skill at tossing decoys with Upper Deck’s staff for your chance to win a FREE pack of cards!
Saturday, May 5 – Cinco De Mayo Saturday!
10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. (or until supplies are depleted) – The Priority Signings Wrapper Redemption Program begins. Collectors can bring one box per person, per day to receive a random Priority Signings Autograph card. ***NOTICE*** – In an effort to reduce wait times and the line, the program will begin right at the beginning of the show, don’t miss it!
12:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. – Collectors who asked to have their redemptions replaced can pick up their cards. Also, case breakers can bust their case of 2011 NHL Parkhurst Champions, 2011-12 NHL Black Diamond, 2011-12 NHL Upper Deck Series Two or 2011-12 NHL SP Game-Used to get three (3) Priority Signings cards and a special instant redemption.
5:00 p.m. – Upper Deck Cinco De Mayo Raffle! Earn some great giveaway items just for being at the Upper Deck Booth at 5:00. Make sure to get there a little early so you can pick up a FREE raffle ticket!
Collectors know Upper Deck gives away the best items as a thank you to our loyal fans. Don't miss a second of it!
5:30 p.m. – The Great Decoy Toss Challenge. Test your skill at tossing decoys with Upper Deck’s staff for your chance to win a FREE pack of cards!
Sunday, May 6 – Everything Must Go Sunday!
10:00 a.m. – Show opens
11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. (or until supplies are depleted) – The Priority Signings Wrapper Redemption Program begins. Collectors can bring one box per person, per day to receive a random Priority Signings Autograph card.
3:00 p.m. – The Great Decoy Toss Challenge. Test your skill at tossing decoys with Upper Deck’s staff for your chance to win a FREE pack of cards!
There’s always amazing things to be seen at the Upper Deck booth so don’t miss out!
If you are tweeting from the show, make sure to use the hashtag #SCCE and #Collect so collectors can follow everything going on at the show!
For more details about Upper Deck’s plans for the show, please check out these links:
Upper Deck Has BIG Plans for the 2012 Spring Sports Cards & Collectibles Expo
Upper Deck Announces More Plans for the 2012 Spring Sports Cards & Collectibles Expo
Finally, here is a full checklist of the autograph cards in the 2012 Spring Expo Priority Signings Set (remember, some players have multiple versions):
Alexander Burmistrov – Jets – #d to 25
Alexander Ovechkin – Capitals – #d to 5
Alexander Ovechkin – All Star Team – #d to 3
Calvin de Haan – Team Canada – #d to 75
Carey Price – Canadiens – #d to 5
Chris Stewart – Team Canada – #d to 25
Cody Eakin – Team Canada – #d to 75
Cory Schneider – Canucks – #d to 25
Dion Phaneuf – Maple Leafs – #d to 10
Eric Lindros – Team Canada – #d to 5
Evander Kane – Jets – #d to 25
Jake Gardiner – Maple Leafs – #d to 75
James Neal – Penguins – #d to 25
Jean Beliveau – Canadiens – #d to 5
Joe Colborne – Maple Leafs – #d to 75
Jordan Eberle – Oilers – #d to 10
Josh Harding – Team Canada – #d to 75
Keith Aulie – Team Canada – #d to 75
Phil Kessel – Maple Leafs – #d to 10
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins – Team Canada – #d to 5
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins – Oilers – #d to 10
Sam Gagner – Oilers – #d to 10
Sidney Crosby – All Star Team – #d to 5
Sidney Crosby – Team Canada – #d to 2
Sidney Crosby – Penguins – #d to 10
Simon Despres – Team Canada – #d to 75
Stephen Weiss – Team Canada – #d to 25
Steven Stamkos – All Star Team – #d to 5
Steven Stamkos – Team Canada – #d to 2
Steven Stamkos – Lightning – #d to 10
Tyler Bozak – Maple Leafs – #d to 25
Wayne Gretzky – Rangers – #d to 6
Wayne Gretzky – Kings – #d to 5
Wayne Gretzky – Oilers – #d to 4
Wayne Gretzky – All Star Team – #d to 3
Wayne Gretzky – Team Canada – #d to 2
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