Archive for Hockey
What if Upper Deck Rookie NHL Cards Could Talk – With Brett Connolly
Posted by: | CommentsWhen I was younger, it would be common for me to freak out if anyone walked into the family room because I would use almost the entire space to sort stack of trading cards I had opened from boxes. Often during these marathon sorting sessions I found myself frustrated by getting duplicates of certain players that I didn’t really collect. Soon however I learned that I could use these duplicates for “trade bait” with my friends and other dealers at shows and shops. You had to play it cool though, much like poker where you don’t want to show your hand and let your potential trade partner know you don’t have interest in these particular cards anymore.
Brett Connolly helps us see the fun and frustration of pulling duplicate Upper Deck NHL rookie cards.
And maybe that’s where the idea of the concept for this video came from. What if trading cards could talk and say something about the situation of pulling duplicates and making trades. Take a quick minute to enjoy this comical glance at what they might say about the situation.
Popularity: 1% [?]
Upper Deck Announces More Plans for the 2012 Spring Sports Cards & Collectibles Expo
Posted by: | CommentsCollectors flock to Toronto in the fall and spring for the Sports Cards & Collectibles Expo. We have already shared some of the details on what we have planned for the show in Toronto on May 5, 6 and 7 for the show. If you were planning on taking advantage of the redemption program, we encourage you to reach out to us as soon as possible as the window is closing there. Of note, we can assist with fulfilling the 2011-12 NHL Artifacts redemptions (both signed and unsigned) with that program so you can pick them up at the show.
The Priority Signings wrapper redemption program will return where fans in attendance who purchase a box of 2011 NHL Parkhurst Champions, 2011-12 NHL Black Diamond, 2011-12 NHL Upper Deck Series Two or 2011-12 NHL SP Game-Used from a Certified Diamond Dealer at the show will receive a voucher. They can bring that voucher to the Upper Deck booth at specified times where they can exchange it, along with the wrappers from the box for a random 2012 NHL Priority Signings autograph card for FREE!
We have a new addition to this program this year however. We typically see quite a few collectors who purchase and open these products at the case level at the show. We are pleased to announce an exciting new case-breaker program for the 2012 Spring Sports Cards & Collectibles Expo. Any customer who brings a case of any of the four featured products to the Upper Deck booth and opens it will receive three (3) random 2012 Priority Signings cards and one (1) instant redemption card good for a variety of special items right at the show. Case-breakers who participate could score a variety of unique items like:
- Upper Deck NHL and multi-sport boxes
- Upper Deck Authenticated signed NHL pucks
- Signed NHL gloves
- Signed NHL sticks
- Signed NHL game-used sticks
- Signed NHL jerseys
- Limited-Edition Las Vegas Industry Summit autograph cards
These are just some of the goodies case-breakers can score on top of three 2012 Priority Signings cards (one for each day of the show)
As an additional bonus, case-breakers will not have to wait in any line. They can bring the product by to open when we are NOT running the box redemption program for immediate service. Case product MUST be purchased from an Upper Deck Certified Diamond Dealer at the show to participate in this program. Collectors are limited to open just one case per person. This promotion will be available while supplies last.
A program like this will have quite a few benefits for all of our collectors at the Expo. First we will be able to assist case-breakers who are only in town for a day or two and may not be able to wait in the line with a great thank you for their support. For the regular box breaker, this will also help to reduce the line making fulfillment of Priority Signings cards much quicker. We have some additional plans to help make the fulfillment process quicker and easier for box breakers that we will share at the show.
Popularity: 2% [?]
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!
Popularity: 3% [?]
Upper Deck Has BIG Plans for the 2012 Spring Sports Cards & Collectibles Expo
Posted by: | CommentsCollectors flock to Toronto in the fall and spring for the Sports Cards & Collectibles Expo. We had a great time at the event in the fall and we have some big plans in store for collectors when we return to Toronto on May 4, 5 and 6 for the show.
Upper Deck runs free raffles at the Expo and gives away some amazing prizes. Collectors always pack around the UD booth to try to score some great items!
Upper Deck will have great items on display and free raffles throughout the weekend as we have done in the past. The Priority Signings wrapper redemption program will return where fans in attendance who purchase a box of 2011 NHL Parkhurst Champions, 2011-12 NHL Black Diamond, 2011-12 NHL Upper Deck Series Two or 2011-12 NHL SP Game-Used from a Certified Diamond Dealer at the show will receive a voucher. They can bring that voucher to the Upper Deck booth at specified times where they can exchange it, along with the wrappers from the box for a random 2012 NHL Priority Signings autograph card for FREE!
Collectors who purchase a specific UD box at the show from a Certified Diamond Dealer will receive a voucher for a FREE Priority Signings autograph card!
The checklist for the Spring Expo is strong with players like Alexander Ovechkin, Sidney Crosby, Carey Price and Steven Stamkos adding their signatures to the set. You can also find autographs from retired stars like Eric Lindros, Jean Beliveau and Wayne Gretzky in the 2012 NHL Priority Signings set. There will also be rare variations of some of the top players in the set as we have done in years prior to add a higher level of collectability.
This is one of the several Gretzky autograph variation cards in the 2012 Priority Signings set.
We will be revealing a special promotion for case breakers as well for the show in the coming weeks. Below are the hours for the Priority Signings program:
Friday, May 4 – 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, May 5 – 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Sunday, May 6 – 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Puck fans are all smiles when they recieve a free Priority Signings autograph card from Upper Deck.
Another BIG addition to the Spring Expo is that Upper Deck will fulfill redemptions for customers at the show for the first-time ever. If you have outstanding redemptions with Upper Deck and would like to have them fulfilled or exchanged and available to pick up at the show, we will offer that service to you. To take part in picking up your outstanding redemptions and replacements at the Upper Deck Booth you need to send an email to time2swap@upperdeck.com with the subject title “2012 NHL Spring Expo Redemption Program.” In the body of the email, please cut and paste the code and description of the card(s) you would like fulfilled or exchanged. In twenty words or less, describe the type of replacements you would like to receive focusing more on teams, regions and brands you are interested in rather than particular players if the card is not in stock. If you do not provide the information exactly as described, we will not be able to honor your request so make sure you take the time to get us exactly what we need in the format requested to help.
As this is a new program, we will only be able to assist with a finite amount of customers who are interested in participating. We will share with fans once we cannot accept any additional requests. To pick up your cards during the show you will need to provide a government issued identification and sign for them in person. Only the actual card owners can pick up the cards, so you cannot pick up items for a friend. Hours for pick-up are listed below:
Friday, May 4 – 2:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Saturday, May 5 – 12:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.
If you do not think you can be at the show on Friday, May 4 or Saturday, May 5, we ask that you do not request this service. Additionally, if you fail to pick your cards up, you will not be able to request this service in the future and there could be additional delays in getting these cards to you.
Personally I am incredibly excited to be able to bring this service to show. I have talked to a lot of dealers and collectors at this show throughout the years who have indicated they wish they could have had their redemption cards for the show. Now they can. Redemption cards are seen as a poor customer experience and we hope that by putting this program together we can provide a heightened level of service for our loyal collectors.
Look for more details on the 2012 Spring Sports Cards & Collectibles Expo in the coming weeks!
Disclaimer: Priority Signings wrapper redemption cards are available one per customer, per day. Customers must purchase products from a Certified Diamond Dealer at the show in order to receive a voucher. Priority Signings cards are limited and we will run out of them. Make sure to get to the Upper Deck booth early in order to receive your card.
Popularity: 2% [?]
Do you have trading cards just sitting around collecting dust? Are you looking to get rid of your trading cards, but just don’t want to go through the hassle of trying to sell them online? Are you a mom who wants to get rid of your son’s cards, but doesn’t want to catch grief for throwing them out? Do you want to help make a young child in need smile? If you answered yes to any of these questions, we have a great program for you!
Trade your cards for smiles!
Cards2Kids is a non-profit charity that has really established themselves over the last year as an amazing organization that specializes in gifting trading cards to kids in children’s hospitals in particular. They have now delivered cards (or will be delivering in the next two months) to 15 different children’s charities.
Through donations from collectors like you, they have now collected over 1,000,000 cards that will be repackaged and shared with young children who could really use a smile. They have received packages of trading cards from 15 states in the U.S. and 3 provinces in Canada. They recently launched a revamped website and are continuing to acquire fans on Facebook.
What makes the story of their rapid growth and success so sensational however is that the organization’s founder has not even graduated from high school yet. That’s right; the charity was started by John Makowiec who is currently a sophomore in high school.
Founder John Makowiec has helped to bring smiles to deserving children by sharing the hobby he loves.
“I’m a huge fan of sports cards myself, I’ve been collecting them since I was five,” said John Makowiec, founder of Cards2Kids. “And I really just wanted other kids to be able to have the same opportunity to enjoy sports cards as I have. Especially kids in hospitals and Boys & Girls clubs.”
John being interviewed by Beckett Media at the 2011 Sports Cards & Collectibles Expo in Toronto, ON.
Upper Deck partnered with the Cards2Kids for the 2011 Sports Cards & Collectibles Expo in Toronto for a donation drive and we were blown away by the amount of cards dealers and collectors shared for these kids. Seeing the Cards2Kids crew in action was truly inspiring and they worked hard all weekend to collect, sort and repack cards they delivered to the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, Ontario. We are excited about the prospect of working with them again in the future at other shows, but for right now, we are calling on our collectors and hobby shops to help!
Making the delivery to the charity makes all the hard work worthwhile.
How Collectors Can Help Cards2Kids
Donate Time: This is what the charity needs most. Time from volunteers to help sort and repack the thousands of cards the charity receives in. The charity is based in the Chicago, IL area, but they are growing and they have three stores who are official partners (two in IL, one in NJ). Giving time to help them get these cards organized, counted and repackaged while trying to make sure they are not damaged would be a huge help. They are planning sorting and packing days throughout the year so make it a point to help!
Donate Money: The charity needs financial assistance to purchase marketing materials, boxes, labels, website maintenance and more. Anything you can provide will help in getting these cards to kids who need them and increasing awareness for the program.
The Cards2Kids team can really use team bags to help repackage the cards they receive. For every pack of 100 bags you send, you help to provide 100 smiles on deserving kid's faces!
Donate Materials: The charity is in desperate need of team bags most commonly produced by Ultra PRO. UltraPRO has kindly made a donation to Cards2Kids before, but they have worked through that inventory and now could definitely use more. Most charities will not accept loose cards so it is critical they have the supplies need to repackage the cards so they can get to kids.
Donate SEALED packs: Some charities will not accept cards that have been resealed. If you have packs that are sealed, the team at Cards2Kids can definitely make good use of them. These can be from any sport, from any year.
Donate loose cards: Please package them in a manner to decrease the likelihood of damage to them. In particular the Cards2Kids team is requesting cards from the year 2000 and later. They have received a tremendous amount of cards from the ‘80’s and ‘90’s apparently and would like to mix in newer cards for the kids with athletes they may be a little more familiar with.
Ask Your Hobby Shop to Get Involved: As they look to expand the program, they need partners in different cities to help serve as donation centers. Ask your local hobby shop to serve as a donation center and offer to help get them started.
Help Increase Awareness for the Charity: This is a great story that unfortunately people just do not know about. Use the power of social media to share what they are doing. Please tweet to sources at ESPN, Sports Illustrated, Fox Sports, NBC Sports, CBS Sports, The Chicago Tribune and other and post information about the charity on their respective Facebook pages. Reach out to athletes and let them know as well. Maybe make a YouTube video to help create awareness as well. The more exposure we can create, the more children we can help!
How Hobby Shops Can Help Cards2Kids
Donation Centers will receive a window cling that promotes the program in their store and more!
Become a Donation Center: The Cards2Kids team is passionate about taking this program to a new level by adding hobby shop partners throughout the U.S. and Canada to serve as donation centers. But they need to be the right partners. They are looking for shops that will serve as advocates for their cause in the community and collect cards on their behalf. They are looking for shop owners to host sorting and packing days to help get the cards organized. They need the shop owner to send them the cards or to actually make donations on their behalf to new charities in their region. If you run a full-time, brick and mortar hobby shop and want to get involved with a program that will help give back to kids in need, please contact the Cards2Kids team!
Reach out! Let them know you are willing to help by contacting the Cards2Kids team by clicking here!
Popularity: 2% [?]
