Brag Photo of the Week: Freedom Card Board Awards
By · CommentsAt Upper Deck we work very hard to deliver the best trading card products to the marketplace. Our ability to leverage our endorsement deals with top athletes while remaining the most innovative trading card company in the industry, helps us to deliver on that goal. At the recent 2010 National Sports Collectors Convention in Baltimore, we got to spend some time with Chris Gilmore and the rest of the Freedom Card Board team which had some exciting news for us.
Freedom Card Board is a very popular online community of trading card enthusiasts. The site provides product previews, updates, checklists, sell sheets, video, tips, interviews and most importantly, a chance for collectors to engage each other through very active message boards. Gilmore, who runs the active hobby site, decided at the end of last year to have members of the site vote for their favorite products of 2009 and wouldn’t you know it, Upper Deck took home a whopping four awards.
Upper Deck’s 2009 Ultimate Collection Baseball took home two FCB Awards while Exquisite Basketball and The Cup Hockey also drew honors. What makes these awards so special to the staff here at Upper Deck is that they were voted on by the passionate trading card aficionados who love opening new trading card releases. To be able to rack up so many awards is a real thrill for all the staff at 5909 Sea Otter Place and honestly has us motivated to earn even more awards in 2010.
Even though Upper Deck has won its fair share of product awards since making its hobby debut 22 years ago, these definitely mean a lot to us which is why we have them positioned in front of all the other awards we’ve received. Thanks again to all the fans at www.freedomcardboard.com who voted. We appreciate it!
Popularity: 5% [?]
Thierry Henry: Red Hot Red Bull Card
By · CommentsHe’s only been a member of the New York Red Bulls for less than five weeks, but already the Upper Deck Company has produced a collectible trading card featuring French soccer sensation Thierry Henry. The special Upper Deck Soccer card, the first of Henry’s career as a Red Bull, is now available at Upper Deck’s online store: www.upperdeckstore.com. By purchasing two blaster boxes of Upper Deck’s 2010 Soccer product, customers will automatically receive the sought-after Henry card free of charge.
“There are few names associated with soccer right now that are bigger than Henry’s,” said Jason Masherah, Upper Deck’s vice president of Marketing. “Since we were unable to include him in our original Upper Deck Soccer product this year, for the simple fact that he was not yet a member of the league, this is a big coup for us. We’re extremely excited to get this card out into the marketplace.”
July 22: Henry scored his first MLS goal in an exhibition game against Tottenham Hotspur.
Major League Soccer gained a global icon of the sport when Henry signed with the New York Red Bulls on July 14, 2010. He wasted no time showcasing his world-class talent by scoring a goal in his very first MLS game on July 22, an exhibition battle against Tottenham Hotspur. The new collectible card from Upper Deck shows Henry scoring off that memorable sliding kick.
Henry earned his worldwide reputation while playing for Arsenal in the Premier League, becoming the club’s all-time leading scorer with 226 goals. Internationally, his accolades include victories in the 1998 World Cup, Euro 2000 and 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup while with the French national squad. He’s one of a handful of World Cup veterans to join MLS this summer.
Upper Deck released its 2010 Soccer set on May 18. The 200-card base set includes 175 standard cards, along with two subsets: “Super Draft Rookies” (15 cards) and “WPS All-Stars” (10 cards showcasing top-tier talent from Women’s Professional Soccer). All 16 of the MLS teams are included in the set with eight to 12 top-notch players per squad represented. The blaster boxes on sale now at www.upperdeckstore.com retail for $19.99 apiece and include 20 packs per blaster, eight cards per pack. Place your order today before the Henry card disappears!
Popularity: 2% [?]
Upper Deck Collector of the Month: Adam Malin
By · CommentsEach month Upper Deck spotlights one of our valued collectors to showcase their collection. The great thing about sports collectors is that they are all very different in what they collect, how they collect and what they do once they have their items. But they all share a passion that is seldom found in any other group. This month we feature a die-hard UNC fan named Adam Malin from Texas.
Adam started collecting when he was just 10 years old. It was 1986, a good time to be a sports fan in Texas as the Astros played the Mets in the NL Championship and the Rockets went to the Finals against the Celtics. That road to the Finals propelled Adam into collecting basketball cards and by the early ‘90s he had become a big fan of Michael Jordan. He amassed over 3,000 Jordan cards and eight Upper Deck Authenticated framed jerseys.
As time went by, Adam started collecting other favorite players and eventually put together an amazing collection of Upper Deck cards showing Marvin Williams. When we asked Adam what got him into collecting cards of Marvin Williams, here is what he had to say:
“I was always a big North Carolina fan because of Michael Jordan, but I also followed players like Vince Carter, Antawn Jamison, Rashad, McCants, Shammond Williams, Jerry Stackhouse, Ty Lawson, Tyler Hansbrough and more. I guess I was interested in Marvin Williams because his jersey number [24] is just one away from Michael Jordan [23] and both guys hit shots that would lead UNC to a national championship.
When it comes to Marvin Williams, Adam has the market cornerned.
“I began collecting Marvin Williams really hardcore. I had 60 of his 2005-06 Exquisite cards and tons of other autographs, patches and printing plate cards. The 2005-06 SPx Winning Materials cards were always my favorite though, so I decided to really go after those cards.
Have you seen this card??? If so, Adam is looking for it. Do a collector a favor and send it his way!
“The first time I saw the 2005-06 SPx Winning Materials cards, I really fell in love with the design. I liked the layout, the use of two jersey swatches and the photo that was used for Marvin was a really cool image of him going up for a dunk. I started with a goal of collecting 24 of the cards hoping to get all the different color jersey combinations I could find. That goal of 24 turned into 50, then 100, then 200, then 250. I wasn’t sure how many were produced so I kept going after more as I found them. Three hundred became, 350, then 400 and I just hit 500 last week. Currently I have 502 of these cards.
WOW! Look at them all! He really could use these to wallpaper a room.
“I got them all from card shops, eBay auctions and countless other helpful collectors from online trading card communities. I can honestly say I easily got at least 100 of these cards for free from generous collectors all over the world who heard about what I was trying to do. It has been really exciting to get packages from people I don’t even know from countries like New Zealand, Germany, China, Japan, Canada, Switzerland, The Philippines, Turkey, Holland, Italy, Spain and more. I also get e-mails from collectors who see the cards at shops and shows; it’s really cool how technology helps collectors reach their goals. People’s generosity in this hobby really amazes me sometimes.
“You have to be a little crazy to try to put something like this together. I am persistent, but you have to be as determined as I was with this collection to get it where it is now. I know what the value of these cards are, but really that doesn’t matter much to me. I wanted them all and I am not stopping at 500 because I know there are more out there.
“I remember seeing one of the cards I needed on eBay once and as I was about to bid on it I saw the description which read something like, ‘These are drying up fast! There is a crazy collector in the states that has 300+ of them, get them before they are gone!’ Well I won that auction and messaged the guy afterwards saying, ‘Payments sent, can’t wait to get the card, Sincerely, THE CRAZY COLLECTOR FROM THE STATES.’
“There have been some funny rumors out there about my collection like I have my walls papered with these cards or the floor tiled with them. My favorite is that I have to sleep on my couch because my room is full of Marvin Williams cards. Hopefully this dispels some of those rumors, check out this picture of all of them. They all fit in one three-row box with some room to spare.”
Proof that good things do come in a small package.
Congratulations Adam, you have really proven yourself to be THE Marvin Williams Super Collector! Help Adam continue his quest to get all the SPx Winning Materials cards out there by going through your older UD NBA cards. Did you find any Marvin Williams cards? If so, contact Adam at adamandjennie8195@hotmail.com.
Popularity: 6% [?]
The National Pastime in 2030
By · CommentsI sometimes find myself channel surfing late at night. I flipped to an old Twilight Zone episode where the Hoboken Zephyrs had a robot pitcher named Casey. It was hokey, but I hadn’t seen it in awhile and it made me think, “I wonder what baseball will be like in the future.” I didn’t want to look five years, or 10 years into the future. Why not make it interesting and jump ahead 20 years into the future. Now I’m certainly not Nostradamus or even Bob Costas, for that matter, but I grew up with baseball and feel qualified to make an informed hypothesis as to the future of the game.
Remember the Twilight Zone episode where the robot pitcher dominated the league? Will we ever see a robo-player?
Will baseball even be considered America’s game in 2030? Maybe not with increased competition from the NFL, but it just takes one good labor dispute by any league to completely turn off the fans and it looks like the NFL is heading for one soon. So there is hope for baseball and as long as fathers go out to have a catch with their kids, it will be a part of American culture.
Here are my top ten predictions of what I think Baseball will be like in 2030:
10. Increased Advertising – Remember a few years back when Sony Pictures wanted to advertise “Spiderman 2” on the bases during regular season MLB games? It could have happened. While I don’t think advertising will come on the field in the next 20 years, I do believe we’ll see it on the uniforms similar to what you have in NASCAR. It may not start off as much, but I believe that 20 years from now, players jerseys, pants and hats will all have some type of advertisement on them. I’m not saying they’ll be covered like a race suit, but in searching for more revenue, team owners will likely be open to pushing for something like this. Look for even more advertisements in stadiums, but I don’t think we’ll see advertisers make their way on the field and base paths in the next 20 years. Maybe 30…
9. More International Play – I really enjoy the World Baseball Classic, but when I go to the games, I wonder where the heck everyone is. I’ve been to high school football games with more fans. Maybe the game is just better suited for television and overseas, but it is clear that MLB is focused on growing its game internationally. With more and more players from Latin America coming into the league, there is definite potential to have a franchise south of the border. In 2030, I believe there will be a franchise in Mexico City, Ole! The financials will be tough to work out, but Spanish-speaking players and fans in Mexico would eat it up. I can also foresee that a spring training league may be set up in Japan. At the very least, the early regular season games in Japan will likely continue with some added to China as well.
The Asian community is passionate about baseball and are begging for more.
8. Pitch Clock – No, I’m not talking about how many pitches a pitcher throws, I’m talking about how long it takes them to throw a pitch after getting it back from the catcher. That’s right, put them on the clock. If you don’t get the pitch off within 45 seconds from having it in your glove, that’s an automatic ball. Hey, that’s how we do it in 2030! Long overdue if you ask me.
7. Less “Fan” Interaction at the Stadium – Fans are great for the game of baseball, but remember, fan is short for “fanatic.” Fans have the potential to go a little crazy. Streaking, pouring beers on players, shouting profanity or even running onto the field to attack coaches are all actions of fanatics. I read the story about a fanatic in Philly intentionally vomiting on a father and daughter. Are you kidding me? Even players can be fanatics, just look at Milton Bradley. And while these crazy outbursts are rare, when they do happen it triggers a very strong response from MLB and the MLBPA. One of the great things about going to the ballpark is having the ability to be so close to the players, but unfortunately in the next 20 years, I’m pretty sure a small group of fanatics will do something idiotic that requires additional security at the gate and more security between players and the fans at the ballpark. I’m not talking about trenches and moats, but higher walls, more space between the stands and field and of course more security staff on the field are all likely on the horizon for baseball’s future.
Will fanatics ruin the game for everyone? Looks like he's thinking, "Maybe this wasn't the best idea..."
6. The Billion Dollar Player – Move over Alex Rodriguez, the billion dollar player is coming. No, maybe not in five or 10 years, but in 15 to 20 years it could definitely happen. Tickets will probably be $500 a game by then anyway so don’t say it can’t happen.
5. Pete Rose and Shoeless Joe Jackson are inducted into Cooperstown – Americans are pretty forgiving, especially as more and more time passes. No betting on baseball is a very strong rule, but I believe these two athletes will be forgiven in the next 20 years. Not necessarily because baseball wants to, but because baseball may need a positive PR story like this to help the sport survive and remain relevant in the USA. Many believe the NFL is America’s game now, so why not have a campaign where these athletes are publicly forgiven and honored for their accomplishments on the field. If we could just keep Pete out of the casinos this would be a lot easier…
Sooner or later they will accept your apology Pete. Hang in there.
4. Baseball Cards Go Digital – Always leading the way with innovation, Upper Deck brought a digital trading card to the market back in 2000 with PowerDeck, but it was ahead of its time and collectors didn’t embrace it. Twenty years in the future, I believe a strong segment of baseball cards will move to a completely digital experience with better results from fans where users can play games, interact with players and win prizes through cards that are digitally traded with computers, cell phones and whatever else comes next. The physical trading cards will never go away and Upper Deck is working on some remarkable new technologies currently to really blow collectors’ minds. It blows my mind to think about what the physical cards will look like in 20 years when we are already planning some amazing new insert card sets in next couple years. It’s going to be a lot of fun.
The digital trading card has been done, what's next?
3. Unbelievable New Stadiums – The new Yankee Stadium and Citi Field have set the stage for new mega-stadiums in major markets. Unfortunately, out with the old and in with the new in some cases. I think in order to remain competitive with New York, Boston will have a new Fenway Park 20 years from now. I also think a new Dodger Stadium (along with a powerful new Dodgers owner) are not that far off. I can’t see Wrigley Field getting demolished in the next 20 years, however. While both Wrigley and Fenway are considered cathedrals for baseball, the Chicago faithful would riot for months if the wrecking ball came close to West Addison. Boston fans love Fenway too, but if it meant putting a better product on the field and competing with the hated Yankees, I think they’ll be more apt to do it.
2. A Major Record Will Fall – I think over the next 20 years we will see Joe DiMaggio’s 56-game hit streak record fall. It’s one of the most impressive personal records ever, but players have come close before and it’s one of the few major records of meaning that a player would want to shoot for. And I don’t know when this blitz of no-hitters and perfect games is going to stop. The next few years may continue to see pitching dominance, but after that, look out Joltin’ Joe.
1. Instant Replay and Challenges – We’ll see this not just for home runs and foul balls as we do today, but replay will extend to catches and questionable calls on the bases with the opportunity for managers to challenge umpires’ calls. I don’t think you can ever take balls and strikes away from the umpires, however. Although tennis in particular incorporates technology to tell if a ball is in or out, calling balls and strikes is part of the game that I just can’t see ever being taken away from the umpires.
"I object!" How much does Armando Galarraga wish there was a challenge flag in baseball to save his perfect game?
Do these sound fair or foul? What do you think the future holds for baseball 20 years from now?
Popularity: 3% [?]
I Got Lucky at the National
By · CommentsEvery few years my wife and I try to shake things up, and this year we did so by moving from Salt Lake City to Washington, D.C. Talk about change. But I was excited that pretty much my first week out there I would get the chance to see some old friends from Upper Deck. I’ve had a lot of luck with Upper Deck over the years. You see I won their Presidential Predictors contest two years ago and got the chance to throw out the first pitch at a Padres game. The next day I was able to tour the UD facility. It was awesome! I made friends with so many people at UD, I became a contributor to their Blog as well. And as luck would have it, I found out they would be in the neighborhood for the National Sports Collectors Convention the same week I moved in, so I just had to drop by.
I imagine heaven being a lot like a sports memorabilia convention. When I arrived at the show in Baltimore last week I met up with Chris Carlin, UD’s sports marketing & social media manager, and he walked me back to the company’s booth. The show was massive so we had time to talk as we made our way to the booth glancing at tables along the way. As far as I was concerned there were gold bricks lying everywhere. Autographed memorabilia, cards, paintings, cards, bats, cards, balls and more cards. You get the picture, I really love cards. I asked Chris how one could be sure they were getting an authentic autograph item even if they bought it here. He reminded me that even though it looked good you still had to do some research to make sure you were actually receiving something authentic. I guess that’s one of the good things about Upper Deck Authenticated, they witness every signature, but they were not around when Babe Ruth was signing so you’ve got to do your homework before making a big purchase, especially at a show.
Although the Upper Deck booth was not the biggest at the show, its presentation was perfect. There were two tall, well-lit glass displays with a myriad of UD product showcased. To me the most impressive was the complete set of Entomology cards from the 2009 Goodwin Champions set and also the Michael Jordan Curve display which included a piece of the United Center floor autographed by His Airness. Other items on display were an autographed Tiger Woods framed photograph and a card with actual cable from the Golden Gate Bridge. We also got a preview of the upcoming 2010 Sweet Spot Football and 2009-10 NHL The Cup cards which are coming out soon.
After being introduced to everyone in the booth I got to meet some of Upper Deck’s Diamond Club members who were trading cards and opening high-end products at the booth. They are just a great group of extremely passionate collectors who show their loyalty by collecting LOTS of Upper Deck product. In return for their loyalty, Upper Deck puts together a variety of events for them throughout the year to make sure they know they are appreciated. The Saturday morning I was in attendance UD had an informal meet-and-greet set up with Packers Hall-of-Fame quarterback Bart Starr. How cool is that? I was lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time as Chris asked me to join them for the event.
Since there are so many cards out there it is easy to have a huge collection without a lot of value. As a collector myself, I want to really focus on players I think will have some future value and for the time being I have narrowed my focus to 2005-06 NBA rookie cards of Deron Williams and Chris Paul. Not only do I think their rookie cards will continue to escalate in value, they are also two of my favorite players to watch. I found a booth that actually had some product from that year in stock at a reasonable price. I purchased a pack of 2005-06 NBA SP Signature Edition and picked the tin with Larry Bird on it. Tucked in between two common cards I found myself holding a Deron Williams Rookie INKorporated Autograph card numbered to 50. I couldn’t believe my luck and even some of the Diamond Club members were impressed. What a great find!
There was a long line of collectors wrapping around the hall to the Upper Deck booth for the wrapper redemption program they were hosting at noon each day. Upper Deck created a special series of cards specifically for the National Sports Collectors Convention and the only way to get them was by opening packs of current Upper Deck product in front of one of the UD team representatives. Each day there were different packs, and by coming back every day you could collect the entire set. Randomly inserted were autograph cards of LeBron James, Michael Jordan, Gordie Howe and more. I saw one kid get a LeBron James and Michael Jordan card out of two different packs. Apparently I’m not the only one who has luck with Upper Deck products.
Chris let me help a bit by passing out tickets for a raffle Upper Deck was holding that afternoon. Another huge gathering of sports fans converged on the Upper Deck booth for the raffle where UD was giving away a Mitchell & Ness jersey, 1-of-1 printing plate cards, a Zach Parise signed puck and a Peyton Manning signed Tennessee Volunteers mini helmet. Those who didn’t win received some Upper Deck sling packs as a consolation prize, which was nice to see so not many people walked away empty-handed.
I continued to visit with collectors throughout the afternoon at the UD booth and there was a common theme I heard over and over again. I heard them talk about how they love the quality of Upper Deck’s products. They shared how they miss Upper Deck making NBA products in particular. They liked how UD was there to help and had staff on hand to help them with any issues. But more than anything, the sentiment collectors shared about Upper Deck was that they really cared. This wasn’t news to me as I have been lucky enough to experience that all first hand on several other occasions.
At the end of the day I walked the show a little more and picked up some more unopened product just hoping I could make it home before I started opening the packs. It was a lot of fun to get to spend so much time with the Upper Deck team and their rabid collectors. I’m excited to see the products they have in store for collectors like me and I’m already making plans to attend the show next year in Chicago. To top off an already great day I found five bucks while I was walking to my car. What can I say, when it comes to Upper Deck, I’m just lucky.
Popularity: 5% [?]
