How to Tip on Vacation in Mexico
By · CommentsMy wife and I just went down to Playa Del Carmen in Mexico for our second honeymoon and it was just great. No emails. No phone calls. No baby. It was amazingly rejuvenating. Before I left though, I thought I would bring a couple packs of 2011 SP Game-Used Soccer I had at my desk figuring some of the staff at the resort would get a kick out of the cards with soccer, I mean fútbol, being so popular down there.
I had my wife stock them away in her purse and I almost forgot about them until we had an exceptionally great server one night and we began chatting about fútbol in my horrifically bad Spanglish. As a thank you for his great service, on top of a tip, I gave him one of the packs. He looked at it a bit confused for a minute and I shared, “Esos son tarjetas de fútbol.” A big smile came to his face and he opened the pack. He poured through the cards and thanked me repeatedly. He took them back and showed some of the other servers who looked at them in jealousy. They actually almost started fighting over them. I had no idea these would be such a tremendous hit with them.
Most staff at resorts in Mexico LOVE soccer and sharing fútbol cards with them was a big hit!
The next day I met a staffer who was excited to hear I work for Upper Deck because he shared he has Brett Favre’s Upper Deck rookie card. I asked him if he liked fútbol and he began talking so fast I couldn’t understand a word he said. I shared a pack with him as well and he was just in heaven showing them to other staff and talking about how excited he was to share them with his kids. He actually pulled a great card as well so it was fun to see his excitement as he quickly became the envy of all the other servers.
All smiles!!! Most Mexicans are very passionate about soccer and loved the opportunity to score Upper Deck soccer cards.
The only problem became that as word got out around the resort the most common question I was asked by staff was, “¿Tiene mas tarjetas de fútbol?” Which means, “Do you have more soccer cards?” Had I realized how much of a hit these were, I would have definitely bought a few boxes of the Upper Deck Soccer cards and will certainly do so when I visit Mexico again. Their passion for the game is unmatched and seeing them interact with the cards only affirmed that for me. If you want great service when you go on vacation to Mexico, bring plenty of “tarjetas de fútbol!”
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Collectors 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.
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We love to spotlight our Certified Diamond Dealer partners and some reasons why you need to visit their stores. And with the 2012 Jordan Brand Classic coming up this weekend in Charlotte, North Carolina, Upper Deck is partnering with our Featured Retailer to provide fans with tickets and more! The Jordan Brand Classic (JBC) is an annual basketball event that features the next generation of hoop stars. Alumni who have appeared in the JBC before include Chris Paul, Carmelo Anthony, LeBron James, Kevin Durant and more. If you are in the North Carolina area and want to check out these future superstars take flight, make sure to visit All Things Collectible this week!
The Jordan Brand Classic has become such a big event, with such top-tier prospects, Upper Deck has incorporated some of the game-used memorabilia into basketball card sets.
All Things Collectible
4312 Wilkinson Boulevard, Suite F
Gastonia, NC 28056
(704)824-0010
Email: sportscardsandall@hotmail.com
Click HERE to “Like” All Things Collectible on Facebook and click HERE to “Follow” All Things Collectible on Twitter
Monday – Friday: 1:00PM – 7:00PM, Saturday: 11:00AM – 7:00PM, Sunday: 1:00PM – 7:00PM
I personally enjoy a hobby shop that has a strong variety of items they carry and if you are anything like me, you are going to love All Things Collectible. This week we are running a special promotion with All Things Collectible where you can get FREE passes to the 2012 Jordan Brand Classic with an Upper Deck purchase at the store. Talk to Will Hannah at the shop for more details. And here are a few more reasons why you should visit the shop straight from Will.
Stop into All Things Collectible this week and grab your tickets to the 2012 Jordan Brand Classic courtesy of UD and ATC!
“Everyone has different reasons for opening a hobby shop, but I’ve found the core reasons are pretty much the same. Those being that you want to be able to make a living and provide for your family, but more than that, we do this because sports are our passion and love. I have been in the collectibles business since 1987 and have been able to grow my business over the years despite ups and downs in the economy. I started out setting up at local flea markets and shows in high school. After graduation I opened up my own brick and mortar store.
Most shop owners don't open packs and boxes, but Will enjoys the thrill! He gets a kick out of collecting with his #1 employee; his dad!
“I’m a little different than most shop owners in that I really love to rip open new boxes of cards. I collect anything from football, baseball, basketball, non-sports and even hockey. Most importantly for me is the chance to enjoy the hobby while spending time with my best employee; my dad. He worked a lot while I was growing up so we didn’t get to spend too much time together. Now we get to see each other every day while we share our love for collecting with each other and along with our loyal customers.
All Things Collectible really has an amazing assortment of items for every type of collector.
“At All Things Collectible, we carry a wide-range of products from all the major sports as well as fringe sports like racing and minor league products along with non-sports boxes. We also have the largest collection of gaming cards in the area with boxes and packs of the major trading card games (TCG’s) like Magic: The Gathering, Pokemon, Yu-Gi-Oh! and more. If cards are not really your thing then we also have new and old comics along with a subscription service. Supplies to house all your valuable items can also be purchased here along with advice on which ones to use.
If you are a comic collector in North Carolina, you've got to stop into All Things Collectible!
“We try to create a fun atmosphere were customers can stop by and open some packs or boxes and talk sports or gaming. We have a very diverse customer base and that makes the store a great place to visit because you get to see people having experiences with so many different types of products. We carry over 500 different boxes of sports, gaming and non-sports boxes currently in stock as well as loose packs from 1983 up to the present. There is always something to see at All Things Collectible so stop by and pay us a visit, especially if you want some great tickets to the JBC this weekend!”
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What’s not to like about Bubba Watson? He is an amazing talent on the golf course. He is a man of faith. He is a family man. He is a lefty who hits the ball over 350 yards. He likes pink. He is the type of player you just can’t help rooting for. He wanted an Upper Deck card, and we’ve delivered over and over again. And now he is the 2012 Masters Champion. It has been a lot of fun to watch Bubba get better and better since we began working with him. I personally have the feeling that “Bubba Golf,” is here to stay and we are going to see a lot more from him with regard to amazing shots and more tour victories in the future.
Upper Deck has produced some cards of Bubba Watson before for promotional and multi-sport set, but this July we will be releasing the first stand-alone golf set since 2005 and there will be plenty of Bubba content to go around. Enjoy this sneak peek at just some of the Bubba Watson cards you can find in 2012 SP Authentic Golf.
This is what Bubba's base rookie card will look like. We also have autograph parallels in the works as well.
This will be one of the autograph parallel cards in the set.
Here is another autograph parallel card in the 2012 SP Authentic Golf set of Bubba.
There will be a variety of topical multi-signed cards in 2012 SP Authentic Golf as well featuring Bubba Watson. This one showcases signatures from some of the longest drivers in the game.
Cards depicted for demonstration purposes only. Cards and set content subject to change without further notice.
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From 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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