Archive for Basketball
Ask UD: Moves, New Address, Customer Care, Checklists and TBD Redemptions
Posted by: | CommentsAs Upper Deck’s Customer Care Manager, it is my goal to help educate our collectors and fans so they can have a better experience with our collectible products. I’ll routinely post updates about what we hear on the phones and through e-mails from customers in segments called Ask UD. I hope you find this information relevant and interesting. If you have questions yourself, please feel free to leave a comment and “Ask UD!”
Here are some of the questions we’ve received recently in Customer Care:
Ask Upper Deck: The Customer Care group was working on a move last week, can you update us on that?
Nick Leslie: Some pretty exciting changes there. We are moving our corporate headquarters just down the street later on this summer, but we have moved out Quality Assurance and Redemption teams to our printing facility in North Carolina. While Quality Assurance and Redemption requests will be slowed up a bit during this transition as they get settled out there, this will be a very positive change for two key reasons:
1. In the past we have been receiving cards at our facility in North Carolina and having them sent out here. It takes time to package them up, ship them out, get them from there to here and then getting unpacked. By having our teams out there, that shipping time is removed from the equation allowing us to get cards in the hands of our customers quicker.
2. By not having to ship items, we can also save money on packaging and shipping which can ultimately be used to deliver more value in products.
So it is a positive change for us. And with that change, comes opportunity. We are currently looking to hire some staff in that area to work in our Redemption & Quality Assurance teams. If you’ve always dreamed of working in the sports industry and you are in North Carolina, this may be your chance. Check out some of the positions we have available out there by clicking here.
With this move comes a new address as well. Starting today, if you have are sending items with a case number to our Quality Assurance group or if you are sending in redemptions like the 2011 Upper Deck Football stripe cards, you want to send them to the following address:
Warehouse – RD
The Upper Deck Company
1001 Aviation Boulevard, Suite 100
Morrisville, NC 27560
It is important to note that if this is for redemptions, mark it “Attn. Redemptions.” For Quality Assurance mark “Attn. SF Case #(enter case number provided by Customer Care).” You must have a case number provided by Customer Care to have a claim processed by Upper Deck. Please do not send any items in without contacting us first.
Ask Upper Deck: Any other changes we should be aware of?
Nick Leslie: There is a pretty big one for me personally. I’ve accepted the position of Sports & Entertainment coordinator for Upper Deck which is pretty exciting for me. I grew up working in a card shop with my dad and I’ve always dreamed about being the one who built the products that end up on store shelves. Now I’m getting my chance and I’m really excited. Hopefully I can take all that I’ve learned in working so closely with our customers over the years to make products they will thoroughly enjoy. I am transitioning to my new responsibilities this week.
And with me heading out of the Customer Care group, I am happy to report we will be transitioning my current responsibilities over to my very capable replacement, Gregg Cacioppo. Gregg collected cards as a kid and still enjoys the hobby himself. His degree is in Sports Administration and we plucked him up right out of college a couple years back working in our Marketing group as an intern. We realized pretty quickly that Gregg was special so we brought him on as a Customer Care agent for Upper Deck Authenticated. Gregg certainly didn’t disappoint there and because of his strong performance we created a position for him where he would manage concerns and queries from our Diamond Club members. It is his time and I know he’s going to be great in this role so look for “Ask UD” updates from Gregg going forward!
Gregg Cacioppo is taking over as Supervisor of Upper Deck's Customer Care group.
Ask Upper Deck: When will you post the checklist for Marvel Beginnings and SP Authentic Basketball?
Nick Leslie: One of the nice things about our new website is that we can publish preliminary checklists earlier for customers. Two that we had a little trouble with where the new Marvel Beginnings and SP Authentic Basketball releases. Those have now been updated and are live. You can download the Marvel Beginnings checklist by clicking here and you can download the SP Authentic Basketball checklist by clicking here.
SP Authentic Basketball has been a fun break for collectors with plenty of Michael Jordan content.
Ask Upper Deck: Any more news on the TBD Exquisite Football redemptions?
Nick Leslie: As we have shared before, we inserted these without indicating which athlete collectors would receive to allow us the freedom of walking away from problem signers if they do not return their cards to us in a timely fashion. We produced less redemptions than we have cards outstanding to be able to make that happen. Fans have wanted us to share who these players will be, but we are not going to release that list until we have received back enough cards to provide a good enough mix to begin sending them. It doesn’t make sense to release a list at this time either given the fact that these will all be sent out at random so collectors who redeemed them will not know what they received until they receive their package from us, kind of like opening up a pack. The players we have in this mix are representative of others who are in the set, primarily mid-range players. We appreciate collector’s patience while we work to get in the rest of these delinquent signatures so we can get them out to our customers.
We are working hard to get players to sign so we can get TBD Exquisite redemptions out to customers.
Popularity: 2% [?]
Upper Deck Announces a Revolutionary New “Green” Trading Card
Posted by: | CommentsSt. Patrick’s Day has passed, but at Upper Deck we are still thinking green. On the heels of announcing we will be releasing the first-ever video trading card called EVOLUTION in 2011 Upper Deck Football on April 12, we are at it again. For the past few years, the Upper Deck Product Development Team has been working on a trading card that is eco-friendly and we are pleased to share we are finally ready to bring a recycled card to market.
As many sports card collectors are aware, trading cards were mass produced throughout the 1980’s and many collectors still have shoe boxes filled with these cards. As these cards are hardly scarce, Upper Deck wanted to help collectors who had invested so heavily in them by ridding many of them from the market. About six months ago UD started a large buyback campaign to do just that, purchasing tens of thousands of these cards and recycling them for a revolutionary new trading card product called 2011 Upper Deck Green Basketball. The card is printed on 100% recycled trading cards from the 1980’s.
“From focus group testing we found there were collectors who were devastated by losses they suffered on mass produced cards from the 1980’s,” said Upper Deck’s Sports Marketing Manager, Chris Carlin. “We believe that we can help make those cards more collectible again by removing large quantities of them from the market. If they become scarce, they will become valuable and we can win these collectors back. At the same time, we believe we are also helping the environment by using those cards to create an entirely new set. We believe that 2011 Upper Deck Green Basketball can help to put a freeze on cutting down trees.”
Using recycled trading cards from the 1980's, Upper Deck has produced the first-ever recycled trading card!
Upper Deck has always believed the conservationists represent a tremendous untapped customer base. This is an exciting new way to tap into sports fans that are also passionate about recycling. And while the new “Green” trading cards may not look quite as nice as some of Upper Deck’s other trading cards, the company reminds fans that they are recycled.
“Yes, we’ve has some issues with some of the cards falling a part during the production process,” explains Carlin. “We will be including a small roll of clear tape in each box to aid in reassembling those cards. The corners and edges are a bit of an issue as well as they are not exactly even and sharp like most collectors like. If you think about it though, that should really make the cards more sought after. Like a snowflake, no two cards will be alike; they are all one-of-kind collectibles.”
The 100-card set of 2011 Upper Deck Green Basketball will debut only in your dreams because if you haven’t guessed by now, you’ve been had. Happy April Fools Day sports fans!
Popularity: 1% [?]
Be on the Lookout for Michael Jordan Signed UNC Mini Banners
Posted by: | CommentsEarlier this week we shared information about the new Upper Deck University of North Carolina Basketball set, but we didn’t share everything. In the blaster boxes we included a special National Championship mini banner for each of UNC’s five National Championships. They came out really nice and are sure to be a great keepsake for UNC fans.
UD included mini championship banners in blaster boxes of the new 2011 Upper Deck North Carolina Basketball product
What fans don’t know is that we actually had Michael Jordan himself lend his signature to some of these. That’s right, his Airness himself lent his signature to a small amount of the 1982 mini banners as a special way of celebrating that amazing championship run. We are hopeful they find their way to appreciative Chapel Hill residents!
This picture was taken after a recent signing session where Michael Jordan added his autograph to some of these mini UNC championship banners
And while the Tar Heel nation may be disappointed for the moment that their team didn’t make the Final Four. This set serves as a reminder of the greatness of that program and a great way to relive those feel good moments for the UNC faithful.
Popularity: 1% [?]
Brag Photo: New UDA Curve™ Displays Coming Soon
Posted by: | CommentsWhen the Upper Deck Curve™ Displays first hit the market, we knew we had stumbled upon an innovative new way to display signed memorabilia. Now we are taking that to the next level. The Upper Deck design team has been busy at work to come up with some new displays that really help show off memorabilia pieces like shoes, basketballs, footballs and helmets.
We have the first prototypes in today and people around the office were just drooling over how cool these displays are. The memorabilia pieces from LeBron James and Aaron Rodgers definitely “pop” when placed in these displays. Enjoy a sneak peek at some of these first images of the new Curve™ Displays, only from Upper Deck Authenticated.
Lambeau field looms in the background of this Aaron Rodgers signed helmet
A quote from Green Bay legend Vince Lombardi adds a unique element to this display
All of a sudden, it is more than just a signed basketball
A unique background like this takes an ordinary memorabilia piece to an entirely new level
The signed LeBron James shoes look amazing in the new UDA Curve Displays
Stay tuned for more details on these new Upper Deck Authenticated items! Oh, and it’s okay to go ahead and put these at the top of your Christmas list for next year now…
Popularity: 1% [?]
Is the NBA getting too soft?
Posted by: | CommentsOkay, I’ll admit it. I’m a Celtics fan; have been for more than 40 years. Blame my dad. He brainwashed his kids early on to root for all teams Boston, despite the fact that we grew up on Long Island. He was a born-and-bred Bostonian and proud of it. For the most part, it’s been a lot of fun. With 17 NBA titles, seven World Series rings, five Stanley Cups and three Super Bowl wins to Beantown’s credit, it’s actually been quite bountiful.
Which is what leads me to my latest observation: Is the NBA getting too soft in its efforts to police its own players? As the Celts battle for their 18th ring this month and next, I couldn’t help but notice Kevin Garnett’s latest flare-up and subsequent suspension for winging a solid left elbow to the left cheek of Miami’s Quentin Richardson during Sunday’s Game 1 of their Eastern Conference opening-round series. After trailing by as many as 14 points, the C’s came back and took control of the game in the fourth quarter. Then, with less than two minutes remaining, Boston Captain Paul Pierce pulled one of his Oscar-winning routines after dropping a bounce pass off to Garnett from the left side.
He landed on the floor near the Heat’s bench where Garnett and the curiously interested Richardson came to check on Pierce’s status (he was fine, like he always is). But when Garnett told Richardson to mind his own business, several other players converged to see what was up. In a matter of seconds, pushing ensued and then Garnett flung an elbow to make a point: Don’t stick your nose where it doesn’t belong. With adrenaline pumping and tempers flaring, it’s very difficult to get athletes (NBA or otherwise) to go quietly into the night. That was certainly the case in point here with Garnett. Now I’m not condoning his cheap-shot elbow to Richardson, but I am questioning the one-game suspension that followed. It was surprising to me as well as a lot of other basketball watchers.
Bill Laimbeer: The definitive crybaby.
Because I can remember a certain game during the 1987 Eastern Conference Finals between the Celtics and Pistons – you know, when men were men and body bruises proved it – when a loudmouth by the name of Bill Laimbeer got leveled by one Robert Parish and the zebras didn’t call a thing. Maybe they didn’t see it, or maybe they just didn’t like Laimbeer. Or maybe they saw everything, including Laimbeer’s constant whining and earlier mugging of Larry Bird, and just decided to let “The Chief” put an end to things. Parish, as you may recall, was an imposing figure back then and did project a rather intimidating presence with his stoic stare. But more than anything, it was just part of the game and play went on. No “T” was called, no ejection followed, and certainly no one-game suspension took place. It was simply overlooked, conceivably for the good of the game.
Robert Parish was one tough cookie.
Which brings me to my $64,000 question: Do you think the referees in NBA games are too quick to call fouls, ticky-tack or otherwise? As it turns out, the Celtics blasted the Heat in Game 2 (minus Garnett) by a 106-77 margin. I was surprised by that outcome too, but I’d still like to hear your opinion on NBA refs. What do you say?
Popularity: 1% [?]
