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Upper Deck Releases 2011 Goodwin Champions Set
Posted by: | CommentsJust as the 2011 professional baseball season readies itself for its annual Mid-Summer Classic later this month, the Upper Deck Company is excited to release its second baseball-themed trading card set of the year: 2011 Goodwin Champions! The 231-card regular set features an impressive array of baseball legends and prospects plus memorable champions and standouts from many other sports as well!
NOTHING BASE ABOUT IT: Nolan Ryan is part of the 231-card regular set.
The box break summary is enticing to say the least, with three of the following four categories guaranteed (on average): hard-signed autograph cards; single- or dual-swatch memorabilia cards; embroidered animal patch cards; and 1-of-1 printing plates! In addition, on average, collectors can expect to yield 10 Goodwin Champions Minis per box; one “Figures of Sport” die-cut insert; one “World Traveler (5” x 7”) box topper; and one “Goodwin Citizen” insert card consisting of notable historical figures including Louie Pasteur, Herman Melville, Walt Whitman, Jules Vern, Louis Vuitton and Vincent Van Gogh.
LBJ: Each of the Commanders-in-Chief have a total of 10 hand-painted "Presidential Masterpieces" cards in the set.
Outstanding best describes the phenomenal lineup of hard-signed autograph cards found inside 2011 Goodwin Champions. A total of 84 sports stars have signature cards including Alex Ovechkin, Annika Sorenstam, Bode Miller, Chris Paul, Nolan Ryan, Bill Walton, Steve Carlton, Carlton Fisk, Candace Parker, David Robinson, Walt Frazier, Greg Louganis, Mia Hamm, Bo Jackson, Johnny Bench, Janet Evans, Jim Rice, Larry Bird, Bubba Watson, Landon Donovan, LeBron James, Johnny Miller, Michael Jordan, Michelle Wie, Mark Spitz, Wayne Gretzky, Ryne Sandberg, Bobby Orr and Tiger Woods. This release marks the first time that both Watson and Wie will have autograph cards appearing in a trading card set.
MRS. NOMAR: U.S. Women's Soccer icon Mia Hamm has autographed cards in the set.
The base set alone features 150 regular cards, 40 short prints, 20 super short prints, and 21 high series minis short prints. A brand new element to this year’s release is an impressive array of hand-painted “Goodwin Masterpieces Presidential Series” cards showcasing all 43 U.S. Presidents. Each President has a total of 10 hand-painted cards which allows collectors the opportunity to build a full set. Another new addition to the 2011 version is an insert collection entitled “Museum Collections Relics” which includes extraordinary rarities from historical icons like Abraham Lincoln, Annie Oakley, Napoleon, The White House and even the Spirit of St. Louis!
WATCH OUT: The Entomology lineup includes this interesting delivery of a rusty brown scorpion!
But wait, there’s more; “Animal Kingdom” patch cards make their Goodwin Champions debut as well. Seek out cool patch cards spotlighting the likes of such incredible animals and mammals like the salt water crocodile, the red-eyed tree frog, the North American Moose, the King Cobra, the humpback whale, the great white shark and the African elephant. The Animal Kingdom cards are all seeded at different rations based upon the featured animal’s actual endangered species status. Finally, rare Thoroughbred Hair Cuts cards return to the mix featuring Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver and 2007 Preakness winner Curlin.
Upper Deck’s 2011 Goodwin Champions Baseball set boasts five cards per pack, 20 packs per box, and is available on store shelves now.
The key elements (and seeding ratios) within 2011 Goodwin Champions are as follows:
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AUTOGRAPHS (overall odds 1:20 hobby)
This 84-card set is broken into six distinct tiers of scarcity as follows:
GROUP A (1:1,577 hobby)
| A-AO | Alexander Ovechkin |
| A-DR | David Robinson |
| A-FR | Walt Frazier |
| A-GH | Grant Hill |
| A-JB | Johnny Bench |
| A-LB | Larry Bird |
| A-MA | Magic Johnson |
| A-NR | Nolan Ryan |
| A-OL | Hakeem Olajuwon |
| A-RC | Randy Couture |
| A-RD | Derrick Rose |
| A-TW | Tiger Woods |
GROUP B (1:729 hobby)
| A-CF | Carlton Fisk |
| A-HA | Mia Hamm |
| A-IL | Igor Larionov |
| A-JA | Bo Jackson |
| A-JT | John Tavares |
| A-LO | Lou Brock |
| A-MU | Stan Musial |
| A-PA | Chris Paul |
| A-RO | Dennis Rodman |
| A-RS | Ryne Sandberg |
| A-WF | Whitey Ford |
| A-WG | Wayne Gretzky |
GROUP C (1:339 hobby)
| A-AB | Amanda Beard |
| A-BM | Bode Miller |
| A-BO | Jon “Bones” Jones |
| A-BW | Bill Walton |
| A-CA | Steve Carlton |
| A-CN | Cam Neely |
| A-HO | Gordie Howe |
| A-LD | Landon Donovan |
| A-LJ | LeBron James |
| A-MJ | Michael Jordan |
| A-MM | Manny Machado |
| A-MW | Michelle Wie |
| A-SC | Sidney Crosby |
GROUP D (1:246 hobby)
| A-AS | Annika Sorenstam |
| A-GL | Greg Louganis |
| A-JM | Julia Mancuso |
| A-JR | Jim Rice |
| A-NL | Nastia Liukin |
| A-OR | Bobby Orr |
| A-RL | Ryan Lavarnway |
| A-TP | Tony Perez |
| A-WA | Bubba Watson |
GROUP E (1:72 hobby)
| A-AW | Abby Wambach |
| A-BE | Layne Beachley |
| A-BL | Bill Laimbeer |
| A-CP | Candace Parker |
| A-DH | Damien Hobgood |
| A-HS | Hope Solo |
| A-HW | Hayley Wickenheiser |
| A-LP | Laffit Pincay Jr. |
| A-LW | LeVon Washington |
| A-MD | Matt Danowski |
| A-ML | Johnny Miller |
| A-OC | Dennis “Oil Can” Boyd |
| A-PR | Paul Rabil |
| A-SM | Mike Smith |
| A-SP | Mark Spitz |
| A-TG | Tyson Gay |
| A-TH | Tim Hardaway |
GROUP F (1:35 hobby)
| A-AA | Amber & Angela Cope |
| A-BS | Billy Sims |
| A-CG | Cammi Granato |
| A-CH | Cody Hawn |
| A-CJ | C.J. Hobgood |
| A-GB | Gretchen Bleiler |
| A-HM | Hunter Mahan |
| A-JE | Janet Evans |
| A-JG | Jonathan Garcia |
| A-JL | John Lamb |
| A-JO | Marion Jones |
| A-KK | Kasey Keller |
| A-KV | Kolbrin Vitek |
| A-LI | Brittany Lincicome |
| A-MO | Mike Olt |
| A-PE | Carlos Perez |
| A-PL | Pierre Lueders |
| A-PT | Peter Tago |
| A-RM | Ramon Morla |
| A-RY | Robinson Yambati |
| A-YV | Yordano Ventura |
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MEMORABILIA (overall 1:13 hobby)
This 51-card set is broken into four distinct groups of scarcity as follows:
GROUP A (1:14,613 hobby)
| M-FDR | Franklin Delano Roosevelt |
| M-HT | Harry Truman |
| M-TR | Theodore Roosevelt |
GROUP B (1:179 hobby)
| M-CD | Clyde Drexler |
| M-DR | David Robinson |
| M-JL | Julius Erving |
| M-RD | Dennis Rodman |
| M-RO | Derrick Rose |
| M-SC | Sidney Crosby |
| M-SY | Steve Yzerman |
| M-TW | Tiger Woods |
| M-WG | Wayne Gretzky |
GROUP C (1:31 hobby)
| M-AI | Troy Aikman |
| M-AM | Alonzo Mourning |
| M-AO | Alexander Ovechkin |
| M-AW | Abby Wambach |
| M-BS | Barry Sanders |
| M-EH | Earl Campbell |
| M-GH | Grant Hill |
| M-OL | Hakeem Olajuwon |
| M-HO | Hope Solo |
| M-JE | John Elway |
| M-JM | Johnny Miller |
| M-JO | Magic Johnson |
| M-JR | Jerry Rice |
| M-LB | Larry Bird |
| M-LJ | LeBron James |
| M-MD | Matt Danowski |
| M-ME | Mark Messier |
| M-MJ | Michael Jordan |
| M-ML | Mario Lemieux |
| M-PR | Paul Rabil |
| M-RY | Patrick Roy |
| M-YO | Steve Young |
GROUP D (1:22 hobby)
| M-BJ | Bo Jackson |
| M-CN | Cam Neely |
| M-CP | Chris Paul |
| M-DD | DeWayne DeRosario |
| M-EL | Eric Lindros |
| M-IL | Igor Larionov |
| M-KK | Kasey Keller |
| M-KS | Kyle Skipworth |
| M-LD | Landon Donovan |
| M-MC | Michael Choice |
| M-MH | Hunter Mahan |
| M-MM | Manny Machado |
| M-NG | Natalie Gulbis |
| M-PT | Peter Tago |
| M-RB | Ray Bourque |
| M-RW | Russell Westbrook |
| M-TA | John Tavares |
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MEMORABILIA DUAL-SWATCH VARIATIONS (overall 1:320 hobby)
This 11-card is broken into five distinct groups of scarcity as follows:
GROUP A (1:87,680 hobby)
| M2-TR | Theodore Roosevelt |
GROUP B (1:8,768 hobby)
| M2-TW | Tiger Woods |
GROUP C (1:2,923 hobby)
| M2-AO | Alexander Ovechkin |
| M2-SY | Steve Yzerman |
GROUP D (1:877 hobby)
| M2-JE | John Elway |
| M2-LD | Landon Donovan |
| M2-MJ | Michael Jordan |
| M2-SC | Sidney Crosby |
GROUP E (1:585 hobby)
| M2-JM | Johnny Miller |
| M2-LJ | LeBron James |
| M2-MM | Manny Machado |
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ANIMAL KINGDOM PATCHES (overall 1:62 hobby)
The checklist for this ground-breaking 100-card set is structured upon the actual endangered species status of each animal provided on the back of the card (ranging from Least Concern to Extinct).
LEAST CONCERN (1:78 hobby)
| AK-1 | Bald Eagle |
| AK-2 | Emperor Penguin |
| AK-3 | Koala Bear |
| AK-4 | Platypus |
| AK-5 | Robin |
| AK-6 | Cougar |
| AK-7 | Nine-Banded Armadillo |
| AK-8 | Caribbean Flamingo |
| AK-9 | Grizzly Bear |
| AK-10 | Fennec Fox |
| AK-11 | Ocelot |
| AK-12 | Red-eyed Tree Frog |
| AK-13 | Western Diamondback |
| AK-14 | Swamp Wallaby |
| AK-15 | Black-Tailed Prairie Dog |
| AK-16 | Blue Footed Booby |
| AK-17 | Texas Longhorn |
| AK-18 | Mustang |
| AK-19 | Zebra |
| AK-20 | Canada Goose |
| AK-21 | Orca |
| AK-22 | Pacific Walrus |
| AK-23 | Yellow-Banded Poison Dart Frog |
| AK-24 | Jaguarundi |
| AK-25 | Humpback Whale |
| AK-26 | Flying Fox |
| AK-27 | Baltimore Oriole |
| AK-28 | Ruby Throated Hummingbird |
| AK-29 | Blue Jay |
| AK-30 | Monarch Butterfly |
| AK-31 | Black Mamba |
| AK-32 | Moray Eel |
| AK-33 | Fire Salamander |
| AK-34 | Greenbottle Blue Tarantula |
| AK-35 | Bighorn Sheep |
| AK-36 | Salt Water Crocodile |
| AK-37 | Howler Monkey |
| AK-38 | Warthog |
| AK-39 | Wildebeest |
| AK-40 | American Badger |
| AK-41 | North American Porcupine |
| AK-42 | Three-Toed Sloth |
| AK-43 | Atlantic Puffin |
| AK-44 | Wolverine |
| AK-45 | Peacock |
| AK-46 | Mandarin Duck |
| AK-47 | Ostrich |
| AK-48 | King Cobra |
| AK-49 | Stoat |
| AK-50 | Meerkat |
| AK-51 | North American Moose |
| AK-52 | Springbok |
| AK-53 | Peregrine Falcon |
| AK-54 | Eurasian Lynx |
| AK-55 | Praying Mantis |
| AK-56 | Raccoon |
| AK-57 | Toco Tucan |
| AK-58 | Chameleon |
| AK-59 | Timber Wolf |
NOT THREATENED (1:974 hobby)
| AK-60 | American Bison |
| AK-61 | Beluga Whale |
| AK-62 | Sand Cat |
| AK-63 | Margay |
| AK-64 | Giant Anteater |
| AK-65 | Okapi |
VULNERABLE (1:923 hobby)
| AK-66 | Galapagos Tortoise |
| AK-67 | Great White Shark |
| AK-68 | Cheetah |
| AK-69 | Slow Loris |
| AK-70 | Komodo Dragon |
| AK-71 | African Elephant |
| AK-72 | Mandrill |
| AK-73 | Amazonian Manatee |
| AK-74 | I’iwi Bird |
| AK-75 | African Lion |
ENDANGERED (1:1,096 hobby)
| AK-76 | North Island Brown Kiwi |
| AK-77 | Northern Spotted Owl |
| AK-78 | Giant Panda |
| AK-79 | Sea Otter |
| AK-80 | Lar Gibbon |
| AK-81 | Snow Leopard |
| AK-82 | Bengal Tiger |
| AK-83 | Pygmy Hippopotamus |
| AK-84 | Bornean Orangutan |
| AK-85 | Whooping Crane |
| AK-86 | Great Hammerhead Shark |
| AK-87 | Tasmanian Devil |
| AK-88 | African Wild Dog |
| AK-89 | Egyptian Vulture |
| AK-90 | Red Ruffed Lemur |
| AK-91 | Takahe |
CRITICAL (1:4,871 hobby)
| AK-92 | Black Rhino |
| AK-93 | California Condor |
| AK-94 | Hawaiian Monk Seal |
| AK-95 | Western Gorilla |
| AK-96 | Spix’s Macaw |
| AK-97 | Mountain Pygmy Possum |
EXTINCT/MYTHICAL (1:14,613 hobby)
| AK-98 | Saber-Toothed Cat |
| AK-99 | Do-Do Bird |
| AK-100 | Chupacabra |
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MUSEUM COLLECTION RELICS (overall 1:2,237 hobby)
All nine cards from this compelling set are a challenge to track down, but there are four distinct groups of scarcity to note as follows:
GROUP A (1:54,800 hobby)
| MR-AL | Abraham Lincoln (Desk) |
| MR-AO | Annie Oakley (Gun Handle) |
| MR-WHP | The White House (Plaque) |
GROUP B (1:16,237 hobby)
| MR-NB | Napoleon Bonaparte (Chair) |
| MR-WHB | The White House (Wood) |
GROUP C (1:6,959 hobby)
| MR-LBJ | Lyndon B. Johnson (Jacket) |
| MR-LN | Lord Horatio Nelson (Battle Flag) |
| MR-SS | Spirit of St. Louis (Medical Gauze) |
GROUP D (1:4,473 hobby)
| MR-EV | Edward VIII (Handkerchief) |
Popularity: 4% [?]
Tiger-Jordan, Dual-Signed Card Winners Announced!
Posted by: | CommentsOn February 8, Upper Deck announced a cool contest whereby five individual collectors could each win a limited-edition (numbered to five), dual-signed 2011 World of Sports trading card featuring authentic signatures from two of the world’s greatest athletes: Tiger Woods and Michael Jordan.
THE PRIZE: Here's one of the five Tiger-Jordan, dual-signed World of Sports trading cards from Upper Deck that will find its way into the mail shortly on the way to its lucky recipient.
The rules of the box-topper redemption program were simple:
1. Purchase a box of Upper Deck’s 2011 World of Sports;
2. Remove the box top;
3. Write your name, address, phone number and e-mail address legibly on the back;
4. Send it in to this address to be entered into a random drawing to receive an Upper Deck World of Sports Dual Autograph card of Tiger Woods and Michael Jordan limited to five copies: The Upper Deck Company, Attn. 2011 World of Sports Box Topper Redemption, 5909 Sea Otter Place, Carlsbad, CA 92010;
5. Winners will be announced on April 7, 2011, so don’t delay, get those box tops in today!
Well guess what? We may have waited an extra day to build on the anticipation, but we just finished selecting the five random winners in front of the entire Upper Deck Customer Care group. So without further adieu, the five lucky winners are:
1. Tom Nichols – Melrose, New York
2. Bryan Noble – Huntington Beach, California
3. John Lee – Aztec, New Mexico
4. Yvon Chevarie - Brampton, ON Canada
5. Kheva Edwards – Wichita, Kansas
Congratulations! Now keep your eyes peeled for your newly earned dual-signed keepsakes! It will be more than interesting to see what these limited-edition gems (numbered to 5) will fetch on the secondary market.
ELITE COMPANY: Here are the five super rare (limited to 5) Tiger-Jordan, dual-signed cards from Upper Deck. Congrats to the lucky winners.
Popularity: 1% [?]
Breaking It Down at Bracket Town
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The recent NCAA Final Four trade show in Houston called “Bracket Town” had something for just about every sports fan. Not just exclusive to basketball pursuits, the show also included exhibits featuring baseball, football, ice hockey and even fencing. Staged at the enormous George R. Brown Convention Center, the foot traffic was tremendous (13,000 attendees on Saturday; 20,000 on Sunday) as the Upper Deck booth was busy from start to finish. Our Personalized Trading Card station alone filtered through thousands of excited college hoops fans all five days (March 31 through April 4) of the show.
The following pictorial tells the story of one of the biggest trade shows of the year, and the UD Crew was more than happy to exhibit. Next year’s show is slated to be held in New Orleans, so get your game faces on for the French Quarter!
- HUGE VENUE: The George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston was well suited to accommodate the sea of fans who attended “Bracket Town.”
- LIGHTS, CAMERA: Upper Deck’s Personalized Trading Card station was busy all week long as thousands of hoop fans filtered through to get their very own P-Card from the NCAA’s exclusive trading card partner.
- GO HUSKIES: Posing for his first Upper Deck personalized trading card, this little guy couldn’t help but contain his enthusiasm for eventual national champion UConn.
- THREE-OF-A-KIND: These siblings were stoked to say the least after posing for their very own Upper Deck personalized trading cards.
- NICE CARD: Huntsville, Texas, resident Myda Fuentes shows off her Upper Deck rookie card in style.
- NOTHING BUT NET: Joe Johnson of Cypress, Texas, shows off his newly acquired Michael Jordan signed photo from Upper Deck Authenticated.
UCONN PREVAILS: A total of 70,376 fans attended the NCAA men's title game on Monday night to see UConn outscore Butler, 53-41.
Popularity: 1% [?]
Bracket Town: Upper Deck’s in Houston This Week!
Posted by: | CommentsWednesday, March 30, 2011, was another productive day for Upper Deck’s hard-working personnel. Four team members from company headquarters – Brandon “Boom Boom” Miller, Kevin “The Sports Fanatic” Gniadek, Jodi “J-Wow” Wasserman and yours truly, Terry “T-Bone” Melia – arrived in the Lone Star State and immediately went to work setting up the company booth at “Bracket Town,” the much-anticipated college basketball show surrounding this week’s NCAA Final Four battles in Houston. We broke down boxes and boxes of Upper Deck product; repositioned oversized blowup cards inside huge acrylic stands of guys like Magic Johnson and Tom Izzo (both from Michigan State), Larry Bird (Indiana State), Jim Boeheim (Syracuse) and exclusive UD spokesman Michael Jordan (UNC); and set up some pretty impressive pieces of Upper Deck Authenticated signed memorabilia to exhibit at the show.
Brandon Miller, foreground, repositions the Bird blow-up card. The booth is nearly ready for Upper Deck's fans!
Truth be told, we did make one detour on our way to the Houston Convention Center. Hungry as ever when we landed at George Bush Intercontinental Airport, we grabbed some local cuisine at a barbecue joint that specialized in (what else?) ribs, beef brisket and tasty chicken. Once we refueled, we hit the ground running at the convention center. Dozens of other show exhibitors were setting up alongside us, but we stay focused and spruced up our booth in just a few hours. A few hammers, screw drivers and wrenches later, we were standing inside one of the best-looking company booths in Houston.
"The Sports Fanatic," Kevin Gniadek, assembles UDA's latest product accessory: "Sig Safe" autographed photo protectors. These should be a big hit at the show.
The pictures here tell the set-up story, but the thousands of people who will be filling the aisles over the next five days will write a new chapter in Upper Deck’s exclusive contract dealings with the Collegiate Licensing Company. So if you’re in Houston this week, please pay us a visit; you won’t be disappointed. Upper Deck’s always popular “Spin Wheel” will be in full force as show goers will be battling each other in card wars, pack wars and sports trivia contests to win cool giveaways. Come one, come all, just make it down to Houston. Rest assured, you can hitch your star to a good time supplied by the folks from Upper Deck!
Michael Jordan is ready here at Bracket Town, are you???
Popularity: 1% [?]
Upper Deck Commemorates Tar Heels Basketball
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Conference tournaments closely followed by the start of the NCAA Tournament provide two of the best weeks of the year for college basketball fans. This year was no exception, with upsets, close games and excitement abounding. The University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill was not immune to the drama, despite being perennial participants in the dance (excluding last year, that is).
Sophomore forward John Henson blocked an in-bounds pass with seven seconds remaining to end this weekend with a close win over the University of Washington, earning UNC its 24th trip to the Sweet 16. With a junior, two sophomores and two freshmen starting for this year’s Tar Heels, the faces continue to change, although the spirit and tradition of the program remains the same.
Michael Jordan, one of the most prominent Carolina Basketball Alumni, was on-site to watch the game and met with the team prior to their win on Sunday. Former players can be found at most tournament games, as well as many regular-season games, supporting their alma mater and their continually growing family of players.
Michael Jordan led the Tar Heels to the 1982 NCAA title. His basket with 16 seconds remaining iced UNC's memorable win against Patrick Ewing and the Georgetown Hoyas.
With alumni like Charlie Scott, Phil Ford, James Worthy, Kenny Smith, Jerry Stackhouse, Antawn Jamison, Vince Carter, Raymond Felton, and of course, Jordan, dotting the program’s past, Carolina has built a history of great teams. Coached by Hall of Fame greats such as Frank McGuire, Dean Smith and now Roy Williams, Carolina has won five national titles, tied for third-most in NCAA history. Great games mark each year, from the ’93 championship win over Michigan and the “Fab Five,” to one of the many epic Duke battles over the years.
Vince Carter helped the Tar Heels maintain their domination in the NCAA tournament during the '90s.
All of this history, winning tradition and camaraderie has been captured by Upper Deck in its University of North Carolina Basketball card set. A 90-card set dating back to the 1920’s, it includes many of the players and coaches that built the program, as well as the games and seasons that have made the team famous. Scattered into the mix are autographs of the greats that played with North Carolina and inserts including rivalry games and players whose jerseys have been retired.
Miniature replica championship banners are also inserted into each blaster box, one for each of the five titles Carolina has won: 1957, ’82, ’93, ’05 and ‘09. Pick your blaster box carefully as a total of 23 Jordan-signed banners from the ‘82 season exist, which were were randomly inserted into the product! While I’ll definitely be chasing one of those Jordan-signed-banners, the cards are a beautiful representation of the program Carolina has built over the last 90 years, and reason enough to buy at least a box. Maybe I’ll buy one for each win Carolina has in the tournament – hopefully four more!
Popularity: 1% [?]
