Archive for nfl
Standout NFL Rookies Sign for Upper Deck
Posted by: | CommentsIt’s an interesting time to be a NFL Draft pick. With a lockout looming, most NFL players are starting to get nervous. In meeting with some of the top college prospects this week however, most of them seemed focused on training and preparing for the NFL Scouting Combine next week. They are proceeding with business as usual until a lockout comes, but no doubt they are forced to think about something other rookie classes did not have to.
We caught up with quite a few players this week including Washington Huskies star quarterback Jake Locker to get some images of the guys and have them add their signatures to new Upper Deck Football cards. The first Football release of the year is just a couple months away when 2011 Upper Deck Football hits shelves on April 12. Check out some of the images from the photo shoot and signing session.
Shane Vereen of Cal strikes a pose for our photographer
Boise State alumni Austin Pettis shows off his great hands to the camera
That's a lot of G's... Von Miller of Texas A&M signs his 2011 Upper Deck Football Letterman cards.
When put together, the Letterman cards will spell out "AGGIES" for Von Miller
Von Miller's 2011 Ultimate Collection autograph card
Jake Locker busy signing away
Some of Jake's 2011 Ultimate Collection signed cards
Jake Locker's Upper Deck Football Letterman cards spell out "HUSKIES"
Jake Locker actually signed his photo shoot jersey that will be used in trading cards coming soon
Ryan Kerrigan of Purdue signs while Jordan Todman of UCONN signs labels to his left
Kyle Rudolph of Notre Dame signs labels for use in new UD products
Austin Pettis' 2011 Upper Deck Football Lettermen cards
Austin's 2011 Ultimate Collection Football card
Popularity: 2% [?]
How a Contest Winner Did Super Bowl XLV
Posted by: | CommentsMy name is James Howell and I’m a pretty regular guy. I love football, I love hanging out with my friends and if you saw me in a crowd, you wouldn’t see anything that sets me a part from anyone else. Yep, I’m just a regular dude. Except for the fact that I sent a text message in response to a Bud Light Super Bowl XLV promotion and wouldn’t you know it, I won!
All of a sudden this regular guy was heading to the Bud Light Hotel to enjoy five days and four nights at the main party spot of the week. Oh, and wouldn’t you know it, the good people at Bud Light decided to throw in tickets to all the parties that week and to Super Bowl XLV as well. I used to go through my life thinking people never win any of these crazy giveaways, but now I know differently.
Bud Light really hooked up their Super Bowl winner
Each day was a new experience. When I checked in on Thursday I was nervous my key wouldn’t work, was this really happening? And upon opening the door I found out it wasn’t just a dream as the entire room was decked out with different Bud Light swag. Later I went down to the lobby for a meet-and-greet and to check out one of the first parties and I ran into Barry Sanders. It was an amazing thrill to get the opportunity to meet a living legend.
Better than meeting Barry Sanders Thursday, was meeting the Playmates Friday
There was a lot of excitement in the hotel on Friday as they were playing host to the Playboy party there that night. Security was very tight that day and you had to be staying at the hotel or be a VIP guest to even get in. It was pretty cool to see all the different people checking in throughout the day. There were a lot of celebrities at that party Friday night, but I also ended up making some good friends with fellow party guests both that night and throughout the weekend. Snoop Dogg played that evening and he really rocked the house. He brought so much energy to the party, everyone was in a frenzy.
Snoop Dogg brought the house down!
Saturday night was just crazy. The Playboy party was pretty exclusive, but with the weather better on Saturday, everyone was coming out and I could see huge lines of people in the street surrounding the hotel from my room. Pitbull and Kei$ha were great. Nelly really put on a great show as well. It was just a little overwhelming as to how many people were actually at the party. It ended up being another great night however.
A performer cracks a bottle of champagne right in front of James
And then there was Super Bowl Sunday. I don’t think there are enough words to describe how amazing that was. I’ve always dreamed of going, but it is out of the realm of possibility for the everyman. So to be able to take part in it was something I’ll never forget. Taking in the sights, the sounds, hearing the hits, checking things out on that huge screen, it was awesome. The only tough part was I wish I could have brought more people. The Super Bowl is an amazing event and I’m so happy I got to attend, but even if you’re at home with your friends, you likely had a special experience as well.
Of course I have to thank Bud Light for selecting me, that was really a fantastic shock. I’d like to thank Upper Deck for letting me share this experience as well. I’ll probably be at home for the next Super Bowl, but that’s okay; I can just tell anyone who asks why I’m not there: “Been there, done that.” 
Popularity: 1% [?]
Collector of the Month: Michael Wilkie
Posted by: | CommentsEach month Upper Deck spotlights one of its 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 their items and what they do once they have them. We first came across Michael Wilkie through the Upper Deck Facebook page when he began posting some images of his amazing collection. I spoke with him a little more about his collection on Card Corner Club’s online radio show and couldn’t wait to see more images of what he had put together. So without further adieu, get to know Michael Wilkie and his collection.
Get to know Michael Wilkie, our latest Collector of the Month!
My name is Michael Wilkie and I live in the Minneapolis area. I have been collecting trading cards since 1977 when I built my first baseball set of 1977 Topps Baseball. As a huge fan of the games of baseball and football I was interested in sports cards at a very young age and I loved the thrill of finding rookie cards. My brothers and I used to go to the corner store once a week and buy two packs each for 33 cents a pack just hoping to find the missing cards we needed to complete the set or a great rookie card. To this day that excitement and fun still stick with me as I collect.
When I first discovered Upper Deck I was immediately impressed. I remember the card designs always seemed just a bit sharper, cleaner and more appealing than the other brands. It seemed like the card stock was brighter and stronger too. I first started buying Upper Deck products around 1991. One of my first favorites was the 2003 Upper Deck SP Football set. When the inserts started showing up it was like finding a little slice of heaven. The die-cuts, holograms, holofoils, etc., were really spectacular.
Michael’s 2003 Upper Deck Ultimate Collection Baseball Sets
Dual Patches /25
Dual Patches /99
Patches /99
Patches /35
Dual Patches /35
Patches /99
Patches /25
As card technology continued to advance followed by game-used materials and autographs becoming more commonplace, it became very apparent to me that I was a set collector. While I do enjoy a few select players in my personal collection, nothing really fills the need for the “hunt” than to pick out a subset from a new product and go for the complete sets. Personally, I think Upper Deck produced three of the greatest products ever with the 2003 Ultimate Collection Baseball, 2008 Premier Football and 2008 SP Rookie Threads Football. I set out to complete many of the subsets in these products and accomplished those missions.
The simplicity, yet amazing designs of each of these sets, along with the presence of unbelievable patches fueled my desire to complete each of them. Not to be outdone I also chose the 88-card set of 2008 Icons Rainbow Autographs Football to help round out my insane love of patch cards.
Michael’s Icons & SP Threads Sets
2008 NFL Icons Autograph Set
2008 Rookie Threads Numbers Set
2008 Rookie Threads Jersey Set
2009 Rookie Threads Mulit-Marks Set
2009 Rookie Threads Jersey Set
Close-up of Rookie Threads Patches
A huge part of my current love of collecting is the development of sports cards “communities” such as the expansive group of people found within YouTube. There are thousands of collectors there and the opportunities for box breaks, trades, “maildays” showing cards, set building displays, mystery packs, subscriber contests and countless other creative presentations of cards are plentiful. In a couple short years I have grown my subscriber base to nearly 2000 YouTubers (you can find me under screen name Arfalc77 on YouTube with the nickname “7′s”). The ability to find cards through networking in this venue is simply awesome. Promoting collecting as a hobby among friends and family on YouTube has been a thrill to say the least. All of my completed Upper Deck sets have been shown on YouTube via video at some point or another.
Also, within this community we have built a kind of language all our own to describe the cards. This includes, but is not limited to the following adjectives often used to describe cards: SICK, EPIC, DISGUSTING, FATAL, DISEASED, STRONG, FILTHY, DIRTY and NASTY just to name a few!! This is truly the medium that took my collecting to the next level and Upper Deck has emerged as my favorite brand. While there are other forums, social network sites and live online venues such as blogtv and blogtalk radio that all feature the hobby of sports card collecting, YouTube truly reigns supreme for me.
I share the hobby of collecting baseball and football cards with my 8-year-old son. It’s a great way to start a family tradition and share time on something special in place of video games or television. It’s important to me that this hobby continues to find its way to young people to help keep the business alive. In a world full of so many technological distractions, card collecting really presents a simple and basic opportunity for bonding and sharing a love for sports. I’m passionate about this. I’m also thankful for the wealth of friendships I’ve found through this hobby. I fully intend on continuing to build sets and increase the size of my personal collection for years to come. I look forward to Upper Deck being a part of that!
Thanks for sharing Michael, we’re excited to continue providing you with the highest-quality, most-innovative releases in the industry. Michael is still looking for a number of cards from the 2003 Ultimate Collection Baseball set in the silver, copper and gold sets. If you have any of those cards, shoot him an email at ARfalc77@aol.com.
Popularity: 4% [?]
Ask UD: NHL Rookie Exchange Cards, Rookie Autos and SP Authentic Football
Posted by: | CommentsI have been working for Upper Deck with our Customer Care group for more than five years and actually managed a card shop prior to that. As the Manager of UD’s Customer Care division, I find it exciting to be on the front lines, working with our customers and hearing first-hand what your experience is like with our brands.
Nick Leslie (middle) poses with two UD collectors at Wrigley Field just prior to getting one of them to throw out the first pitch of the game.
Throughout the course of our workday, we often hear the same questions over and over again. Usually when one person has a question, they are not alone. Knowing that, we wanted to create a recurring column on the UD Blog which will answer those questions we are getting asked the most.
Here are some of the most frequently asked questions we are receiving in Customer Care right now:
Ask Upper Deck: Why are there rookie exchange cards? Can’t you just put the cards in the product?
Nick Leslie: “There is definitely a demand and interest in early season NHL trading card releases. Unfortunately the NHL has a rule that a manufacturer cannot produce a rookie card of a prospect until they actually skate in an official league game. This rule is a good one as it helps to make sure that the prospect is playing with the team so it is likely the player’s cards will have better value.
“The problem is that rookies really drive hockey card sales and if our early season products didn’t have a way for collectors to get new rookies, those products would be considered much less collectible. And our mantra here is all about making the most collectible products in the industry. So we came up with the idea of draft pick exchange cards where collectors receive a card for a future rookie that we determine after the season starts.
Adding draft pick redemptions to early season hockey products helps add value to those products.
“Now this creates a little excitement as collectors share ideas about which rookies will be called up and which cards will be redeemable for which players. Normally around the holidays we share a final checklist and get to work on producing these cards for collectors. This year we had two products that had these types of rookie exchange cards: Be-A-Player and Artifacts. We’re now hard at work on getting them produced and will get those mailed out to our loyal collectors upon completion!”
Ask Upper Deck: How can I find Upper Deck autograph cards of the top rookies like Taylor Hall, Tyler Seguin, P.K. Subban, Jeff Skinner and Jordan Eberle?
Nick Leslie: “The rookie class for 2010-11 NHL cards has been very strong and puck fans have definitely been looking to get autographs of these star players. Upper Deck is very excited to bring them directly to fans in a variety of ways.
This happy collector pulled a 2010-11 NHL Arifacts Autofacts card of Nazem Kadri.
“First there are cards available in products now on shelves where you can pull autographs of these stars. Here’s a breakdown:
2010-11 NHL Artifacts Autofacts inserts – Pull autographs of rookies like Eric Tangradi and P.K. Subban
2010-11 NHL Black Diamond Gemography inserts – Pull autographs of rookies like Tangradi, Subban, Nazem Kadri and Zach Hamill
2010-11 NHL O-Pee-Chee Signature inserts – Pull autographs of Tangradi, Kadri and Subban
2010-11 NHL SP Game-Used SIGnificance inserts – Pull autographs of Tangradi, Kadri, Subban, Jordan Eberle, Magnus Paajarvi, Jeff Skinner, Taylor Hall and Tyler Seguin
Taylor Hall 2010-11 NHL SP Game-Used Significance cards are live in the market!
“As we reach the second half of the season there will be even more rookie autographs of these top talents in new Upper Deck sets so keep an eye out for them. There are some other places you can find rookie autographs from Upper Deck though. We produced Taylor Hall and Tyler Seguin autograph cards for the Priority Signings set and those were distributed at the NHL Fall Expo.
These lucky collectors both pulled Tyler Seguin autographed Priority Signings cards at the NHL Fall Expo in Toronto.
“We had all the top rookies sign different promotional items like pucks, mini sticks and helmets at the 2010 NHL Rookie Showcase and Photo Shoot that we’ll be distributing through Facebook giveaways and in-shop promotions so look for those! If you are in Raleigh for the NHL All-Star Game next weekend, stop by the Upper Deck booth as we will have Jeff Skinner and Taylor Hall signing FREE autographs for loyal UD fans. Lastly, you may have heard about Upper Deck’s National Hockey Card Day coming up on Saturday, February 12. Well some lucky collectors may find an autograph of a top rookie in those packs too.”
Ask Upper Deck: When is SP Authentic Football coming out and why has there been delays?
Nick Leslie: “SP Authentic football will be released on February 15, 2011, and we are very excited to bring this product to market. One of our top priorities is eliminating the use of redemption cards wherever we can. In order so that we can secure more autographs in house for this release, we have delayed it a bit. We would rather apologize for delaying a product and have it be great, than put it out and apologize for the number of redemptions found within packs. We have several new elements to this set that are sure to make it one of the best football releases of the season. It should be a lot of fun to open.”
2010 SP Authentic Football is coming February 15!
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% [?]
