One of my favorite shows of the year is the Fall Sports Card & Memorabilia Expo in Toronto. The weather is usually not very nice, but the collectors we meet at the show are always warm and friendly. We brought a great crew of Upper Deck staffers to the show this past weekend who were fired up to spend time with collectors and without a doubt, the team succeeded in bringing a lot of smiles to many hockey fans’ faces. And with Upper Deck’s 2010-11 Series One Hockey hitting store shelves the week before, collectors were fired up to break open packs over the weekend. In case you didn’t make it out to the show, here’s what you missed.
An aerial view of the 2010 Fall Sports Card & Memorabilia Expo in Toronto.
Things You Don’t See Every Day
There are a variety of booths with unique offerings throughout the show, but what makes it so much fun is when you see things you don’t see every day. I had a long-time collector stop by the booth on Sunday who let me know he just got a case of 2005-06 NHL The Cup, one of Upper Deck’s most famous NHL releases ever. Cases frequently sell for about $4,000 so when he informed me he was going to open it, I had to check it out. While he didn’t pull a Sidney Crosby or Alex Ovechkin rookie, he did okay and definitely had a lot of fun, even though his hands were shaking with excitement as he opened each pack.
An exciting trading card opportunity – opening a case of 2005-06 NHL The Cup!
Getting a Peek Behind the Curtain
Upper Deck has made a common practice of holding a collectors’ roundtable at this show every year where we gather up savvy collectors and spend time with them, providing a behind-the-scenes feel for what we do to help enhance their collecting experience. It’s a great opportunity for us to get some great feedback, but the collectors in attendance really enjoy getting a chance to see what we are coming out with next and getting the chance to ask questions to key Upper Deck staff. We want to thank all the collectors who took part in the program.
Interacting with our collectors through roundtable discussions is a great way for Upper Deck to remain at the top of its game.
Taking a Card to the Game
We ran a very successful wrapper redemption program at the show for an autograph set of cards called “Upper Deck Priority Signings” at the show. To help promote the program, we produced six oversized cards of players from the set. One was of Nazem Kadri, the highly touted rookie for the Toronto Maple Leafs. We were invited by Grosnor Distribution to the Leafs game on Saturday night to get to spend time with some of the hobby shops they service. And wouldn’t you know it, Kadri was called up to be in the starting lineup for the game that night. So I thought it would be fun to bring this huge card to the game. Leafs fans got of a kick out of seeing this huge card as we showed it off during the game. We even ended up giving it to the stadium so they could display it there. Although Kadri didn’t have the best game, we had a lot of fun showing off his life-sized Upper Deck card.
Leafs fans got a kick out of seeing a life-size Upper Deck card at the game this weekend.
Exposing the Hobby to the Next Generation of Collectors
Throughout the weekend we saw lots and lots of younger sports fans at the show who were excited to open packs of new Upper Deck cards. They were even more excited when they received an “Upper Deck Priority Signings” card. Check out some of the smiles from the next generation of sports card collectors.
"Whoa! Can you believe we got this cool hockey card from Upper Deck?"
"Check out these sweet hockey cards, courtesy of Upper Deck!"
Watching Fathers Connect with Sons
I grew up collecting with my father and brothers so I know firsthand how special that experience with family can be. It was so heartwarming to see fathers and sons have a great bonding moment with each other at the show over the weekend. Whether they were completing a huge set, winning a great prize from Upper Deck or celebrating moments after pulling a great autograph card, I feel like we really helped create some very memorable moments for fathers and sons this weekend at the show.
A father lifts up his son to celebrate the Bobby Orr autograph they pulled at the Upper Deck booth.
Giving Back to Loyal Collectors
Upper Deck held a series of four raffles at the 2010 Fall Sports Card & Memorabilia Expo where the company gave away more than 100 prizes as a way to thank its great fans. These raffles drew huge crowds and plenty of faithful UD fans walked away with smiles and great prizes including trading cards, memorabilia and apparel. The most memorable moment from the event was when a very excited collector won a pack of 2009-10 NHL The Cup. More over 50 fans watched with great anticipation as he opened his pack of super high-end trading cards. He pulled some great autograph and memorabilia cards and everyone got the chance to see what it is like to open a pack of cards valued at approximately $350.
Huge crowds gathered to watch the winner of an Upper Deck raffle open a pack of 2009-10 NHL The Cup.
Making Our Customers a Priority
With a red-hot rookie class this year including Taylor Hall, Jordan Eberle, PK Subban and others, collectors were already planning on opening tons of packs of 2010-11 Upper Deck Series One Hockey. But we decided to make things a little more exciting by offering a very special wrapper redemption called the “Upper Deck Priority Signings” set. Collectors who opened a new Upper Deck box at our booth received one of these very special autograph cards. With names like Gordie Howe, Wayne Gretzky, Sidney Crosby, Alexander Ovechkin, Bobby Orr and more included in the set, collectors were definitely fired up about the program.
Gordie's the man: Yet another happy customer at the Upper Deck booth in Toronto.
We know not everyone could make it up to Toronto for this year’s event. So as a thank you to our other loyal collectors, we’d like to give you the opportunity to get one of these cards. Just add a comment below about a time when Upper Deck made you smile and we will randomly select three of you who will receive one of these Priority Signings cards. We’ll select names on Thursday morning, Nov. 18, so share your story today!
77 Comments
When I opened some packs of 09/10 UD Ice and in the pack was a Nathan Horton patch except there was a huge crease in the middle. I emailed Upper Deck and they were very quick to respond and were very courteous. Needless to say within a few months I had a 09/10 UD Ice patch of Cam Ward. I was very impressed with the service I had received. Keep up the good work Upper Deck.
If I had to pick one moment, it was the first big rookie I pulled when I was in college. It was Peter Forsberg over 15 years ago. I had bought Upper Deck before that, bought hadn’t really pulled any of my favorite players. Since then I’ve pulled lots of cards, but Forsberg’s rookie pull reminded me of buying cards as a kid with my allowance and hoping for that next big star.
🙂
Thanks Upper Deck.
I dropped by my local card shop the other day and found a pack of Hardcourt Basketball in the discount bin. When I opened it up, I found a Lebron James card with a piece of floor from his high school basketball court. ^^ awesome. 😀
I have gotten plenty of great cards from UD who hasn’t so my smile comment is going to be a little different. I was in the hospital again for an MS treatment and I had been really down but trying to keep up with my positive ole self. I asked my hubby to bring me in some stuff to keep up on since it was one of the times I’d be there for awhile. Well one of the things was calling UD Customer Service to check on a redemption and the entire conversation the rep kept calling me Daisy! I said it’s Stacey not Daisy but they just kept calling me Daisy no matter how many times I corrected them and they were so nice so I just said to myself forget it because it happens all the time I obviously say it funky so it sounds like Daisy. At the end I needed to spell my last name but they couldn’t find anything so I said let me spell my first name too haha! They felt terrible and embarrassed but they were so nice about everything they said well you sound so sweet you are as sweet as a daisy anyway. THAT made me smile that day in my hospital bed! Thank you Upper Deck. 🙂
UD made me smile when I won a contest and got really cool cards from Chris. Thanks! ( :
Hey UD, you guys make me happy every time i open packs! I love the thrill of the chase when it comes to ripping, hoping to get a big pull or someone that I collect. I start busting packs and sometimes the only way I stop is when the box is empty! And with every new product that comes out, it’s a new chase to start. Whether i’m busting hockey, baseball, or football, the thrill of opening each pack and looking thru the cards to see if i hit something always makes me happy!
Just got a 10-11 Series 1 box, was pretty upset with the first 22 packs, then pulled Tavares jersey and Jeff Penner 20th Anniversery parallel in last two packs…made me very happy. Thanks UD, loving this year’s products!
Opening 06-07 Cup and thinking a Joe Sakic Patch Auto was better than an Evgeni Malkin Rookie because the Sakic patch was cool and a hometown guy also. My son and I still laugh about it when we ope The Cup each year.
My dad and I have been avid collectors of Hockey cards for many many years since 93-94 to be exact. Our most memorable pull, I think for both of us came in 2000-2001 Upper Deck Retro. My father’s favorite player growing up was Bobby Orr. We tended to collect a lot of the series that featured former NHL stars. We had heard that the Bobby Orr auto was one of the big pulls for Retro. We purchased a couple packs of retro and a couple packs of some other random packs from BC Sports Collectibles, our local card store at the time. Sure enough in one of the packs I pulled a gem mint Bobby Orr “Sign of the times” it’s the most beautiful card I have in my collection.
Upper Deck brought my father and I some great times. He passed away December 23, 2008 due to mersa he picked up in the hospital from an accident. I collect as a way to help me remember him and the good times. So to be quite honest I think of him and smile every time I open a pack of Upper Deck Hockey cards.
A time UD made me smile..I pulled a nice high end rookie auto redemption and waited over a year UD told me that I could get a replacement and I didn’t know what to expect as I opened the package it was a crosby ice script auto..I screamed and had a huge smile from the suprise
Upper Deck has really brought several smiles to me lately through the facebook page. Sure I have won a couple contests which is always great, but I honestly read every question that UD responds to and find it fascinating how close that page has brought the collector to the company. I have smiled/laughed at several contest submissions from others and had a blast with my own submissions. Fantastic Job UD! Keep it up!!
One moment that I had with Upper Deck that really stands out in my mind was at this years expo when I won 2 really great prizes at Upper Deck’s booth through their raffle. I can’t always afford the products I want to buy, and all the other major card companies require you to buy something to get something free. Upper Deck is the only company at the expo that gives stuff away that is truly free. It is a great example that Upper Deck appreciates all their customers, regardless of how much they are able to spend on Upper Deck products. Thanks so much Upper Deck.
Upper Deck has made me smile several times,but one time that comes to mind is when I had been on a bad luck streak for a while as far as good pulls,and on this box of sp game used hockey I was down to just one pack, and I ended up pulling an intense multi- colored patch of Vincent Lecavalier.It was the best looking patch that I ever had seen!That day U.D had me grinning from ear to ear!!!
I smile everytime I crack open a box of Upper Deck product because my son and daughter are always as eager as I am to see what we get. My son is a huge Leafs fan and my daughter is a huge Bruins fan. They grab up all of the Leafs and Bruins cards as I flip through them. They could care less about value only the excitment of finding a player in their team colors. Keep it going UD!
UD makes me smile and laugh like crazy whenever my mom or dad gets a really great card. They are nuts about their cards but let us help open theirs when we dont save enough to buy our own boxes. We don’t always share ours as good haha jk. My mom just likes to open the packs and see all the players and she loves the thick lots of color patches so she’s ok! We are one scary hockey family 😛 I really smiled when I saw my mom open a nice jersey card, we are from Boston so she was more impressed with a Bruins cards she saw next so luckily she put the jersey back in my pile. Thanks UD : )
My big UD smile moments are at the last two Expos. Splitting a box with my son, at letting him pick the ‘Signings’ card
UD made me smile when I found out I won a 2008 Rookie Photoshoot autographed football!
I still remember when I was 12, 13 years old and opened my first pack of 90-91 hockey, seeing these amazingly beautiful cards with amazing photography. I had that amazing Mario Gosselin card in the pack, just blew me away. A total game-changer …
When I pulled my first patch card. It was from 2006 SP Legendary Cuts. A beautiful 3 color Tony Oliva Patch #/5. Why did it make me smile. I knew when I pulled it that it would have a great home with a friend of mine who was a HUGE twins fan.
Upper Deck caused a smile last week, when I received a nice Upper Deck card in the mail.
One great Upper Deck story comes to mind which happened about 7 years ago. We used to have small hobby shop in town located right across from my school. During lunch time i’d go over to the store and spend my time there chatting with the owner about hockey and cards. I looked forward to it every day. Occasionally i’d buy packs and a box when i had some extra money. One day i decided to buy a Upper Deck pack and he let me select the pack out of the box. So i cracked the pack and pulled out a Mario Lemieux Jersey Card 50 Goal Club. It was my best pull ever at the time and was really exciting.
The store closed down a few years ago unfortunately. I have alot of great memories from the place…
TY for running this promo!
Crosby pulls of any kind have been far and few between for me. Being that I’m in Memphis, TN hockey cards in general are far and few between. Two years ago I got a box of Ultimate and much to my shock and surprise pops out a Crosby signed dual jersey #’d/10! To this day my only major Crosby pull … that was a good day! It made a fine addition to this displaced Pens fans collection!
Just this past weekend was an incredible smile moment. I have been a card collector for awhile but only for cheap stuff so my friend came to town and isn’t a collector at all, I have been trying to convert him for a long time. Anyways we went to a local card shop and convinced him to buy a box of UD Series 1 hockey. I had no money so this was my way of still getting excited and he was very excited about it. We got back to my house and he opened it ( I let him open every pack) and he got a Jordan Eberle Young Guns card. Now him being a big Oilers fan he was ecstatic. This put a big smile on my face and his. I found a new collector!!
A few years ago I ran Into my card store to grab a few things and noticed a box of MLS cards. Beeing the HUGE soccer fan I am, I bought a pack. What did I pull in that one pack? A David Beckham UD game jersey! Thanks again for all the fun and smiles you have given me over the years UD!
My big UD moment was attending the 07-08 Cup packout in Dallas. Working with the guys and seeing what goes into getting that product on the market was a real eye opener. Great times I’ll never forget.
watching my kids open packs and get cards of their favorite players
Upper deck makes me smiles because they have the most unique Relic cards out there!!
Ud makes me smile with their wax, opening is a blast. The cards look great and their wax is really missed this year.
My UD Smile experience would have to be when I bought and opened a box of 10/11 Series 1 Hockey. I’m a new collector and that was my first hobby box ever purchased. I’m a huge Rangers fan and needless to say, I pulled Chris Drury Game Used Jersey AND a Derek Stepan Young Guns Rookie. I was so excited to of pull those two cards, they went straight into top loaders and are now in my Personal Collection.
Thanks UD!
Meeting Gordie Howe at the upper deck booth during the 2007 all star weekend in Dallas Tx sure did bring a smile to my face. Thanks UD
When I drew a picture of my mom as a sports card for a UD Facebook Mothers Day Contest, I drew her as a 1/1, I didnt win but thats ok because the smile on her face when she saw the picture I drew of her made me smile really big!
When I opened my first box with my mom,it was very special to me because she never liked me opening cards and it got her to enjoy it 🙂
This is an easy question! UD makes me smile anytime I’m buying their product. It truly is a great experience NEVER knowing what will be in any pack I may open! All’s it takes is on pack to pull a great card that any collector would love to have in their collection. Another way Us brings a smile to my face is when I give my 8 year old son cards of his favorite teams or players. Thank you US!
I had a HUGE smile on my face when I pulled a Bobby Orr auto from a pack back in 2005. To this day, that’s the best hockey card I ever pulled from a pack.
Going to my LCS with my two sons and buying a few packs or maybe a hobby box and seeing them smile when we pull a card for our PC (Ichiro, Orioles, Ravens, Caps) makes me smile. Once we pulled an Entemology redemption and my son was just through the roof. He loves science, so this combined cards and education. Now he keeps bugging me about the Museum piece we pulled from hockey. Smiles all around 🙂
Every time I look at my Aaron Curry UD cards it reminds me of when I met him and it makes me smile. 🙂
UD makes me smile when they put out each card set and I can look at it and realize how grat of cards they have. As a person who likes to collect cards of guys like Patrick Roy, its nice to see that retired does not mean finished. I love the idea of still being able to collect Gretzky and Messier as well as older generation players who my parents watched as kis and so that really helps set off the generational difference between hockey fans in my family by being able to collect cards and talk about some of the players.
I smile every time I see a young kid open his or her first pack of Upper Deck and they just stare in amazement. And then when they pull their first auto or game use and get so excited. That makes it worth it all right there.
I still enjoy opening vintage UD packs from 1989-91 (all sports). I’ve tried, but never have managed to pull the infamous Griffey Jr. RC (that’s still on my bucket list). When UD premiered in 1989, I remember how the quality of sports cards was instantly improved and everyone else was running around playing catchup. I remember loving the foil packs (opposed to the usual wax), holograms on the back, autograph inserts, and clean crisp white cardboard (instead of the recycled-looking stuff). It’s nice to see new collectors so excited about he hobby!!!
I smile every time I open cards, but getting a big hit out of a pack or box definitely brings a smile to my face. Keep up the good work Upper Deck!!
Hey, I know that “long time collector” – cool and funny guy (and mega-hardcore hockey collector). B-Koeb introduced us at the UD event in Baltimore. What a blast. My hands will be shaking, too, when I bust my cases of 05-06 and 08-09 Exquisite Basketball. Deron Williams, Chris Paul, Derrick Rose, and Russell Westbrook rookies are possible (talk about a stellar group of point guards) as well as dual auto logomen and other such insanity. Too many things to list in terms of UD-related smiles, but best of all was meeting you guys and enjoying your tremendous hospitality at the National. By far, the highlight of our trip.
What made me smile at the expo ’10… Upper deck brought more smiles in 3 days then I’ve seen in a while. Some young some old some in between. When I saw the young guy win one of the raffles at the upper deck booth his eyes teared up he jumped and yelled from upper deck giving him that prize, this made me smile! When upper deck gave away the tin of the cup and the young adult came forward as if he just won a brand new car, this made me smile! But the biggest smile of my whole weekend trip was seeing the bonding of the fathers and sons at the expo slapping high fives, giving hugs, and constant thank you’s! The bond from this hobby is the greatest part of it! Thank you Upper Deck for the wonderful weekend filled with raffles, gifts, prizes and plenty of SMILES!!!!!
I was down in the dumps one day after what seemed like my 100th knee injury so I had ordered a few boxes to cheer myself up and when I got the boxes, I opened the box of UD Black first and I was over the moon when I opened the pack to find a Dual Game Night Ticket redemption numbered to 5 of Martin Brodeur (one of my PC guys) and Vincent Lecavalier (a fellow french-canadian player). On that day UD took me from the deepest despair and made me smile wider than I had in years…
Upper Deck makes me smile every time I see an awesome or unique picture on one of their cards. By far the best photos in the hobby!
One time I bought a box of Upper Deck Artifacts 2008-09, one of the most high end boxes I have ever opened. As Im opening the fourth pack, I see I have hit my autofacts card and low and behold, its an SP of NHL superstar Sidney Crosby!!!! That really put a smile on my face and it is still by far my best pull ever.
Joseph Popp Upper Deck makes me smile because I know I’m opening up something kick ass and not just another credit or utility bill 🙂
Ud makes everytime I open up a cool jersey auto or even awesome base card of hockey players I like 🙂
UD makes me smile because they still have the NHL license & make the best hockey cards on the market hands down!
I bought a retail box of 09-10 UD1 and got really lucky with my young gun pulls. Not only did I get a John Tavares, I got 45 additional young guns! It was a young gun hot-box! That was the best money I’ve ever spent on cards.
UD left me smiling when I bought my first Black cards…had never spent that much on cards before and was not left disappointed when I pulled a Tavares autographed rookie.
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