Kids today are all about Technology. I would have some kind of interactive events where kids could vote by text or online. They can help build checklists or pick from different insert designs. I would also have a spotlight on youtube breaks and encourage kids to show off their collections and an interactive forum to post trades and cards needed.

I think you should do a mix “value” pack at a decent price point. Kinda like the team set hangers found in retail and hobby shops. Put a 3.99 SRP on it and include a nice mix of UD products including Hockey, Football, Soccer, World of Sports, Avengers and so on. If it aimed at kids they will see it. I see alot of parents w/ kids at Target and Walmart and they want value. If the kids get a nice mix of cards they can figure out what they want to collect. And even maybe do a retail redemption pack wrapper exchange for the kids send in X amount of wrappers and $x.xx for shipping and recieve a relic card.

Hello,

I believe the following ideas are ideas that can generate hype, and get kids involved with the sports cards industry even more. I’ve seen the approach that some companies take to get kids interested although it shouldn’t be aggressive marketing.

1) Have sessions where NHL Stars sit down with a room of kids and talk about education and hockey co-exist. Educate kids, and remind them that all NHL players have been through the same education system and then allow them to ask questions back.

2) Many kids “know” that there are prizes and giveaways to be had and aren’t the end customer you want. Create a set that it specifically for kids and has AWESOME potential prizes up for grabs. Such as meet a NHL Superstar, go to a NHL game etc. For Kids By Kids kind of deal!

3) Kids acknowledge what’s good and bad with regards to the cards they open. Utilize your medium end products rather then lower end products to lure them in, all while offering exclusive deals to those who are willing to purchase $100 worth of cards today etc.

You’re a great company, and have the personnel to go far with kids although your ideas seem very repetitive and you should aim towards the education sector. Approach schools to have an assembly and that’s how you create everlasting memories!

Thank You

Way To Go Upperdeck You have always been my fav and will always be.Keep up the good fight and keep the kid in all of us!Ryan

Kids love video games. Make some kind of game with the NHL (like NHL Ultimate Team on the EA NHL franchises). Then when they achieve something, they get a code that they can redeem on your site for a card. This might cost you guys some money up front, but treat it like direct advertising. Send them a special card, that comes with advertisements on how to get more cool cards. I know Magic The Gathering and WoW have card and video game synergies already. Series 1 has Ultimate Team stuff but there’s nothing other than in game arena advertisements that sends people from NHL video game to Upper deck.

Hey UD,

Great job with another amazing Expo.

Even for us “old” guys in the hobby, we’re all kids at heart.

Keep it up!

-Randy

My son and I just got started collecting football cards about 5 months ago. It started with finding a binder full of good names @ a goodwill store for $5. That binder held about 300 cards. We now have over 5,000! He’s 15. He knows a lot about todays players and I know the ones from when I grew up. It’s good father son bonding time.He has now learned the value of responsibility and respect for good cards that will someday be his to share with his kids. You nore your kids are ever to old to get started card collecting. Thanks Upper Deck!!!

What I think the card industry can do to get kids interested in collecting new trading card sets is to get some of the favourite things they do as a kid. One thing about kids is they watch lots of T.V. So if you can make cards of there favourite shows or characters they would probably be very interested in that, and if possible getting those character autographs! Anything related to cartoons would probably get kids very interested!

i think the hobby as a whole needs to put out mid end cards with atleast 3 good hits per box that kid can buy and push set building i see kids doing what adults do now go for the big hits dont get me wrong i loveb huge pop from a pack but i also love the chase of my fav players

I think there are opportunities in the schools to reach out. I have been sending cards with my son to school to hand out where he says they have been trading. And some of the kids are asking him for more and where they can get some. We are thinking on having some contest in school with report cards

I think a great idea for an insert set is to have all the team mascots with there own card that way the kids can see all the neat outfits that the other teams have at there stadiums.
If you can get players to give you personal pictures from when they were first starting out playing hockey as young kids and make cards for a set it will show children that even though they see these big guys playing on tv they we once little guys just like them.
I think in your cheapest product you could run a promotion where each pack has a code and they submit it over the internet and the winner’s gets there team featured on a card in the next years set.
Maybe have at least 1 autograph or jersey card in every box even if its from lesser players just so the kids can get super excited when he pulls a jersey card or autograph from his favorite team even if it is the backup goalie or the 4th line winger.

1) Team up with local YMCA’s/Big Brother’s/Sisters Boy’s and Girl’s Clubs and have Upper Deck Kid’s Day’s and offer packs of cards to all the kids that attend.

2) Utilize the Upper Deck Volunteer Alliance to perhaps do assemblies at their prospective area Elementary Schools and have give aways for kids who participate. Make it interactive and educational.

3) Offer a website where kids could sign up and join some kind of “club” where they aren’t charged a fee for Membership. Offer, games like scavenger hunt’s throughout the website for cool prizes.

When I was younger I wasn’t able to afford sportscards but alway’s had friends that could. I would sit and look at all their cards and wish there was a way a kid like me of limited income had a way to get my hands on them. That way, when they get older and they begin to work and go through College and such they’ll be able to spend their extra income on cards and memorabilia they truly love to collect.

Being a 14 year old the thing that got me into the Hobby was when i got a UD pack at Walmart and pooled a jersey card i don’t even remember who it was but that got me started. So to me the most important thing is filling you retail with shiny cards and manufactured patches. But what i think is the worst thing to ever slow down the kids from collecting is pack searching. They take all the kids have to get started and sell it on Ebay. So if you really want to get the kids into it make a unsearchable pack.

Thank you for the contest.

I think it is great you do things for kids but here are some ideas.

1) I help run a hobby group but because we are not a registered charity we cannot get free product. Maybe offer some sort of program so a group like mine can get some help.

2) Come up with a pack of cards sorta like the old Collectors Choice packs for kids who do not have alot of money can purchase for some kids even a pack at $4 can be hard.

3) Do some sort of set which does not reflect just on the players of today but perhaps the players of yesterday. This set could maybe include something like a Idol or Inspiration or Profile set where a current player reflects to players they liked when they were growing, players they looked up to or maybe give you neat info on them like movies they like, tv shows they like, etc.

4) Maybe make a set of cards that is not so hard to finish if the person is able to purchase more then a few packs like a set of 50 or under.

5) Create fun cards which can create a image on one side if you get the set sorta like a puzzle or triptch.

6) Do something like the old crash the game cards I had fun watching the games for a player I had a crash card hoping they would score a run a goal or get a assist..

7) Have a way where a person can win either a Upper Deck collectable or a set of cards by finding a special card in a pack.

8) I like how your company does National Sports Card Day but perhaps you could do something so the same cards are availbe in all areas. This past event had different cards in USA vs Canada and I would of liked it if me as a Canadian could of gotten cards that were in the USA set without getting them off E Bay.

I think a great way to get more kids into collecting is to advertise more on tv about the great value of collecting, since kids now spend 99 percent of time on the tv. Another way is to reward kids with discounts on cards or at Upper Deck store with good grades in school. Another great way would be to award a relic etc for kids who do community work with eldery, drug awarness etc. Last I think there should be a lower dollar box/set for kids that includes a auto or relic to get them to collecting in schools and homes to give them something fun to do that keeps them out of drugs and gangs etc. Upper Deck is #1

What a great story. The main thing that I think kids would enjoy is maybe a meet and greet type event. It takes so much more for kids to get excited about things. When most of us were younger a card numbered to 2000 was a serious land. With the meet and greet if you could turn it into a school or learning chance then you could have a dual purpose.

I like bigger sets. I think the term ‘trading card’ has lost a lot of meaning over the years. With full base sets coming from boxes, it takes away the fun of the hobby. Back in the day, when I was a kid, the best part about cards was trading them with other kids. I just don’t think it happens much anymore. We’ve been spoiled with full sets in a box. I think we should return to the basics. Fewer hits per box and more focus on the cards and images.

I’d like to see more events made available and accessible throughout the year and in different locations. These events need not be big expos or trade shows. Upper Deck can offer special cards on Opening Day for different sports in different cities.
The other thing I want to see are smaller intimate events with signing opportunities for players in their home town or showcasing different sports like Hockey Day. I really like the Hockey Day cards but would really like the opportunity to have access to the Baseball Day cards since I’m a baseball fan. If Upper Deck can change it up or add a Baseball Day or a Basketball Day in Canada, that would be nice.

I think one thing to do for kids would be to make one or two products a year be more affordable for them but without lowering the quality as far as the hits per box. Second i think some kind of redemption for things that kids would love like jerseys or hats from their favorite player or team or the new Madden or NBA2K games. Third i would try to add more shiny refractor type cards because kids always love the sweet looking cards, i know i always did and im sure you did too. I think if you did a wrapper redemption program for your product and for every 20 wrappers they send in they get points added to their account and when they hit a certain number of points they will unlock a special autographed card or maybe even you guys could make them their own special card with the kid on it! I know as a kid i always dreamed of being on my own Upper Deck card! Kids are out hobbys future and my 2 daughters LOVE busting packs with me every week so i think its great you guys are doing nice things for kids. I know you guys will keep on doing a great job making great cards for me and my daughters!! Thanks

I am so glad to see kids getting into collecting cards. When I first started collecting, it was always nice to see kids trying to pull good cards. I have given away many cards to kids in order to get them interested in collecting cards. I have even given away some of my autograph and jersey cards to kids that might not be able to afford them. I feel that getting kids involved in sports and helping them develop a hobby is very important. It developed friendships that could last a life time, and it teaches them respect and other important skills needed for life. I hope more and more kids start collecting cards and I hope they are able to get the cards of their dreams!

I like to show my son my cards that I have kept over the years. We mainly collect football so when we watch the games and he sees the players that we have autographs of he get so exited. He loves the fact that they actually held his card when they signed the on card ones. You can really see him think about it when we are looking over the cards. When you let kids know that if they cherish them and take good care of the cards, years down the road they could put a good amount of money in there pocket. I have taught my son to have his personal collection that he will always keep and to have a separate stash that he isn’t as attached to that he feels comfortable letting go. Knowing he can buy more cards with those funds helps out a lot.

I think You should make a box that has a binder, some penny sleeves, some top loaders, some packs of cards, some random loose cards, and a beginners guide for how to collect cards. This way you can reach out to kids who want to start collecting and don’t know quite what to do yet. Also this would give them everything they need to start collecting and by doing this they will come back to you for more cards and the excitement of opening the packs. By being able to organize there cards into there binder they should also be given various teams and players as well as different years in there loose cards so they have a wider variety of ways to organize there cards. I would also recommend that the boxes be one sport only since kids tend to start off collecting one sport. I believe this would be a great and cost effective way to teach kids how to collect and get into the hobby.

Love it!! There is a great shop located in Cary, NC that always caters to kids! They even had several troops of boys scouts as there is a badge for that! But for the shops, I wish you would send more “free” items to them to give away, but I know there are those that are out there that turn around and try to profit off of “free” stuff they recieve.

Any how, kids like autos and gu stuff … the gu market has dried up, so why not create an inexpensive gu set. Maybe 100 card set of cards that have event worn or game worn items. Insert team stickers or hook up with that company that has the wall clings and do card size wall cling inserts … Just thinking out loud … 🙂

Now this idea that i have works in all markets with a sports team…pro to college, go with the idea of a “redemption” card where the winner gets a meet and greet with the player Assigned to the card, you can restrict the cards to a certian age limit to assure a younger group is the one participating in the meet and sign. What kid wouldnt love to meet the star and have them sign the card right in front of them?

Kids tend to like players they have met or are familiar with. Maybe one way you could do that is have live video chats with Upper Deck players. Maybe on Ustream or Blogtv. Also, maybe you could work with athletes and create a special insert card that could be awarded for achieving a certain grade point and then having a drawing for autograph cards or boxes at the end of the school year for those that achieved certain criteria.

This post brings me back to when I was a kid collecting trading cards. Upper Deck, I always loved collecting the Collector’s Choice brand as it was inexpensive and the cards were designed with fun, Stick-Ums, StarQuest, You Crash The Game and Bobble Heads were always fun to pull and trade with my friends. You should keep that going, as the cards are great for child collectors. Also, recording a legit looking video and uploading it to YouTube of a box break done by a couple of eccentric hosts to make the video fun would be a great idea; there was a television station here in Canada that had these segment hosts between television shows called PJs (program jockeys) who made the commercial breaks between shows a lot of fun, I think something similar could be done with a box break of product.

You should have a upper deck kids card club. Something like 20$ and you get a couple of packs victory,MVP,series 1, and special promotions like autographs sessions or special insert cards.make special cards just for kids. Second have something like weaker redemption kids will want good prizes so they will buy more packs. Most important would be to make things affordable more cards of good players but less inserts so you get the attention of the kids. GOOD JOB AT THE SHOW saw a lot of kids interested in cards

I think a great idea for an insert set is like a big puzzle of a team photo with the cup or the team mascots. Each card would be a part of a big puzzle and when you put all the cards side by side you would see the full puzzle,a great number for the set would be 9 cards, even having more then 1 puzzle photo per set would be good.
every kid loved puzzles are they are fun to do.

As a military man I think some kind of military insert special camo border card or something would be awesome and kids do watch nickelodeon more tv advertising and cameos in video games like maddon or MLB or any video game would get kids in the hobby

I think Upper Deck needs to work with Park Districts and Park Departments to get hockey and figure skating (world of sports for example) cards in the hands of the kids enrolled in learn to play or learn to skate classes. I pulled out the Ice Dancing cards and Figure Skating stars from past world of sports and randomly handed them to kids, they had no idea these cards existed and they loved them. I would suggest partnering with the United States figure skating association and the the governing body of youth hockey on making an exclusive set for those kids enrolled. Maybe on one side of the card could be a picture of said athlete as a child and on the other side would be the athlete today, with inspirational words for the kids. Maybe run a promo where there is random prize cards where an athlete will come to your rink for a meet and greet? I work for a Park District in an ice rink if you can’t tell, and this would go over huge! Thanks for the chance to win a great prize!

First, create cards which offers a game that can be played with the cards only. Kids love when they can interact with each other and compete. Next, load it up with cheap relics and autographs. Kids love pulling hits, no matter who the player is. Lastly, charge $1 if possible, or less than $2 for sure. Money is tight for everyone, but especially kids.

For Upper Deck to be able to reach out to kids, it should create card sets of cartoon characters or famous athletes that most kids like at present. The insert cards should not be autographs, jersey cards, or redemption cards; but instead, it can be sticker cards, holographic cards, or simple variations of the images of the cartoon characters and athletes. I am hoping that in this way, the price of each pack/box will be lower so that kids can afford to buy them. Also, it will be nice if the number of cards in a set will be something from 50-100 so that it will be easy for all kids to complete the sets.

If these things will be implemented, I think a lot of kids will enjoy playing with the trading cards. I believe that at a young age, kids should get to play with the cards and not just keep them in a storage box or protective sleeves because they are afraid that they might damage the cards. If you put a lot of autograph cards or any short-printed cards in those sets, I think they will just be bought by the adult collectors and nothing will be left for the kids. But if you put a lot of sticker and holographic cards, it will make the cards more appealing to the kids than to the adults.

Lastly, the cards should be educational. Not only the kids are having fun collecting them, but they are learning new things from them. You can put trivia or fun facts at the back of the cards that uses simple language and can easily be understood.

I hope to make it to Toronto some year with my kids to go to this show. I have already made fans of my 2 & 3.5 yr old daughters. Whenever I open packs, they get right in there to open them with me. I open them and they pull them out, spread them across the table and ask who’s the best. My wife even enjoys it. At least she likes how happy it makes the kids and I.

I would agree with Rob in the first post that there could be some sort of online voting or text messaging to pick the top 100 players for a set of cards.

Have a redemption (yes I don’t mind them) for a limited number set of cards. Example 1 redemption for a complete UD series 1 set /100 including rookies. All cards would be numbered the same xx/100. Some people do try but it is so hard to do. It would be amazing to pull.

Thanks,

Have a promotions of a Parent/Child weekend, like All-star Fanfest, that where both are involved in card collecting, which would bring them closer to the hobby & each other. Move them around each year. Have them in the big cities, like S.F., Dallas, Chicago, & etc. to give a chance for all in the nation to take part. Include Canada, if it takes off. Just my two cents. Thanks!

Dear upper deck,

I have been contemplating ways to have the younger audience more involved in the world of card collecting and i believe i have come up with some pretty good ideas. My first idea would be give special packs with random athletes to schools and 1:? amount of packs has tickets to a local sporting event. My next idea is to run an advertisement on a station like cartoon network or nickelodeon. Advertising definitely needs to happen more.Lastly a great idea to get kids involved is to make a set of cards that is of low value, but the chances that you will get something special are high. Rookie cards are not cutting it. You can get a rookie card in every pack you buy now and they have lost their rarity but more parallels or rookie and base cards could be made, especially die-cuts. Thank you for hearing my opinion Upper Deck, also i love your cards. Thanks again
-Dewey Molenda

First of all, great write up. Nothing makes me happier than seeing smiles on all of those kids faces.

And being a father of 4, a huge hobbyist, and one who started when I was younger, I can give my opinion. My oldest has just gotten into the hobby and he loves nothing more than busting packs. And watching daddy busting packs. I observed what he likes. And have incorporated some of the ideas here. Some of them, I observe from different angles of the hobby from different sites, blogs, etc.

First, when I first started collecting in 1993, card packs were a lot cheaper. They came with quality inserts that you wanted to hunt down. For example, one of my favorite brands when I was a kid, was Collector’s Choice. I bought every sport. They were cheap. Great photography of my favorite players. Had rookie cards. Shiny inserts (a kids dreams) and it was all wrapped up into one package. I still have a ton of that stuff. I wished Upper Deck would bring it back.

Second, I think Upper Deck should get into the stickers and games. Sticker books are very popular among children and to me, it will lead the kids into the hobby of cards later on. They learn how to organize, sort and put in the right place with stickers. And they are cheap so if they get damaged, kids will learn from that. And incorporate that into cards knowing they cannot damage them as well. As for games, i am talking about a board game with cards. Cards from their favorite teams and players. Make it realistic like a video game. A draw in. Maybe make it interactive so they can connect with other kids who are collecting the cards and make them play against each other online. And do it for every sport.

Third, I think some type of redemption program. Come up with a brand that costs less than three dollars and do what Upper Deck used to do. Put point cards in packs. Have each card be worth a certain amount of points. Maybe insert 6 per box. Make them worth between 5-25 pts. After a kids reaches 100, they get 3 free packs of their favorite cards valued under $3. Then 150 they can choose to get a random jersey card mailed to them. 200 they can get 6 packs or a blaster of their favorite product. And at 250 they can get an random autograph card. And so on. By incorporating autographs and jerseys into lower end products like this it will help the younger generation get into that part of collecting as well. But to make it even more exciting, because by the time they reach 500 pts, they probably would have spent a ton of money on your product so let the award be a sports video game. Since we are in a video game era, we need to incorporate that into our hobby somehow. Make a website where they enter their point codes into instead of having to mail them in.

Somehow, maybe a contest of some sort can be put into the points system as well. As tickets to a sports game, a UD Authentic item, something with a big draw. Maybe the first kid who reaches 300 pts gets this.

These are just some ideas. So to sum it up, cheaper brand, points program, stickers, game boards, video game incorporation.

Thanks for the contest UD. And for letting my ideas get out there!

First and most importantly, put gum back in the packs! Just kidding. Cost is definitely the most important thing. Packs and boxes have to be priced so that kids can buy them with their allowance and parents in all income brackets can afford to buy them for their kids.

Availability is the second most important thing. If the cards aren’t available in every little town, a lot of kids will miss out. Partnering with pharmacies and grocery stores and gas stations to get the cards out there will be important.

Thicker cards will stand up to more “love” from younger kids.

Die-cut cards, metallic parallels, and embossed cards will all make great inserts.

Checklists are very important and should be found in almost every pack. They help kids know what they are aiming for.

I don’t know that kids will be interested in collecting an entire set, but definitely team sets, so I would try to have 6 or 9 players from each team featured. The backs of the cards could also make a “puzzle” featuring a team photo, logo, or superstar.

Partnering with organizations that work with kids to distribute singles or packs to every child would be great too. Perhaps Tim Hortons, since they have their Timbits hockey and soccer programs already in place.

Definitely have TV commercials advertising the cards. Be sure to specify that “batteries are not required”.

Come up with games that kids can play with each other and include the rules on boxes, insert cards, and online. Online checklists and games would be good to.

Contests and collect-wrappers-to-win prizes would be popular. Perhaps a system where mailing in a certain number of wrappers gets you a free single or pack or a card in a special set only available through that program.

Singles or mini-packs as “prizes” in cereal were one of my favorite things when I was a kid. This also makes them available to almost every kid, provided you chose a cereal that is popular with both kids and parents.

Events like NHCD and Expos are also critical – keep doing what you’re doing!

1. More grass roots efforts. Get cards to kids where kids congregate, such as little leauge games and tournaments, soccer tournaments, and hockey tournaments. Use local ambassadors, compensated with Upper Deck product, to help the cause.

2. Make Upper Deck players accessible to kids, at the youth events outlined above, with autograph signings and giveaways, not only throu large retailers such as Steiner or others.

3. Use old inventory and non-insert cards as marketing fodder. Have larger insert displays and visuals ( items before cut down to inserts, such as jerseys, bats, etc) as display items to help market the product. Use them in traveling displays and giveaways at stadiums, both at the highest (NhL, MLS, MLB) level and at the minor league level on a national tour. Source your local ambassadors through these events .

4. Kids are more likely to get product (although picked through) at mass retailers such as Target than they are at local card shops. Create Low cost promotional giveaways to support the retail channel as well as the hobby channel.

5. Engage, and develop relationships, with kids, rather then treat them as transactional customers. Supporting National Trading Card Day is a start, but it is not well scheduled, and is a one time, not even annual, event. Collaborate with your competition via a trade association that is for the benefit of the industry, without colluding with them.

There are many ways to reach out more towards children, the first idea that comes to mind for me would be to give out free team sets at sporting events. This way it gets the product into the kids hands while they are getting ready to go watch their favorite players. You could also set up booths at sporting events and give away promo cards of the teams top stars if giving away a team set to the first X amount of people at a sporting event would not work. Also you could travel to local elementary schools and set up an assembly to talk to students about how much fun it is to collect. Then after the presentation you could give each child a pack of trading cards whether it is Hello Kitty for the girls or a sports/super hero product for the boys.
Those are just a couple of ways you could get kids to know more about the industry at a younger age.

Give the opportunity for a kid to have their own card in a product as a redemption or contest. They get to submit a photo and their set choice and get a card of themselves. Actually… Even I want one of those.

Also it’d be cool to do like a flashback insert in OPC or something where it shows a picture of a star player back when they were 12!

Wow , I really love your guys support towards children and trying to get them started into such a great hobby , Its good that kids and children have some fun with the hobby , And have fun at the upper deck booth and can experience collecting cards for the first time , It truly gives kids something to do and something more to look forward to , Not only that but the children are the future when it comes to the hobby , And its great that they can learn about it at such a young age , Children will not also learn about the hobby and how they can get involved , But if they are the right age they can also learn how to properly handle hockey cards , And they can learn how to take care and respect something at such a young age , And in a way that can teach children the value and importance of collecting and taking care of hockey cards , And through that they could also learn how to value and take care or other things through-out there life , and i believe that is a great thing to teach children and get the involved in and im glad upper deck is doing so , giving children something else to do or another hobby they can start up and get involved in especially if they don’t really have any hobbies or activities that they can find interest in , So i think its a great idea getting kids involved into the hobby at such a young age , And its good to see that upper deck cares and values everyone who would like to start collecting cards at such a young age , Like i said if children can learn to respect the hobby and take care of there cards and enjoy doing so , Then that could also teach them to respect , Enjoy and take care of many other things in life , So i have to say Upper Deck is a great company for trying to involve children into the hobby , And give them something fun to do , And something else to enjoy and something to learn about in life , The expo was great and its good to see upper deck had all of these activities for the children to do , so the children can have a good time at the expo and feel as if they are not missing out in anything , And they can learn the that the hobby of collecting hockey cards or cards in general can be for anyone and Not just adults ! , So i think that this is a great idea ! , Thanks for all of your support upper deck , I love Upper Deck Hockey cards and i truly love the hobby , And in a way it has taught me how to take care of something and enjoy doing so , And it has also gave me something else to enjoy and have fun with in life , Thanks !

With sports video games being huge these days that would be a great way to get more kids. Partnering with the makers and putting a pack in with the games with chances at pulling some high end autos. Then havin
g them being able to unlock players or past games by pulling hits out of packs of UD or even pulling a card that you need to enter code on the games site and finding out you pulled a AP auto. That would cover all sports and systems and would have a ton of kids buying into it. But will need to make sure price point is around 3 or 4 dollars since it is for kids.

As a collector since I was 5 years old (31 now), just the thought of breaking open a pack and seeing my favorite players was just a thrill! Now that I have kids, and I am getting them interested in sports, both college and professional.

Since this is something that my kids and I enjoy to do as a family, I think that it would be great if a product was created that spotlighted the parents/children and siblings in sports. Model it after the World of Sports product. Use the Griffeys, the Bells, the Deans for baseball, the Millers in basketball, the Wisnewskis, Ryans in football. There could be inserts of autos, game-used pieces, the possibilities are endless. Quad autos of the kids WITH their parents.

Really show that sports, in general, can be a family activity. Who knows, this might inspire the children to go out and participate in the sports that they are collecting.

Here is a new/old idea. How about introducing kids through collecting by putting 1 or 2 cards into cereal boxes? This hasn’t been done too often since Post had them in their boxes in 93 and 94. Have a checklist of about 10 players and have one card per box of cereal. And from here move onto other foods as well. Kids love food. You can put mini cards into boxes of Cracker Jack. Put them into fruit snack boxes. I was a kids once and nothing was more exciting than finding something special in my box of food.

Thats just a start. Put cards and video games together. In order to get kids into this great hobby, you have got to target their favorite spots. If they really dig what they find in their box of cereal or in the other foods or video games for free cards, it could push them into buying the real stuff.

But there has got to be a kid friendly brand(s) out there for them to purchase. Not something too expensive (I have seen so many parents not buying because of price), too confusing (meaning no Sp’s and variations), or too much in depth with the product. They need something simple, colorful, eye catching and on a kid level. Die cuts, refractors, cards that you can feel (ones with felt or bumpiness) could be attention drawers.

And maybe besides sports, doing their favorite tv shows might be a draw in. You never know.

Here are my four ideas:

1.) Make the some cards more affordable for kids to collect. I have been collecting since 1985, and I remember going to the local super market and picking up packs for 25 cents each. Kids are going to look for a product that has a price tag that they could afford.

2.) Create Mystery packs at the end of the season for each Upper Deck sport. For example a 10 card hockey pack that could have a couple of cards from Upper Deck, SPx, OPC, Ultra, collectors choice, and ….. Throw in a special surprise that is only included in those packs. It would give kids a an ability to see what Upper deck has avaliable on the market.

3.) Recreate a grassroots effort to get kids to discover or get back into collecting. Reach out to biggest Kids groups and orginizations in america. Boys and girls clubs, YMCA, Boy’s and Girl’s scouts, School districts, Library’s, Also utilize local and national groups like the VFW, Local Rotory, Eagels, Elks, Shriners, American Leagon. These groups have hundreds of thousands of members who have kids and Grandkids. Also look at promotions with the March of Dimes, United Way, and Red Cross. Utilize the Upper Deck Volunteer Alliance better, and expand it so that there is a representative for certain areas of each state.

4. Revitalize Upper Decks image in the eyes of collectors. When Adults visit local hobby shops generally they take there kids with them. I have two kids that collect because I have for 27 years. It has been alot of fun watching my kids collect, and see the enjoyment of seeing them pull something they like. There are other products out there to choice from, why not promote Upper Decks standing as the top product in the industry, and how it has changed how cards were made for ever.