I can remember back in the hay day of sports cards that Upper Deck came out with cards that had holograms on them. Back then we thought that these were the coolest cards ever.

This is what keeps me intrigued with card collecting! Upper Deck goes out of their way to not only please their dedicated customers but also provide new and innovative ideas such as the shadow box cards that keeps everyone excited to pick up their products over other competitors. Thank you Upper Deck for going above and beyond and starting 2012 football off with a bang!

No doubt the anti-counterfeit hologram changed the hobby forever. Before that it was way to simple to counterfeit the best rookies,

I feel that Upper Decks greatest innovation is the Sweet Spot series. Jersey cards and autographs are cool but Sweet Spot brings that to a whole nother level! To unveil an autograph on the sweet spot of a baseball or even a bat is insane! But what makes Sweet Spot unique are the game used helmets with autographs, which have never been seen until this amazing series!!

Upper Deck has provided the single greatest innovation to the trading card market, which was the first randomly inserted personally autographed and numbered cards of players. Upper Deck started it and is still taking it too new levels.

I think the game used jersey card was one of upper decks biggest innovations. Although they are plentiful now you still can’t pick up those original jersey cards for a low price and their collectibility remains very high!

UD has most definetly been most innovative back in 1989 when they challenged Topps’ monopoly. For sure the whiteness and clarity of each card in the 1989 set made UD cards very collectible. To this day, the Griffey Jr RC is worth so much more than the Topps RC because of the innovation of The UD designers.

Upper Deck has been at the cutting edge since it’s debut baseball release in 1989 that had holograms to deter counterfeits. Their unparalleled and comprehensive insert sets chronicled every single game in Yankee history (2008) and every single game Michael Jordan played as a Bull (2009). While daunting to complete, they represent the ultimate chase for dedicated collectors. Upper Deck continues to lead innovation in the hobby by being the first to deliver video trading cards. Their unique approach remains vital to keeping a hobby thriving that many in the mainstream media have counted out.

The greatest Upper Deck innovation is a tie between the hologram use of players (ex. Spx in late 90’s) and the Shadowbox cards. The hologram use of players faces made for the best looking base and insert cards out on the market and I still chase them down. As for the Shadowbox cards they give us whats hot in a 3d look and has other companies trying to do their best to copy what Upper Deck did first. If UD were to combined these two innovations….I would be in heaven.

My favorite innovation is the sweet spot cards with the helmets. It gives collectors a little taste of memorabilia along w/ the autograph.

Upper Deck has held true to it’s name throughout the years. It has made collectors feel like they were a part of the game with their memorabilia, ranging from player worn garb to presidential hair strands and cut signatures of George Washington. The innovations have ranged from holograms, to diecuts, to memorabilia, to serial numbered cards, to video cards, to buybacks, to buyback autos and the newest shadowbox cards. UD has been a friend to all collectors regardless of your bank account by releasing a high and low series version priced for any budget all the way to the Exquisite brand to bring excitement to even the “High Rollers.” I’ve been awed as a customer of UD since the 1989 set with the Griffey Jr. and every year anxiously await the next creation from the “Upper Deck Laboratory!”

Love the shadow box. The Earl Campbell card is awesome. I would love to add that card to my Oilers collection. Keep up the great work:)

UDA was the breakthrough for signed memorabilia. UD also made Lettermen mainstream which was great. And the old holograms w/ baseball team logos opened up a whole new world for cards (older SPX rules).

I think some of Upper Deck’s greatest innovations have been acetate and booklet cards. Cards printed on clear plastic are just so cool to look at and hold. Booklet cards are so cool to pull and display so well.

Can’t wait to get my boys started on Upper Deck. They are alwasy ahead of the curve and my boys asked the other day if they can start collecting. Upper Deck here we come.

I really think what Upper Deck did back in 1989 changed the market forever. Having a new product that wasn’t cheap at the time compared to the .50 cent packs that were out there was totally revolutionary. Then to put game jersey cards and autographs in packs just took things from a hobby to a very lucrative business.

I think the most innovative part of UD was when they were willing to compete with Topps in 1989. I loved the clean, white design of that year. This is why the UD Griffey RC is worth more than the Topps one; UD’s innovation is what collectors have loved!

I really liked the general look and feel of the UpperDeck baseball from 89 and the early 90’s. The just felt like they were higher quality, and the white border and clean photos made them stand out from the rest. 1989 UpperDeck Griffey Rookie, is STILL my favorite card of all time.

Innovation began with the very 1st card from the very first set. 1989 Upper Deck Ken Griffey Jr

The greatest innovation that I can remember are the hologram cards. At the time they were revolutionary, and changed the way that collectors looked at cards. Even with all the advancements, some of my favorite cards are the hologram cards and are still a great innovation not just for Upper Deck but for card collecting period.

The ability of Upper Deck to meld together amazing photography, crisp designs, and spectacular memorabilia and autographs onto a piece of cardboard is Upper Deck’s greatest innovation. Upper Deck brought trading cards to the next level in 1989 and have been leading the way ever since. Their products are the standard and the bar that all other companies try to reach and emulate.

Upper Deck has reached an entirely new level yet again with this year SPX football innovattive design. The much anticipated return of the greatest UD innovation, the Shadow Box card, has new life! Now you can create your own unique collectible shadow box card. Brilliantly put together with variations of players including the extreme high value auto inserts! Can’t wait to get my hands on a complete set of these gems!

UD has been on the rise with these collecting changing cards! Literally! Who else gives you the option of essentially making our own card?! No one, these acetate cards w interchangeable parts is like whoever decided to deep-fry desserts..BRILLIANT! Keep it up UD!!

If I had to state what Upper Deck’s greatest innovations are for the trading card hobby, well here they are:
1. Back in 1989, when baseball cards from three other companies became stale, Upper Deck comes out with beautiful white card stock cards with amazing crisp photos – changed the industry forever!
2. Also, Upper Deck adds the hologram technology into cards, which helps with counterfeiting and adds that extra seal to put them over the top.
3. A few years later that add gloss to the cards, which again changes the quality of cards forever.
4. Lastly, Upper Deck keeps raising the bar with new technology/innovations to their cards to make them continue to standout and each year they have to raise the bar.

I think this is the next break through in card collecting. I cant wait to get my hands on them. I have been collecting since 1990 and have just started my three children collecting. This series will be there first complete collection they work on. I am excited to see this and can’t wait for my area to get them.

I think the most innovative cards that Upper Deck has come out with were the Game Jersey cards from 1996. It was the first time I had ever seen a price of jersey on a card. With guys in the set like Joe Montana and Dan Marino, I instantly fell in love with the set.

Upper Deck has the best cards in the business. I still remember a few years ago signing up on the Upper Deck website to win free prizes with the codes on the backs of the cards. UD innovated this into the product like no other, still keeping the great look of the card and letting collectors get a little extra for what they bought. UD has created some of the greatest cards and especially game used and autographed ones.

UD has revolutionized trading cards ever since they started. Top notch and cutting edge for sure.

Are you kidding?? Upper Deck changed the industry completly by putting game worn jersey pieces on cards. Collectors now have a chance to own a piece of the their fav player thanks to UD in 1997 UD Football!!!

I miss 2009 UD Black! The Lustrous Materials autographs were gorgeous. Autographs were on clear Plexiglas and the patches were encased behind a Plexiglas window. Amazing. The slideshow autographs were some of the nicest looking cards I’ve ever held in my hand: the cards themselves looked like they were made of glass; the players’ photographs looked three-dimensional, and the gold paint-pen autographs jumped out at you. This set was a technological breakthrough yet it received very little attention upon release.

From 1989 to today, Upper Deck has been the most innovative company in sports memorabilia. It all started with holograms on the back of the cards and using high quality paper and photographs that made the legacy makers look amatuerish. Then it was their brilliant use of autographed inserts. I remember trying to collect the Nolan Ryan Baseball Heroes set and I wanted so badly to find one of the autographed versions. Then they took it a step further and started cutting up baseball bats! At first people said they were crazy for doing that but that allowed hundreds of collectors to own a piece of history. And now these shadow box slot cards look awesome! I can’t wait to bust a box and try my hand at

Personally I love Sweet Spot series is also one of my favorites. I like what I see with this Shadow Box slot and creating my own card. I remember back in the late 80’s when UD came out with baseball & us kids chased Ken Griffey Jr rookie cards. It created a spark back then & this Shadow Box slot with SPx maybe the spark needed to recharge Upper Deck in the collecting ring. I am excited and love what you have done. Thank-You Upper Deck!

When UD first started in the early 90’s with the great photos and high quality card stock, it was a shot in the arm that the industry needed. They made collecting fun again and they created cards that you wanted to own, because they were so new and different and exciting. And, they kept innovating, pushing the competition and bringing about awesome new cards and ideas for collectors.

I really liked and still like the Upper Deck Revolution Video Cards! Though I’ve never landed one! I think there is more that can be done and will be done in the future. I’ve always collected Upper Deck since I was a kid and followed every step in my 46 years of collecting!Thanks Guys! Keep up the good work and I’ll be here till I die!
UPPER DECK RULES!
Dave

Shadow cards are very sweet. Although I’m extremely disappointed with SP Signature Baseball I know you guys are limited but seriously?

I love collecting shadow cards.