Missing the Signs - A Response To Wax Heaven

Mario, sadly, has finally jumped on the train with the rest of the "UD is going downhill in baseball" gang. Im glad he is getting it now, it will save him a lot of heartache in the future. Its disheartening that UD is starting to alienate even their biggest fans, like Mario, especially without regard for even trying. Here is what he wrote about the newest previews for UD 2009 Baseball products (my response is in between the paragraphs):

Take a look at the images below. You are gazing into previews for 2009 ‘X’, Spectrum, SPx, Icon, and a Piece of History. I have to say this right now before my head explodes: FIRE WHOEVER IS IN CHARGE OF DESIGNS!

Dude, obviously the pics are similar because the sets werent that good to begin with. I know you love SPx but the product has been on its way out since bowman chrome started doing their thang. Now that Bowman Chrome has all the RCs in a set more than a year ahead of SPX, this set becomes about the autos on the checklist. The bad part is, despite the fact that BC is beating them to the punch, the product is still filled with "40 man" RCs or the guys who have already made their debuts on the roster. Trust me, those guys cant carry a $20 per pack set. 

On the other side, we all know X and Piece of History are just ridiculous products. They are just bad on all sides. Did you really think UD would waste their time on these?

Not counting the good showing of U.D’s flagship brand, you are looking at three brands with almost identical designs and two which look like Update versions of 2008 products. Where did the creativity go? You are fucking Upper Deck for Christ’s sake, you can do a lot better than this. Don’t believe me? Buy a box of ‘08 Ultimate Collection or ‘07 Sweet Spot.

Wow, did you really put Ultimate Collection in this category? Cmon man! Ultimate 2008 was one of the most lame, boring, and unimaginitive products of the year! Every box had the same thing in it, and if you were lucky you got Grif, Jeter, or Ripken. If you didnt, you were fucked. In my mind, the set was only the jersey signed autos and one or two other subsets. It was beyond uncreative. 

Sweet Spot 07 was just as awful as UC, mainly because of the crapfest checklist, the high price, and all the fucking parallels of those signature cards. Purple and Green stitching on a baseball is supposed to make this more appealing? Fuck that. On top of all that you had those eye sore RC helmet cards which were again just the "40 man" RCs of the year. Hell, wasnt Delmon Young in there too? I would not support the idea that 07 Sweet Spot was a high point for UD. 

Please don’t take this as anything more than constructive criticism. It’s almost 4 in the morning and here I am staring at your 2009 designs in Photoshop wondering how you could possibly let something like this happen to your company. Right now is not a good time to get complacent, look no further than your basketball department for proof.

I agree 100%, UD should never have let this happen. But it has everything to do with set structure, not set design.

You guys know Topps’ flagship and Heritage completely took you to school. With no Masterpieces or Sweet Spot slated for 2009 it’s starting to look like an unfair fight. Please, for the love of the Hobby… get this train back on track before it’s too late. I have been supporting you guys since the beginning of Wax Heaven but I cannot hold my tongue any longer.

Topps and Topps  Heritage are completely different types of products than those you are comparing them to. Sweet Spot is pretty much high end for baseball, much like the grossly out dated SPx, and so to compare it with the two lowest end products of the year is way too off base. Personally, I liked 09 UD better than 09 Topps because its a better design and a better set structure to do well with baseball collectors. The problem is that it doesnt have a Topps logo on it. This is the same reason why UD destroys topps in Basketball and usually in Football - they made the playing field for those sports and therefore hold the exclusives and the set structures to make themselves better. 

Mario, I dont mean this post in a destructive way, I just think you are approaching it in the wrong fashion. I know that you love UD, I do too, but the fact is that UD is about to only have FB as its only sport because they dont have the tools or the contract to compete in BB and BKB. Its sad that they have to go, but, alas, thus is the nature of the beast.

Here is the article on Wax Heaven, go check it out.