Product Review: 2009 SP Signature Edition

A lot of us were expecting something completely different when SP Signature edition was announced early this year. A product focused on autographs with promises of four, five and six auto cards couldn’t be a bad thing, right? Well, sadly, the product ended up being more of a sticker dump than it was a viable set, and there are sure a lot of angry wax breakers out there because of it.

Design/Creativity

When you look at the set design initially, it isnt bad. The cards don’t look like they are designed for a normal sticker dump product, but that is just the surface. When you delve deeper into the set itself, it becomes clear that not much thought was put into what everything was going to look like. Each of the subsets looks exactly the same, and though as a standalone set they may be fine, together it all looks like a snoozefest. Funny enough, that’s all I can really say about this design because there is not much in terms of set construction. The six player autos look like the single autos with five extra players, and that just kind of puts me to sleep.

Personally, this set reminds me of two enormous UD flops from years past. First is 2007 Ultimate Collection, where UD explored the multi hit Ultimate pack for the first time. Each one of the cards looked exactly the same, just like this junk, except with 2007 Ultimate, the design was completely terrible. The other product I get bad trip flashbacks of is 2007 SP Chriography, a sticker dump for five times the price. Again, the design for the set wasn’t terrible, but there was no differentiation between the entire product's line.

Rating =

Autograph Cards

This is where things get really fucking ugly. When I say fucking ugly, I mean Hairless Chihauhua ugly. This set is stuffed so full of unused rookie auto stickers from 2006-2009 that its hard to see the good stuff that is hiding in the pile of crap. For every Mark Sanchez or Matt Ryan auto card, there is 15 cards numbered to a billion that feature players who may not even be on a team anymore. This also means that when you pull one of those "ridiculous" six auto cards, 19 times out of 20, you are going to get a card worth less than 5 bucks. Crazy for a card like that.

There is some redeeming cards in this set, like the first Emmitt Smith/Adrian Peterson dual auto, or others like it, but those cards are so rare that paying box or case price is almost equal to burning your cash as a sacrifice to the card gods.

The rookie autos, as said above, arent horrible, but they cannot outweigh the mountains of shit in this product. Its almost like they used as few good autos as they could to prevent the product from costing them for dumping their warehouse stock. Hell, this product isnt even tin worthy anymore. Remember back when each pack came in a tin, and you at least had a place to store your Kurt Rambis auto when you pulled it? Yeah, not so much this year, it’s a tiny box with a pack inside.

Almost like they knew not to waste the good shit.

Rating =

Relic Cards

There are no relic cards in this set

Value to the Collector

I cant stress against buying SP Signature enough. It is a product that will not hold its value, will cost less than 20 bucks a box come the off season, and you will only end up getting junk. If you are thinking of buying a box, send your money to me, as I will buy you a nicer single card and send it back to you. Not only will you have better luck playing Top Skater at Dave and Busters for a good time, but you will possibly gain more out of it as well. Seriously, go put 40 bucks into that machine, and you may just learn to skateboard better. With SP sig, all you are going to get is a hole in your wallet. You know, if you do spend the money to buy this, you deserve to have that hole in your wallet just for your stupidity.

Rating =

Overall Impressions

First, this product fucking sucks. Second, Black comes out in two weeks, and I guarantee you can find at least one card you would like for the money you would spend on this. Third, this product fucking sucks. It was worth mentioning a second time.

Average Rating =

2009 Product Leaderboard (SO FAR)

1. Topps Chrome (4/5 GELLMANS)
2(t). Donruss Limited (3/5 GELLMANS)
2(t). Bowman Chrome (3/5 GELLMANS)
2(t). Donruss Certified (3/5 GELLMANS)
2(t). Upper Deck Football (3/5 GELLMANS)
2(t). UD Philadelphia (3/5 GELLMANS)
2(t). Topps Football (3/5 GELLMANS)
2(t). UD Icons (3/5 GELLMANS)
2(t). UD Heroes (3/5 GELLMANS)
2(t). UD Draft Edition (3/5 GELLMANS)
11(t). Topps Finest (2/5 GELLMANS)
11(t). Upper Deck SP Threads (2/5 GELLMANS)
11(t). Upper Deck SPX (2/5 GELLMANS)
11(t). Playoff Absolute Memorabilia (2/5 GELLMANS)
11(t). Bowman Sterling Football (2/5 GELLMANS)
11(t). Donruss Threads (2/5 GELLMANS)
11(t). Donruss Classics (2/5 GELLMANS)
11(t). Donruss Elite (2/5 GELLMANS)
11(t). Playoff Prestige (2/5 GELLMANS)
11(t). Bowman Draft Picks (2/5 GELLMANS)
20. Score Inscriptions (1/5 GELLMANS)
20. SP Signature Edition (1/5 GELLMANS
22. Leaf Rookies and Stars (0/5 GELLMANS - NR)