The UD Blog and Educating The Masses

A couple of weeks ago, Toby from the UD blog asked me to put together a piece designed to help new collectors start up in the hobby. We settled on a series that should be published periodically focusing on questions a lot of people have, mainly with transitioning from a love of sports to a love of cards.

The first article is up now, I encourage you to check it out. I know a few other card bloggers are also working on posts as well, so be sure to keep checking out the updates.

Im personally glad that UD has reached out to the network of people around the net to get some outside perspective on the hobby. Kudos to them for tapping into our vast body of knowledge.

You can follow the Upper Deck Blog at upperdeckblog.com or on twitter at twitter.com/upperdeckblog.

Review Not Necessary: 2009 Leaf Rookies And Stars

I didn’t actually realize that Leaf Rookies and Stars comes out as well as UD Philadelphia, but to tell you the truth, I am glad that was the case. This is due to the fact that even though Rookies and Stars looks nothing like last year's product, which is a feat for Panini, it could be the worst design choice of the year. In fact, im not even going to waste the hour writing the product review, only to give it less of a score than Score Inscriptions got.

R&S takes the same idea as Inscriptions of going "urban" with the design, incorporating graffiti like bordering, as well as a weird obsession with paint spills. The text and font choice is just as bad, as the way it is featured could not look more stupid. Imagine the way a neon sign looks when it is turned off, and you have the font for some of the subsets of R&S. Otherwise its just weird looking stencils.

This product is also FILLED with floating plain swatch cards with hundreds of parallels, just the way Panini loves to do it. Honestly, why are these cards even necessary? Oh, right, because they are too lazy to fill out a whole set.

Lastly, we have the worst of the worst. As if you thought the Panini style Manu-patch autos werent enough in Prestige, THEY'RE BAAAACKK! Only this time, the players are stuffed onto a smaller border and covered in a paint spill. Cmon, enough with this poop of a product.

Ill be honest, of all the products that have been released since 2007, Leaf Rookies and Stars is the one product that I have never bought a single, pack, or box of, mainly because the cards have always been so stupid looking. The main rookie part of this set has helmet off pics, so it makes it even less attractive to me, and the design has NEVER been good.

Add this set to the list of products that needs to get the axe.

Product Review: 2009 Philadelphia Football

Yesterday evening I had the pleasure of watching a case break of Upper Deck's first retro football product in a long time. Philadelphia hits stores today, and it should be a pretty popular release, a la O-Pee-Chee in baseball. Collectors love retro products, and this one should get them pretty excited, mainly due to the way the boxes are structured. Even though my friend's case wasn’t great, it was enormously fun to open, which from early reports, seems to be the case (pun intended).

Design/Creativity

Starting off, the cards look good for a retro set, something that is evident in the original Philadelphia design. They incorporated uncropped game shots into the base cards, which is always a good thing, preventing the players from looking like they are fatheads stuck onto a wall. The border design is also very simple and is not a focus of the card in general, just the way I like it.

I also think that the National Chicle minis and normal sized cards are EXTREMELY well done. They look great, and really capture the essence of the originals. These are going to be a popular set for people to collect, and I think UD got that when creating the cards. Even though the set itself is sparsely populated with non-set collector offerings, these cards should be pleasing to everyone.

As good as the National Chicle cards look, its pretty ridiculous that non-auto'ed cards of the rookies still show them in their college uniforms. Its now August, and we still havent had a post-premiere product from upper deck, despite multiple sets from both Topps and Grilled Italian Sandwich. I understand that when you do everything hard signed, the NFL uniforms are pretty much impossible at this point without breaking stalker laws, but the other stuff is about as inexcusable as it can get.

When it comes to the rest of the product, I couldn’t help but get a little bored with everything. To someone like me who has no clue why retro sets continue to be produced, I just don’t get why this product isnt just an insert set in base UD. Topps has taken their base product and ramped it up with things that made it more worthwhile for collectors, why not do the same thing with the awesome looking cards from this set? Put the National Chicle minis at one per box, with an auto per case, put the base cards as one per pack or something. No need to waste a spot that something like SP Game Used edition could have taken. Set collecting in baseball is much, much, much, MUCH different than set collecting in football, mainly because of the history of the hobby. Football doesn’t have as large of a history, and I don’t like it being forced on me.

Rating =

Autograph Cards

Before I go into anything, I want to say how great the autograph cards in this set look. If you think about the Goudey 'Graph set in baseball, this is very similar. The autos are all on card, signed on full game shots or national chicle cards, and I think I may buy a few - even if I don’t collect the players. UD has also taken notice of people like Albert Haynesworth, who hasn’t had autographs ever (I think), as well as Jared Allen and the like. For this I give an ovation to the checklist people, because defense is a forgotten side of the ball in this sport. If you arent a rookie linebacker or top pick, you don’t have many cards outside of your rookie year. People like Haynesworth and Allen are primed to be two of the most popular players on their respective teams, which means that autographs in products are definitely warranted.

The National Chicle autographs are also ridiculously cool, and were a big focus of the coverage at the NFL Rookie Premiere. UD took on card signatures a step further by adding great inscriptions and making those cards some of the most collectible of the year. When we busted the case last night, we were hoping to pull one, but alas, our Vontae Davis was not inscribed. Regardless of the signature inscription, it was still one of the better signed rookie cards I have seen in a long time. I cant wait for some of the Sanchez and Stafford ones to pop up, as their inscriptions were pretty extensive.

So far, Philadelphia has been the best looking product in terms of autographs this year, and it didn’t take any manu-letters, no gimmicks, no graffiti under a bridge design. Its just a photo on card, signed by the player. That’s all it takes.

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Relic Cards

Philadelphia promises a relic or two per box, and they are pretty good looking for relic cards. They don’t have floating swatches as far as I can tell, and even play to the set collector side of people by doing them the way they did. Instead of naming it some ridiculous name like other products in the past, they just took the base design and added the swatch. Because of this, the Philadelphia Fabrics subset looks better than 99% of the rest of the jersey cards out there. Good for them.

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Value to the Collector

I have said a million times that on card signatures will always be valuable for any collector, especially ones that are as good as the ones in Philadelphia. Add in that this will be the set collector's dream set, and you make the SPs and everything similar in the set that much more valuable. As Philadelphia is already pretty cheap, I can see the box prices staying put or even going up as time passes.

The autographs with the inscriptions will also hold their astronomical value, without a doubt. Anytime you can get extras out of a player with low numbered outcomes, you will have a card that will not lose value, even though they are not in pro uniforms.

I would say, if you have the choice between buying a box of jumbo Topps, a box of classics, and a box of this, Philadelphia should pull out a convincing win. There is a lot to chase in this product, and it should hold at least until Mayo comes out. Then once people see the sticker autos on mayo, it will become evident how important this set is for retro collectors.

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Overall Impressions

Philadelphia, as far as retro sets go, is an exercise in less is more. A simplistic design, a deep auto checklist, and a good price will give staying power to this product. It looks as if this will be that one product that people go back to when the lull hits in January. Although it has some major issues with rookies, and a little bit of boredom for people like me, the hits make everything all better.

I wouldn’t say rush to the store to buy a case, but definitely set your snipes on eBay. It’s a great way to get some auto cards from your favorite rookies that look amazing, and collecting the set for the set collectors should be a blast.

Average Rating =

2009 Product Leaderboard (SO FAR)

1(t). UD Philadelphia Football (3/5 GELLMANS)
1(t). Topps Football (3/5 GELLMANS)
1(t). UD Icons Football (3/5 GELLMANS)
1(t). UD Heroes Football (3/5 GELLMANS)
1(t). UD Draft Edition (3/5 GELLMANS)
6(t). Donruss Classics (2/5 GELLMANS)
6(t). Donruss Elite (2/5 GELLMANS)
6(t). Playoff Prestige (2/5 GELLMANS)
6(t). Bowman Draft Picks (2/5 GELLMANS)
10. Score Inscriptions Football (1/5 GELLMANS)

New Watchdog Post: Check Out Tuff Stuff.com

First off, I want to thank Tuff Stuff for actually taking initiative on items like this and letting me post about it. They were really the only ones willing to look at the bad people in this hobby with the idea of education, and I applaud that. Even though it can be scary for new collectors to learn of fakes and scams, its all about knowing, and knowing is half the battle. Right?

The second hobby watchdog article is up on the front page of the site and focuses on the asshole who sold the fake Exquisite Peterson Viking head logo for over $2000. Make sure to check it out, and also keep checking back here for all things scam related.

Tuff Stuff's Hobby Watchdog Warns of Fake Exquisite Patches

2009 Upper Deck Philadelphia Is Live

Some of the first Philadelphia cards started to pop up on eBay last week, and today, many of the higher dollar cards started to surface as well. The on card signatures look really good, and the cards look like they would be a hit for many of the retro collectors out there. The Philadelphia Signatures are well done, as the full color game photos make these that much better. Usually with retro sets, many of the cards are painted or sketched, which this set also has (with autos), but uncropped action shots are completely underrated. I know most of you feel the same way, when your player cards look more like a Fathead on a background, more than a player on a field. I may have to pick up a few signatures solely for that.

On the other hand, I really dislike that we STILL havent had a UD product in NFL unis. I understand that the on card stuff has no ability for the players to be in rookie premiere garb, but the unsigned stuff has no excuse. I will trade on card sigs for rookies in college uniforms, but I will not accept regular cards at this point of Matt Stafford in a Bulldogs uniform.

I still have no interest in buying boxes of these cards, and still think they would have been better as an insert set, but I can also see the massive appeal this set will have. To see that UD managed to many of these cards hard signed puts this set above any other retro sets this year. We can compare apples to apples when we know that sticker autos are the rule, but when you see the actual exception in practice, it makes all the difference in the world.

Full review will be up tomorrow, more pics as they are posted.

2009 Bowman Chrome Football Has Become A Freak Show

Topps? Seriously? You are messing with the one product that isnt broken?

The preview spread sheet has been posted, and I am shocked that Topps took Bowman Chrome in this horrible direction. As you can see, they have added relic autos and relic refractor autos to the set, and they are so poorly conceived that they make Prestige Chrome look well put together. Why do we need a relic if it is going to cover up the fucking subject of the card? It not that fucking important! A Chrome auto /10 would be worth a bunch regardless, why destroy the one card that could sell the product? I know that Upper Deck has mentioned to me on a number of occasions that Topps is developing a product to compete directly with SPA, and I hope that Topps didnt choose Chrome as the way to do it.

Oh, but wait! THERE'S MORE!

Now we are having a repeat of the signed letters from Bowman Draft Picks? Why? We get that UD broke new ground with the signed manu-letters in SPA a few years ago, but I dont think they intended Topps to take the idea and repeatedly beat it into a fine mush. Every goddamn Topps product has letters - signed and unsigned. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.

Bowman Chrome was great BECAUSE of its simplicity, not despite it. Topps has bastardized a standard in low-end with needless upgrades that sway from the original ideas. Here is the letter all of us should write to the leadership:

Dear Topps,

Fuck you. You ruined Bowman Chrome.

That is all.

Disrespectfully,
(INSERT YOUR NAME HERE)

What is happening with this shit? Jesus.

My Take On The National

There have been a ton of posts on all the blogs already about what happened at the national, lack of foot traffic, dealers not giving two shits about it, etc. And though Beckett seems to think this National was "teh best natty con EVAR," its become undeniable that something just wasnt the same. It could have been the city, it could have been the economy, it could have been all of that or none of it. One thing remains, however, the national card show has a few problems and they arent going away.

The main thing that I believe is the reason the national attendance has been going downhill is because its a card show. That is one reason that no one seems to get. Who wants to pay $250 for plane fare, 100 bucks for hotel, 8 bucks for parking, 20 bucks for admission, and all sorts of money for food, just for a card show? Yes, there are a lot of people there, but in all reality, there is now a free card show that is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in ebay. In any economy where people arent scrounging for money, it wouldnt be too much of a factor. However, when disposable income is at a complete minimum, why even make an effort?

Add in the fact that you have mediocre autograph guests charging hundreds, and there is an even bigger problem than before. When you have someone at the show like Barry Sanders, thats all great and everything, but when he charges as much as he does, it loses appeal for collectors who normally would pay under 100 bucks for a great photo and or football on eBay. The same prices were true for last year, but the economy was different.

Then, when you have hundreds of dealers all competing for the dollars of the few consumers who live in the area or made the trek, you would expect that it would be a buyer's market. From the many reports I got through email and on the boards, however, the dealers were not able to make it a buyer's market due to the fact that they were having trouble making rent for the show. Also, they had such poor service that people were turned off by their actions and went elsewhere. Its been quoted on a few places that the dealers' biggest customers were other dealers, im guessing because so many people needed stuff to sell to the dwindling customer base.

My thought is that even though the economy will rebound, events like this will not. People are starting to wise up on the best places to get deals, and will go to these events more to be around other collectors and to see their favorite card company's booth. They will not go to buy cards from a dirty old man who charges high book. Beckett wants you to think that the national is the best thing since sliced bread, because they know its the one place where they can do more than average bloggers, and because book value is everywhere there. It makes them seem relevant in the hobby more than they really are. The fact is, many bloggers dont need to go to the event because of the lack of interest to most readers, and because there is already enough communication with the manufacturers outside of the show. Bloggers WANT to go to the show to meet people in person, but I guarantee you that none of them spent more than a hundred bucks or so, give or take.

Under that assumption, I would encourage the bloggers to make a trip next year to Baltimore, but not with the idea of providing the "OMG, we are everywherez!" coverage that Beckett did. I think it should be more about educating the public, showcasing our talents as hobby media personnel, and getting to know the reader base. If you want to do interviews, why wait for a once a year event? Its your responsibility to seek them out for your readers the whole year long. Use the national the way it should be used, as a gathering of the populace, not as a place to show readers that you can get interviews with Scotty Prusha and Tracy Hackler. These are people who would normally scoff at your attempt at providing news as a "cesspool of misinformation," and shouldnt be the people that get the stage at any time, let alone at a card show.

Bloggers and message boards are the new number one source for hobby commentary and news. Everything else is stale and outdated. Its time to show what we got 24/7/365 instead of just for one weekend.

NFL First Round Signings Update - Nicks, Wells, Harvin All Sign

Now that pretty much every single NFL team has opened camp, rookie signings are coming by the dozen. Teams are racing to get everyone in under the gun, which has led to a number of key rookies getting their contracts done.

So far, the only big names NOT to sign are two receivers who may have a ton of issues as a result. Crabtree looks destined for a holdout, and despite a lack of any type of contract wiggle room, Maclin is also unsigned. Other receivers have already signed, so the lack of a contract for these two players is ridiculous at the moment. As of today, Harvin, Nicks, Hey-Bey, and the others are signed per NFL.com and PFT, so why arent these two done?

I think the reason is that Crabtree has established himself as quite a problem child in that respect, even having problems keeping his tears under control. He wants top three pick money, despite the fact that he obviously wasnt picked top three. Personally, I think he needs to stuff his shitty attitude into a bag labeled "Terrell Owens NFL Legacy" and get to camp.

Josh Freeman, another player who seemed headed for a holdout also signed this week, which is great news for the auto I pulled, and for the Bucs. He still has a good chance of playing this year, even though 90% of the time its a horrible idea. Right JaMarcus Russell?

Also among the unsigned are Moreno and Donald Brown, which seems quite unusual considering that the Colts and Broncos usually get their picks done quite quickly. I would say that getting both into camp is of paramount importance, though it doesnt seem like there is much news on either.

When Percy Harvin's signing news came through my sources, I was ecstatic. That meant the Vikings could finally get him into camp without missing more than a few days, and possibly solidify his place in Childress' "Kick Ass" offense. His words, not mine.

I thought Harvin was waiting on some THC to exit his system before peeing in a cup, but I guess the drug test didnt scare him as much as some of us thought it would. Maybe now I can just sit back and wait for september.

Here is a list of the signings so far:

1. Stafford - Lions - Signed

2. Smith - Rams - Signed

3. Jackson - Chiefs - Unsigned

4. Curry - Seahawks - Unsigned

5. Sanchez - Jets - Signed

6. Smith - Bengals - Unsigned

7. Heyward-Bey - Raiders - Signed

8. Monroe - Jaguars - Unsigned

9. Raji - Packers - Unsigned

10. Crabtree - 49ers - Unsigned

11. Maybin - Bills - Unsigned

12. Moreno - Broncos - Unsigned

13. Orakpo - Redskins - Signed

14. Jenkins - Saints - Unsigned

15. Cushing - Texans - Signed

16. English - Chargers - Signed

17. Freeman - Bucs - Signed

18. Ayers - Broncos - Unsigned

19. Maclin - Eagles - Unsigned

20. Pettigrew - Lions - Signed

21. Mack - Browns - Signed

22. Harvin - Vikings - Signed

23. Oher - Ravens - Signed

24. Peria Jerry - Falcons - Signed

25. Davis - Dolphins - Signed

26. Matthews - Packers - Signed

27. Brown - Colts - Unsigned

28. Wood - Bills - Signed

29. Nicks - Giants - Signed

30. Britt - Titans - Signed

31. Wells - Cardinals - Signed

32. Hood - Steelers - Signed

Carrying The Banner - UPDATE

Rob from VOTC has gone into the NSCC show and was asked to leave due to the shirt. Obviously, Beckett's presence at the show was enough to make sure that anyone coming in with any propaganda was not welcome. Granted, the shirt is quite an attention grabber, and I can understand that crashing a party like the national is not something they would like.

Either way, thanks to Rob's quick use of his first amendment rights, he was able to convince the show organizers to let him stay, and was actually able to indoctrinate the head of show security as to why Beckett sucks. Nice.

I think this is pretty funny, and Rob said he has gotten nothing but compliments. Pictures coming. Keep up the good work Rob, haha.

EDIT: First pic of Rob in the shirt, I added his Twitter feed for all updates with lots of pics. Man, I wish I could be there. Work sucks.