Ufjumper7 Has Continued His Assault On SPA Redemptions

I have been talking about Ufjumper7 for a long time now. The guy has single-handedly destroyed a portion of 2009 SPA like no other seller has done in a long time. Because of Upper Deck's troubles, as well as rumors of athletes not signing for redemptions, he was able to pick up tons of Kenny Britt, Percy Harvin and Beanie Wells for chump change, all with the intentions of exploiting people. The funny part is how stupid some people are for believing his stuff is real.

Here are his recent auctions to avoid:

Percy Harvin Viking Head Logo /25 - Not only did he destroy a Harvin card with a ridiculous fake logo, but he ruined a gold version that usually sells for around 200. This is his second logo that he has sold, and no one seems to notice. What a douche.

Percy Harvin 3 Color - Harvin didnt get a lot of three colors in SPA, but Ufjumper has gotten them time after time, right? Sure, if you like patches off the replithentic jerseys he bought for 3 bucks.

Percy Harvin 3 Color - See above, these are terrible.

Kenny Britt 3 Color - Kenny Britt also has a 3 color shortage, and when they are three colors, I dont think this is the jersey he wore at the premiere even. Not that this ass hat would even care, but just saying. Stay away.

Here are two others from before, there will defintely be more, he bought a ton of these.

Percy Harvin Vikings Chest Logo - Not even a question this isnt real. I still cannot believe people dont see who this guy really is. Im wondering how long it will be before he changes his name.

Percy Harvin 3 Color - Funny how many of these 3 colors he was "lucky" enough to get. These hit so early after release that no one knew to question him. Again with replithentic patches.

Ufjumper7 needs to be on everyone's list, even you hockey collectors. Most of the time, his fakes are easy to recognize, but every once in a while, he pulls one over on a few unsuspecting people. Ill keep you posted if he pulls any other shit.

Oh Happy (Mail)day

Thank god this day has come. After a whole lot of waiting, my Percy Harvin SPA redemption is here and on my shelf. There was a little snafu on my part not updating my new address, but everything is in hand now. The card is as good as I expected it to be, but the auto and patch leave a little to be desired. Again, that is the nature of the beast, and I am just glad I got an actual patch rather than one of them nameplate patches that Upper Deck used in some of their patch product this year.



This is the third of four Harvin redemptions I have waited on so far this year (I am still waiting on my Ultimate redemption), and the other two have been three color patches from Panini. I guess when you get lucky like that for two straight cards, the third time is against the odds to be the charm. Im still happy that these cards got out, as it’s a pretty important one in completing my list of ones I wanted for him last year. With UD out of the licensed game this year, 2009 is likely to house the only Harvin cards I will want. I guess its about getting that Exquisite one crossed off the list, as it looks just as good as this one turned out to be.

On top of that, the Harvin cards are selling quite well on eBay, with one of the logos at a ridiculous price. I havent decided whether I am going to pursue a card like that, I guess it depends on his replication of his great season from last year.

Overall, color me happy on this one, and excited on the Ultimate if it happens to show up.

Missing Hit Revealed - Nice Card!

Due to many of the people wanting the card opened and given to the correct team, I did so this morning on video and it will be sent out. The card was an Aaron Curry 2009 SPA Rookie Patch Auto 3 color patch 87/999 (IIRC). This means it will go to Erik, who had the Seahawks and did not get another hit, which is awesome. I will send it out with his cards today.

Check back later and I will post the video and a scan of the card. I will also provide the case number from UD so you can verify that the card is the correct one they sent.

Thank you again to the wonderful work of Upper Deck customer service who swiftly corrected our mistake.

Tins vs Boxes: My SPA Manifesto

After busting 5 boxes of SP Authentic last week, all I can say is that there is no reason for all those stupid ass base cards. Numbered rookies, autos and patches aside, there is little among the rest of the five billion cards that makes me like the product more than I already do. This forces me to ask the question of why these cards are even included in a product like SPA?

I think I finally realized the greatness of a tin based product a few years ago when Sweet Spot switched to tin format. Instead of 24 packs of useless cardboard, the easily searched product switched over to a one pack box. The previous box had 2 helmet autos, and now the tin had 2 helmet autos. You get the point. What it eliminated was the need for superfluous cards, along with the need for shop owners to keep the boxes under lock and key. It also prevented what I am going through right now, or the need to find a spot for over 400 cards before I take them over to donate them.

Most of you are probably having one of two reactions to this whole situation, either extreme agreement or extreme diagreement. You either are hits collector or a base collector - sometimes a smattering of both. The reality is that football is so drastically different than baseball in terms of make up of these two groups, that its almost a different hobby all together. Where most of the baseball collectors try to build sets, or put together team or player collections of the BASE cards, Football is almost a supermajority of people who just want the hits. It stems from the history of the hobby, as well as the way baseball rookies are protrayed in products versus the way football rookies are. With baseball rookies coming up slowly, and dominated by chrome, its tougher to market them. With football rookies playing right away, people want signatures and they want them every single year. Each year a new crop comes in, and there are many more each year than any year on the diamond. It changes the game completely.

Despite this fact, we still have awesome products like SP Authentic done the way they are. Now, don’t come on here and bitch in the comments, "But sir, I collect the base!" Yes, I get that, but you are a very small group of people who do. To market to the correct demographic, its better to get an ornate tin or box, drop the price a bit, and give us the EXACT content from the normal pack out. There is little value and little need for a base set, and I will cite the constant trials and tribulations of trying to revamp the content as a reason. While the SP Authentic box hit has been the same for a decade, the base set has gone through many variations. Its because no one cares about it. They may whine a little if its gone, but eventually the people will proclaim their happiness on camera when not having to open 24 packs.

In addition to this, Topps is gone, so there is no need to compete with products like Chrome, which require a base set. Therefore, they can easily change the format, put products like SPA on the shelf in mass quantities, and not worry about the hit focused football hobby running away to stale and unoriginal products like Platinum and Unique. Panini already does Limited, which is immensely popular, and BACK to a one pack box after a year back doing the old way. Look how popular that product is. I guarantee more of the 2009 product was sold than the 2008, as it is easier to stock, easier to break, and easier to VIDEOTAPE.

Without getting into the argument of collecting hits against collecting sets, the thing is that more people are like me. Im not saying that they should ditch sets like Philadelphia, but I am definitely saying that upper mid range products like SP Authentic do not need 100+ base cards per box. It just doesn’t make sense when the product is marketed to the high end hit collector. Its why the hits are worth as much as they are, so why keep up the stupid façade? Therefore, ditch the fucking base.

2009 SP Authentic Has Logo Confusion

So far, a few of the 1/1 Logo patches out of SP Authentic have popped up on ebay, including this beautifully signed Josh Freeman. The Matthew Stafford was posted earlier this week, and more are sure to come. The issue with these cards is not that they are even close to being fake, but more a question as to where these logos came from.

If you notice on both the Freeman and the Stafford, the logo patches used feature an OLD NFL logo with many stars instead of the new 2008 logo with four stars. If you look at similar Panini 2009 National Treasures logo 1/1s, as well as last year's SP Authentic, the cards feature new logo NFL patches as expected.

One explanation is that UD used the logos off throwback jerseys rather than new player issued jerseys, or that they just used old jerseys from other players at the premiere. My guess is the throwback explanation, as UD had some AWESOME 1/1 cards in 2008 Ultimate Collection with the laundry tag off similar throwback jerseys.

Regardless of the explanation, its still kind of weird to use these types of logos, even if they are only event worn. Either way, the cards still look great regardless of the lack of script 1/1 tags or new logos. Its just unusual that players would not have new logos on their jerseys.

EDIT: Here is a Shonn Greene with the new logo, so I guess some are old, some are new.

SCU Breaks: SP Authentic 5 Box Break Presented By Blowout Cards.com

Well, we may have started off VERY slow with a bunch of junk, but we sure ended with a bang. Gotta love it. I will apologize ahead of time for the lack of quality for the video, hopefully I can get a new camera soon.

Thanks again to Chris and Pat over at Blowout Cards, they made this a quick and easy break. Please check out their awesome site to find the best prices on wax for the entire web. Tell them I sent you for a nice pat on the back.

Anyways, here are scans of a few of the big hits, and as you will notice there are only four auto patches. We did get shorted a hit in one of our boxes, so I will be contacting UD customer service on our behalf. Whatever they send us will go to the person who owns the team. I am kind of pissed that missing hits are still a problem this year, but hopefully we can get it taken care of very quickly. For those of you who have questions, please let me know, again I am very sorry.

.

.

.

.

.

.

Oh, I forgot this one on the last pack of the last freaking box!

Boom. Cards will be going out later this week, be sure to let me know (if you havent already) if I need to send you more than just the rare base, rookies, and other stuff. If you decide to leave the base, they will go to the kids at a local shop I visit, I dont collect them or keep them. Thanks again for participating!

NOTE: This is the second year in a row we have pulled the big rookie out of a box. Last year we pulled Chris Johnson out of Exquisite, Matt Ryan out of Premiere, and a few other amazing cards. Talk about LUCK!

First SPA Logo Is Up on Ebay, and Its a Doozy

The Matt Stafford SPA Logo 1/1 was posted today, and to tell you the truth, im kind of shocked that its a player like Stafford. On an interesting note, the 1/1 foil is not the trademarked UD script, which is kind of surprising as well.

Either way, the BIN is super high, and I guess there are quite a few people that are looking to make offers. I expect this one to sell if the guy will actually let it go.

Here's hoping we get the next one tomorrow. Sorry that I just jinxed it.

Reebok Logos and Hand Numbered Patches Make Their Debut In 2009 SP Authentic

In the past, whenever we have seen sleeve logo and brand logo patches in the non-parallel versions of the SPA rookie patch autos, we knew something was up. Now, not so much, as the patches are looking crazier than ever. Even in the base patches out of 999 and below, there are numerous versions of the Reebok patches from the sleeves of the jersey.

Here are some examples:

Glen Coffee
Aaron Curry
Mark Sanchez
LeSean McCoy

For these cards, the patch is legit, as the cards are too new, and because there are so many examples. I imagine there are at least 5 to 10 per player and we could see more as the patches are unearthed. That gets fucking scary to me when you think about what the possibilities are.

There is also a new level of patches that are numbered to 5, but the numbering is not the weird thing. The part of these cards that befuddles me is the hand numbering, as all of them are not foil stamped.

Here are some examples:

Josh Freeman

Brandon Pettigrew
Matt Stafford
Javon Ringer

These are all listed parallels on the SPA checklist, though unlike the gold patches, the only difference is the hand numbering. I dont get it, but im sure we will have more of them by the time this product hits the faking threshold. Although I doubt fakers will be able to find a way to get rid of the foil without damaging the cards, this could cause some issues in the long run.

What other mysteries does SPA hold? Im guessing we will have a few more in the coming weeks.

SCU Breaks - Team Randomizer 2009 SP Authentic 5 Box Break

Here is the team list and randomizer video for the upcoming 5 box break of 2009 SP Authentic Football. For the random teams you have listed next to your name, you can trade until Wednesday at 2:00pm PST. Please notify me if you have completed a trade, the trading block is below for all discussion and offers. Remember to check back frequently to see if you have something waiting for you, I do not notify unless requested.

Daniel V (PAID) - Cowboys, Raiders

Thaddius D (PAID) - Bills, Rams
Thomas W (PAID) - Bears, Packers
Ryan LF (PAID) - Steelers, Browns, Patriots, Broncos
Eric I (PAID) - Bucs, Bengals, Chargers, Seahawks
Voluntarheel (PAID) - Dolphins, Ravens, Panthers, Colts
Andrew H (PAID) - Saints, Jaguars
Leonard G (PAID) - Vikings, Niners
Bruce H (PAID) - Falcons, Chiefs, Jets, Texans
Chad C (PAID) - Lions, Giants
Brian R (PAID) - Cardinals, Titans
Josh B (PAID) - Redskins, Eagles

Here is the video of the randomizer, sorry for the low quality, my web cam is on its last legs.

Thanks again to Chris and Pat over at Blowout cards for their help, be sure to check out their site for the best prices on the net for wax.

For those who are interested, the break is scheduled for wednesday, pending any weather issues. Thanks to all who are participating.

How Does Something Like This Happen?

Percy Harvin DOES have live autos in SPA, and I am wondering how you get some autos but not all autos into packs. Im also beginning to wonder how some of the auto patches are live, when others for the same player are redemptions. Any one have any ideas?

Stay Away From SP Authentic and other Hot Packs

I have some simple advice for you, but honestly, if you arent living by it already, something is wrong. Basically, from the beginning, I have said to stay far away from advertised hot packs on ebay unless you enjoy cheap jersey cards. This has become even more true with the recent release of 2009 SP Authentic, because its so easy to tell where the main box hits are in each box. In addition, there are sellers who will try to scam you into thinking that a retail pack is actually a hobby pack, thus putting you even further into a bad situation.

Now, many people think pack searchers are the scum of the hobby, but I have a little bit of a different take on it. Although I don’t support their trade, I don’t see how its that relevant anymore, unless it’s a case as stated above. Frankly, if you are going to Target to buy packs for hits, you should know that it is about as futile and worthless as another Indiana Jones movie. In addition, the sales of hot packs have hit the floor lately since jersey cards arent worth more than a few dollars anymore. Therefore, it really isnt that big of a deal when you see someone searching packs these days. Its mainly because of the fact that they probably wont be able to recoup cost so its their loss to try. Without getting into my case against retail purchases versus hobby purchases, SP Authentic creates a different problem for people who don’t know any better.

Because the retail products and hobby products are so different (they are completely different checklists), but still look similar in name and packaging, it leaves a window for exploitation. On top of that, hobby packs advertised as a guaranteed "something" are either resealed crap hits to make you think you have a shot at a Sanchez, or left over packs with the base rookie autos that arent worth anything. It is almost NEVER the case that you have a non-tampered or non-scouted pack, so don’t even think about buying them.

AGAIN, DO NOT BUY HOT PACKS - YOU ARE WASTING YOUR MONEY.

I know most of you are aware of this scam, but I wanted to post it for the newer readers who don’t know the history.

SCU Breaks - 5 Boxes 2009 SP Authentic Football

This will be a 5 box break, standard rules, one slot equals two random teams. 16 slots at 33 bucks a pop to cover paypal fees and shipping supplies/cost. There is a limit of two slots per person, and your name will not be posted until you have sent paypal to the address. If money is left over because of a cheaper box price, it will be refunded.

If you are interested in non-numbered non-rare base cards, please let me know ahead of time. There is a ton of them for this product, and I would much rather avoid the extra costs for EVERYONE by not including them in the price of shipping. I will oblige if you are nice, but with 3 hits per box and 15 hits total, hopefully there will be something for everyone.

Payments need to be sent to gellmana@gmail.com, and you will receive all cards from the teams you are randomly assigned. I will NOT be participating in this break, so there wont be any reason for me to scam you. Videos for random and break will be posted on the SCU youtube channel for your viewing pleasure. Slots are listed below, please allow me time to see your payment before sending me hate mail.

1. Brian R (PAID)

2. Leonard G (PAID)

3. Chad C (PAID)

4. Voluntarheel (PAID)

5. Voluntarheel (PAID)

6. Thomas W (PAID)

7. Thaddius D (PAID)

8. Daniel V (PAID)

9. Bruce H (PAID)

10. Bruce H (PAID)

11. Ryan LF (PAID)

12. Ryan LF (PAID)

13. Andrew H (PAID)

14. Eric I (PAID)

15. Eric I (PAID)

16. Josh B (PAID)

NOTE: There were four people who wanted in for the last spot, and I will refund your money and keep you on a waiting list. If spots open up, they will be inserted automatically. Sorry!

Countdown to 2009 SP Authentic Football - ONE FREAKING DAY.

Man I am excited, because tomorrow, 2009 SP Authentic Football goes live per numerous reports. Although the quality of the final product is still very much up in the air due to recent lawsuits against Upper Deck (as well as numerous delays), my level of anticipation is still in the stratosphere.

Personally, I wasn’t too excited about the design when it came out a few months ago, but now, thanks to the lack of good products, its prospects have me raring to go bust a case and a half. The product is slated to feature 100% on card autos, which is a breath of fresh air from Panini/Topps sticker city, though again, quality is yet to be determined on what is going to be in the actual boxes. The autos could be tons of redemptions which I will not waste my time on, or they could be mostly packed out, to which I will be making my paypal account cry.

My favorite new additions to the set are definitely the jumbo patch autos, and if we have gotten any clues from Ultimate Baseball, these could turn out to be the best cards of the year. I am one of those people that loves signed memorabilia cards, and to have a shot at some in this product is ridiculously cool. We already know they are going to be a big part of Exquisite, and these look to be the precursor to everything.

Most importantly are the rookie super patch autos, which look great for the umpteenth year in a row. If you want to see consistency, run through my retrospective I did over on the UD blog. There isnt a bad year, and that is INCREDIBLY tough to accomplish. The only other product that comes close is Topps Chrome, which I raved similarly about earlier this year.

Regardless of how you feel about the actual company, its hard to argue against a product that produces the way SPA does every year. Although it hasn’t been without problems in the past, the cards that people covet run rampant through this set because of the awesome designs and concepts that have graced the cardboard since its inception.

You may be pissed that SPA has been delayed for multiple weeks, but to that I say that quality is quality. If it indeed lives up to the billing, which is at about 50/50 odds right now, this could be one of the best products in a long time. If it falls short due to recent problems with the company, I am going to be one pissed off motherfucker. You don’t fuck up SPA, it’s the one final bright spots in the year, and right now things arent looking promising. It will only take a matter of days to get a true grasp, and I am praying for a rain of awesomeness.

Upper Deck Blog: SP Authentic Retrospective

Yes, yes, everyone knows that I love SPA. Its my favorite set of the year, so I put together a look back at the different rookie patches and rookie auto patches as a complement to the recent previews. You can take a look at the article over on the UD blog, hopefully the set will live up to my expectations this year. Looks pretty good so far.

SP Authentic Rookies: A Retrospective

First Look: 2009 SP Authentic Football

Upper Deck posted the SPA photos today on their facebook page, and when I saw the post, my heart jumped. SP Authentic is my favorite set of the year, which means that its pretty much a holiday when I can see how its going to look. This year, I kind of had an initial poor reaction to the new design, but I think I have warmed up now. Of course, now that SP officially stands for "Smoky Players, " ill let you guys see for yourselves why I had the initial reaction I did.

I will say this, the rookie jumbo patch signatures look like they could be some of the coolest cards released during the entire year. Football hasnt seen signed swatches like this since 2006 Exquisite, so Im glad to see that they are making a comeback. Also, the Rookie Authentics dont look all that bad, and the team color elements on a white background does look nice. Im not getting why UD chose smoke as the theme for the set, as the simplicity of the design without the smoke would be amazing. Maybe we will get lucky and it wont be as noticible.