Upper Deck Gets Slapped With ANOTHER Lawsuit

As much as I absolutely love what Upper Deck does in terms of design and production, they continue to surprise me with the way they approach their business dealings. Yesterday TMZ reported that HOFer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is suing Upper Deck in an amount GREATER than 1 million dollars in regards to the use of his name, picture and autograph in one of their latest releases. According to the always 100% factual TMZ report, UD had received advanced knowledge that this would happen, and went ahead with it despite Kareem's objections.

Considering that Upper Deck is already in a HEAP of trouble with just about all of the league offices in some way, to run with this in the way they did is incredibly terrible business sense. Although I am sure there is another side to the story regarding autograph contracts and likeness contracts that dictate the use of players in a product, it is definitely NOT good news for Upper Deck.

The bottom line is that Upper Deck has a lot of stuff on their plate already, and they will need to stop things like this from happening if they want to continue business as usual. As it stands right now, their product lines remain in jeopardy until there is a proven record that an NCAA exclusive and NHL license can sustain them, and if lawsuits continue to pile up, it wont matter if they have success.

Its pretty obvious that something needs to change, and hopefully situations like this don’t continue to happen. More on this as it becomes available.

BREAKING NEWS: Upper Deck SP Prospects Is BACK!

For those of you who love prospecting, this may something you are very happy about. I just got confirmation that Upper Deck will be entering the Baseball market again thanks to their NCAA license with 2010 SP Authentic Prospects Baseball. SP Prospects has been off the market since the earlier part of the last decade, and was usually a favorite of prospectors as an alternative to the Bowman products. Well, its back, and Upper Deck is hoping that it will have similar popularity as it did before.

The product will be NCAA branded and should feature prospects from this year's draft through the CLC licensing that Upper Deck owns exclusive rights to. The product is scheduled for 10/12 as the release, so that should leave a lot of people time to save up to buy. There is no word yet on whether Bryce Harper will be making an appearance in the set, but I would guess that the top college picks from this past year will be included.

Per the info here is what is included in each box:

- 5 autographs
- 3 foil numbered parallels numbered to 799 or less
- Each pack will have either an auto, a parallel or a "platinum power" insert

There will also be one multi-signed card per case and Blue, Red and Black foil cards with 1/1 parallels.

That’s all I can speak to right now, but there is no doubt that Upper Deck is trying to make the most of their license without infringing on the lawsuit they settled with MLBP.

A Quick Comment On Upper Deck's New President

Over the last few days, Upper Deck took a very bold step towards a good direction by making Paul Meyer the new president of the company. From what I have heard, Meyer has a very good reputation within the circles that matter, and I hope that it will lead to less problems that have plagued the company over the last year.

Although it hasnt fixed all the problems, reputation was a huge one that could be helped by this new addition. Obviously we will have to wait and see what happens over the next few months to really get a good picture of Meyer's strategy with bringing Upper Deck back to the forefront of the hobby. If you look back at where they used to be at the beginning of 2009 versus their current state now, its like looking at two different companies. Although it looks like they are getting back on their horse, they are not out of the shit quite yet.

I dont think its any secret that I am a fan of Upper Deck's more than any of the other companies due to the quality of their products, designs and concepts, so I am glad that they are heading in the right direction. Ill be waiting with baited breath to see how things work out.

Dont Waste Your Money On Playoff Prestige

I never got why people pay out of their ass for Prestige cards, especially when they are just base cards. Though it is the first set of the year, its like collectors have long term memory problems with remembering how much these cards tank the minute a real set comes out after the premiere. Classics is always the first set to come out with pro uniform pics, and almost immediately, Prestige becomes an afterthought.

The thing that confuses me the most is the price of the SP base cards, which each year start at astronomical prices, and then end up at normal prices. This Stafford sold a few times at higher than 50 bucks last year when Prestige came out, look at it now. Why would anyone jump on these cards now? We have vision into the future, and buying in at 40 and 50 bucks is NOT worth your time if past sales have any indication. What is even worse, Prestige is now including the Letter signatures that make Donruss Threads such a popular set each year, and those are selling at prices so high, I cant even put it into words.

Basically, just because Prestige is the only set out there, doesn’t mean you need to buy a shitload of your target's cards right now. You cant even use "I want them in their college jerseys" as an excuse this year, because Upper Deck is preventing that with their NCAA exclusive. Plus, according to a little birdie on my shoulder, Prestige may have even taken it too far with depicting the players, as a lawsuit may be in order. Looks like Upper Deck is deciding to pass along the favor that Topps gave them.

I am telling you right now, if you buy into Prestige, Elite, or even Classics for that matter, you are throwing your money down the drain. Even if you collect the players, WAIT FOR TIME TO PASS. The prices will drop so drastically that mid year, you will be able to pick up these cards at drastically lower prices. If you are buying the Super SPs and hoping that having a complete set will mean as much as it did in 1979, I can tell you that you may just want to stop right now. That, or wait until you can get the cards at much cheaper prices. I mean, Im not sure why people even like these cards, they look ridiculously terrible.

Classics will be out soon enough, and at that point, you will be able to get cards of the players in their full uniforms, and in the gear of the teams you collect. I will warn you again to wait on prices at that time as well, but I know its tough to wait when you get that first picture of your target in his NFL uniform.

Uh-Oh, More Terrible News For Upper Deck?

This has not been a good month for Upper Deck. That's for sure. After losing the football license in epic fashion, seemingly right after getting it secured for another few years, there may be more bad news on the horizon.

I just received an email from a shop owner who said that his distributor let him know that ALL Upper Deck release dates have been indefinitely postponed. Not just football, but Hockey and other stuff too. Obviously, Upper Deck was in dire straits to begin with thanks to loss of their only remaining big three sport, but this may be the final straw before UD has to decide on the company's future for the rest of this year and beyond.

Who knows what this news actually means long term, but right now, its not good news for anyone in Carlsbad or in the hobby.

The End Of An Era - My Reaction To Upper Deck's Departure From Football Cards

Now that everything has officially been announced and commented on by Upper Deck, I want to put a little perspective on this whole situation. The reason is that there seems to be two sides of the aisle on whether or not this is good, and I think its time to go over what this truly means for the industry and for the hobby. The reason I separate the two is because of their intrinsic makeup of the people that populate each group. In the hobby, the majority of the population is collectors who would collect regardless if there is an industry or not. They just want to better their collections, and in some cases make the most money off said collections. This part will probably live on for many years to come. The industry, on the other hand, is made up of manufacturers and hobby media whose sole purpose (aside from producing the cards) is to make as much money for their company and shareholders, all while keeping the hobby happy at the same time. This part has a limited lifespan, now possibly made shorter by Upper Deck's inability to secure an NFLP license for their cards.

Now that we are familiar with the players, its time to talk about the game.

Basically, Upper Deck's departure from football and baseball cards now puts some people, like myself, in a pretty ginormous predicament. As we saw with the first time this news was brought up a few weeks ago, there are a lot of people who love what Upper Deck puts out every single year. Those people are now left with a void that is unlikely to be filled with cards from Panini and Topps due to any number of reasons. Because Upper Deck was the only company that focused as much on design and layout as they did on set makeup and product development, we are now entering an age where stickers and poorly conceptualized sets will reign supreme. In fact, products with on card signatures of veterans and stars just went from 5 complete sets (Philadelphia, Black, Ultimate, SPA, and Exquisite) to a big fucking goose egg. Of course, Panini will lead you to believe that their signed manupatches are on card, but they are not, and we are left with 100% stickers for the foreseeable future. Sets that feature on card rookie autographs went from 5 complete sets and 9 partial sets, to 3 partial sets if Classics still features those terrible School Colors paint pens shit and Contenders comes back with the bubbly shit. National Treasures, if everything remains as is, will be the only set that features signed memorabilia cards, and they will be 100% rookies.

I get that there are people out there who don’t care about on card sigs, or even that the industry has basically regressed to the dark ages of 2004 and 2005, but this is absolutely terrible for those of us that live for them. Even if Topps were to come back on, they bring a product slate of huge foil stickers and triple threads. How does that replace a set like SP Authentic? It doesn’t. Basically, for the collectors who care as much about the way a card looks as they do about the relics or autos, we are left with one or two sets that I could see being a viable target for purchasing singles. I have a feeling that this may shrink the base of collectors who buy current stuff more than people think.

Another factor is the outstanding redemptions from a company that needs to issue them due to said on card signatures. There are many collectors out there who have a ton, and its very plausible they may get screwed on ones that they pulled or bought. That is not a good sign for anyone, although it is still possible that they may continue to pursue athletes to sign their outstanding cards. Basically, if you have some you have been waiting on, I would start an email campaign to get them replaced while you have the chance. Although there has been little comments on this from UD themselves, its better to be safe than sorry. If you are going to purchase UD redemptions, I would definitely think twice before doing so.

Most importantly, unless Topps is reinserted into the mix, the lack of competition for an already inferior Panini brand could result in a black hole of innovation and creativity. Remember, this is a company that puts out at least 5 sets (absolute, elite, prestige, gridiron gear, and limited) that are practically the exact same as the year before. Before they at least had to compete with both Topps and Upper Deck for industry market share, but now there is not a single reason to break away from their formula. Where else are people going to go? I understand that they have tried to improve upon content with adding minor amounts of on card stuff to sets like Contenders, but in just about every case, they have failed harder than a beginner skater on a high rail. Get ready for year after year of rehashed product with little more to offer than the previous year. It was the reason I hated Triple Threads originally, and its now one of the main reasons I wont need to buy any set from the official card manufacturer of Rainbow Foilboard City.

Upper Deck may have made some awful mistakes that probably cost them the company, but they never ceased producing cards that people went ape shit over. They were so many miles ahead of anyone in mid to high end, that it made Topps and Panini look like they were working with a team of five year olds. If you compare products from Topps and Panini side by side with what Upper Deck offered in practically every god damn set, the difference in quality was unfathomable. Topps may have low end cornered with the chromes and their flagship set, but they are still gone from the market as of now. When it came to everything above the low end price point, Upper Deck won every single race by multiple lengths due to their ability to secure on card signatures and create innovative ways to get fans what they wanted. Whether it was the introduciton of crazy amounts of player inscriptions, ridiculous 1/1s, or even something as simple as social media from a manufacturer, they took it to the next level. Say what you want about their business ethics, but its hard to deny that their shit was the Bentley of the collecting world. Sadly we are left with a Chevy now.

Adding to the plight of the collectors in this hobby, I don’t think this bodes well for the industry, either. When you practically chop off one of its appendages, it puts more strain on the other ones to maintain control. Though Topps and Panini have large companies behind them, those companies just lost an advertising vehicle that brought people back to the hobby or introduced them to it for the first time. Its not unlikely that someone hooked on cards would buy from all three companies, and now that they only have one company to choose from in each sport, there will be a drop off. Plus, if recent trends continue to be status quo, the quality of the products they can choose from will be sub standard to where they were just one year ago.

Basically, if you like busy designs, stickers, and foilboard on top of foilboard on top of foilboard, this is your football golden era. Have a blast with all the crap coming down the sewage line. I havent bought a box other than Chrome or Upper Deck in almost two years, and now I will be left to existing Upper Deck products to fufill that itch. Hopefully, Panini stops using the stock backgrounds on photoshop for once and turns it around soon. Then people like me will have something to buy again. Prestige, Prestige Chrome, Classics, and also Rookies and Gridiron Limited Treasures will not keep me interested.

I sincerely believe that the industry will find a way to trudge on in the landscape post Upper Deck football, but it will not be at an elite level any more. The cards that got me going and kept me salivating are gone and in most probabilities, will never be coming back. I will have to come to terms with that fact, but I doubt it will happen until one of the other companies decides to pull their head out of their ass and deliver at the level that UD did. Upper Deck may continue to produce NCAA licensed cards, but I think my feelings on Press Pass and SAGE will supercede any shot I would give those products.

People, this is the end of an era, practically 20 years in the making. Thanks for the Memories Upper Deck.

My Initial Post Was Correct - Upper Deck is OUT of Football

Upper Deck just posted on their Twitter account that they no longer able to produce football cards after not being able to come to terms with NFL Properties. This isnt just some unconfirmed rumor anymore, and I am sad to say that there will no longer be licensed Upper Deck products in football. Although they may still be able to produce NCAA cards, they will not be producing anything with NFL teams or jerseys on it. This is a HUGE loss for the hobby, the industry and everyone involved, and you can bet that things are going to change.

I will have further thoughts on this tomorrow.

Fuck me.

UD Sneaks In Under the Gun, Renews NFL License for 2010 and 2011

I had reported a couple of days ago that UD was on a short road to losing their NFL license due to payment issues. My source(s) had all echoed this as likely, mainly because of the shear amount of money that was needed did not seem to be within their means in the time it was needed. I got word today that Upper Deck was able to secure the money, and get the license renewed for both 2010 and 2011, something I am EXTREMELY happy about.

From the article written about the recent change to the licensing, it looks like the NFL was going to give out four licenses, but decided to go back to two in order to keep the "watering down" to a minimum. Although I think that is a bunch of shit and the more the merrier, at least the big two are back in it.

Topps will remain on the outside looking in, though I doubt they are too concerned considering the huge victory that was won a few weeks ago.

Personally, I am glad that Upper Deck is back in the game because it allows for the good design river to continue flowing in the right direction. As collectors have shown on the numerous threads posted on numerous boards, there will be A LOT of people who are going to be very happy about this.

With Exquisite less than a week away, and many collectors eagerly awaiting its release, this news could not be better for those of us who believe that when it comes to producing the best cards, Upper Deck is the top of the mountain.

Upper Deck Responds To Rumors Of Loss of License

Just to update the situation, Upper Deck's twitter account has responded to my post of the rumors that their NFL license is being cancelled due to a number of reasons.

First off, let me say that I am glad that they have responded to the post. I think to have official word is better than leaving it out in the open. My post of an unconfirmed rumor may have been premature, but I feel it was necessary to inform people of the chatter I had heard. Although there is a chance that the rumor may be true, I think there is just as much of a chance that it may not be per my post.

This hobby has been in a state of flux for the last few months, and part of that was viciously swirling around Upper Deck's future. Although I believe that Upper Deck makes the best products on the market, their state of affairs has seemed disheveled as of late. First the Konami lawsuit, then the MLBP lawsuit, the cancellation of UD draft football and the rest of the baseball calendar, and most recently, reports of a new license for Panini in the once Upper Deck exclusive sport of hockey. Its tough to ignore the problems that seem to be plaguing the company.

I sincerely hope that UD continues to be able to produce football cards, as I dont think any other company produces products with the quality that they do. Despite this fact, not everyone is happy with their recent business practices, and it has led to some venom on the side of the collectors. It has also contributed to people trying to sabotage certain programs, and I can see if this is one of those rumors that may fall under that category.

I wish UD the best of luck in maintaining their brand, hopefully it will continue to be able to be produced.

DEVELOPING STORY: Upper Deck Loses Their Football License?

Well, I have some bad news for football collectors, news that I have been expecting for a few weeks now. I got word from the peanut gallery that Upper Deck is losing their football license due to non-payment on the fees or something to that degree. Although this news is speculative at this point, and very much unconfirmed, I have a feeling we will get the news later this month or early next month. After recent troubles, speculation on lack of funds has run rampant, and this should only add fuel to the fire.

With UD possibly leaving football for the foreseeable future, it leaves an open spot for Topps to return to the fold, which may be the other side of the announcement. It may also spell the end of a company who has produced the best looking cards of anyone in the football market in the last few years. With their baseball and basketball arms all but severed, Im not sure how much longer they will be able to stay viable. Football was a profitable brand, and Exquisite is looking to be one of the best products in a long time. As this news would suggest, it’s the last product they will make in the football market, something that makes me a very sad panda.

I cant really fault anyone but the top brass over at Upper Deck, as the management of the company has been piss poor lately. Where UD had finally started to build a good reputation among people, that construction was mostly destroyed with the news of the Konami lawsuit. Though Topps may return with fan favorites like their base set and the Chromes, we are also going to have a hole where Upper Deck's MO of great looking cards and on card sigs usually fit. Its rare that a company has as many problems as Upper Deck has had in the last few months, especially with so many of them stemming from unethical and unsound financial behavior. I guess this is the nail in the coffin.

For me, if this situation turns out to be true, im pretty much done buying current football cards unless Panini and Topps change their tendencies to match my tastes. I doubt that will happen, so that makes me feel extra cynical about the future of what I will buy in the upcoming years.

Hopefully, I am wrong.

NOTE: LET ME STRESS THAT THIS IS AN UNCONFIRMED RUMOR. IF/WHEN IT BECOMES CONFIRMED, I WILL POST AN UPDATE.

While I Was Out: Upper Deck Lays Off Entertainment Employees

I know there are a lot of people out there who hate Upper Deck, but people losing jobs is never something to celebrate. Honestly, this move was expected, as the Entertainment division is slowly becoming obsolete after the Konami lawsuit was settled. The next division to take a hit is likely the baseball part of UD's operations, as many of the goals that were on the list are no longer able to be accomplished.

When it comes down to financials, its still unclear how bad it actually is for Upper Deck. Rumors are flying like boogers after a sneeze, but its rare that a company would ever give us advanced notice of any problems. I still believe that UD will continue to have its crew of footballers at full strength, as the brand seems to be running pretty normally. As for Hockey and Basketball, I see little evidence that things will be slowing down, even if Panini ends up with a license.

Is UD out of the storm quite yet? Yes and no. Financial instability will always be a question whenever a problem comes up, but I doubt its as big of a factor as some of the skeptics out there are making it out to be at this particular moment. The future is yet to be seen, however, and things could easily change instantaneously.

Regardless of how you feel about the company, I would hate to imagine how many families would be saddled with huge problems if Upper Deck closed its doors. I will say that a lot of this could have been prevented with better business ethics, and that is something the brass at UD will have to live with for a long, long time.

Percy Harvin and Upper Deck - Rumors are Rumors

It seems like a lot of people have heard the rumors that Percy Harvin is done with UD over a money situation or something similar. I wouldnt be so quick to jump on the bandwagon, as I have not seen any reason to believe that this rumor is true.

I contacted Upper Deck to get a comment on the situation, and they gave me a pretty staunch response that he will sign when they can catch up with him. They denied any money issues between them and any football players with outstanding stuff, and were confident that they would be able to redeem the cards soon.

Of course, this could be a line from the people who stand to lose out if Harvin is indeed feuding over money with them, but I still file this under pure speculation. It was a rumor started by a user on Blowout's forum, and yet people are taking it as gospel. Although Baseball and UDE are done over in Carlsbad, I would believe that the football side should not have many problems that would lead to a situation like this.

People have cited the cancellation of UD Draft Football as a sign of the Upper Deck apocalypse, but I think it was more of a positioning mechanism for the newly revamped Sweet Spot, and an issue of redundancy and low sales from last year. Plus, when the CLC license kicks in at the end of next month, its going to be tough for any other company to compete with a product like Sweet Spot while not infringing on copyrights.

Basically, my suggestion is simple. If you like Harvin and want to pick up some of his stuff, but are afraid of the rumors, then wait. Despite the fact that speculation doesnt usually turn into anything when it comes to players signing their shit, you can easily wait for the live cards to show up. However, if you do wait, expect a 20-30% premium on the live cards due to the popularity of Harvin and the popularity of SPA. If 100 bucks isnt that big of a deal to you, and you pulled the card or got it another way, there is not a reason yet to say that the rumors are even close to being true. Either way, you should get a nice replacement even if he doesnt sign.

Personally, I dont see much change coming in the way Upper Deck functions in football. They have made investments in the prosperity of this brand, and I think they will pay off. There will be hiccups like UD Draft, but Im not afraid at this point, regardless of speculation. They may have laid off much of their now defunct UDE brand, and baseball is probably next, but trimming the fat will be necessary when there is nothing going on in those arenas.

As for Harvin, dont let message board speculation get the best of you. However, as always, patience is a virtue if you can afford it.

Upper Deck Cancels Its Baseball Calendar

As expected due to the lawsuit, Upper Deck is out of baseball, at least for 2010. I just got a copy of an email from a distributor who had let me know that the four or so baseball products that UD was planning are no longer going to be available. This includes:

2010 Upper Deck Goudey Baseball
2010 Upper Deck SPX Baseball
2010 Upper Deck SP Authentic Baseball
2010 Upper Deck Exquisite Baseball

Although Exquisite isnt really a product, it was going to be included in all of the baseball products for the year. Sadly for a lot of the people who like quality high end products, all of these are done for the first time in almost a decade.

Listen, I get that there are a lot of people who HATE Upper Deck, but you have to admit that its pretty shocking to see a year go by without SPX and SPA baseball. Goudey was also a collector favorite that will not be produced, thus confirming how much collectors have really "won" per that uninformed and arrogant MLBP rep.

Regardless of how you feel about UD, its sad to see a year go by with no competition against Topps. So glad that products like the horrid high end sets they produce have no reason to get better. 2010 Triple Threads - Now more like 2009 Triple Threads! YAY!

Seems like UD is finally getting around to voicing that same concern.

BREAKING NEWS: Upper Deck and MLBP Settle Lawsuit

Well, the Upper Deck Lawsuit Bonanza is over.

I have just received an email from a source close to the case that MLBP and Upper Deck have reached a settlement in the case of the (non) missing logos. Although the details are sparse at this moment, I think we are going to hear very quickly what this means for Upper Deck baseball and football products.

The great thing is that when two parties settle, it usually is an amount that would not cripple either side. I think this could come as a great outcome for UD, but it all depends on the money. Who knows, this may be something that just prevented a bigger loss from happening. This means there is still a good probability that bad news is coming.

Here are some more details that I just received from my source.

Looks like UD owes money for some 2009 licensing fees that were never paid. They also owe some money (probably a percentage of the sales) on the three sets released post license. They are prevented from putting out further cards of anyone that violates the licensing agreement with Topps. Obviously a no brainer there. They cannot produce cards with airbrushing or blurring of logos as long as the person is still in uniform (Wow - that is huge).

So, basically UD is out of baseball, and they owe MLBP some money. Not horrible, it could be A LOT worse. Im guessing the settlement is a best case scenario, because MLBP wanted to protect their interests and UD wanted to stay in business. I would expect that after this Football will have to be the bread and butter, and with cutbacks, the company could survive on that, basketball, and CLC.

Topps may have a stranglehold on baseball, but if the guy from MLBP is thinking that this is a good thing for all collectors to "clearly identify official Major League Baseball trading cards without any confusion" he is sadly fucking mistaken. We arent fucking idiots. They should not be able to put this victory on our shoulders, as we will lose more than just cards in this. This is about MLBP's money, first and foremost, and for him to arrogantly exclaim that we are the winners is total fucking donkey shit. Personally, I really dont care THAT much about UD baseball, as I am primarily a football collector, but to treat us in this fashion is arrogance known only by the douchebags over at Beckett.

We lose out on sets we love, sets we collect, and cards we would normally collect, and he is happy because we can tell the difference? Cmon, that matters not to us. Most people were actually much happier with Ultimate because of the way it was done, so for the MLBP to say that we are the ones that won, doesnt make sense.

For a lot of us, we put heart and soul into collections that will now be thinner and less complete because our favorite sets will not be a part of it. Upper Deck had a huge following, and I am happy that the MLBP guy believes that we are better off now that licensing is clearer than posting it three different places on a box. What crap.

I hope this is the last I hear about this.

Joe Collector is a Great Resource To Check Out On The UD Lawsuit

Jeff, the writer of I am Joe Collector is a lawyer/blogger who has a pretty unique perspective on the MLBP vs Upper Deck lawsuit. He has posted a link to the filings and posed some interesting points for discussion to which I am very impressed with.

Please do yourself a favor and check it out.

Have I Been an Alarmist With The Upper Deck Lawsuit?

I have posted a lot of commentary recently about the pending MLBP lawsuit against Upper Deck, most of it very negative in nature. Although the outcome for the lawsuit is not necessarily clear as to a favorite, I have approached it from sort of a worst case scenario. Per multiple sources, MLBP has objected to Upper Deck's motion of splitting the ruling and damages phase of the lawsuit, for a few reasons. One, that UD will seek protection from bankruptcy during the break, or two, just go out of business. This would be to make it harder for the damages to be collected, and obvioiusly MLBP doesnt want the hassle.

However, what if this wouldnt be the final straw for the 20+ year old company out of Carlsbad? I was joking around recently with someone close to the outcome of this event, and he was busting my chops about how I wasnt really giving UD much of a shot. After thinking about it, I guess that is pretty much true, considering that no one at UD has really come out and said anything about it. Then I really put my mind to it, and it no longer seemed absurd that UD may be able to survive after tangling with two huge companies seeking damages.

First off, UD has one of the most profitable football and baseball lines on the market. Even moreso with the release of the immensely popular Ultimate Collection. It is also rare that Blowout doesnt announce that a product has sold out at the factory, which I guess warrants some consideration that the company may not be bad off to begin with. This also begs the question as to the state of the company after the Konami suit was settled, to which we have nothing to go off of. There is a good shot that the two would not have settled unless there was some compromise in order, meaning that each company would end up with the means to continue.

Secondly, much talk has spread about last year's closing of the UD Nevada Facility , and how that relates to their financial state. It was widely reported that they were amidst major problems at the time, but the year since then has suggested it was more of a strategic repositioning rather than closing for money sake. Although financials probably played a part, many people on the boards and blogs have suggested it was more of a planned closing than a necessity closing.

Also, Upper Deck is a huge company, HUGE, even outside of the sports market. Although they have lost Yu-Gi-Oh and World of Warcraft from their line, they still have a number of valuable properties according to a gaming shop I visit. Upper Deck Authenticated is also a huge part of their continued success, as distributors around the world are using UDA as their sole source of autographed memorabilia.

Lastly, there is still a very good chance that UD could beat the second lawsuit. According to Jeff over at IAJC and Grant (a lawyer reader of the site), Upper Deck has great representation and a good case. It has the ability to go either way, which also could mean a new era for the hobby.

Does this mean that UD is out of the woods? Not by a long shot. Despite my recent conversations, I still have a lot of reservations about the future of the company. However, I would say that my fear is slightly less now that things have become a bit clearer in my mind. Plus, when you factor the following they have built, maybe the rumors of their (future) death have been greatly exaggerated. My apologies on that.

Keep vs. Sell In the Wake of the Upper Deck Lawsuit

Selling upon release is always better idea with any box pulls, if not only because of the 20% increase in price with all of the people looking to buy a new product. Its even more important with sets like Ultimate Collection baseball and SP Authentic because of recent revelations of the MLBP Lawsuit against Upper Deck. This holds doubly true for redemptions, which may not ever be fufilled if MLBP wins their case.

All around the boards lately, people have been asking whether to hold or sell with certain cards, and my response has always been the same. If you don’t like the player and/or it’s a redemption you have to sell now. For SPA, the NFL off season lull is less than a month away, and once that initial 20% bump wears off, you are going to be stuck with selling the card under value, or waiting for next season to start ramping up. On top of that, you are also going to deal with the possible bankruptcy of the company producing the cards, meaning an even larger loss in value. For Ultimate Collection, the faking threshold is coming up fast, and at that point people start questioning everything. When people question authenticity, card prices drop, and you have missed out on selling at a huge premium because of the massive amount of product hype.

For redemptions, there are two sides to the story. First, if you have a redemption for one of the SPA rookie auto patches, there is a chance the card could be in your hands before April 19th. The problem is, there have have been rumors floating around that the people who didn’t sign, didn’t because they werent paid or objected to doing so. That is bad for business and it means that you may be left out in the cold when the reaper comes for UD brass. Second if it’s a redemption for an Ultimate baseball vet/star auto or a dual out of SPA, you need to make a decision quick. There is always a chance that people who have signed before will get their cards done more quickly than a rookie, but again, its just over 2 months until April 19th.

Also, if you are thinking of buying any redemptions, don’t. Simple as that. Its too big of a risk if you are going to redeem, and if you think that you will be one of the lucky ones, you probably wont be. Redemptions factor in two different sides of things, the players and the producers, and this time you don’t have the luxury of waiting on the players. Funny enough, I will say that if April 19th comes, and the decision is made IN Upper Deck's favor, that may be the best time to buy and sell your target redemptions.

When it comes to the settlement of the Upper Deck Lawsuit brought by MLBP, there are many more people that stand to lose than stand to win. I have said on in many recent posts that losing a part of the market is never a good thing for anyone, especially when it will affect a big three company like Upper Deck. In this case, it will have an impact on existing products and thousands of people who are banking on their cards, which may be worse than we can even fathom right now. Either way, now is the time to get your head above the fray, especially in your ability to avoid risks that you have control over.

The MLB Lawsuit Against Upper Deck Takes A Turn

All joking aside, April 19th is going to be a tense day around the hobby. On that day, I probably wont be paying attention to hobby news due to my wife's pending delivery, but that wont stop MLB and UD from going to court to settle the lawsuit filed over Ultimate Collection and other products. According to SCD's review of the UD court documents, Upper Deck will be arguing their case to get the lawsuit thrown out based on a number of interesting arguments. However, that isnt the most important thing.

In a twist, Upper Deck requested that the ruling and damages phase be separate, much to MLB's chagrin. What this will usually account for is time for the company to seek bankruptcy protection if the ruling is against them, or just going out of business altogether to prevent easy collection of any money. If UD is deemed to be in violation, its pretty much over for them, bottom line. With the Konami lawsuit and the possible damages from this suit, there will be too much money to account for without someone else buying the company and doing a Panini style takeover. In addition, UD has planned a huge UDA sale for that time, which only signifies more of the same.

Although I do think that UD has some compelling arguments to avoid a huge suit, im not sure why they took the risk with the products. Its just a bad idea to put yourself in that kind of situation, especially after the big hit from Konami. Granted, im sure most of the cards were already produced by the time the Konami lawsuit was filed, but that still means you need to take heed of warnings before throwing caution to the wind.

Also, im not sure why is MLBP taking the argument of "No one can tell the difference between licensed and unlicensed." No one is that fucking stupid! We all know about UD's lack of a license, even people who are just casual collectors! Know why I know that? Because it says it three times every pack and box we open! Im actually pretty glad someone at MLBP thought this was a good way to go, because it leaves the door open for a nasty comeback.

Im sure that this is going to be a landmark case in the hobby, regardless of outcome. If it goes one way, airbrushing logos is done. If it goes another way, UD is gone. I think everyone in the hobby would like to see airbrushing go the way of the dodo, but there is also a growing contingent of people who want to see the other outcome now as well. Although I agree that the shady ways of the top UD brass are reprehensible, I dont think its a good idea to chop off an arm of an already struggling industry. Regardless of how you feel about the past of UD's business ethics, having one less choice around will not be a good idea. Trust me on that and take a look at Triple Threads one more time to see if thats what you want to buy from now on. *SHUDDER*

I will say that the hobby will outlive the industry by decades, but I dont think its a good idea to expedite the process. Considering that many of the people in the industry are still trying to recapture the youth of days gone past, despite evidence that kids have moved on, I think we are in trouble for the future.

How Many Redemptions Are On The 2009 SP Authentic List?

There was a lot of speculation that SP Authentic would be filled with redemptions due to a number of reasons, and so far that is a half truth. There are a few big names on the redemption list, but no more than were in National Treasures. Because the redemption lists are so similar, I believe its more of a player issue than anything.

As of now, here is who is on the list:

Percy Harvin

Hakeem Nicks

Beanie Wells

Kenny Britt

Shonn Greene (Some Are Live)
Nate Davis
Mike Thomas

Also, like Shonn Greene, some of the rookies may have live RAPs along with redemptions, so this remains to be seen. Personally, I wouldnt even bother taking a chance on these until you see the live versions. Many of them will take a long time due to expectant money troubles and pending lawsuits against UD, so stick to what you actully see.

Lastly, it looks like UD stopped all auctions that were started yesterday, and limited people on the blowout forum from listing their breaks. Although I had my images up all day, many were forced to have them taken down. I cant understand why UD wanted to do this, as it solves absolutely nothing. When you have spent the last few weeks building a hatred among collectors, why would anyone at UD think that was a good idea? It just doesnt make sense.

Either way, happy hunting, I have already scored one of my main targets and I hope you land some of yours.

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.