Tag Archives: Sports Cards

Is Upper Deck Inscriptions the Best Pre-Draft Product in Recent Memory?

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Im going to be completely honest when I say that it is very difficult to make a pre-draft product that looks good and can hold value once the real licensed stuff comes out. Without the use of NFL teams or licensing, many collectors will tune out any set that they cant latch onto. Upper Deck has found ways in the past to keep things interesting, as for the last five years, they have been the only company to have college jerseys available for their use. Now that the license is transferring to Panini, they are going to have to start all over. That is not only terrible for the hobby, but showcases how Panini’s manifest destiny will continue to force out the best people.

When I saw Inscriptions, I was pretty intrigued by how Upper Deck decided to close out their license with NCAA. To aim to release a set that is so focused on on card autographs with added content is never going to be bad, and this has played very well as a result. Inscriptions is not only filled with some great cards, but they look better than anything I have seen in a pre-draft product, maybe ever.

Check out these cards:

2015 Upper Deck Inscriptions Jameis Winston Gold Wave Auto

2015 Upper Deck Inscriptions Marcus Mariota Auto

2015 Upper Deck Inscriptions Melvin Gordon Gold Wave Auto

2015 Upper Deck Inscriptions Amari Cooper Black Prism Auto

2015 Upper Deck Inscriptions TJ Yeldon Red Auto

Each card has any number of varioations on what the players wrote, and continues to showcase that Upper Deck has not given up on their place in the hobby, even at the end of their time in licensed football cards. With autograph content being so common, there are no longer very many ways to keep content interesting and unique. For pre-draft products its even more difficult because collectors havent been able to identify with players quite yet, unless they are projected top picks. Adding inscriptions into the mix will add a lot of incentive to break boxes and buy singles, as the autographs are on a new level.

Some rookies take the signing a bit further than others, but overall this looks like a great group of signers. I am seeing some really nice prices for both Winston and Mariota, with guys like Amari Cooper, Melvin Gordon and others all getting some major attention as well. Upper Deck has a great set on their hands here, and I cant even begin to describe how angry I am that Panini has used their money to bully UD out of the marketplace in the second sport in 10 years.

As mentioned earlier, Panini is going to release two pre-draft products of their own, which will likely not even touch what UD managed to do with Inscriptions. In fact, Panini will have to prove that they know how to pull their heads out of their asses, because it is becoming more obvious by the day that they almost enjoy the comfort of their own rectum.

Bravo to Upper Deck, as this one is a winner.

On The Radar: 2015 Topps Football Takes a Final Bow?

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This is a day I look forward to every single year, mainly because it is the first solicitation of the licensed products released after the rookie premiere. This is the first Topps product that features rookies in their NFL jerseys, and it is also the base design for Chrome and other aspects of the card year. Its bittersweet this year, because it may end up being the last licensed version of the Flagship Topps Set. Thanks to Panini, the set that everyone has known and loved for the last 60 years may be gone. In 2016, Panini is set to take over the NFL exclusive, which will make this set a lot different. I could not be more angry about that.

Check out some of the more iconic cards, which will likely get some time in the sun for this set:

1981 Topps Joe Montana RC BGS 9

1986 Topps Jerry Rice RC

1976 Topps Walter Payton RC

1956 Topps Johnny Unitas RC

Because this is the 60th anniversary, we already know Buybacks will be a part of the set, as are a number of other commemorative items. We could see some really fun surprises.

Base Design

I really like that they did not play it conservative, as this is a very different approach from what they have done in previous years. A bigger nameplate, more futuristic type of an approach, and definitely a modern take. It reminds me a BIT of 1993, but this is its own animal. They were right to preview the Odell Beckham card, featuring his now infamous catch, as the card looks absolutely stunning with that picture plastered across the front.

15TFB1_1167_Base_Vet_OBJ15TFB1_1145_Base_Parallel_Brady

Rookie Premiere Autographs

Last year, for the first time, Topps moved away from cards that featured photos taken at the premiere and then signed the next day. Instead, they used retouched photos used in sets like Inception, and did the rookie premiere autographs that way. The result was SO much better than it had been in the past, as the erratic arrival schedule didnt play into who got their photos done or not. This year’s design looks simple and sleek, which will make for a VERY good looking set. I have always liked this set, because they are on card and look cool – even with my pet peeve of studio shots.

15TFB1_3302_RP-AUTO

Base Autographs

I thought last year's base autographs were good not great. This year, I think the design looks so much better, as it plays into the look and feel of the overall product in a way that didnt happen last year. The team logo background separated by the different shapes is really cool, and I will definitely be interested to see who is on the checklist – especially if Aaron Rodgers is the cover boy. Topps has done great with checklists as of late.

3241_ToppsAuto_Rodgers

Retro Rookie Autographs

Let me say that they are just not going to beat last year's 1985 tribute, and its just as tough to beat 1984. Seeing that they went with 1987 is still a nice homage, but its just not on the iconic level that the previous two were. The cards will look nice, dont you fret, and I will buy the shit out of them, but 1985 is my favorite of all time.

15TFB1_3703_1987AUTO

Other inserts

During 2014, the insert quality skyrocketed over a dismal performance in 2013. This year, I think the inserts are especially nice again, especially with the retro cards celebrating the 60th anniversary of the set. Seeing the 1984 Lynch and the Emmitt Autograph make me remember how awesome those sets were, and how much I continue to despise Panini for ruining this sport for me. The other inserts are similarly nice, and it looks like this year is going to be pretty freaking solid for this set.

Like I mentioned at the top, this is a sad situation. But, as I have said a ton of times, the trading card industry is going down a path that benefits no one but Panini. Even then I question how much understanding they really choose to have, as their overspending for license on top of license is only going to hurt the hobby more when they cant make their money back. Seeing that this is the final year of a 60 year old set makes my blood boil, especially one that is responsible for some of the most iconic football cards of all time.

Diving Deeper Into 2014 Topps Museum Collection Football

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Museum Collection has been live for a few days now, and now that we have had a few days to digest the product, I have grown more and more intrigued by the content in the set. Not only do the cards look REALLY nice, but there are some major hits in this product that add to its overall allure. Here is a break down of my favorite parts.

Framed Autographs

Since their initial release in Baseball, these cards are easily some of my favorites that Topps does all year. As a subset in a product called “Museum,” it makes sense that an autograph set is done with build in frames. It adds a high end look to a very high end style card, and the black background with Silver/Gold pens looks awesome.

More importantly, the checklist is nothing short of the best of the best, with some of the best players a company can get for a set. When you see guys like Topps managed to get into this subset, its clear that they were swinging for the fences. Sometimes, when you take a big hack, you come up short. From what we are seeing, they knocked it out of the park.

Check these out:

2014 Topps Museum Collection Tom Brady Framed Auto

2014 Topps Museum Collection Emmitt Smith Framed Auto

2014 Topps Museum Collection Barry Sanders Framed Auto

2014 Topps Museum Collection Brett Favre Framed Auto

Signature Series Dual Autographs

Its rare to see dual autographs with hard signed signatures these days. There is just a lot of logistics in play that are required to make a set like this work, and Topps is really banking on some big names to make these cards as awesome as possible.

The set includes the first dual autograph (that I can see) of Marshawn Lynch and Russell Wilson, a card that may be one of the better combo autographs of the last few years. Even though it is a redemption, the chance that the card could get done shortly is enough to make the combo worth talking about.

Here are some of the better ones:

2014 Topps Museum Collection Russell Wilson Marshawn Lynch Dual Auto

2014 Topps Museum Collection Teddy Bridgewater / Johnny Manziel Dual Auto

Jumbo Rookie Patch Autographs

Last year, these cards were a really nice example of a high end type of example in a set that people werent feeling as much due to a poor rookie class. Even though 2013 really was a low point, these jumbo patch cards were pretty impressive and nice looking.

This year, the cards look just as good, and there are even 1/1 versions that have logo patches. On card autographs pop on the simple design and the players stand out. Its a very nice case hit that plays in addition to the case hit framed autos. Its really too bad that Beckham is a redemption.

2014 Topps Museum Collection Sammy Watkins Jumbo Patch Auto 1/1

2014 Topps Museum Collection Kelvin Benjamin Jumbo Patch Auto Logo 1/1

1/1 Sketch Originals On Card Autographs

The canvas collection cards are always fun to see, as Museum has had a high quality of results when commissioning the sketches. The originals, which are all 1/1s are highly coveted, and some of them are even autographed. To have the originals as hard signed pieces of sports art is so cool, and I am excited to see more of them as they turn up. These cards are really hard to find, and can go for quite a bit more than a typical 1/1.

2014 Topps Museum Collection Johnny Manziel Sketch Original Auto 1/1

2014 Topps Museum Collection Russell Wilson 1/1 Original Sketch

Overall, I have been really impressed with Museum as a surprising success for a second straight year. After seeing what Panini did with Immaculate, Museum isnt as big of an explosion, but it also focuses more on the autographs than the patches. As someone who couldnt care any less about event used material, Museum is a satisfying foray into the later part of the year.

SCU Go Live Report: 2014 Panini Spectra Football

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Usually, when Panini releases a shitty set, there is some redeeming factor that makes it worth cracking a pack or two. This year, there have been a lot of those, and some that are even worse. Hot Rookies, Totally Certified, and others were so bad, its not even worth opening a single pack. Spectra is so far beyond that because unlike the previously mentioned products, its one pack for 275 dollars. Let me say that again – 275 dollars. Good fucking god.

Check out how much of a disaster this shit is:

2014 Panini Spectra Blake Bortles Gold Auto Patch

2014 Panini Spectra Peyton Manning Auto Relic /5

2014 Panini Spectra Kelvin Benjamin Auto Relic

2014 Panini Spectra Derek Carr / Jimmy Garoppolo Dual Laundry Tag 1/1

It would be one thing if the cards looked good. They look awful. It would be another thing if you can buy a pack and walk away if you need to. Nope, just one pack. It would give it some value if the on card veterans were back and looked good. Nope, all stickers. This product is a fucking dog, and Panini should be ashamed of themselves.

The rookie patch autograph cards are easily some of the worst rookie cards Panini has done this year, and that is saying something. They must have modeled the design after 2010 Topps Finest, because they look almost identical. Even worse than that, 2010 Finest was a joke all by itself! To start, the relic covers up a lot of the player, and the rest of the card is covered up by a separated signature area and nameplate. Even moving the swatch to either side would be an improvement, but to have both the centered relic and the opaque signature area covers up over 60% of the surface area.

As if that wasnt bad enough, they took it to another level with the horizontal version. Instead of the player being covered up vertically with the signature area and the swatch, they did the exact same thing in horizontal fashion. So much of the card is obscured, that the player is jammed into a tiny box at the top. Someone needs to be fired, its that bad.

The other autos in the set are just as poorly designed, including a veteran set named "Leading Men." No, this isnt a way to describe the male lead in a chick flick, its for football cards. I just dont get how these things make it past the conference room where they are suggested.

I hope you guys all love this set, because your shops will be forced to order cases of it to get Black Friday packs and Fathers Day packs. Its going to rot on dealer shelves until someone gives up on it or it drops to under 100 per box. Thats where this is headed.

At least in 2013, they had hard signed autos of a number of different veteran big named players. They also had a design that wasnt great, but it also wasnt terrible. People could buy a 50 dollar pack and get something reasonably worth getting. This year that is all gone. Even the veteran autographs that are stickers induce vomiting on many levels.

Awful product. Just fucking awful.

SCU Go-Live Report: 2014 Museum Collection Football

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Other than the Chrome style products that Topps has made a staple of all sports and non-sports they own, its rare that an established brand from one sport crosses over to another. Topps is very determined to build equity in brands separately in each sport, and that is why they really only choose the best to make that jump. We saw it when Inception and Five Star were brought to baseball from Football, and also in Museum Collection coming back the other way. Now that Museum is back for another year, I am really interested to see how it has improved.

Here are some of the bigger hits up so far:

2014 Topps Museum Collection Teddy Bridgewater Framed Auto /25

2014 Topps Museum Collection Kelvin Benjamin Auto RC On Card

2014 Topps Museum Collection Frank Gore Dual Patch Auto

2014 Topps Museum Collection Brandin Cooks Jumbo Patch Auto On Card

There is a big reason why I think Museum stands out for me, and it has to do with the autograph content and the way it is set up. Unlike many of the other Topps products, not only are there a lot of veteran autographs in the product, but there are a lot of on card ones. Even better, there are dual autographs and other fun things as well, all based around non-rookies.

Additionally, the metal framed rookie and vet auto cards remain some of my favorites from the year, and I love that they are almost presentation pieces all on their own. Though they are easily searched out due to their weight, the cards themselves are exactly as promised – Museum style pieces. I already have a few from last year on display, and I am eager to get this year’s to do the same thing. They just look awesome. My only complaint is the thick silver/gold pens, which can ruin one of these cards very easily. The pens have a tendency to streak, so they can look very faint in some cases.

Another rock star from this set is in the presence of some serious chops in the art department, as the Canvas Collection is always a treat. They have commissioned artists to put together some sketches and pieces, and man do they look amazing. They have 1/1 works included in packs, so you can actually pull the card that inspired the subject in the set.

Overall, I think the design improved year over year for this set, and many of the cards look pretty fucking cool. I think that as we start to close out the license in 2015, sets like this will either go out with a bang, or fall by the wayside. I hope we get more of the wow factor, personally.