08-09 SP Authentic Hockey Discussion

I stumbled upon the sell sheet, looks very nice.
(Pictures at the bottom)
When Hockey Fans think of quality autographs, they think no further than SP Authentic Hockey! With Rookie Card staple – Autographed Future Watch cards – hitting 1 per box, Sign of the Times autos combining with Marks of Distinction and more to deliver a total of 3 autographs in every box, the signs are evident – SP Authentic continues to be the set which others are measured by.

Here's the product preview

Get 3 Signature Cards in each box! (on avg.)
Including 1 Autographed Future Watch card!
Signed Rookie Patch cards average 1-2 per case!
Find Hologram cards!
Averaging 2 per box, with die-cut versions hitting 1 per case!
Marks of Distinction & Penned Perfection offer terrific signature hits, all #’d to 50 or less!
Look for Sign of the Times Duals, averaging 1 per case!
Rookie Review Signed Patch cards also hit 1 per case! (on avg.)
SP Limited parallels give set collectors an awesome insert set!
All cards have value and are #’d to 100 or less!

Break Summary:
Box Break:
3 Signatures Total
1 Autographed Future Watch (minimum)
2 SP Holo F/X cards
2 SP Notables
1 Future Watch RC or Limited Parallel

Case Break:
1-2 Autographed Future Watch Patch cards
1-2 Rookie Review Patch cards
1 Sign of the Times Dual Autograph card
1 SP Holo F/X Die-Cut card

Key Inserts:
Autographed Future Watch:
Steven Stamkos, Luke Schenn, Kyle Turris, Fabian Brunnstrom, Drew Doughty, Blake Wheeler, Mikkel Boedker, Derick Brassard, Nikolai Kulemin, Nikita Filatov, Zach Bogosian, Brandon Sutter, James Neal, Colton Gillies, Kyle Okposo and more future stars!

Marks of Distinction:
Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier, Bobby Orr, Gordie, Howe, Bobby Hull, Sidney Crosby, Patrick Roy, Martin Brodeur & more!

Configuration:
5 Cards/Pack
24 Packs/Box
12 Boxes/Case

Not a big fan of the design (both SOTT and FWs) this year but the cards may look better in person.

I have gone gungho with SPA in the past and have been mostly disappointed with it so I think I am going to hold back and just buy the singles that I need this year - looks like a nice design but very similar to years past. I do enjoy the hardsigned autos but at the pricepoint that SPA comes out at its tough to justify a box when you often pull $2 rookie autos or SOTT cards.

Part of SPA's charm has always been its clean design.

This year's is anything but -- though the FW Autos aren't bad. The SOTT design is absolutely atrocious.

I do like the FW designs. They look decent.

I bought one box last year, will do the same this year. Don't like the Sign of The Times at all, usually they are simpler but this year there is a lot going on there. The Future Watch autographs and patches do look quite nice though I must say.

I loved the simple timeless design of many of the previous SOTT and FW sets, but this year's looks like it won't stand that test.

Is it me or are the designs this year all looking rather similar: Trilogy, SPX, SPA...

It's still one of the few products I look forward to every year and I'll be buying a few boxes of this stuff for sure.

I always love to crack spa I usually do at least 4-5 boxes at the expo each year, it's such a fun break

Looks good. To me it almost that that futureistic kind of look but still has the classic SPA look to it.

I think it looks great. It maintains a crisp design that we've come to expect from SPA, but adding a whole new twist. I like it.

The Future Watch's look sharp, but the SOTT's? Not so much. And good to see yet another UD product with the exact same sets every year...

JacktheRipper said:

The Future Watch's look sharp, but the SOTT's? Not so much. And good to see yet another UD product with the exact same sets every year...

Click to expand...

Marks of Distinction and Penned Perfection sound like new sets.

Beautiful stuff as usual. I think I know where my birthday money will be going in April!

3 auto's, at least that adds more value to the product

Inferno said:

Marks of Distinction and Penned Perfection sound like new sets.

Click to expand...

Reading helps. I just went to the scans.

JacktheRipper said:

Reading helps. I just went to the scans.

Click to expand...

No mention of SP Chirography though, must have cut it out and replaced it with one of these new ones and kept Chirography for the Cup release.

lol...UD can't win. if they stick with the tried and true route, they get bashed for having no creativity. if they do change it up, they're still facing down the barrel of the gun. i for one don't mind the change. they used up the extra real estate nicely and the crosby reminds me of the 04-05 redeemed rc design a little more expanded.

as SPA is one of the few products i'll actually purchase, i'm all in.

Looks like triple+ auto cards are gone from SPA.

SkyFire47 said:

lol...UD can't win. if they stick with the tried and true route, they get bashed for having no creativity. if they do change it up, they're still facing down the barrel of the gun. i for one don't mind the change. they used up the extra real estate nicely and the crosby reminds me of the 04-05 redeemed rc design a little more expanded.

Click to expand...

Agreed - this has been getting to me recently with the release of each new product. It seems collectors are determined to be unhappy with UD products, whether they change up the designs or not.

I think the new SOTT and FW designs look great. Sure, it's a departure from what we have seen with SPA the last couple of years, but isn't that what we want - different designs, new sub-sets, etc...?

I love SP Authentic and I would be very happy if it was Upper Deck's highest price-point product (maybe Ultimate Collection).