05/06 ITG Ultimate - is it just me??????

[suitman19]

I have gone through the new listings and clicked on the auctions to see
how the actual cards look after release, rather than on the ITG website.

Is it just me..... or anyone else that thinks this release is just either tired (in the case of items like the Complete Packages Memorabilia pieces & Nameplates pieces) or just plain un-attractive (in the case of the Single Auto pieces and the Jersey/Stick pieces).

I am sorry, but this release just seems toally tired and worn out.
Sure theer are some neat items, but for a product in this price range and with ITG's history of innovations - I am disappointed. I feel that if ITG wants to maintain it's image (until a time when the 'other company' screws up the monpoly so badly that the NHLPA actually courts ITG) - then they need to be ultra-creative in their releases, especially high end. I realize that their hands are tied somewhat by what they can feature - but I really see none of the innovations that had made ITG the 'Ultimate' company.

What do you think?????

Bruce

 

[jaywings19]

I think their Ultimate product is what it needs to be... consistent. Honestly, that's what makes a specific "brand" stand the test of time. Just like why SP Authentic (sans 2005/06) has been a widely successful product.

The one thing you can expect from ITG Ultimate is value. Not every pack is going to have a Gold Auto /10, Triple Auto, or Cut Auto 1/1... but every pack will provide consistent value. Can you say that about any UD box product this year? People have been plunking down $100-150 for boxes of UD products and getting $25 worth of cards (if that)... and people just keep going back to the well for another groin kicking.

ITG definitely has their hands tied without the license as far as logos and better pictures on the cards. Also that hinders the checklist for active player roster (except for Lemieux, Yzerman, Brodeur, Crosby, and Ovechkin). I like the fact that they incorporated Malkin, Esposito, and Tavares into the product. That kind of gives this product a past-present-future aspect which is a new twist.

I will say that the use of sticker autographs across the board is the disappointing factor of this product. I cannot justify that.

 

[cjkuehn]

I pulled better stuff out of 4 packs of itg ultimate, then i've pulled
all year in the ud products, were talking over 20,000$$ worth of
ud products.

may be just luck, but when the production is limited, the consumer
does much better.

itg stuff:
crosby 10/10
roy auto / 50
brett hull auto / 10
malkin auto /40
kovalchuk auto /50
lots of /25 stuff

let's see ud ultimate match that, at $75 a pack cost, i'll probably
pull some no name rookie and a jersey of bum #'d to 250.....

oh yeah, and the cards weren't damaged!

the box of ud rookie update i just did, had a spx auto jersey
with the middle of the R completely ripped....ud ****s!

c.j.

 

[PhilM]

I'm with you in the looks of it,
There are a lot of cards I don't like the look of, the stick/jersey's are horrible to be kind.

I think the move to grayscale everything was a terrible one and has really affected the look of the product.

 

[MGiuseffi1969]

Bruce, My take on the stuff I have seen on the 'bay is that some of the designs are really nice, and some are well, meh. I'll will wait to pass judgement until I get a few nice Rangers pieces in for closer inspection. Mike

 

[slappy69]

Bruce its not just you... seems as if both are going to be a far from ultimate.

I doubt I'll be busting any of it ultimate ITG or UD. Might pick up a couple of nice cards but thats about it.

BTW I busted at least 4 boxes of ITG ultimate last year I thought the product was excellent value for the money. This years product looks like amateur hour. I'll reserve jugdement on UD's but my expectations are low.

I don't want to knock the little guy but all I've seen are alot of faded head shots with a sticker on it, and some of the cheesest photos I've ever seen. Sorry I can't see charging 150.00 for a pack of 3 non-licened slabbed cards.

Tony

 

[Sacrebleu]

To me the lack of logos due to the license factor is a problem, the use of sticker autos on their flagship brand is HEINOUS! And their stickers **** too- they could do a lot better with masking the fact that they are stickers if they used a label that was clearer.

 

[suitman19]

Guys - thanks for the comments.

Jay & cj:
Please understand that I am neither knocking the company (ITG) nor am I unhappy with the value of what is in the product. Both of those, I have no problem with. Nor am I comparing this release to anything from UD - I do not think anyone has seen me bash UD yet 9although I am in the mood to at the moment).
I am un-impressed with the design aspect of the release. Too many of the cards are along the lines of what has been done before in this brand. the autos (base) do not show up particularily well in the greyscale. Several of the
of the jersey memorabilia parallels have been done over & over. My point is that Iif I was trying to make this a showpiece release - I would have had some new sparkle - and I do not mean players or teams or logos. I mean fresh ideas in design and concepts.
The lack of a license is definately a big stumbling block - and I am sure that the small staff hampers creativity ( and I am one of the least creative people out there!!!) - but I was expecting to see fresh.... and I feel like I am seeing a rehash, but with a few new ideas.

bruce

 

[Modo]

Thought it was played out two years ago...now i'm just happy with the new UD super small jersey swatches. You know it's bad when you look at a card and the swatch is so small you don't even realize it's a GU card.

 

[MIKEYSLEAFS]

bruce you are right,i said the same thing when i saw the first promo,i said the same thing when i saw the promo sheet,said the same thing when i saw the beckett ad,said the same thing when i saw the cards at the expo,said the same thing with my arguement with gretzkycards,and i am saying the same thing after watching a customer open a box at the store,sure he pulled a crosby and lemieux but paid 750.00 for plain and unattractive cards that are growing very tired and with the no licience the card is plain and not enough head shot to fill it and the auto stickers being 1 inch wide dosen't help it either

 

[GabbyGuy]

At least I won't have to send in a redemption card and wait 11 months (and counting)..........oh no, maybe I will when I pull that "Made To Order" card next week....Darn!

I personally like ITG Ultimate cards. But I like vintage game-used cards of a Hall-of-Famer where a piece of jersey/skate/glove could be 90 years old...and not a photo shoot jersey of a Brian Lawton wanabe.

However, I do miss my guy, Gaborik, not being in the unlicensed set.

 

[Megatron]

The Stickers are disappointing, and some of the set design is a bit recycled but they did come up with this sweet concept:

It's a decent product, a bit pricy but seems a bit better than a UD break value wise, which is if no Sid or Alex you get shafted.. at least with ITG their is a bit more value and the Vintage Memo. is pretty unique..

L

 

[leafschik1967]

There are some very nice subsets in this set, but then there are others whose designs seem lazy and uninspired. I realize that the product isn't NHL/NHLPA licensed, but it still looks odd to see Heatley in a Thrashers jersey, and Lindros in a Rangers jersey on the multiple autograph cards. Since the autographs are stickers, it's not like these cards needed to be printed up before these guys had played for their new teams.

 

[TanguayFan]

I agree with Bruce...I think for the most part these cards are fugly.....I look at Vinny's break, and rather than thinking "Wow, he had some great pulls" all I could think of was "Daaaaaaaaaaamn, thems' some ugly lookin' cards" ......Mainly black and white or monotone photography coupled with sticker autos, makes for a less than stellar product. People say there's more value in breaking this product??? I dunno.....maybe if you get a couple of pulls like Vinny had, but who's gonna pay more than $20 for , say, a Tony Esposito Auto Jersey xx/50, that has some old photo (with no indication of logos or team names) and the color scheme of yellow and black? Like years past, after the initial wave, the majority of this product that hits the secondary market will be blown out for a fraction of it's cost, and you'll be picking up cards from this product for $10-$15.....you'll still get the odd big sale, but you'll never convince me that this product is worth even $50 a pack, let alone $175 or whatever it is.....UD may be filled with more garbage, but at least it would take me 15 minutes to open that garbage as opposed to 15 seconds.....

Rob

 

[crankshaft]

The cards are the best they could do without a License. Anyone who is bashing the product can thank the NHL and NHLPA for that. As for everyone saying that a lot of the cards are the same, what innovations have Upper Deck made this year? They are the same crap too, with literally a couple new subsets/inserts to add to their lineup in a year where they could try pretty much anything they wanted to try... I guess they just wanted to try to produce Pro Set numbers and see how it went... it obviously didn't work, however I give them credit for keeping or taking back all the leftover CRAP they have put out this year. If they didn;t do that, we would all be making fun of the 05-06 to 2010-11 cards that Upper Deck produced... There is way too much of this crap out there and I really think the good cards this year were made by ITG. Who really cares about a stupid logo when you colect a player, or players? If I collect Terry Sawchuk, ITG is the only company that will produce any cards of him at all, so what am I gonna do??? I tell ya what..... I'm gonna buy the ITG cards, whether they have a dumb logo on them or not, its still a limited card with a swatch of game-used jersey, pad, or glove on the card. Upper Deck has not even produced a card with a game-used rookie card yet (they are all photo shoot crap), so whats the difference????????

I guess there will always just be ITG haters, and Upper Deck haters, but just keep an open mind guys and really take a look at what you are getting for your money... both are a rip off, but one is definitely better than the other...

Rod

 

[Bossy22]

The cards are the best they could do without a License. Anyone who is bashing the product can thank the NHL and NHLPA for that. As for everyone saying that a lot of the cards are the same, what innovations have Upper Deck made this year? They are the same crap too, with literally a couple new subsets/inserts to add to their lineup in a year where they could try pretty much anything they wanted to try... I guess they just wanted to try to produce Pro Set numbers and see how it went... it obviously didn't work, however I give them credit for keeping or taking back all the leftover CRAP they have put out this year. If they didn;t do that, we would all be making fun of the 05-06 to 2010-11 cards that Upper Deck produced... There is way too much of this crap out there and I really think the good cards this year were made by ITG. Who really cares about a stupid logo when you colect a player, or players? If I collect Terry Sawchuk, ITG is the only company that will produce any cards of him at all, so what am I gonna do??? I tell ya what..... I'm gonna buy the ITG cards, whether they have a dumb logo on them or not, its still a limited card with a swatch of game-used jersey, pad, or glove on the card. Upper Deck has not even produced a card with a game-used rookie card yet (they are all photo shoot crap), so whats the difference????????

I guess there will always just be ITG haters, and Upper Deck haters, but just keep an open mind guys and really take a look at what you are getting for your money... both are a rip off, but one is definitely better than the other...

Rod

Well said. Go spend $500 on any ud product and then on any itg product this year. Way more value for a true collector. Sure I wish the NHLPA gave them a license but they still make the best cards available!

 

[MASTERP]

BOSSY22: I agree with you 100% all the way. UD has given me all reasons to stop purchasing their products from this year on. Other than SPX their products have not been worth the money. At all.