TheGriceBoys
King of Kings, Verified Trader,
Vinny, repectfully, I have to disagree here about the negative aspect of these posts. Time and time again, all anyone wants to do is bash UD. I have even let my feelings be known a few times, but once I have, it's over with. I don't revisit and rehash the same thing over and over and over again!
And as far as the see how much they can sell comment? Sure, why not? It's their business, that's what they do, sell us, the consumer, products.
But I really, again playing devil's advocate, want to believe a guy like Karvin, who is one of the hockey departments heads, really wants us, the collector, to get good value and be happy with UD's releases. UD does listen to us and trys to please us, but sometimes the problems they have overshadow the good being done because no one will let go of the bad and move on.
Remember people, Karvin is a corporate guy now and can only do so much without upsetting his bosses, but don't think he forgets his roots. He has a commitment to them but also to us and is sensitive to our needs and wants. What a lot of people easily forget is Karvin is a Toronto guy and huge hockey fan, a former dealer/collector who knows how we all feel on our side of the fence.
It is much akin to Pierre Lacroix selling his stake in his hockey representation group to Bob Sauve when he became GM of the Quebec Nordiques. One thing that made Lacroix so successful was his ability to wear both caps as he had sat on either side of the table.
Karvin is the same and really cares about the hobby and it's collectors.
And to be honest, the good is starting to outweigh the bad by a lot. But then the "haters", if you will, always are quick to point out the wrong and not the right.
As far as value Vin, that's in the eye of the beholder.
I may pull a Rob Blake or Peter Forsberg card I don't have that just tickles me silly and I'll feel like I hit a million dollar box. If I open the same box and hit Malkin, sure, there's money there and I can flip it for cash, but I would rather have cards of my guy.
If consumer B opens that box and doesn't hit a Malkin or Kessel Future Watch autograph RC, he's pissed.
So there is where UD has it's hands tied. They try and give us the right amount of autos, parallels, memorabilia and rookies per box to generate the perceived value we demand. But you cannot please ALL of the people ALL of the time right?
But if if Joe Schmoe rookie card is not the guy you're looking for, there's a instant thread on Beckett or here ripping UD and their "no name" rookies. Sure, some guys could be omitted but in hockey, unlike other sports, a no name rookie has a more legitimate shot of sticking or making something of his career down the road than Jaun Valdez, middle relief for the Devil Rays, who pitches 3 innings, gets a rookie card and is back in Columbia 4 days later.
It is more applicable to a hockey product to have rookie X in there. Some of these late round picks come up big so it's a shot UD has to take to add that aforementioned perceived value in a product. Sometimes they win, soemtimes they lose. You can't totally fault them in that regard.
Look, we all rip wax, buy cards, etc. It's what we love and we are kidding ourselves if any of us act like we're gonna stop. We need to feed the habit and UD is our fix (for the most part as far as hockey). You're either in this hobby or out, no half way. So again, I say we all try and enjoy it, make the best of it or............?
I think SPA looks solid this year and I am hopeful it heals some of the wounds from last year. Time will tell but let's at least see it live before passing judgement?
He was around and knew what was going on with 05/06 spa, he knew it was a disaster and while the train wreck was on course to blow up UD chose to not even tell the customers about it, we had to find out from random leaks by distributors who can be rarely trusted. Sure enough they were right but by the time UD admitted what they did it was way to late. So when all is said and done Karvin is a great guy, the company he works for....thats a whole other story.
