2016 Upper Deck Blunders

It is impossible to peg the negativity on any one thing, not even a few things. Some of them are hobby related, some are board related, some are life related, but times have changed SERIOUSLY over the last ten years, but incredibly in the last three years.

I look at the GENERAL DISCUSSION area. in 2013, I posted a horror related thread. Over then next couple years, it had almost 500 views, with 50 posts.

I posted one a few weeks ago. Still almost at the top of the page, with a whopping 16 views. The traffic is non-existent in some areas.

The reality is that the negative DOES outweigh the positive in the hobby right now. It only makes sense that the posts will reflect that. Fans of Panini products are strapped. Fans of ITG are a product away from the same boat. Leaf has went ultra-niche, and UD is, well, read the boards.

Despite it all, here comes the EXPO!!!!! STOOOOOOKKKKKEDDDD!!!!!
 
spooner9ball said:
It is impossible to peg the negativity on any one thing, not even a few things. Some of them are hobby related, some are board related, some are life related, but times have changed SERIOUSLY over the last ten years, but incredibly in the last three years.

I look at the GENERAL DISCUSSION area. in 2013, I posted a horror related thread. Over then next couple years, it had almost 500 views, with 50 posts.

I posted one a few weeks ago. Still almost at the top of the page, with a whopping 16 views. The traffic is non-existent in some areas.

The reality is that the negative DOES outweigh the positive in the hobby right now. It only makes sense that the posts will reflect that. Fans of Panini products are strapped. Fans of ITG are a product away from the same boat. Leaf has went ultra-niche, and UD is, well, read the boards.

Despite it all, here comes the EXPO!!!!! STOOOOOOKKKKKEDDDD!!!!!
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I haven't been on here regularly since late 2012 and the drop is unbelievable. I used to see pages of hobby talk and show and tell but now there was one page of each that i hadnt seen and i havent been on since last Wednesday. I thought with McDavid it would be as busy as ever but between the demise of ITG and Panini, specialization of Leaf, UD not giving a crap, shipping prices through the roof and the CDN dollar not doing well it's slower than ive ever seen. I'm really glad i no longer own a hobby store.
 
I think one thing missing in this hobby is a late release with a large base set, a rookie of everyone and cards in traded uniforms. Something affordable, printed on quality cardboard. Nothing shortprinted in the base set. You break a couple of boxes, you trade a little bit and you're done.
Release a set like that and it will become a tradition. I'll build it year after year.


UD1 and 2 are great, but if you want to build them from wax, you have to put a couple of grands in the project.
 
Maybe if the hobby had more positive things about it, people would post more positive things. People are just posting what they are experiencing, which is a lot of negative.

What in the last year has been good for the hobby?

Canadian dollar dropping?
epacks?
UD getting another exclusive?
Ebay caring about sellers as much as UD cares about card shops?
Shipping charges going up?
Massive problems with UD "quality" control?
Same old rehashed designs?


Only thing I can think of that has been good for this hobby recently was when Mr. Price came back and tried to make things right with collectors who may or may not have had problems with what had happened when ITG closed its doors.
 
I don't mind threads like this, as long as they are done with constructive criticism, and less along the lines of the same "I hate Upper Deck" posts.

I'd much rather put efforts into finding out why nobody wants to buy, or trade here anymore. If a card here is priced at a fair price, similar to ebay completed listings, I'd much rather give my money to someone here, as opposed to an ebay stranger. It's impossible to sell here anymore. Just a waste of time it seems, unless you give it away for nothing. Most collectors seem to think they have entitlement to buy everyone's cards cheap, and make money off it. IMO, the hobby seems to be in a lot of trouble, and people are dropping out at a fast rate. I buy zero new product. Tired of getting ripped off on value. I'm still trying to figure out why older hard signed autos of HOFers like Phil Esposito, are selling for $10, or so, and I'm the one buying them? The kids today couldn't carry the jocks of the superstars of yesteryear, yet collectors fork out stupid money for new unproven talent. I'm glad, because it leaves more of the HOF stuff for me.
 
I was listening to slayer as I read this. Not a great combo lol
 
Leafsfan1967 said:
I'd much rather put efforts into finding out why nobody wants to buy, or trade here anymore. If a card here is priced at a fair price, similar to ebay completed listings, I'd much rather give my money to someone here, as opposed to an ebay stranger. It's impossible to sell here anymore. Just a waste of time it seems, unless you give it away for nothing. Most collectors seem to think they have entitlement to buy everyone's cards cheap, and make money off it.
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THIS......so much this.

It doesn't matter how good a deal you are offering, even if it is way less than eBay, even if it includes good players who sell well, people will balk unless you are practically giving it away. I have a lot for sale on here that includes anywhere from $120-$160USD in eBay value, I'm asking $90 and not a sniff of interest. Every three hours is another post complaining about getting ripped off by a buyer on eBay, so if I can't sell my cards on here, bulk buyers aren't really interested in buying in bulk, there are no local shops who deal in singles, eBay is a crap shoot, and card shows are not an option, and any trade thread gets ignored, how can some of us do anything in this hobby besides spend money with no chance for return? It's a waste of time.
 
I still can't understand how Upperdeck had the gaul to call Black Diamond a high end product. It had fake patches and sticker autos. How does this make any product high end? Simply because they went to one pack in the box? This makes us suckers. It does not make BD a high end product.
 
A lot of the slowing down on the boards I find is people are buying less. I`m 65 and when I started buying in the 80`s boxes were $65 a box. Then the 90"s they went to $85. On till a few years ago they wnt to $95-$110 a box.You got quite a few hits and posted them. Now at $225-$300 a box, with 6-8 cards in a box how many are you going to buy in one week. You are lucky if you get 1-3 hits out of 5 boxes. I used to buy 10 boxes in a week.Now I`m retired and I cant afford to spend $1000 to $1500 a week on cards so I post a lot less hits but still come here to chat and complain too.
 
sterling09 said:
A lot of the slowing down on the boards I find is people are buying less. I`m 65 and when I started buying in the 80`s boxes were $65 a box. Then the 90"s they went to $85. On till a few years ago they wnt to $95-$110 a box.You got quite a few hits and posted them. Now at $225-$300 a box, with 6-8 cards in a box how many are you going to buy in one week. You are lucky if you get 1-3 hits out of 5 boxes. I used to buy 10 boxes in a week.Now I`m retired and I cant afford to spend $1000 to $1500 a week on cards so I post a lot less hits but still come here to chat and complain too.
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I remember when I first started collecting. 15 cards a pack @ .99 cents. Would always buy packs. Was always nice to hit an insert, if I didn't hit one, I would always knock a few cards off the set needs.
I know the hobby has changed, but I think if a product was released that was actually made to collect, and not buy and flip, or gamble on, it would help the hobby. Maybe not much, but I would venture a guess and say that kids would be in the shops spending their allowance on a pack or 2 of cards. The price of the hobby has driven away a lot of people. I don't buy packs (aside from a few Timmies packs), or boxes anymore, there just isn't anything there to justify it.

The card companies needs to get back to their "roots".
 
To be fair, their earliest roots were being a collectible insert in packages of cigarettes and chewing tobacco... though if you're talking when they made cards to make cards, it was about making money, and it still is.

I would personally like to see a set that could be completed with a few boxes, covered 600+ players, a few basic insert sets, but it won't sell well and it won't make a good return on value... it MAY spark another generation of collectors, but I don't think collector development through base sets is part of the business plan.

Cory
 
foley2k said:
I remember when I first started collecting. 15 cards a pack @ .99 cents. Would always buy packs. Was always nice to hit an insert, if I didn't hit one, I would always knock a few cards off the set needs.
I know the hobby has changed, but I think if a product was released that was actually made to collect, and not buy and flip, or gamble on, it would help the hobby. Maybe not much, but I would venture a guess and say that kids would be in the shops spending their allowance on a pack or 2 of cards. The price of the hobby has driven away a lot of people. I don't buy packs (aside from a few Timmies packs), or boxes anymore, there just isn't anything there to justify it.

The card companies needs to get back to their "roots".
Click to expand...

I'd love it if it worked but imo we're way too far past this. If you put out a set like that it will sell some because of the nostalgia but even most kids that i used to see open packs go straight to the middle of the pack anticipating the hit. Why would someone buy something they know is all common stuff if they can spend a bit more and get an auto or jersey or something more flashy?

The internet and the ease and availability of completing sets like that dont make the chase as fun anymore. The only big set that has any value is the UD1 and 2 sets because of the Young Guns and they are now watering that down with epack. Aside from Mcdavid every other rookie is $25 or less. Give me $100 (less than one box price) and i could pretty much complete the set minus Mcdavid.
 
I hear there is a new website launching next week for the Expo....

www.UDHockeySinBin.com
UD%20Hockey%20Sin%20Bin%20website_zpsmp7jxsnn.jpg



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