richie.rocket.cards
Verified Trader,
1) base cards
2) Rookie Cards
3) Gu/Auto inserts
...for improvement of course. And by that, I mean "resale" value, as collectors term it. Problems with it arise time and again, and though I'm not much of a seller, I thought it'd be nice to think about, and discuss the problems rather than just complaining about them.
Base Cards
Anybody notice what happens to backgrounds on cards as the season progresses? That's right, they shrink. From great action-packed backgrounds in UD series 1 to non-existent backgrounds in say SpX. Why can't higher-end base have gameplay backgrounds...which makes the photo have context, meaning?
Imagine the famous Bobby Orr flying-in-air shot, but placed on a background with a huge X in it--not quite the same as the original thing eh? Some backgrounds featuring hockey-related icons (e.g. masks, logos, numbers, trophies) are great. Some artistic creations (like 04-05 Sp Authentic Rookie Review) are also great from time-to-time; but a huge X? What does that have to do with 'hockey'? Isn't the SpX logo enough? What should they do instead?
Well, for the SpX case (and this being used solely as an example, applies to other base sets as well), we can look at the set roots, and realize that SpX made its name as The hologram set of the 90s. Perhaps integrating some of those ideas back into the set would be a good idea. Same thing with UD Ice (gee whiz, there are huge X's in 08-09 Ice backgrounds as well). I'd love to see acetate base sets again.
By eliminating gameplay backgrounds, UD also limits itself to the photography it can put on a card. Ever see a high-end base card feature Phaneuf throwing a hit? Never--because there's no way to show it without having the player receiving the hit on the card also. Instead, we have many rather bland, standing-around photos (sometimes the little action in those being half-covered by the words Sweet Shot) that just doesn't represent the vigour and intensity of the NHL.
Rookie Cards
Interested to see what people say about this. Personally, I think UD has done a good job with its rookie cards every year (in terms of ideas and selection that is...designs? see Base Cards section, some need reworking). In some ways, I wish that every single rookie could have at least one rookie autographed card--mainly because a lot of Rcs have room to grow, and that an auto makes it all the more special. How many people look back and wish Mike Green had at least and Auto RC?
Of course, this would be tough for UD to acquire, and I'm not sure how collectors would respond to The Cup 'sparkling' with 250 Alex Bolduc patch autos.
Game-Used / Auto inserts (non-RC)
Okay, here's where the major problem is--oversaturation of GU/auto inserts everywhere. It almost doesn't matter now who's depicted on the card (unless it's Crosby, Gretzky, or Bobby Orr), these just aren't special anymore. For the record, I love GU and auto cards, they are the coolest things because they are 'relics' of the NHL game. It is wonderful to me that I can pick up just about anybody's jersey card for $3, when 10 years ago, Chris Theiren's jersey card was selling for $80. UD has tried many things--new concepts (UD Black), lower print runs, larger patches, parallel versions, and patch variations to name a few. But after hitting the market a bang, these cards only depreciate with time (and trust me, if Beckett says your Ruutu MVP jersey sells for $10, they're kidding themselves).
We can point again to card designs perhaps--the best selling inserts have gameplay background and/or significant symbols (e.g. 05-06 Notable Numbers, or 08-09 UD Black Pride of Nation).
Maybe for some people, it's the size of the swatch (04-05 Ultimate Patches vs 07-08 Sp Authentic Rookie Review). Either way, the very best inserts of today can't compare to the demand for them 10 years ago. I have no suggestion...some say UD should go back to the old days, have maybe 20 in a set. But could we imagine what sets like Ultimate or UD Ice would be like if a jersey card had a hit ration of 1:1200?
And what about fans of lesser-celebrated players--say the Alex Burrows, Stefan Meyer, or Jim Slater collectors? How can UD incorporate Gu/autos without upsetting the fans outside of Vancouver (or the small fan base for that matter)? Beats me (shrugs). Ideas?
2) Rookie Cards
3) Gu/Auto inserts
...for improvement of course. And by that, I mean "resale" value, as collectors term it. Problems with it arise time and again, and though I'm not much of a seller, I thought it'd be nice to think about, and discuss the problems rather than just complaining about them.
Base Cards
Anybody notice what happens to backgrounds on cards as the season progresses? That's right, they shrink. From great action-packed backgrounds in UD series 1 to non-existent backgrounds in say SpX. Why can't higher-end base have gameplay backgrounds...which makes the photo have context, meaning?
Imagine the famous Bobby Orr flying-in-air shot, but placed on a background with a huge X in it--not quite the same as the original thing eh? Some backgrounds featuring hockey-related icons (e.g. masks, logos, numbers, trophies) are great. Some artistic creations (like 04-05 Sp Authentic Rookie Review) are also great from time-to-time; but a huge X? What does that have to do with 'hockey'? Isn't the SpX logo enough? What should they do instead?
Well, for the SpX case (and this being used solely as an example, applies to other base sets as well), we can look at the set roots, and realize that SpX made its name as The hologram set of the 90s. Perhaps integrating some of those ideas back into the set would be a good idea. Same thing with UD Ice (gee whiz, there are huge X's in 08-09 Ice backgrounds as well). I'd love to see acetate base sets again.
By eliminating gameplay backgrounds, UD also limits itself to the photography it can put on a card. Ever see a high-end base card feature Phaneuf throwing a hit? Never--because there's no way to show it without having the player receiving the hit on the card also. Instead, we have many rather bland, standing-around photos (sometimes the little action in those being half-covered by the words Sweet Shot) that just doesn't represent the vigour and intensity of the NHL.
Rookie Cards
Interested to see what people say about this. Personally, I think UD has done a good job with its rookie cards every year (in terms of ideas and selection that is...designs? see Base Cards section, some need reworking). In some ways, I wish that every single rookie could have at least one rookie autographed card--mainly because a lot of Rcs have room to grow, and that an auto makes it all the more special. How many people look back and wish Mike Green had at least and Auto RC?
Of course, this would be tough for UD to acquire, and I'm not sure how collectors would respond to The Cup 'sparkling' with 250 Alex Bolduc patch autos.
Game-Used / Auto inserts (non-RC)
Okay, here's where the major problem is--oversaturation of GU/auto inserts everywhere. It almost doesn't matter now who's depicted on the card (unless it's Crosby, Gretzky, or Bobby Orr), these just aren't special anymore. For the record, I love GU and auto cards, they are the coolest things because they are 'relics' of the NHL game. It is wonderful to me that I can pick up just about anybody's jersey card for $3, when 10 years ago, Chris Theiren's jersey card was selling for $80. UD has tried many things--new concepts (UD Black), lower print runs, larger patches, parallel versions, and patch variations to name a few. But after hitting the market a bang, these cards only depreciate with time (and trust me, if Beckett says your Ruutu MVP jersey sells for $10, they're kidding themselves).
We can point again to card designs perhaps--the best selling inserts have gameplay background and/or significant symbols (e.g. 05-06 Notable Numbers, or 08-09 UD Black Pride of Nation).
Maybe for some people, it's the size of the swatch (04-05 Ultimate Patches vs 07-08 Sp Authentic Rookie Review). Either way, the very best inserts of today can't compare to the demand for them 10 years ago. I have no suggestion...some say UD should go back to the old days, have maybe 20 in a set. But could we imagine what sets like Ultimate or UD Ice would be like if a jersey card had a hit ration of 1:1200?
And what about fans of lesser-celebrated players--say the Alex Burrows, Stefan Meyer, or Jim Slater collectors? How can UD incorporate Gu/autos without upsetting the fans outside of Vancouver (or the small fan base for that matter)? Beats me (shrugs). Ideas?
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