Could Small Sample Size Be A Factor?

Posted on 11/25/2009 by gellman

UD Black was released for the first time in football yesterday to much fanfare, as well as much criticism. Although people’s box/case breaks may not have turned out very well (some with over 11 base rookie autos per 10 box case), there are definitely no shortage of awesome cards. Really, I think this product has definitely come up short in terms of value per box, no doubt, but I am not going to say it was a total disaster, a la 2007 Black Baseball.

I think we had grand expectations for this product, I know I did, especially after seeing Michael Jordan, Lebron and Kobe all over 2008-09 Black Basketball. However, there really arent players like that in football, ones that command humongous prices per card. Thats where basketball is special. Baseball suffers a similar fate in most of its high end products, especially ones like Black. Football does have a few rookies that could break the $100 per card barrier, as well as a few players like Manning, Peterson, and others, but nowhere near Jordan territory.

Regardless of capabilities of ROI, the product does have some amazing looking cards. The rookies may be in college unis, but the sigs are almost all on card, and the design is ridiculously cool. I have been monitoring stuff that has been popping up, and I am liking as many parts of this set as those I hate.

I think the dual Jersey auto cards are awesome, and some of the combos are proving to be pretty interesting. I also really like the Lustrous cards, as cards featuring PETG elements have always been a soft spot for me. Also, though the cuts are pretty much crap, at least UD didnt use the crappy phone cards for their Payton cuts. Those phone cards, which Donruss bought in bulk for little to nothing are stupid as shit, and have been all over their products for the last few years. This is much better.

Dont get me wrong, I am the first condemn a product for shitty design and horrible ideas, and this product has its share. However, I dont think its fair to throw the baby out with the bathwater in this case as it does have a lot of redeeming cards. Although the money making aspect of a box is low to none, the singles from the good boxes are some of the best of the year so far. That is more than a lot of other products can offer.

Its The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year

Posted on 11/14/2009 by gellman

I freaking love this time of year, as this is when things really start to heat up. The NFL season is coming to an end, and my favorite products hit the shelves. I have been trying to give my paypal account steroids for the workout its about to get, as there are more cards I will be chasing now than ever. Lets review the Calendar:

UD Black (11/24) – Peterson has some amazing looking cards in this set, all on card, which means that I am really going to have to choose between this and the ones to follow. Hopefully they wont be too much money or its going to be like choosing between children when figuring Black or SPA/Exquisite.

Ultimate Collection (12/8) – Although the general design doesnt really do it for me this year, the Ultimate Peterson patch card featured in the preview is one of the best looking cards I have seen so far. Thats going to cost a shitload, and I am still chasing the “AD All Day” inscription card from last year. There are also going to be some Harvin cards I need here, all of which should be on card sigs.

SP Authentic (1/2010) – SP Authentic is my favorite set of the year, and this year’s product is shaping up to be amazing. The Harvin rookie auto patch is a must get, and the jumbo signature patch is also on the list. Peterson should also have some good ones, but SPA is all rookies all the time. Maybe we can get our first Peterson/Favre dual.

Exquisite Collection (3/2010) – I dont even know where to start with this one, as every card is always a purchase I need to make. Harvin and Peterson will be all over this set, and Favre may have a card or two I may go after for shits and giggles. This will be the fourth all on card set to rape my wallet, and you can bet I will not hesitate to break the bank.

Because National Treasures wont be a target for me this year because of the design, I can focus a lot more on my other favorites. I wish I had the money to buy both the boxes and the singles, but being smart only provided me with enough for selective targeting. Earlier this year, I preached only going after what you truly love, and I am so glad my savings have paid off. I should have enough for one or two cards out of each, and I can say now before I own them, it was already worth not buying much wax through the rest of the year.

I Have A Question About UD Black

Posted on 08/12/2009 by gellman

So, UD posted a bunch of non mock-ups from black, the first anticipated high end product of the year. As you can see, there is one major problem with these cards of the 2009 rookies.

Yes, they are all STILL in college uniforms. Now, I can imagine that there are a few reasons why this may be the case, and for their sake, I hope its one of them. First, is that these cards could have all been signed at the rookie premiere, which means that pro uniforms could not be possible – something that could have been avoided with a later release date. Second is that in order for the cards to be signed in time, they needed to have the cards out to the rookies as soon as possible. Again, a circumstance that could be fixed with a later release date.

Dont get me wrong, the cards look BEYOND awesome, but the college unis really dont sit anywhere close to right with me. At least the other stuff from the veteran stars looks fucking great enough to make me forget about some of my anger. I will definitely be chasing after a few AD cards from this set, though I will avoid the Harvin cards if its still Florida Gators stuff all the way. I guess college uniform pictures are a trade off at this point in the year for on card sigs, but I cant help but feel that this was a little rushed if it could have been done right later on. We easily could have waited.

(CLICK TO ENLARGE)

More Images From Black: Looks More Ridiculous Than Before (In A Good Way)

Posted on 07/07/2009 by gellman

Just saw the powerpoint for 2009 Upper Deck Black Football on the normal site. Wow, these cards look like they are getting better and better. Team color cards are SOOOOOO underrated, glad to see the colors coordinate with the players – especially on that quad. Awesome.

Per the slideshow, Black will now be 2 cards per pack with 2 autos per box instead of the normal 1 card per pack set up from before. Although that other card is just a flag card, a staple of all black sets, it still adds a little more value to the break. The price is still VERY high considering what you are getting, but the design is well worth it. Also, if you consider that you pay 89 bucks a box for Ultimate for one hit, I guess its around the same.

Also, all the cards will be on card, and those lustrous cards are the PETG things. I think this product could be absolutely amazing, even though for me, all Peterson cards will be redemptions until he gets off his ass and signs his shit.

Remember, these are mock ups, so that means the rookies are still in college jerseys and blah blah blah. Its not going to look like that on the final product.