Enigma
09-05-2009, 03:28 AM
First and foremost, I'd like to thank our sponsors at Upper Deck for providing us with this box.
http://www.blowoutcards.com/images/baseball/2009udiconsBB.jpg
10 packs per box
6 cards per pack
Current Retail Price: 69.99 - 79.99
CONTENT HIGHLIGHTS:
- Look for two LETTERMAN CARDS per box, on average! (icons FEATURE MLB Icons such as Carlton fisk, Ozzie smith, and tony gwynn!
- Look for two (2) Memorabilia cards, including one numbered to 149 or less per box, on average!
- Look for two (2) Lettermen Autograph cards numbered to 99 or less in each case, on average!
- Find one Signature card per box, on average!
- Find One (1) 20th Anniversary Memorabilia card per case, on average! (2oth Anniversary Memorabilia includes memorabilia from sport greats such as Michael Jordan, Lebron James, and Tiger Woods!
- Look for five (5) 20th Anniversary insert cards per box, on average!
- Collect the entire 160-card base set!
PRODUCT BREAKDOWN
Regular Cards and Rookies
- Base Set - 100 cards
- Rookie Cards- 30 cards
- Rookie Autographed Cards- 30
Inserts and Parallel Cards
- Icons numbered to 999
- Future Foundations numbered to 999
- Legendary Icons numbered to 999
WHAT WE PULLED
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0gNlFX_aK4A
Base (43/100) - 43%
Dupes - 0
Rookies /999 (1) - Colby Rasmus
http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd158/enigmas_cards/CCF09072009_00005.jpg
Icons /125 (4) - Billy Wagner, Miguel Cabrera, Delmon Young, Jake Peavy
http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd158/enigmas_cards/CCF09072009_00006.jpg
20th Anniversary Retrospective (5)
http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd158/enigmas_cards/CCF09072009_00007.jpg
Icons Stephen Drew Jersey
Icons Justin Verlander Jersey
http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd158/enigmas_cards/CCF09072009_00008.jpg
Everth Cabrera Autograph /600
http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd158/enigmas_cards/CCF09072009_00009.jpg
Immortal Lettermen Gaylord Perry "Y" /35
Lettermen Dustin Pedroia "N" /35
http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd158/enigmas_cards/CCF09072009_00010.jpg
20th Anniversary Retrospective Curt Schilling Memorabilia
http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd158/enigmas_cards/CCF09072009_00011.jpg
Final Ratings (out of 5):
Base Set – 4
Fun – 4
Overall Design – 4.5
Value – 2.5
Rebuy – 3
Total – 18/25 (76%)
The base cards in Icons are well-produced. The full color photo laid over a simple background is nice. Getting almost half the base set is worthwhile as well. However, the enjoyment virtually stops there.
There are three insert sets in Icons, yet we managed to only see 4 cards from one of the sets. What kind of collation is that? Would be nice to see at least one of the others in the box. And then this set is called Icons. So would that make it Icons Icons? I don't understand the need to call a set the same thing as the release.
Really glad to see the 20th Anniversary cards are prominent in this box. Getting one in every two packs is great considering they are a part of a 2,500 card set. I'm interested to see what next year's set will be and if they plan on doing something nice for those who complete this set.
As for the jerseys, why aren't these numbered? Where's the appeal? It doesn't matter who the players are, in a product like this, a production limit carries a lot of weight in the eyes of the collector. And then there's the dreaded Lettermen cards. Why am I spelling a person's full name? That's not what appears on the back of a jersey. It really feels like a ploy to just unnecessarily add more cards instead of at least focusing on what the collector's enjoy. Plus, I still don't understand the numbering. Does it mean there are 35 cards overall or 35 cards of just that letter? Would really help if each card was numbered accordingly with it's place in the name. For instance, Dustin Pedroia should be DP1 for "D", DP2 for "U", DP3 for "S", etc. This would end the debate on print runs and guessing when a player has multiple cases of the same letter in his name.
Icons, in just name alone, should feature the greats of the game in the present as well as the past. Have to question if that's the case here. While the base cards are decent and you get five chase cards in the box, I'm left feeling that there's a lot missing. I really feel the whole manufactured patch letters program needs to be rethought. How can something so simple turn into something so convoluted in a matter of a couple of years? Mass production is such a curse.
Once again, I'd like to thank our wonderful sponsors at Upper Deck for giving us the opportunity to open and review this release. For more information on all their products, you can check them out at www.upperdeck.com (http://www.upperdeck.com).
http://www.blowoutcards.com/images/baseball/2009udiconsBB.jpg
10 packs per box
6 cards per pack
Current Retail Price: 69.99 - 79.99
CONTENT HIGHLIGHTS:
- Look for two LETTERMAN CARDS per box, on average! (icons FEATURE MLB Icons such as Carlton fisk, Ozzie smith, and tony gwynn!
- Look for two (2) Memorabilia cards, including one numbered to 149 or less per box, on average!
- Look for two (2) Lettermen Autograph cards numbered to 99 or less in each case, on average!
- Find one Signature card per box, on average!
- Find One (1) 20th Anniversary Memorabilia card per case, on average! (2oth Anniversary Memorabilia includes memorabilia from sport greats such as Michael Jordan, Lebron James, and Tiger Woods!
- Look for five (5) 20th Anniversary insert cards per box, on average!
- Collect the entire 160-card base set!
PRODUCT BREAKDOWN
Regular Cards and Rookies
- Base Set - 100 cards
- Rookie Cards- 30 cards
- Rookie Autographed Cards- 30
Inserts and Parallel Cards
- Icons numbered to 999
- Future Foundations numbered to 999
- Legendary Icons numbered to 999
WHAT WE PULLED
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0gNlFX_aK4A
Base (43/100) - 43%
Dupes - 0
Rookies /999 (1) - Colby Rasmus
http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd158/enigmas_cards/CCF09072009_00005.jpg
Icons /125 (4) - Billy Wagner, Miguel Cabrera, Delmon Young, Jake Peavy
http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd158/enigmas_cards/CCF09072009_00006.jpg
20th Anniversary Retrospective (5)
http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd158/enigmas_cards/CCF09072009_00007.jpg
Icons Stephen Drew Jersey
Icons Justin Verlander Jersey
http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd158/enigmas_cards/CCF09072009_00008.jpg
Everth Cabrera Autograph /600
http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd158/enigmas_cards/CCF09072009_00009.jpg
Immortal Lettermen Gaylord Perry "Y" /35
Lettermen Dustin Pedroia "N" /35
http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd158/enigmas_cards/CCF09072009_00010.jpg
20th Anniversary Retrospective Curt Schilling Memorabilia
http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd158/enigmas_cards/CCF09072009_00011.jpg
Final Ratings (out of 5):
Base Set – 4
Fun – 4
Overall Design – 4.5
Value – 2.5
Rebuy – 3
Total – 18/25 (76%)
The base cards in Icons are well-produced. The full color photo laid over a simple background is nice. Getting almost half the base set is worthwhile as well. However, the enjoyment virtually stops there.
There are three insert sets in Icons, yet we managed to only see 4 cards from one of the sets. What kind of collation is that? Would be nice to see at least one of the others in the box. And then this set is called Icons. So would that make it Icons Icons? I don't understand the need to call a set the same thing as the release.
Really glad to see the 20th Anniversary cards are prominent in this box. Getting one in every two packs is great considering they are a part of a 2,500 card set. I'm interested to see what next year's set will be and if they plan on doing something nice for those who complete this set.
As for the jerseys, why aren't these numbered? Where's the appeal? It doesn't matter who the players are, in a product like this, a production limit carries a lot of weight in the eyes of the collector. And then there's the dreaded Lettermen cards. Why am I spelling a person's full name? That's not what appears on the back of a jersey. It really feels like a ploy to just unnecessarily add more cards instead of at least focusing on what the collector's enjoy. Plus, I still don't understand the numbering. Does it mean there are 35 cards overall or 35 cards of just that letter? Would really help if each card was numbered accordingly with it's place in the name. For instance, Dustin Pedroia should be DP1 for "D", DP2 for "U", DP3 for "S", etc. This would end the debate on print runs and guessing when a player has multiple cases of the same letter in his name.
Icons, in just name alone, should feature the greats of the game in the present as well as the past. Have to question if that's the case here. While the base cards are decent and you get five chase cards in the box, I'm left feeling that there's a lot missing. I really feel the whole manufactured patch letters program needs to be rethought. How can something so simple turn into something so convoluted in a matter of a couple of years? Mass production is such a curse.
Once again, I'd like to thank our wonderful sponsors at Upper Deck for giving us the opportunity to open and review this release. For more information on all their products, you can check them out at www.upperdeck.com (http://www.upperdeck.com).