Is this the end of Upper Deck?

[rocksaysits420]

http://www.beckett.com/news/2014/11/...e-card-market/

THoughts

[AndyG23]

The Panini monopoly continues.

Can UD do what Leaf has done and use images of players but edit out logos and team names?

[rocksaysits420]

The Panini monopoly continues.

Can UD do what Leaf has done and use images of players but edit out logos and team names?

I would imagine UD can use the images and edit out the logos and keep LBJ in his high school uni

[jordan23]

I would imagine UD can use the images and edit out the logos and keep LBJ in his high school uni

Definitely a sting for all Jordan collectors if this eventuates. Look out for lebron James masters collection hs box sets coming soon potentially.

[pwaldo]

I don't think this is a finishing blow to Upper Deck but they will be severely hampered by the move. Panini wants to buy them or at least finish them off so they can actually make a basketball product that people will want to buy (that will have Jordan and Lebron autographs). Until then they are basically burning money in the basketball market. I also think that their ultimate goal is to finish off Upper Deck and Topps and basically control the whole card industry. If that were to happen you'd just have Sage, Press Pass, Leaf/ITG, and maybe somebody else left. If Topps and Upper Deck disappear those companies will follow if they even last that long.

I know Upper Deck picked up the CFL license but is that enough with their exclusive hockey contract and maybe some golf releases to keep them in business? I don't know but they will make Lebron and Jordan autographs WORTHLESS before they go out of business. They'd be stupid not to.

[Zeppelin1985]

It's better when there are multiple companies to choose from to buy the same product they all produce. But when there is only one company and zero alternative it is not a good thing. The Panini tyranny on the basketball card market continues UNFORTUNATELY.

[pwaldo]

The Panini tyranny on the basketball card market continues UNFORTUNATELY.

What's worse is that they are making a play to dominate the industry and be the only game in town. Guess they are hurting paying all that money for exclusives so they want to take everyone else down so they don't have any competition. If you guys think exclusive sports suck now for cards just wait and see what an exclusive card maker for the whole market will do.

[dkc]

Free market economy is practically gone in the basketball card business. Back when Topps, Upper Deck, and SP were competing, the company with the better product would push the other two to come back strong the next year. It's bad enough that there aren't many people who care about collegiate cards, but Panini continues to pick on companies by getting these barely legal, all-exclusive licensing deals. How can we keep buying with confidence if we still aren't 100% sure about what Panini has "guaranteed" on auto/memorabilia cards?

[pwaldo]

I don't really see it as illegal or anything close to being illegal. McDonald's or Pepsi get to be the official drink or carrier of merchandise for movies and stuff so that should be able to be down with cards as well but I think the question more would be why does anybody think that the NBA card market is better with JUST Panini running it and nobody else? That is a question I'd like to ask because I don't know how anybody who was in charge of the decision could explain how pushing out Topps and especially Upper Deck from the basketball card market was a wise move.