What will UD do now?

[AndyG23]

So with Panini now flooding each of their products with college cards due to them having the exclusive collegiate licence, what is UD expected to do with upcoming products?

Will UD go the Leaf route and photoshop player images?

Has anyone heard anything on 15-16 products from UD?

I know they said they'll be limiting the release of MJ and Lebron autos in the future so it will be interesting to see what happens over the next few months.

[Biggums7]

i think ud is not making any 15/16 products

[Zeppelin1985]

I wish there could be a deal worked out where UD would allow LeBron and MJ to sign for Panini. Leaf and Panini came to SOME sort of an agreement to get Damian Lillard to sign, right?

A real shame for us basketball collectors who can't pull a licensed auto of two of the greatest basketball players of all-time.

[Biggums7]

I wish there could be a deal worked out where UD would allow LeBron and MJ to sign for Panini. Leaf and Panini came to SOME sort of an agreement to get Damian Lillard to sign, right?

A real shame for us basketball collectors who can't pull a licensed auto of two of the greatest basketball players of all-time.

ud will never do that, those 2 players r the only reason ud is still around, if they let them sign stuff for panini, ud is out of business.

[Zeppelin1985]

Even with UD getting a cut of every product they allow Panini to distribute their autos in?

[jordan23]

Good thing MJ is upper deck exclusive, I wouldn't want my MJ autos in any of those yucky white designs.

[Biggums7]

Even with UD getting a cut of every product they allow Panini to distribute their autos in?

If ud was to do that, they would charge an insane price per autograph b/c they would lose almost all there business, and as cheap as panini is i doubt they would pay it

[pwaldo]

Even with UD getting a cut of every product they allow Panini to distribute their autos in?

Yes

Besides Jordan being a stock holder / part owner of Upper Deck the value of the exclusive autographs of Jordan and Lebron far outweigh getting some more money from Panini. If you play a money game with Panini they will win and would have already won if that was the case. Upper Deck is only still in business because they have Jordan as an exclusive. They widened that by adding Lebron and they just locked up the #1 pick in the NHL draft who is suppose to be the next big thing.

Without Jordan and Lebron Panini struggles in the NBA market and creates an opening for Upper Deck to eventually return so giving in to Panini would be an awful business move at this point since Upper Deck controls all the key cards in this one. UD is really looking at a long long long term goal of getting back rather than a short term one and it may or may not work but they are going to be a thorn in Panini's side for as long as they can at this point.

[Zeppelin1985]

Excellent points, pwaldo! I didn't look at it in the long run and I concur now. I didn't know MJ has a stake in UD. Im all for UD being a thorn in Panini's side but it really sucks us collectors are basically being held "hostage" in the middle of their chess match.

Yes

Besides Jordan being a stock holder / part owner of Upper Deck the value of the exclusive autographs of Jordan and Lebron far outweigh getting some more money from Panini. If you play a money game with Panini they will win and would have already won if that was the case. Upper Deck is only still in business because they have Jordan as an exclusive. They widened that by adding Lebron and they just locked up the #1 pick in the NHL draft who is suppose to be the next big thing.

Without Jordan and Lebron Panini struggles in the NBA market and creates an opening for Upper Deck to eventually return so giving in to Panini would be an awful business move at this point since Upper Deck controls all the key cards in this one. UD is really looking at a long long long term goal of getting back rather than a short term one and it may or may not work but they are going to be a thorn in Panini's side for as long as they can at this point.

[pwaldo]

They widened that by adding Lebron and they just locked up the #1 pick in the NHL draft who is suppose to be the next big thing.

Connor McDavid is his name (the NHL rookie) and they also have Tiger Woods who probably has the most expensive autograph around as an exclusive too.

Though I'm not sure how long their deal is with Lebron and when it ends. Panini could possibly wait that one out and sign him to a deal like they did with Kobe if it ends sometime soon.