Is UD headed for disaster?

[Tivo32]

Couldn't agree more. You'd have to think the card companies would like that too, being able to produce highly desired cards without using a jersey or getting an autograph. You could argue that Certified sort of did that with their Mirror cards, still not the same though.

Yeah I agree with you 110%. I think the difference is that Topps Chrome / Bowman Chrome has a name to back it up. Certified really doesn't. I've thought about this a lot - why isn't their prospecting in hockey? The minor league structure is similar in a way to baseball. It is possible to get action shots of rookies who go back to their junior teams while they dress for the preseason. It wouldn't technically be a "RC" but you could do what Bowman does and designate it "1st Bowman Card'' Look at some of the prices of the Bryce Harper and Yu Darvish base short prints right now. They're going crazy. Look at the base set prices of Topps Archives. $100+ for a base set.

[30ranfordfan]

The easy answer is "the companies are not allowed".

If the player has not played in an NHL regular season (or playoff) game, then they can not be included in an NHL licenced set..... this has been the case for (I think??) 12 years. In the 90s it was quite common for players who wern't even drafted to get cards in NHL sets (which were always considered rookies).

There is nothing stopping the companies from making minor league sets (nothing I'm aware of, anyway) and In The Game already does that with Heroes & Prospects..... but they have no NHL license.

Yeah I agree with you 110%. I think the difference is that Topps Chrome / Bowman Chrome has a name to back it up. Certified really doesn't. I've thought about this a lot - why isn't their prospecting in hockey? The minor league structure is similar in a way to baseball. It is possible to get action shots of rookies who go back to their junior teams while they dress for the preseason. It wouldn't technically be a "RC" but you could do what Bowman does and designate it "1st Bowman Card'' Look at some of the prices of the Bryce Harper and Yu Darvish base short prints right now. They're going crazy. Look at the base set prices of Topps Archives. $100+ for a base set.

[Cartophilium]

The easy answer is "the companies are not allowed".

If the player has not played in an NHL regular season (or playoff) game, then they can not be included in an NHL licenced set..... this has been the case for (I think??) 12 years. In the 90s it was quite common for players who wern't even drafted to get cards in NHL sets (which were always considered rookies).

There is nothing stopping the companies from making minor league sets (nothing I'm aware of, anyway) and In The Game already does that with Heroes & Prospects..... but they have no NHL license.

Other than copyright laws and agreements that must be signed with the league,team(s) and players

[centrehice]

Certified's cards are adapted from 1995-96 Select Certified. This is nothing new.

I prefer the 97-98 Pinnacle Totally Certified Parallels over anything Certified that Panini has made.

The Pinnacle Totally Certified Mirror, Reds, Blues and Golds are outstanding cards. These newer Panini Certified Mirrors are........Meh.


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[30ranfordfan]

Yes, of course you're correct. They couldn't just start making the cards.... but they could enter into a licensing agreement with the leagues, or the players themseleves.

My point was that their NHL license forbids them from making cards of players, in NHL sets, until they've played an actual game. Preseason doesn't count. That doesn't mean they couldn't make cards of those players, they just wouldn't be able to go into the NHL sets.

Other than copyright laws and agreements that must be signed with the league,team(s) and players