What do you think of In The Game

[30ranfordfan]

Wouldn't that mean you're a fan of neither company then? Unless you're sticking to nothing but SPA & The Cup, Upper Deck is also filled with sticker autos.

not a fan, I loathe sticker autographs. they look cheap

[30ranfordfan]

Just cutting out this one comment.

I think this obviously shows that despite what it seems like when you read a lot of online posts (certainly what I read on SCF, HI, or any other hobby site) the masses, in fact, still prefer Upper Deck.

Really - What percentage of collector's actually use forums like this one to buy & trade cards??

I agree with you - more and more pro-ITG / anti-UD comments the last year, or so.... but it's comming from such a small sample size of the overall hobby, that we're really just the vocal minority.

I am simply surprised to see people continuing to pay a lot more for most UD stuff when ITG sounds to have the favour of the hobby. It is like saying something but doing the opposite.

[roy.the.greatest]

Just cutting out this one comment.

I think this obviously shows that despite what it seems like when you read a lot of online posts (certainly what I read on SCF, HI, or any other hobby site) the masses, in fact, still prefer Upper Deck.

Really - What percentage of collector's actually use forums like this one to buy & trade cards??

I agree with you - more and more pro-ITG / anti-UD comments the last year, or so.... but it's comming from such a small sample size of the overall hobby, that we're really just the vocal minority.

I fully agree on this comment. That's really what we see in the real hobby life, comparatively to internet forums.

[edthesandwich]

UD may be the "card of choice" for the time being, but the more the company continues to treat its customer base like nothing more than wallets with faces, the more backlash they'll face, and eventually, the more people will turn to Panini or ITG.

For some of you, it's just about the cards. Where can I get rookies? Who can provide me the sweetest patches/autographs? Whose designs are better? And when all the criteria are considered and deconstructed, there are pros and cons to purchasing each brand.

UD has the license, and wields it well. High-end UD stuff is tingle-inducing, no one can deny this. The card designs are solid for the most part, and some of their card ideas are quite inventive. That said, they continue to be really chinsy with a lot of their jersey cards (especially compared to ITG); the redemption program, while necessary, is infinitely frustrating (raise your hand if you've had to wait at least three months for a card. Everyone? Thought so); and their customer service is abysmal. I understand that the demands on the customer service department are ridiculous, and they only have so many staff to deal with the complaints. But consumers have rights and privileges. And too often there have been stories of people who have had to wait altogether too long for their cases to be dealt with. That doesn't endear people to the hobby.

ITG has a magnificent product when it comes to jersey/memorabilia. Hands down the best in the hobby. Some of the giant swatch cards actually make me go "Ooh..." when I first lay eyes on them. From an aesthetics standpoint, the memorabilia cards help make up for the largely bland design of the base sets and several of the inserts. The customer service is top-notch, and when you open a pack, you get the number of cards stated. No 10-character scratch codes, no "athlete has committed to signing, please be patient" messages, no waiting for your card to eventually arrive -- hopefully damage-free.

Nevertheless, ITG's lack of a license severely limits the product's potential. The blandness of the designs IS a big deal, and is particularly galling when you consider just how amazing the memorabilia cards look. And the majority of collectors still favor UD, and always will. So that keeps the value down, which can be irksome to those hoping to turn a profit.

I'm with the few who have said that it's about personal taste. Saying UD rules and ITG sucks is narrow-minded and misguided. Saying ITG rules and UD sucks is equally so. Both offer amazing options for collectors, and we should all be grateful to have the choices we have. It's a wonderful time to be a hockey card collector. Maybe the best ever. And people shouldn't lose sight of that.

Having said ALL that, for me the turning point came at this year's Expo. I was fortunate enough to be able to break a box of Superlative. And the ITG staff in attendance was abuzz as I cracked my box. Just as I'm going over my haul, Dr. Price wanders over to see how I did. I almost dropped my prized Brodeur Game-Used Numbers card on the ground! It was a great moment, and one I'll never forget.

UD didn't even show up.

I'll always buy UD. But ITG is my favorite. And it's because of Dr. Price. He's one of us. He touches base with us. He asks for input, and responds with cutting-edge products like Made to Order. And given his staff and budgetary constraints, what he has been able to do with ITG is nothing short of astonishing.

That's my three cents. Hopefully it adds to what has already been a really good discussion.

[gardzy99]

I like them both for different reasons......what a fence sitter huh?? I buy what I want for my collection. My Luke Schenn PC has WAY more UD then ITG, but I do want to get some ITG product for it. I busted my first box of ITG Heroes and Prospects this year and found the thrill MUCH higher than busting UD product. The Emblems, seams and colours of the Game used materials just blew me away. And the autos I received....3 in a box.......well worth the money....PLUS ITG has a limitted amount of product so their is always demand unlike the UD overprinting everything, calling it a short print and NEVER revealing to the collector exactly how many exist....very shady tactics...

[Wozimba]

I love ITG, because they are big selection of memorabilia cards (sticks, pads, gloves, etc.) UD maybe have better design, but I think that piece of nice memorabilia is more important than design.It´s my opinion.

[deankal]

not a fan, I loathe sticker autographs. they look cheap

I'm curious as well as to what products other than Sp Authentic and The Cup you're buying that don't have sticker auto's......
Even there I picked up a 5 6 and 8 auto Sp Authentic auto'd cards and those all came with stickers. Actually with UD sticker auto's are going to be in more and more products (if you've noticed) as there answer has been it saves the condition of the cards. They don't get bumped around by the players who are signing them.

I guess you're not buying too much UD either....

I do agree with you ALL sticker auto's......SUCK!!! That's one of my main reasons I stopped collecting all cards with sticker auto's whether they're ITG or UD.

[gilp11]

I'm curious as well as to what products other than Sp Authentic and The Cup you're buying that don't have sticker auto's......
Even there I picked up a 5 6 and 8 auto Sp Authentic auto'd cards and those all came with stickers. Actually with UD sticker auto's are going to be in more and more products (if you've noticed) as there answer has been it saves the condition of the cards. They don't get bumped around by the players who are signing them.

I guess you're not buying too much UD either....

I do agree with you ALL sticker auto's......SUCK!!! That's one of my main reasons I stopped collecting all cards with sticker auto's whether they're ITG or UD.

Well there are a few more products from ud that don't have stickers witch would be ultimate collection one of my favorites and also opc premier no stickers also the opc has buyback autos in the set that are not sticker autos one of my favorite cards in my collection is a sidney Crosby buyback auto no sticker so 4 products with no stickers also u said u pulled a sticker auto from sp a i have never seen any

[nic11]

5-6-7-8 autographs from SPa are stickers

[gilp11]

5-6-7-8 autographs from SPa are stickers

Thanks Well I dident know but I guess it would make sense because I would guess that the cards would be hard to get everyone to sign would take forever but still 4products with non sticker autos