UD's Tweet Re: The Cup

[gomaz]

Here are two tasks everyone should try

1. Write your signature as you would like everyone to see it.....1000 times....oh yeah - on a little sticker or in a small spot n a card...and thats for only one brand - do it another 999 times on another brand of card....and if your lucky....your a rookie and have to do it to 10 different brands....Try it - its lots of fun and should take you no time to complete

2. Try owning a business and having 100% customer satistfaction - Its cool to handle every persons complaint and get 1 compliment for every 20 complaints....AND make everyone happy....Good Times...The joy and satisfaction you will have when everyone is happy...

Just saying

Best post in this thread.

How much the players make is irrelevant to the discussion.

[Wolvescry]

I don't really see how anyone can point any fingers at UD. They are fully aware that they should not do redemptions but how can anyone say it's their "fault"? Yes, I know they have done the product for years and should have their deadlines down but what can they do? At some point, they have to release a product in whatever state it's in. They can't wait forever. UD has zero leverage with the players, contract or not. They're not going to sue a player for breach of contract if he takes his sweet time signing cards that maybe should have been done months ago. What are they going to do?

"Mr. Gretzky, this is completely unacceptable! So let's put it all on the table...you had better get your butt in a chair and sign those dual Cup Messier autographs and mail them back to us or...we'll...errr....wait longer for you to do so. Have a nice day."

[SkyFire47]

They need a firm delivery date, cut off date for players and only include what is signed. Its not like they publish a checklist when the product is released anyway. No excuse to even offer a redemption unless its is a made to order.

unfortunately, it isn't so black and white. you got guys like Roy, Malkin, and Crosby who are consistent redemptions in products now. you telling me you would push a product out without cards of those guys?

then you have the part where UD is paying for these cards so they surely aren't going to simply throw the cards away when they get them later on. if they use them as redemption replacements, people will still complain. and it isn't like UD can simply cut the players off; they need them to sign.

partial blame should be on the players who don't fulfill their obligations on time. the other part should be on us, the collectors. you think UD wants to waste time with redemptions?

-chasing players for autos,
-keeping track of redeemed cards,
-employing customer service to take all the calls
-handling replacements
-mailing out redeemed cards/replacements

all of that costs them extra money. if we didn't want autos, they wouldn't have to insert them. the card companies aren't putting the goodies in products because they feel like it.

[edthesandwich]

unfortunately, it isn't so black and white. you got guys like Roy, Malkin, and Crosby who are consistent redemptions in products now. you telling me you would push a product out without cards of those guys?

then you have the part where UD is paying for these cards so they surely aren't going to simply throw the cards away when they get them later on. if they use them as redemption replacements, people will still complain. and it isn't like UD can simply cut the players off; they need them to sign.

partial blame should be on the players who don't fulfill their obligations on time. the other part should be on us, the collectors. you think UD wants to waste time with redemptions?

-chasing players for autos,
-keeping track of redeemed cards,
-employing customer service to take all the calls
-handling replacements
-mailing out redeemed cards/replacements

all of that costs them extra money. if we didn't want autos, they wouldn't have to insert them. the card companies aren't putting the goodies in products because they feel like it.

Nicely put. It seems like UD weighed the possibilities, and ended up having to choose between cramming their marquee product full of redemptions, or pushing back the release date to get more live sigs. Either way, they know that some collectors are going to be peeved, so they're not winning this battle anyhow.

Personally, I think they made the right choice. People were understandably upset at being made to wait so long, but it'll definitely be worth it, by the looks of things.

[RGM81]

Nicely put. It seems like UD weighed the possibilities, and ended up having to choose between cramming their marquee product full of redemptions, or pushing back the release date to get more live sigs. Either way, they know that some collectors are going to be peeved, so they're not winning this battle anyhow.

Personally, I think they made the right choice. People were understandably upset at being made to wait so long, but it'll definitely be worth it, by the looks of things.

As the old saying goes, you can't please all of the people all of the time. There's obviously a lot of people who aren't happy with the delays, I'm sure that UD doesn't hold a weekly meeting dreaming up new ways to delay their premier hockey release to cheese off the fans. They've managed to get, per their statement, the overwhelming majority of the autographed content live into the product's release, with only a few multi-auto redemptions--probably one or two mid-tier rookies also. Given all the excitement generated this past weekend with the pack-out picks, methinks all of this hysteria will fade away in short order once the product is actually out there. Hmmm kinda reminds me of how Habs fans were so up in arms about Price not signing a new contract right away. LOL

[RunnersDad]

I partially agree with Skyfire...part of the responsibility should fall on the laps of the players and part on Ud's lap. I don't agree with you in regards to it being an issue caused by collector's. For years all you could get out of a pack of cards were base cards, maybe some subset cards, and towards the latter portion of the 90's serial numbered inserts. As collector's we were fine with this and were thrilled to pull that years good rookie or future HOF'er. UD then had the bright idea to insert GU jersey cards into packs of the products and it became a huge hit. Since then the amount of GU and Auto cards in products has risen to epic proportions.

Yes, as collector's we have now grown accustomed to having these cards inserted into our products in order for us to feel like were getting out "monies" worth, but it's because they continue to throw more and more at us. They have watered down the market to the point that you can purchase GU relic and Auto cards of HOF players for pennies on the dollar. Good for collectors, but in the end I think that is somewhat counter productive for manufacturers.

Ultimately there is nothing we can do but rant and rave about our angst with UD. They are going to proceed according to their own agenda, not ours. If the NHLPA and the card companies could ever work hand in hand with one another we might see less redemptions in products. But money talks, and unless the companies want to throw around more money and raise product prices even more we will continue to have products with late release dates and a high rate of redemptions instead of in hand autos.

[SkyFire47]

I partially agree with Skyfire...part of the responsibility should fall on the laps of the players and part on Ud's lap. I don't agree with you in regards to it being an issue caused by collector's. For years all you could get out of a pack of cards were base cards, maybe some subset cards, and towards the latter portion of the 90's serial numbered inserts. As collector's we were fine with this and were thrilled to pull that years good rookie or future HOF'er. UD then had the bright idea to insert GU jersey cards into packs of the products and it became a huge hit. Since then the amount of GU and Auto cards in products has risen to epic proportions.

Yes, as collector's we have now grown accustomed to having these cards inserted into our products in order for us to feel like were getting out "monies" worth, but it's because they continue to throw more and more at us. They have watered down the market to the point that you can purchase GU relic and Auto cards of HOF players for pennies on the dollar. Good for collectors, but in the end I think that is somewhat counter productive for manufacturers.

Ultimately there is nothing we can do but rant and rave about our angst with UD. They are going to proceed according to their own agenda, not ours. If the NHLPA and the card companies could ever work hand in hand with one another we might see less redemptions in products. But money talks, and unless the companies want to throw around more money and raise product prices even more we will continue to have products with late release dates and a high rate of redemptions instead of in hand autos.

you've got that somewhat backwards. while it is true that it is the card companies that introduced the game used jersey and the autographs into the products, the demand for those products is what fueled the card companies to continue. in striving for innovation, the hobby has evolved to need redemptions and sticker autos. these are no longer bonuses but now necessities for a product.

even if you were to leave only the biggest hits in each product but pulled out all the common game used and autos, demand would plummet. there are collectors who call for UD's heads when they get shorted even a simple common jersey out of their 2-3 box hits. the same jersey people deem worthless now.

funny thing about your statement is that it should actually be "Good for the card companies, somewhat counter productive for collectors." the main thing you're forgetting is that the hobby runs on disposable income. people will get excited everytime a new product comes out.