Answers to some good questions at the UD blog today...

http://upperdeckblog.com/2011/02/ask...k-redemptions/

Ask Upper Deck: How can I be sure the product I bought has not been tampered with or opened previously?
Nick Leslie: “Pack searching is a nasty practice that sometimes rears its ugly head when unscrupulous individuals weigh or feel sealed packs to figure out which ones hold the special inserts. They take the packs they feel are good and leave the rest. Usually this happens at Retail. Upper Deck has led the industry in trying to stop these sort of fraudulent activities by adding decoy cards, UD-branded shrink-wrap seals to boxes and more. There are a few ways to protect yourself from being a victim and purchasing packs that have already been searched:
  • Purchase packs from a trusted source and be careful of online purchases.
  • Purchase sealed boxes rather than loose packs. Sealed boxes should be shrink-wrapped with the Upper Deck logo branded on it.
  • Inspect the product and see if there is any evidence of tampering like glue or tape on the packaging.”

Ask Upper Deck: You shared previously that the 2009-10 NHL Be-A-Player Rookie Draft Pick redemptions would be mailing soon. What is the status of those cards?

The Be-A-Player Rookie Draft Pick Redemptions are now in house

Nick Leslie: “We recently received them in and are in the process of reviewing the cards for quality. After that we will move to have them packaged and shipped. The process should be completed in the coming weeks. We are a few weeks out from seeing the Artifacts Rookie Redemption cards completed, but we’ll provide updates when they are finished.”