UD Has 3 Sets Out Before the Season Even Begins

[RGM81]

With OPC being released tomorrow, this will make the third product Upper Deck has released for the 2011-12 season. They've used up 3 of their 11 releases before a single puck has been dropped. Doesn't that strike anybody else as being a little odd?

I know that it's important in a competitive market place to get the jump on the opposition. UD is doing collectors some favours by releasing the first game-used cards of players from last year's rookie crop. However, when you look at the auto checklists, the cards being made of guys who have moved on to new teams, and other standard early-season glitches, is it really worth it to use up over a quarter of your allotted product releases this early?

[ginx86]

Based on my own buying habits, yes. I know there are three times of the year that I really splurge on cards, opening week, Christmas, and during the Stanley Cup Finals. They've gotten a lot of Victory purchases out of me simply because it's usually the only thing I can find on the shelf opening day.

I do think that releasing OPC so close to Victory may cannibalize Victory's sales with OPC out at the same time I doubt I'll be buying another pack of Victory.

[SkyFire47]

With OPC being released tomorrow, this will make the third product Upper Deck has released for the 2011-12 season. They've used up 3 of their 11 releases before a single puck has been dropped. Doesn't that strike anybody else as being a little odd?

I know that it's important in a competitive market place to get the jump on the opposition. UD is doing collectors some favours by releasing the first game-used cards of players from last year's rookie crop. However, when you look at the auto checklists, the cards being made of guys who have moved on to new teams, and other standard early-season glitches, is it really worth it to use up over a quarter of your allotted product releases this early?

products are made many months in advance. early season sets would never account for any off season changes so that hardly matters. as for when they get releases out, i'm glad they're getting them out earlier. much better than constantly delayed and much later. here's hoping they're new schedule of releases gets the higher end releases spaced out nicely rather than all at the end at the same time.

also funny how everyone thinks releases should be timed with the season.

[Tivo32]

As far as Victory goes, I will probably never buy a box or even a pack of it. It just doesn't interest me. Even OPC doesn't interest me too much. But I will say, I think UD has done a FANTASTIC job with the Artifacts set. Especially this year's set. I have already opened 3 boxes of it and I would love to get another box or two. I just wish the Autofacts subset had a few better names in it, but what can you do? :P

[RGM81]

products are made many months in advance. early season sets would never account for any off season changes so that hardly matters. as for when they get releases out, i'm glad they're getting them out earlier. much better than constantly delayed and much later. here's hoping they're new schedule of releases gets the higher end releases spaced out nicely rather than all at the end at the same time.

also funny how everyone thinks releases should be timed with the season.

I know that they're all planned well in advance and all of that, but still the point remains that they're making products that are out of date before they even hit the shelves. Who in October 2011 wants a Benoit Pouliot Retro Rainbow /100 as their box hit for that parallel? Habs fans don't want any memory of him, and Bruins fans don't want anything in a Habs jersey (look how long it took for anybody to want any Ryder stuff!). If they were to allot more people & time to getting the products out in a timely fashion and with updated rosters, would anybody's feelings truly be hurt if Artifacts were released six weeks later and had pictures of Winnipeg Jets players in Winnipeg Jets jerseys?

As far as Victory goes, I will probably never buy a box or even a pack of it. It just doesn't interest me. Even OPC doesn't interest me too much. But I will say, I think UD has done a FANTASTIC job with the Artifacts set. Especially this year's set. I have already opened 3 boxes of it and I would love to get another box or two. I just wish the Autofacts subset had a few better names in it, but what can you do? :P

Put the product out a few weeks later and use all of those freshly-signed stickers that players sign when they return to training camp. It ain't just the TTM's mailbag that they get caught up on. :)

[Tivo32]

Put the product out a few weeks later and use all of those freshly-signed stickers that players sign when they return to training camp. It ain't just the TTM's mailbag that they get caught up on. :)

That is a very, very good point. :)

[KangoBass]

I noticed the Auto checklist of these releases seem to be the time they are off-loading those rookie sticker-auto's from last year. Look at the mix of last year rcs to this years autos.

[BillInDallas]

With the number of products that are allocated per their agreement, I'm not sure what else they are to do unless they tried cramming them in an already over-saturated calendar. I don't know the exact numbers, but isn't their allocation close to a dozen?

[RGM81]

11 per company.

[gatesnapper]

Who in October 2011 wants a Benoit Pouliot Retro Rainbow /100 as their box hit for that parallel?

hey! what else should I wipe my butt with?
:)