Less Equals More? Imagining a 7-Release UD Product Line

[RGM81]

I came up with this quick-n-dirty listing in response to a discussion thread on another forum and I'd like to import it here to see what you guys think.

The discussion was about cutting back products, something for which I have long advocated, in order to give collectors (i.e. us) more bang for their hobby dollars, as well as getting rid of some of the fat in the product lines.

I don't know exactly how I came up with 7 but I think it's a solid enough number that still allows UD to produce a good range of low-to-high end sets and bring something unique and special to the table in each release, rather than have a bunch of redundant products.

Let me know what you think, what you like, what you don't like, what you'd tweak, etc.

This is what *I* would do...

O-Pee-Chee
UD1/2
------------
Black Ice
Hot Prospects
SP Authentic
------------
Ultimate Collection
The Cup

OPC & UD1/2 would remain largely unchanged as the standard-bearers and entry-level products.

Black Ice is a hybrid of UD Black and Ice, with the price point falling somewhere in the middle. RCs are all acetate and retain the tier system (/999, /499, /99). Autographs include Ice Scripts (thanks Trilogy), Glacial Graphs, and awesome AU and GU pillaged from UD Black concepts. Oh, and of course Ice Premieres Patches.

Hot Prospects comes back as and features auto-jersey, auto-patch, and auto-other-stuff rookies plus parallels--and yes there are SP's of the top guys. Very rookie-driven release so there's lots of rookie inserts and other subsets, with some standard veteran memorabilia content sprinkled in there too for added value.

SP Authentic - is there really anything about SP Authentic that needs to change? No, not really. All-hard-signed product, great mix of rookie and veteran content, and introduces a cool wrinkle for the Future Watch Patches: they're numbered to a player's jersey number.

Ultimate Collection - keep the hard-signed rookies and pump in all the awesome high-end memorabilia pieces you get from SP Game Used--Fight Straps, Patches, Net Cords, etc. No basic jerseys anymore, only premium memorabilia. For $100+ a pack, nobody wants one-colour jersey swatches #'d /100.

The Cup - it's still The Cup.

I really wanted to incorporate Black Diamond in some way as it has some cool concepts that go into it. Tiered rookies are sprinkled throughout my other lines, though, so what does that really leave? The Hardware Heroes and Championship Rings subsets - those could find a home in my proposed Black Ice, I'm sure.

Discuss!

[miscs75]

I'm a big fan of this but possibly do what they did in 12-13 and make Ultimatw Collection an insert set in the cup. That way you can bring back Black a diamond and merge it with Black. Make ice it's own set and make the set all acetate like it once was. Also make the rookie redemptions from artifacts a part of hot prospects possibly.

[Yzerfan]

I absolutely love this idea and it would open the door for ITG to get a license. Black Ice would probably be an ultimate product for me even if it is mid-end. I love Ice, Black and Black Diamond so to put those three together would just be LEGEN....wait for it....DARY!!
LEGENDARY!!!

[centrehice]

Ice acetate are still the nicest cards they make, Put some of the unaffordable junk like the cup and insert it in Ice instead of the other way around.

Black Diamond is garbage unless they go back to 1998 design specs.

[FrankToronto]

I'm with you on the need for there being less sets, RGM.

Your Black Ice idea is very interesting. I always loved Ice going back and was very impressed with Black so that would work.

I'd say the only question mark would be Hot Prospects. Otherwise, I can't argue with your list too much.

I wouldn't merge Ultimate Collection with Black Diamond, as suggested, since with the reduction in number of releases there would be less high end product and there are enough collectors that will want multiple high end products without being watered down.

[theboxbreaker96]

Here is my opinion. I don't think UD could survive with 7 products. I think it is a good number but remember UD only really produces Hockey it is their biggest income. If you limit that I don't think they make it.

However back to your question. Here are my 7 products.

UD 1/2
Black Diamond
UD Black Premier
Hot Prospects
SP Authentic
Ultimate
The Cup

I cut out OPC because UD will need money makers and OPC really isn't a money maker

Black Diamond- Lots of people don't like it however it has gotten a lot better the past few years. More bang for your buck. The cards look sick. Include the ICE bonus Pack and BD makes for a very solid December release

I say Black Premier instead of Black Ice. I think OPC Premier was one of the nicest looking sets ever and combine that with UD Black makes for an insane product. I think the OPC Premier Rookie Autos were very nice. You can include various insert sets such as (Glacial Graphs, Ice Scripts, Ice Premier Auto Patches /10, Premier signings, Lustrous Materials, and Game Night Ticket Autos)

Hot Prospect- My favorite product back then. I agree with RGM said about it.

SPA- Keep it the same. I would include a Bonus SPX pack with a SPX RC Jersey Auto in it.

Ultimate and CUP are obvious choices.

Artifacts gets cut unfortunately.

[cygnusx1]

I cut out OPC because UD will need money makers and OPC really isn't a money maker

Not too sure about that. In my experience, there are tons of very loyal OPC collectors who go for the set every year. Not to mention quite a few even more loyal collectors who go for the full master set every year! Along with it's value as a lower end set that could be used to introduce kids to collecting, I think it would be an awful idea to discontinue OPC.

[centrehice]

UD makes nothing but gobs of money on OPC. Cheap cost, and they put it in about 5 different selling formats. Nothing but dough made on OPC.

[Samuwry7]

As far bang for your buck goes-- I'm no business guy, but this is my educated(ish) guess of how stuff goes over there. They allot a budget for each release, and within that budget, the brand manager has to balance having high dollar hits with having enough other low dollar hits to completely fill out the product specifications (ie, 3 autos a box, etc). With each budget must almost certainly be projected profits on the product also.

With seven products, I'd expect them to project the overall yearly profits as lower, and therefore also lower the budgets for each of those releases accordingly.

Because the cost-profit relationship is always there, how do you make progress adding value? Even if people buy more of the product, you need more high dollar hits, thus increasing cost (if they are autos and gu'd). If you lower the good hits, the product will seem disappointing and won't sell.

I guess I see bang-for-buck being best helped by increased demand for cards on the secondary market; in other words, more people in the hobby. I wonder if this couldn't be better achieved in some way via cooperation between all the hockey card companies; some big-tobaccoesque cabal that pools money and tries to grab customers for their industry, rather than their company. How much of us ONLY buy Panini or ONLY buy UD?

[Samuwry7]

Ah, one other quick thought-- bang for buck could also be achieved through good scouting and deal-making on the card companies' part. They need some keen hockey scouts workin for them. Of course the high draft picks will always sign good deals, but if you can sign those lower-drafted surprise stars to cheap auto deals before they really blow up, you'd see more bang for buck.